If you'd like to give your child the experience of having and loving a pet, but don't think your household can afford more trouble and trauma, consider adopting an older dog from a shelter. Look for breeds and animals who are gentle, low-key, and not easily riled. With a little searching, you should be able to locate a pooch who is healthy, housebroken, accustomed to children, comfortable with family life, and grateful for a home. Older dogs are often considered special-needs placements, and helping those animals feels good, too.
Though your child may prefer a more energetic and playful younger dog, those animals may not be sufficiently understanding of your child's sometimes inappropriate movements and behaviors. They can become overexcited just like your child can, and injuries may ensue. An older, calmer dog may be less likely to get caught up in the excitement, more tolerant of unusual behavior, and more skillful at walking away when necessary.
Of course, this will vary from animal to animal, and some older dogs can be high-strung and snappish. There's also a greater risk of illness and death in senior dogs. That can be hard, if you choose to pursue therapies that rack up large vet bills, or if your child is traumatized by the loss of a pet. On the other hand, it means that your lifetime commitment to the animal will be considerably shorter than it would be for a puppy.
What mattters most on a day-to-day basis is how a dog fits into your household and your lifestyle, and my family has had great luck along those lines with a senior German Shepard (now deceased) and Labrador Retriever. Every time friends describe to us the damage their puppy has done to their home and their belongings, I feel like hugging our old girl. My son has the puppy role in our house all filled; we've only got room for grown-ups.
