Dogs are great for kids...every kid should grow up with a dog. If I were you, I would look for a larger dog for a 4 year old...Labs are great for small kids as Yorkies are very fragile...you wouldn't want your new puppy to accidentally break a leg. I work with 4-5year olds...I know how they can be
A lot of them have labs and a couple of them have Cavalier Spaniels. If your looking for a dog on the smaller side, the Cavalier has smaller size dogs. Also, you could Google "Dogs that are good with small Children". A Yorkie would be a good present for her College graduation as healthy, well bred Yorkie's can be pricey. If you need help looking...I'd love to help
Petfinder.com is a good place to start.