Dogs for kids - types of dogs good for your toddlers

luvbug00 wrote: Hi everyone My name is Nadia, I have a 4 year old Mya, and a toy poodle Benny pictured to the left. I am a professional pet sitter, vet tech and dog clothing designer by day. I wanted just offer some help on choosing a dog for your family. tis the season after all.

Of course when you are dog hunting you want to think of your families needs, allergies, child age and so on.

Basic rules are as follows:

NO little dogs. Toys and teacups all are under 8-10 pounds and they have extremely fragle frames. a fall off a matress on the floor can break these puppies legs. No "wiener" dogs they are very Jelous, as are most the small Lap dog breeds. Pugs are included in this but their temperment varies. Please check on wether the breed is raised with kids most good breeders will rasie all child sutible breeds with children. ALL good breeders will reject you if they have anti- children dogs. A good breeder will have you fill out a long application.
Do not buy from puppymills.
they will produce poor quality dogs they pump their females for puppies indangering their health. If the Breeder is houseing more then one litter per puppy breed (ex. 4 pugs 3 beagles) chances are you are looking at a mill.(ex. 150 bulldogs)
All allergy semi safe dogs are as follows ( no dog is 100% allergy free even hairless have the saliva that carries allergens)
Poodles all sizes, most poodle mixes, maltese,schanuzers all sizes
no labradooles. please see the american kennal club website. www.akc.org
I reccomend you follow their guidlines in breed stature even though you are looking for a pet, not a show dog.
I also wanted to say that most good breeders will accept a puppy if you can not keep it for some reason and will avoid at all costs their pups going to a shelter. Please ;ook into rescues before turning to shelters. most are no kill. Please don't assume the reputaion of a breed is correct. All dogs are trained to their behavor in some way shape or form. sorry so long thnk you for reading I've enjoyed meeting you. happy dog hunting!!
ps. any more questions send to my work e-mail. Bitchesnbritches@hotmail.com

luvbug00 replied: So sorry to drag this on. I forgot to mention that you should ask to see the puppies parents. ( behavor is genetic compleatly!) if the parents are not on the premises DO NOT BUY THE DOG!!!!!!

tis all thanks again everyone...

mckayleesmom replied: I believe we are going to get either a collie or a minature collie...I use to have a minature and he was awsome

luvbug00 replied: They are Great dogs!! Good luck!
was my posting any help? if you have any questions please feel free to e- mail me.

stanleygirl replied: What about a Golden Retriever or a Golden Lab?? Would they be good around toddlers?? I know they jump a lot as pups, but do they grow out of it?? Can they be easily trained not to jump up?? When can you start training?? CAn you buy a dog that is a bit older and well trained?? Would it be more expensive??
Sorry so many questions!! TIA!!

mom21kid2dogs replied: Hi Nadia & welcome to the board. There's lots of room for more moms of dogs & kids here!

JMO as a non professional dog mom and animal lover, I never buy from breeders, reputible or otherwise. Especially with small children, it seems as though the most important charachteristic is the animal's temperment. Breed standards are nice but they certainly don't tell the whole story. I have a cocker spaniel whose temperment I'd stack up against any dog out there, yet they have a "reputation" of being a "bad" family dog. Look at your family tree~everyone is related but not everyone shares the same personality and temperment. Good temperment is best seen in the individual "established" dog or little older puppy. I think animal rescues and shelters who prescreen their dogs by animal behaviorists is the best way to go for families. Older dogs are through the annoying puppy stage that most people without previous animal experience (or with it for that matter ) find to be the most challenging thus upping the odds that the dog might actually stick with the family. There are tons of great dogs, pure bred and otherwise, being put down daily in "kill" shelter because of temperment or people not really knowing what they were getting into when they got an animal. I walk by our local kill shelter everyday and am always shocked at the number of pure bred dogs they have (today they have a boxer pup, a beagle and a shepard~all who look pure bred). Why not get a dog already homeless than support a
breeder? :soapbox I have an obvious bias as my current dogs are both rescues, so I'll get off my soapbox now!!

LOL about the Labradoodles~isn't that whole deal the craziest thing? Dude, go to the shelter! They have about 10 lab mixes a week~I'm sure there's a "doodle" in there somewhere! It'll cost a darn sight less than the $300-$500 the "breeders" want for this mixed breed dogs!!

Your puppy looks adorable, BTW. Please tell me you don't dye him colors. There was a standard poodle in my clicker training class that was dyed pink! OMGosh, it was all I could do not to snicker everyime I saw the poor thing. It had serious aggression issues, too. I'd be honked off too if someone dyed me pink!!

Hope you enjoy it here at parenting club. It's a great bunch of people!

3xsthefun replied: I'm sorry but I don't agree with you about not having small dogs 10 lbs and under. I had a Chihuahua/ Miniature Pinscher mix and she was really great with the kids, she was right around 8 lbs. She was the most friendliest and loving dog I have ever known. Unfortunely some bad person had go get her out of our yard while we was not looking.

jcc64 replied: I also can't understand why someone would pay up to $1000 for a dog when there are so many great dogs waiting for homes at shelters. I adopted my lab/pitbull/great dane mix from the local shelter when she was just under a year. She was already housebroken, done with the chewing stage, and eternally grateful to be given another chance. She's an amazing dog, and she was scheduled to be euthanized the day I adopted her bc she had kennel cough. After a few days of antibiotics, she was and still is a perfect dog 10 yrs later.

mammag replied:
I have a Yellow Lab (English bred so very large) and he is absolutely wonderful with all the kids....at all ages. He does jump but only at tall people because he wants to be face to face. He has never jumped at the little ones. They climb on him, pull his ears, Keegan even pokes his eyes and he just leans over like it is the best lovin' he's gotten in some time. He'll sit at Keegans feet in the high chair so that as he moves his feet around, he gets rubbed with the feet.

He does a lot of stuff that drives me crazy (gets into the trash, has started peeing on the carpet but I think that's because we never got him fixed, etc.) but he is wonderful with kids.

I did get him from a breeder but we only paid $400 for him and I did see his parents.

jcc64 replied: I really think labs and retrievers can't be beat if child friendliness is your main priority. They are infinitely patient and loving, and are real attention whores- so it's a mutually beneficial relationship. I have never seen this breed show the slightest bit of aggression around children, and I've been around LOTS of dogs (mom works at a no kill shelter) and kids who either deliberately or accidentally test their patience on a regular basis.
Btw, when I was searching for a dog, the shelter workers had very specific tests and attributes to help me determine which animals were the most child friendly. And there are always TONS of labs and retrievers at shelters bc it's such a common breed.

A&A'smommy replied: I had a retriever/irish setter mix (is that right!?) she was WONDERFUL but she was really hyper and NOT past the chewing stage she was a good dog though!

JessC replied: Im gonna have to disagree too, I have two yorkies, one 5 lbs and 1 almost 9 pounds. They are GREAT with children, when I bring them to my moms house they follow my brother around to make sure he doesnt get hurt, and when he ends up crying, they run and get my attention telling me he is hurt, same goes with my niece who is 2, I guess all dogs are different, but I personally think what I paid for these dogs, it was totally worth it and are major sweethearts and look out for the younger kiddos.

Thats just my opinion

lisar replied: I have a black Lab that just loves my 4 yr old. He will protect her from anything. The kids next door which are older than her he wont even let them close to the gate when she is outside.

Lisa

DVFlyer replied: Ahhhhh. Another subject I could talk all day (at work ) about.

Labs and Retrievers are kind of the old standby for family/ kid dogs, but of course there are sooooo many types of dogs (and personalities) out there, it really comes down to personal preference and many times, what touches your heart when you see it.

For me, I will be getting a German Shepherd from a breeder and will most likely spend well over what most would think "reasonable". My reasons are mainly to, hopefully, get a better dog- not only from a health standpoint- I can go back many generations to confirm good hips and elbows- but also a better temperament and possibly some quality training.

Rescues and Humane Societies are great. We have two cats from HS's. But unless I can see the pedigree of the dog and it's ancestors, plus hip and elbow's approved by the OFA, I won't be getting a large dog from them.

It's funny the poster mentioned an older dog. That is exactly what we're looking for right now. We have enough "training" energy being spent on Keian, I don't think we have time to devote to potty training, bite training etc of a puppy. Plus, puppies have really sharp little teeth. Not that a puppy/ dog would be purposely left alone with a small child, but anything can happen.

Also, an older dog (retired breeding female, in my case) would have typically spent a fair amount of time with the breeder and their family so it is easier to know if they are good with children, other animals etc since they would have been exposed to them. An older dog would also typically have had some training completed.


I would say "typically" this is correct, but any breed or mix thereof is capable of being agressive. My best friend's Lab bit a neighborhood kid when the kid tried to take a ball out of his mouth to throw it. We had never seen "Rex" show ANY signs of agression towards people before this. It was an eye opening experience for sure.

DVFlyer replied: BTW- I don't think she said little dogs are "bad" with kids. She said they have small/ fragile frames. I believe she was meaning to help warn against possible vet costs associated with small dogs and "accidents".

gr33n3y3z replied: I think if we ever get a dog and its a huge EVER I will be getting German Shepherd pup this way I can train it on commands.
I've grown up with retired German Shepherd police dogs all my life and a wonderful dog they are.
DV is right you have to watch the blood lines in full bread dogs so no cross breeding happends bc that can result in hip and elbow dysplasia.

Shelters are great and some have full bread dogs with the papers.
You just have to know what your looking for.

My Dad had a Rottweiler and Doberman mix and what a baby she was but when my Dad passed away we had to find her a BIG home to live in along with a big yard.
I wanted her so bad too.

Once my inlaws had a Shepherd Lab mix she was one sweet dog

*Any dog is nice when treated right*

paradisemommy replied: i used to have a neopolitan mastiff and if you can get past the slobber (which is A LOT) then i don't think you can beat them around kids at all..they are absolutely wonderful and will let kids climb, pull their tails, ride the pony..but then again - i still think it's all in how you raise them also..there are bad to be bad breeds out there of any type..

3xsthefun replied: I also wanted to say I don't see anything wrong with adopting puppy or dog from a shelter. We got Tori from our local humane society she is German Shep/ Golden Retriever mix. She is really good pup with the kids and really watches out for them. I would rather have adopted her and saved her life then go to a rescue or breeder where a dog is not going be put down. Don't get me wrong I don't see anything wrong with rescues but alot of them don't put their dogs down. I also don't see anything wrong with breeders that are trying to approve a breed and not just out there breeding for money.

My mom has a Pomeranian he is probably around 9-10 lbs maybe less he is also good with kids. She also has a Chihuahua/Yorkie mix he is probably around 3 lbs and is really good with kids also. Though the chi/yorkie mix wants to jump on them more but he does love them. And the kids are really good with her dogs.

aspenblue1 replied: Well I don't see anything wrong with adopting from a shelter but I want to know more about their past especially with Isabella she has grown up with big dogs and has no fear of them. Plus my do who is a pure breed husky which I did get from a breeder who breed for temperment --which most good breeders do breed for temperment not just breed standard--- is the most patient dog I have ever seen. I was warned about huskies and children and he puts up with absolutely everything he doesn't react to anything she or any other child does.

I think you just need to be careful with whatever you choose and realize that pets are with you for a long time and need to make sure that they are going to fit in you lifestyle.

SOUTHERN MOMMY replied: I have to dissagree I breed yorkies and i am very picky over my puppies and i will never sell a pup to anyone with young kids because it could be dangerous to the pup which at that age weighs around 1lb. these pups are in my care in my house until they are ready to be sold which is around 9 or 10 weeks could be earlier but they are just to small and i can't tell you how many times i have turned someone away that is standing in my house with $1500.00 in thier hand because i don't think that they would not be a good parent to my pup thier are good breeders and thier are bad ones do as i do trust your heart.