Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => Pets without Feathers => Topic started by: GrannieAnnie on October 04, 2009, 23:03
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My Granddaughter has decided that she would like to get a puppy that will grow up with her little girl who is 2 in January.
She wants something small, but child friendly. Must like walkies, as although Shel lives in a small place, she walks a lot and is always round her Mum's, who is also a dog lover.
Any ideas gratefully received!!! :D :D
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Hi Grannie,
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I don't think that toddlers and puppies are a good mix.
An adult dog who is proven to be good around small children would be a safer option...
:(
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I would say that is a matter of opinion to be honest. My parents bought a puppy when I was 3yrs old and sister was a newborn.
Shep (Golden retriever) passed away when he was 18yrs old, we never had any problems with him at all, and my sister and I never hurt him.
When my sister had her two children, she got 2 King Charles puppies, and Mum and Dad had a Dalmatian puppy... again, no problems.
My boy is nearly 3yrs old now, and we have started considering a puppy. We are looking at Labradors and/or Retrievers.
Both are placid dogs and intelligent dogs, so training will not be a problem.
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As a doggy person being involved in breeding showing and judging my breed since 1983 I would like to make the following comments with all respect to the other posts oh her so far. A older dog is no better option and I would NOT advise this as a puppy you can mould to your lifestyle and with correct training will adapt better to your situation. We have a breed considered to be not good with toddlers we have a 2 year old with 4 of them and we are fine no problems. Older dogs may have issues and of course if they ever bite it is far more serious than a puppy nipping. So unless you can be 100% sure of the temperamment DO NOT bring an adult into the same house as a toddler. Of course with a puppy it is not easy but you can teach respect to your child and have a happy union and if done correctly have a life long friend for your child. When you buy the puppy always go to a reputable breeder who has at leat 3 generations in the same house you can see and asses their temperaments. Smaller breeds are not necesserily easier or calmer than the medium or large breeds either. So lots to consider.
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Hi I would definately go for a puppy, we had a cavalier puppy when my youngest was 18 months he's 21 now, never had a problem you need to teach the children as well as the puppy
We rehomed rosie our springer spaniel nearly 3 years ago when she was 5 months old, we have had a lot of problems with her and if we had small children would probably have had to rehome her again, but she is slowly improving and very loving towards us.
Had poppy my yorkie since she was 7 weeks she's 8 now - loves everyone but shy's away from small children not in an aggressive way just wary.
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We had a rescued Border Collie/ Working Sheepdog when my son was a baby (dog came first). He was very protective and would pull me off the sofa and herd me to the cot if the baby cried. He had been in a home with children and was recommended to me by the rescuer (Cat's Protection League, which probably explained a lot!)
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If it has to be a small dog that rules out a labrador or springer spaniel but how about a cocker spaniel they ane generally placid and if both child and puppy are taught correctly i cant see any breed of dog being a problem really.
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Thanks for the advice and ideas everyone!
I would say a lab or retriever too, but she is worried about space indoors, even though she goes out walking a lot.
And yes, you take a chance with small children and dogs whatever breed you have. Sometimes an animal just clicks with you doesn't it?
My other daughter's 2 children grew up with 2 German Shepherds and they are still alive!!! :)
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Don't know why I am offering an opinion as am a cat person generally but we have had a couple of border collies in the family over the years and they have been wonderful, intelligent, friendly and calm dogs with all and sundry clambering over them.
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Thanks Kate, I am going to send a link to this post to my daughter Nici who is a member although she hasn't been on here for ages! then her daughter can have a look at all the replies!! :) :)
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I have a sneaky little dream of having a border collie when I have the time and space and training it to herd the ducks!
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Im a boxer fan,although they can be big (but not all of them the white ones tend to be smaller) they are for me the perfick dog. Great with kids and other dogs, vey friendly and loyal, yet big enough to protect a lady when out walking at night. I wouldnt have a border collie,as they are very territorial, need a load of exercise and also a lot of games/toys to stop their very intelligent mind from getting bored
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If it has to be a small dog that rules out a labrador or springer spaniel but how about a cocker spaniel they ane generally placid and if both child and puppy are taught correctly i cant see any breed of dog being a problem really.
I personally wouldn't recommend a cocker purely because my sister has one that is a complete nut case. I have known people to have lovely quiet ones tho.
I would go for a mongerel every time.
more hardy, cheaper to insure.
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I think it all boils down to training in the end, but one thing i will say is that if you do get a working dog its imperative that you find a way of working it or it will become scatty, I trained my dog (lab x spaniel) to find things using its nose such as tea bags in an old sock its great to keep him entertained both indoors and outdoors
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we have a jack russell terrier (parsons terrier) and a whiffi (whippit x staffi). We also have 2 young boys who absolutely adore them.
The parsons terrier is not yappy, snappy or aggresive in any way. As with all parsons i have come across over the years. They tend to be longer legged and have wirey hair than jack russells.
Also the staffi. I didn't want him to begin with until my husband showed me the websites about them and children. Top of the list of dogs to have with children!They are stupid dogs, although very affectionate and loyal and protective of their owners. My 2 boys pull him about no end and he just looks at them with his big doughy eyes.
Both are rescues. Molly the terrier (8yrs) was used for badger baiting by pikies and Sam the flid, sorry, Whiffie,(1 & 1/2yrs) was left in a cardboard box on a roundabout with his brother when they were just 5 weeks old.
The best dogs ever, and well and truely part of the family.
Hope this has been some help.
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this will help you make your choice.
http://www.the-kennel-club.org.uk/findabreed/
there are some very amusing comments on this thread and very interesting and totally untrue ones too.
A first time dog owning family should not consider a working or guarding breed of dog as these breeds tend to need a more experienced type of owner and enviroment. There are lots of breeds out there as long as you make an informed choice. If space is limited a mongrel would be a bad idea as you have no way of knowing how big they will grow or indeed of their temperament this is too much of a risk if their are children in the home. In my opnion.
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we have a springer spaniel at the moment but she is a very "jealous" dog, i was brought up with a collie and old english sheepdog and they were lovely, very good temperaments.
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I wouldnt have a border collie............. need a load of exercise and also a lot of games/toys to stop their very intelligent mind from getting bored
Absolutely, they do :) They are great entertainment for and normally adore children and vice versa.
Lorna. :)
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What ever breed of dog you get I would always recommend an 'area' which is the dogs own and children are not allowed. We always had one, (under the table) where the dog knew it could rest, hide or whatever. My girls were 8 and 11 when we first got our Boxers and we taught 'respect' to both children and dogs as the most important thing.
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I'm goiung to stick my 2 pence worth here and I make no appologies.
When I lived at home we had a border collie....she was a beautiful well behaved girl and I loved her to pieces. She died not long after I got married :(.
When Ste and I decided to get a dog there was no decision.........border collie just like Maddy.
She (Alice) was a nightmare from the word go! She ripped floors up, ate furniture, but we loved her. Along came Alistair when she was 4 months old. OMG she wasn't happy with that! She put up with him but she was no longer top dog >:(.
When Mary came 4 years later that was it she lost it BIG time. She would growl at her and couldn't be left for even a split second. Unfortunatly she had to be re-homed :( I still miss her really but I love my children.
We decided to try again with a different type of dog He's a red setter and as mad as a box of frogs. I've never heard him growl he adores the kids.................but he's incredibly hard work ::)
Please be careful with a collie.......they are now so imbred that they are becoming nasty. I've been told this numerous occasions by people in the know.
I hope you don't take this information funny Grannie Annie.........i'm just trying to help!
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i agree with the border collies being nasty, they are very pack orientated and dont like new members
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I wouldn't take the advice funnily MD! I just want to thank everyone for their input. My daughter now has the link to this thread and to the kennel club link, and she'll show it to her daughter tomorrow when she comes over!
It'll probably confuse her more than anything!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
My Nicola's last dog was a mongrel, she was a rescue dog and Nici, her boyfriend and her 2 girl's loved her to bits. She only growled occasionally when being pulled around especially badly, but was otherwise very patient with the girls.
I just hope Shel manages to find a nice docile doggy to grow up with little Ellie!!!!
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We have always had german shepherds, my two boys were both bought up with german shepherds, sorry i know there a large breed but wot wonderful dogs, companions they are, i just feel so much towards them, sadly out last gsd had to be put to sleep a yr ago but am hoping to have another one prehaps next yr. nickyx
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My \Dad bred GSD's and ran a re-training programme , we even had Englebert's at our house for six months . They are not a dog for a novice.
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We thought about a lab or retriever but didnt have the space, so we went for a cocker spaniel! we got Millie when she was only 12 weeks old when we got her and my youngest was only 2 years old! we have never had any problems with Millie apart from she now doesnt like men as she was attacked by 2 alsations just before she was a year old and the man was really abusive to me even though his dogs were the ones off the lead!!! ????
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I just hope Shel manages to find a nice docile doggy to grow up with little Ellie!!!!
That's the whole point isn't it? I think you've answered your own question there Grannie :). A "nice" dog can be from any breed or mongrel and you can get a bad one in any breed - I've even known of nasty Labradors :ohmy: and if they aren't the softest, soppiest dogs ever going.....
Lorna. :)
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I just hope Shel manages to find a nice docile doggy to grow up with little Ellie!!!!
That's the whole point isn't it? I think you've answered your own question there Grannie :). A "nice" dog can be from any breed or mongrel and you can get a bad one in any breed - I've even known of nasty Labradors :ohmy: and if they aren't the softest, soppiest dogs ever going.....
Lorna. :)
Surely the key issue in most of this debate must be education, dogs and kids need boundaries set. My wife and I have rescued 5 Boxers and a mongrel over the last 16 years or so, all fantastic pets, companions etc, they very quickly became family members and the kids loved them.
One of them who we lost earlier this year had a lasting dislike of small children. He was given to me by a family friend who had taken him away from his daughter because she would not look after him properly, and instead of educating her daughter how to treat an animal allowed her to pull, poke, prod and generally annoy the dog, doggy responses: growl snap bark - natural warnings (he never bit), but enough to ensure he lived outside in a pen most of the time. Who was to blame?
We got him aged 1 lost him at 8 and in that time ensured he never got put in a situation that involved small children without adult supervision.
Someone offered me a white Boxer a couple of weeks ago for similar reasons, sadly I had to say no and he ended up at the RSPCA.
Anyway back to the point: if the child and dog are trained and educated together, and the dog knows its place in the family order (don't forget they are pack animals), I suspect it is largely irrelevant what breed is chosen.
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Anyway back to the point: if the child and dog are trained and educated together, and the dog knows its place in the family order (don't forget they are pack animals), I suspect it is largely irrelevant what breed is chosen.
Yeah, I think that's what I was saying...
Lorna. :)
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I have two miniature schnauzers and can recommend them highly in every aspect of their being :) :)
They are clean (dont shed), low smell!!, will take as little or as much exercise as you offer and are very child friendly :)
They can be a bit yappy but will depend on individual dog.... we have one yapper and one that is ok :)
Fantastic little dogs all round.... worth a google :)