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Which Dog for a child
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29-12-2010 11:57am#1
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I second a Shep, grew up with them, don't think we've ever not had one for very long.
Yes, they're big dogs, but in my experience they play nice.. in fact, a bit of rough and tumble with my sheps are still some of my happiest memories. They don't "hit" like boxers or bowl you over like Labs, and when they use their teeth they're gentle as anything. Never once had a bad experience with them. Plus they're really fun to "talk" to, they're incredibly talkative with their groans and grumbles and whines. And they're just the right size when you really, really wanna hug something. They're very clever and take quickly to training and are great dogs for making sure no one gets into your home without you knowing. Though all of mine would sooner lick a burglar to death than anything else.. but they look scary!
Smaller dogs I find to be too snarky, snappy and yippy, the bigger you go the gentler they typically are, oddly enough.. Bouviers are massive but incredibly sweet dogs, as are Leonburgers (I could be biased, I know a woman who had both and breeds Leonburgers and they are the sweetest, calmest, loveliest dogs you would ever meet in your whole life and amazing with kids).0 -
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Hi OP, I don't know what your experience with dogs is, so I'm just going to dole out advice - hopefully you'll have already have considered most of these points already! Apologies for the long post...
At 3 years old, I would say your daughter is still far to young to have any responsibility towards a dog at all. She could never (repeat: NEVER) be left alone with a dog which means they would need constant supervision. Kids that age have a tendency to poke, pull and be overly rough with animals as they don't know or understand the necessary boundaries and don't realise their own strength. For this reason I would not recommend a young puppy.
Puppies need stability, routine and constant care (house training, socialisation and training) and should be protected from situations that freak them out or cause them harm. A negative experience as a young pup can have lasting consequences as they grow into an adult which can be difficult to deal with (nervousness, fear aggression).
Also puppies are by no means quiet and for the first couple of years at least will be extremely energetic and excitable.
If you then consider a grown up dog instead you will need to be very very careful of its temperment and background.
We had Springers growing up and they are indeed lovely dogs but tend to have very very very energetic and hyper hyper personalities. Saying that though, one of our guys was a bit of a slob a lot of the time, but as Springers go he was definitely in the minority. We were older kids (youngest was 7 or 8 I think) when we got our first dog. They need a lot of exercise and space to run, they love to jump on and swing out of people and run like mad. They love to root and sniff in smelly places, they love to chase birds and roll in mud. They love their food and would eat anything, sometimes to their detriment (a cousin of ours lost his Springer to poison). They're very affectionate and social and absolutely hate being on their own (cannot emphasise that enough!). They were both escape artists and could climb over a 5 ft wire fence, find every tiny hole in the perimeter wire fence and wiggle through into the field behind until my Dad had to redo the entire fence around our half-acre. They could open doors by pulling on doorhandle. Our guys also pulled like mad on the lead. They will need considerable training but will respond well to it as they're clever.
You might consider a greyhound which I've heard make great family pets as they are basically lazy gentle slobs. Don't need much exercise and have a reputation of being good with kids. Don't be fooled by the perception that small dog = less work and easier to exercise. Some small dogs like jack russells need more exercise than most breeds and can become yappy and destructive without adequate exercise.
Puppies, and any grown-up dog for that matter, are a lot of work, and I mean a LOT of work (I have two)...are you sure you will be able to find the time to dedicate to them? With a 3 year old in the house, time is usually in short supply.You'll need to find time, every single day, to walk, train and play with the dog. To give them attention and care.
Where will they live? In your house or outside? (indoors with their family is infinitely more preferable, in my opinion, and people who think otherwise should reconsider getting a dog, again in my opinion...others on this forum will likely blast me for saying this)
If they live inside you'll have issues keeping your house clean. Dogs produce a lot of dust and hair that gets EVERYWHERE and will reappear about 30 seconds after you just dusted/hoovered, no matter how often you dust or hoover; Also mud and dirt tracked in from outside; Dog beds and blankets that will smell ranging from slight (if you change their blankets every 2 days) to strong. Also the "wet dog" smell in bad weather is particularly special...
Are you fussy about your daughter and exposure to dirt and mess? Will you freak if she gets licked all over her face by a dog that was rooting in under a hedge in the garden 2 mins before?
IF you are going to have the dog live outside (which is a horrible life for such a social animal as a dog in my opinion) you'll need to provide a suitable kennel / house in a sizable run or back garden that is completely secure. The kennel will need to be watertight, raised off the ground, properly insulated, with ventilation for summer and heated in winter. Warm bedding will need to be provided and changed every few days at least, EVERY day in wet weather.
Do you work full- or part-time? Where will you keep the dog while you're out? A dog should not be left alone for more than four hours at a time. So if you're going to be regularly gone more than that then you'll need to organise someone to call in for an hour in the middle of the day EVERY day to let them go to the toilet (if they're kept indoors) and give them some attention, and maybe even walk them. This is usually not an option for most ordinary people unless they have very good neighbours or family members willing to commit to doing this for free. If you're in Dublin then you could consider doggy daycare in Dog Training Ireland (not sure if there are other places around the country that do this). But again, it's expense.
The next best thing is to get two dogs, so that at least they'll have company and provide access to a secure outdoor area. Of course two dogs comes with it's own set of issues.
Will you be able to afford the ongoing costs of food, toys, bedding, vet's bills and pet insurance premiums? The cost of vaccines, neutering, any medications? Take my two dogs for instance, seemingly perfectly healthy at time of getting them...one has developed chronic ear and skin problems which need special food supplements and special medication applied every two days for the rest of his life. The other has a chronic pancreatic condition which also requires constant monitoring and treatment. Then there was the time we had to rush one of them to the vet hospital in Dublin at 3 in the morning. Or the blood tests the other had to have, the neutering operations and aftercare (I took a week off work), the stomach bug they caught, the ear infection the other guy had...and we've only had them 9 months! And vet's are NOT cheap let me tell you.
Where will the dog go when you want to go on holidays? Or even if you're going away for just one night somewhere? Will you be able to take him with you? Can you afford a pet-sitter or excellent quality kennelling facility? Can a friend or family member be called upon to look after them? Will they know how to look after them?
Anyway, I know I probably sound overly negative but I think sometimes people don't realise or don't fully consider what they're getting themselves into when they get a dog! If you have considered all of these things (and all of the other things I've forgotten to mention!!) and are happy and willing to sacrifice the necessary time and money for the next 10 to 15 years...then best of luck to you! A well-cared-for dog is a joy and will enhance your life, and god knows this country needs more good, caring and responsible owners
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nicecupotay wrote: »Yeah,thats a bit of a preconception I have about smaller dogs....plus the fact I'll be the one walking the dog the whole time so I'd prefer something more a bit 'manly' rather than 'cute':D
Oh definitely get a Shep! They have such big personalities, are super affectionate and protective, and certainly look manly enough.
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I will echo the above post and suggest not getting a dog for your daughter. I fully believe that kids benefit hugely from having a home with pets and if you want a dog yourself then great! But if you get one just for the sake of your 3 year old, I'd suggest waiting a while.
+1 for the staffies. Fantastic people dogs. You will not find a better people/child dog. They are clowns and love to entertain, like liah described the shep, they love a bit of rough and tumble but really suit their play style to who they are playing with. My fella is a staff/lab cross, when playing with my husband it's no holds barred all out war in the kitchen, with me it's much more controlled and with younger people it's more controlled again. He's not used to kids so I would be nervous of him knocking them, but so far he's done brilliantly. He even plays fetch with a bone with my friends little brother.What about a Staffy?
Problems with a staffie (and same for all RB dogs) is that you will never be able allow your daughter walk him, he must be on a leash with somone over the age of 16 holding it by law, he should also be muzzled in public due to the same law. Now many rb owners have found ways around this by walking their dogs in more isolated places and ensuring they have perfect control of their dog in an offlead situation. As with all breeds socialisation is very important, but especially for a staffie because they can have problems with other dogs if not socialised properly from a young age.
All in all a great medium sized dog that has the perfect build for games with a child, not really big enough to knock her accidently, sturdy enough to be sat on without batting an eyelid.
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I don't want to tar all of these with the 'bad dog' brush, but westies and yorkies can be fairly unpredictable in temperament and can be a bit snappy. Not all of them now; some are lovely - but from what I've seen there's a big variation between them!
As for good family dogs - I may be totally biased here, but I love golden retrievers I've never met one that wasn't a pure gentleman (if you can call a dog that!!). And they're so much calmer and gentler than labs. Staffies can be lovely dogs too, despite their 'tough guy' exterior, and another breed that is absolutely lovely are greyhounds - another breed that people tend to think are dangerous looking - but it really couldn't be further from the truth. Some of the sweetest and most intelligent dogs I've known have been greyhounds. They're actually total wusses - they get the tiniest cut on their paw and they're giving you the sad eyes for hours 0 -
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