Want to get a dog, What breed is best with small children?

[mmmmchocolate]

I have a 17 month old and hoping to have another in next year. WE like springer spaniels or cockers any one any ideas and advice? ta x

Labradors are lovely and are generally good with children. I would avoid getting anything with the word bull terrier in its name, even a staffy, as staffies are often agressive towards other dogs and can turn on people. I would never ever have one if i had young children. Small dogs like jack russels can often be snappy, but this seems to be mostly terriers who are like that. If you're going to get a puppy you need to be prepared for accidents on the carpet, having to take dog for walks, rain wind and all weathers, and the destruction. puppies, especially puppies that grow into big dogs can be very destructive. Although it is important to get a dog that will be tolerant of young children, it should also be important to teach young children that pulling ears and climbing on dogs is not acceptable and should not be tolerated. Children should grow up respecting animals and even if your dog lets the kids pull him about, they may do the same at someone else's house and their dog may not be so tolerant.

Also, if you're looking to adopt an older dog rather than a young puppy, then it might be worth contacting the assistance dogs charities such as guide dogs for the blind or dogs for the disabled. Dogs that are rejected as assistance dogs are often re-homed as pets, sometimes before they are matched with an owner, so would still be quite young (18 months or younger), or sometimes if a dog is retired early for a reason or even retired when its working life is ended and the owner is unable to keep it.

My childminder has just an 8 week old Westland Terrier and he and DS are inseperable. I don't worry at all about him being around DS, the childminder isn't impressed that DS keeps letting him out of the cage though!

hello ive just got a cocker called lucy she is a blue roan and fab no problems (yet) had her 2 weeks she is 10 weeks old today

Am taking the decision very seriously. That's why I've told the DD's that I would think about it for a year (told them in September when DD's 1 & 2 first asked). Couldn't possible get a puppy until DD3 is at playschool and out of nappies.

Have decided definitely on a puppy from a private home, would love to help a dog in need but as previous posters have mentioned most rescue centres won't take the responsibility of rehoming where there are small children. If they feel like this then there is no way I would take the risk with DD's safety.

Think I have considered all the aspects, house is suitable (have wooden floors on ground floor) as is garden (high granite wall all around so totally secure). Car is suitable estate type.

Whilst our cats are completely tolerant and gentle with DD's they do warn them when they are overstepping the mark so they have learnt to respect animals and not treat them as toys.

spoke too soon she just peed on floor ! but otherwise is good. i have two guinea pigs which are a pain and a rabbit too

mmmmchocolate, have you decided yet? I'm still umming and arring atm. Am definitley favouring a spaniel though cos I'm a sucker for their floppy ears and big eyes.

Any dog will be fine as long as you take care and time to teach both dog and child to respect each other. Obviously, if you can avoid those breeds that are in the dangerous breed list, the better.

Why not consider an Irish Terrier, we love ours and would not have anything else now. Have a look at www.irishterriers.com for some great photos or www.irishterrierassociation.co.uk for a puppy help line.

Great with children, nice medium size and don't moult (have to be "stripped" i.e. groomed every 6 months).

we have a cav king charles and he has been brilliant with our 8 month old but was very hyper when he was young,is now 6 yrs and has finally calmed down.... a bit. they are a bit hairy and need regular grooming but we just get ours clipped 4 or 5 times a year, costs about £18.

Staffys "turn on people" far less than any other breed. Absolutely brilliant with kids - sadly my 13 month DS has just given mine an eye ulcer by poking him in the eye though Wouldn't recommend one if they are not on your must-have list though, for a bazillion different reasons!
Right, thats the staffy-stick up dealt with (I don't like them getting an undeserved bad name just because they are misunderstood)

I would avoid anything in the terrier group with very young kids, and collies are buggers at nipping kids (trying to keep them in line!). My vet said he has been bitten 8 times - 7 times by West Highland Terriers. I have met springer staffy x's before - brilliant combination

Have to agree with the terrier comments. I've had a West Highland and now have a Scottish Terrier (with a four month old baby) and it does have to be said that they are small dogs with big personalities. He's fine with the baby (even now she's started pulling bits of him) but they are dogs that need to know you're boss, otherwise they get too cocky. I love him to bits, but they could dominate an owner less familiar with dogs.

I'm not sure what everyone means about dogs from private homes? Do you mean people whose bitch has just bred, rather than people who are doing it professionally?? Just because you buy from a professional, doesn't mean they're a kennel. Both my dogs have come from professional breeders (who were farmers) in South Wales. A professional is more likely to have ensured that both parents are disease free and not suffering from one of the inheritable ailments common to the breed. My uncle, for instance, bought a Lab from some bloke he worked with, who just happened to have a litter - and it has terrible problems with hip dysplacia.

Bear in mind that if you get the puppy at two months, it will be another month before you can take it for a walk (after its second round of jabs) and in this time it will be regularly producing stinking piles in your house (or garden, if you're lucky enough to get him out the door fast enough). Different dogs housetrain at different speeds, but you could expect to still be finding wet patchs when he / she is five months old.

You'll have to work on bite inhibition (puppies don't realise that they hurt humans initially because dog skin is tougher and they're used to playing with their litter mates). While you're doing this, you can expect to get hurt - and their teeth are like razors. My dog opened up a cut across my palm when he was little. You can't punish a dog for something like this, because it just doesn't know any better.

While they're teething, they'll chew your chair and table legs. It will probably try your shoes as well, because it wants the comfort of something that smells of you (a habit we've discouraged on all counts).

And then there's the amount of exercise required by different breeds to consider - and how much time you have to give to it each day (walking in all weathers, coming back with a filthy dripping dog, minging of sheep dung... or maybe that's just mine.)

If you like floppy ears and big eyes how about a beagle? We had 2 when dd was born and they both loved her. Lost both in a year (they were old rescue dogs) and got a puppy when dd was 13 months (the week I discovered I was pg with ds). We've had 5 beagles and they have all been fab with kids.

Because the breed are group dogs they don't get snappy and protective over food or toys (helpful when there are children around), they have shortish hair that doesn't take any looking after. Ours is very forgiving over exercise - she's 1.5 now and will be happy with what ever she gets (15 mins some days/3 hours maybe once a week. All the dogs we've had seem to love other dogs, again helpful when walking with kids as you can't go chasing after a dog getting into a fight, people always stop and stroke her as ahe's very puppy looking still so not at all scarey.

The male/female question - after being neutered there's not much difference. But I would probably go for female as they tend to wonder less, other dogs get on with them better and the male dangly bits are a bit ugly (IMO!)

Blimey don't I go on!

This is a good website - run by beagle welfare - the puppy under 'finding a beagle' looks just like my Ruby
www.beagleadvice.org.uk/

springer spaniel AND cokers- yay! lovely dogs! If you have the energy.

Dogs are a massively personal choice: I can't abide Westies (MIL's bit my kids anyhow) but Dh loves them. He however hates the collie / spaniel breed I adore.

Try this list:

here

(ignore the specific breed highlighted!!)

My dad swears by King Charles cavalier spaniels, fwiw.

We are going to have either a miniature schnauzer or bichon frise when we can have a dog, though I'd like something bigger myself- bernese mountain dogs are perfect imo.

Just can't beat a labrador. My 23 mo DS never leaves ours alone and the dog just sits and lets him get on with it - once DS tripped and landed on the sleeping dog's belly, quite hard and the dog just looked - no aggression in him at all.

I researched this thoroughly when we were looking at getting a dog and could not find a bad word about them.

I agree that stafiies are very friendly but also very boisterous and playful, and because they are so heavy they may be too much for young children..

exactly Zippi - one of the bazillion reasons not to get one (unless you specifically want one and have the energy to deal with the kid/dog combo)

we got a japanese akita pup.hes 5 months old,and is excellent with the kids.hes not boisteruos like most puppies (akitas are very laid back).hes protective of all of us,and gets abit wary when strangers come to the house.he lets dd climb all over him and not once has he snapped.the good thing about akitas is that they only bark if they think something is wrong!we've also got a cat,who hates the dog,but no matter how much the cat hisses at him and tries to go for him,the dog just looks at her as if to say 'and your problem is????'he never has gone for her.we had a dalmation a few years ago,and we had to re-home him as he got really aggressive with the kids.it made us worry about having another dog,but diesel is my baby!!hes such a great dog!!

and another good thing about akitas,they dont moult!well,they do,but only twice a year.so the hair loss isnt constant.they have two coats,and they dont need that much grooming (quick brush once a week)

black lab, made for kids. can't go wrong (smile)

we have a staffy too, he is very friendly, but does knock my kids over. He is very playful and loving. I have just had to take my jack russell to the rescue centre as he was getting very snappy and he doesn't like being left alone, and howled (complaints from the neighbours, not good)

Akitas are lovely docile dogs, I have a friend who has one and it is soft, basically a big teddy bear in looks and temperament.

Beagles are another good option in my opinion, provided they are obtained at a young age. The long floppy ears could be a bit of a target for really young children.

Personally I think the good old Heinz 57 (mongrel) is always up there as one of the better options, as they are less inbred they tend to come with less baggage, although you should think about which species have gone into the making of your dog.

west highland terriers - they are so cute! mine (now dead and really missed) was an absolute gem with young children...will be getting another soon

Yes - Akitas. I was shocked when I saw the size of s-i-l's dog, but it really is a huge softie (they have 15 month old baby in the house as well).

Akita's aren't a good choice. they were bred for fighting in Japan and can be unstable. I'd NEVER have one around kids, no matter how friendly it seemed.