Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Pets

Join our community on the Pet forum to discuss anything related to pets.

Original poster

Advice please - good dog breed

39 replies

Haily111 · 05/10/2006 21:04

Hello! The time has finally come that i can consider a dog or puppy. The thing is my daughter is 4 months old, so i need a dog breed that is gentle with babies (i know hard to find) obviously i would never leave her on her own with the dog etc! I have searched through the internet and for the life of me can't find any pages that relate to perfect pets :-) (prob no such thing)
So here is the information you probably need.
As said before my dd is 4 months, i will be going back to work January for three days a week, but have someone who can come in on those days. I would preferably like a non shedding dog (got carpet all throughout) but isn't essential and not too big!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

OP posts:
lilymolly · 05/10/2006 22:26

Labrador, great with my dd 9months, but very boistrous if not controlled. but soooooooooo loving with kids.
But no such thing as perfect pet as you say

lucy5 · 05/10/2006 22:28

My advice is wait, dogs take a lot of looking after and you will be up to your eyes in it with a small baby and going back to work.

bottomburp · 05/10/2006 22:59

absolutely defo a cavalier king charles spaniel, only breed with no behav probs with kids, v.gentle and unlike labradors which are originally working dogs, king charles have always been bred as companion animals ie bred for temperament. only big downside is 50%have heart probs so get insurance!
btw do not have KCspaniels, have a mongrel but come across a lot of dogs in my job and am convinced these are fab family dogs

suedenley · 05/10/2006 23:46

i have an inuit, they have the most fabulous temperment and love kids though they do take a lot of training in the begining so prob not ideal if your going to be out of the house a lot as they like company.

MamaGhoul · 05/10/2006 23:47

Labrador
every time

2Babies0Bumps · 05/10/2006 23:48

im with mama, have 2 myself.

MamaGhoul · 05/10/2006 23:49

2babies = are you the mner I was talking to the ohter night about labs?

lilymolly · 06/10/2006 07:49

was it not me you where talking to??

mummydear · 06/10/2006 08:15

lab -but might get a bit destructive if bored .

If I were you i'd wait a while especailly as you are going back to work. It would be like having another baby in the house.

MamaGhoul · 06/10/2006 08:37

oh yes tthats right lilymolly! Im hopeless with names.

Haily could have one of our litter of grand-puppies

lilymolly · 06/10/2006 11:41

Yes, the start of a beautiful friendship with my molly and your dog...........

my lab has never been destructive mind, just mischeivious, emptying dishwasher etc Ha Ha

MamaGhoul · 06/10/2006 11:51

No mine has never been destructive either

(but beware, lilymolly's dog eats poo! Mine doesn't)

TortUREoiseChamber · 06/10/2006 11:59

Greyhounds are great.Gentle and lovely with children.
I would also wait until your dd is older though.

QuiQuoQua · 06/10/2006 12:03

alsatians every time.

2labs · 06/10/2006 12:15

If you want a non-shedder don't have a lab, especially a yellow lab - I could make a sweater out of what my two shed every week.

The non-shedding breeds do tend to require quite a lot of upkeep on their coat though, e.g. poodles.
Other light/non shedders - mini schnauzers, some of the terriers.

Don't forget there is no such thing as a breed that is always good with children. If you are buying a pup it's crucial to make sure you go to the best breeder you can find - one who shows or works their dogs (and so will have paid plenty of attention to health and temperament issues) and will ask you lots of questions before letting one of their pups go to you - one who will provide lifetime support and advice should things go wrong as they sometimes do even when you do everything right.

lilymolly · 06/10/2006 12:58

LOL poo revelation Thanks Mama!!!!!!!!!! was trying to keep that a secret

My Black lab only sheds coat twice a year, so never been an issue with mine.

suedenley · 06/10/2006 13:44

LOL my dog eats poo too any, cat poo, cow poo ,badger poo, and if your not quick enough cleaning it up his own poo !!! eww

AnAngelWithin · 06/10/2006 13:46

weve got one called teksta

cupsnakes · 06/10/2006 13:57

my lab will eat dd's poohs out of her potty if I'm not quick enough.
luckily dd has progressed to the loo now.
He is lovely with children (which is lucky as I'm having another baby in 3 months) but is destructive if bored or left alone for longish periods.

PrettyCandles · 06/10/2006 14:08

We had a Boxer. They're lovely dogs, great temperamnet. Can be very boistrous, but are very trainable and are both protective and unaggressive towards their human family. A friend of my parents ahd Great Danes, who were utterly wonderful with their children - they compared the Danes to Nana in Peter Pan!

But 4mo baby and returning to work are indicators of not a good time to get a puppy, IMO!

mrspink27 · 06/10/2006 14:14

Don't agree about Cavaliers being ok with kids, my SIL has one and he is horrid, would snap and snarl if anyone tries to move him. Fortunately he has had the majority of his teeth removed now (he is 9) and so can only give you a good gumming We have a lab puppy and the dds are 2 and 4, it is hell on earth having a puppy and I would advise anyone to wait till they have well and truly got out of the baby stage, it really is like having another baby.

Labradoodles don't shed, and nor do bichon frise, or poodles, depends what size dog you are after really. We have also an english bull terrier, not everyone's choice, but he is fantastic, never chewed, doesnt need a lot of exercise and is wonderful with the children who have been caught riding him around the room!

cupsnakes · 06/10/2006 14:18

agree that returning to work is not the best time - we got our lab in Jan and he is still a lot of work now. They really need someone around, not just someone popping in. If you have a nanny at home they will be doing the bulk of training.

Original poster
Haily111 · 06/10/2006 15:10

Thanks for all those breed indicators. The reason why i was thinking of getting one now is that the puppy will have time to get used to me & my dd before i have to go back two or three days to work. I was thinking it would be better than to wait til i get back to work, as i won't be around day in day out. Or am i thinking the wrong way round?

I also thought it would be easier to have a puppy when dd was yound so that they could both grow up together...

I was thinking of a mini dashhound, Lab's sound great but the shedding & also they are not as small as i wanted...

OP posts:
earlgrey · 06/10/2006 15:16

Springer Spaniel. Don't touch a Bordier Collie (we've had two). Good luck!!

blimeythisyearsgonebyquick · 06/10/2006 15:17

Try Pet Planet for good breed descriptions.
We are thinking of getting a Welsh Terrier, although dd is 6, so is a bit older than yours. Anyone got any experience of these dogs?

Swipe left for the next trending thread