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Original poster

Woof Woof......Children and a family dog....any tips?

28 replies

poppyseed · 30/10/2006 14:55

Just about to get our first family dog - Harry the Spaniel - children very excited (understatement of the year!) and we are too . I am under no illusion that it'll be hard work when he's small....but good fun for us all as a family. We have the vets appointment booked, puppy classes ready and have read lots of books.........plus.............wait for this........borrowed a dog for a weekend a few months ago. DD is 7 and DS is 3 and we've put off having a dog for about 8 years now so this hasn't been a light decision!
What are your experiences with your dog and children - is there anything that I should think about doing to make my life easier with it and them?

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Iklboo · 30/10/2006 14:58

Make sure dog has somewhere to go that's "private" so he can get some space. DS is almost one and crawling so our dog has got a bed upstairs in our room so she can go and get away from him for a bit

2labs · 30/10/2006 15:17

Get them involved in training so that the dog is obedient to them too. I'd Recommend 'the Complete Idiot's Guide to Dog Training by Pamela Dennison - do try clicker training too; kids usually love doing that as results are often very rapid and it's easy to teach fun things as well as the basics.

Also, sounds obvious, but insist they treat the dog with respect and not as a toy. I really hate hearing people say 'Oh my dog's so great, he lets the children ride him like a horse and pull his ears, and he doesn't complain at all...' etc.

Have fun with the new addition to the family!

piglit · 30/10/2006 15:23

If Harry is a puppy then get him a big puppy cage. He will think of it as his space and he'll be able to escape the children when he's had enough of them. You need to make sure the children understand that they do not, under any circumstances, go into the cage and it's Harry's space. Our dog had a small bean bag, a blanket and a sheepskin rug in hers and she just loved it.

rebelmum1 · 30/10/2006 16:23

Make sure that dog knows who is top dog, don't feed it before the children etc it'll be in all the books

Original poster
poppyseed · 30/10/2006 16:44

Thanks for the ideas so far - yes, Harry is a puppy (7 weeks old).....see if I can do a link to photobucket in a mo (cooking tea - multitasking huh ) so we've already got a puppy crate set up ready for him with some vet bedding as a snuggly base layer.

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Original poster
poppyseed · 30/10/2006 16:55

here he is

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Original poster
poppyseed · 30/10/2006 16:56

Hmmmmmm...........like the look of mt DH's hands there too

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Original poster
poppyseed · 30/10/2006 17:05

woof

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2labs · 30/10/2006 17:25

Oh, he's gorgeous!

I also like this website for advice:

doggy advice website

Mellowma · 30/10/2006 17:41

Message withdrawn

Original poster
poppyseed · 30/10/2006 18:41

Thanks for the link . Good website....and forum.

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MrsOhHu · 30/10/2006 20:23

Roy Hunter has written some good books about dog training. He is kind to dogs! I think someone else has suggested it already, but getting your kids involved in training is a v. good idea - children are often useful in a training session too!

handlemecarefully · 30/10/2006 20:32

Umm too late to tell you to wait until your youngest is at school then...

Pup is very cute

Good luck with the walking - I hope you 3yr old is up for a walk every day turning out in all weathers! This has been my biggest issue.

Whoowhoobewhooooooh · 30/10/2006 20:34

Hi poppyseed: Harry is beautiful, and spaniels are lovely dogs.

Strong second on the crate idea: it'll be a godsend (on the toilet-training front too).

WriggleJiggle · 30/10/2006 20:48

What a beautiful pup. I would aim for 2 really basic rules

  1. the dogs have their own space where they can get away from the children
  2. the dogs only eat from dog bowls i.e. it is possible to leave a plate on the floor and it not be touched.

Decide now what your policy on toys is going to be and try and give your puppy toys that do not resemble childrens toys - it is impossible for a puppy to tell the difference between their soft toy and a much cherished teddy bear.

Good luck, have fun.

dolally · 30/10/2006 20:55

Also decide what your policy is going to be with regard to your children's friends when they come round,.. children's parties etc.. A dog who is used to his "own" children can be quite confused by the arrival and noise/playing/ squealing of visiting children. (Maybe have a place where you can actually shut him up when visitors are around?

Original poster
poppyseed · 30/10/2006 21:16

Hmmmm, some great advice thanks. Handlemecarefully, DH will do the early walk and I'll be doing the daytime ones whilst DS is at playschool (4 sessions a week until he goes to school next September as he's nearly 4). He'll only accompany me with the dog on very short walks....more like the arty farty ones really....you know....to the shops and that sort of thing. It'll me me that does the serious mud .

The crate will have to be used for short periods of time with other children as they and the dog will be unpredictable - too much to lose here.
We've booked him in to classes on a Saturday morning so that we can all go together so that the kids will know what we're doing too! They promote clicker training there so if it works I'll give it a try on the kids .

Thanks for the book recommendations - I'm off to Borders tomorrow for some scrummy Starbucks coffee with a friend so will squint across at the doggy books too.

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handlemecarefully · 30/10/2006 23:32

Clicker training really does work poppyseed.

Sounds like you've got the walks sorted out; I hadn't factored in pre school sessions.

One thing I would recommend when house training your new pup is when you go outside to toilet him say something consistent like "Be quick" repeatedly, so that he starts to associate that with toileting.

This will stand you in good stead for toileting on demand in future (i.e. you can issue this command before talking the dog for a walk and dispense with doggy bags)

Drusilla · 30/10/2006 23:55

poppyseed - you have chosen well, we have a springer called Harry We also have an 18 month old DS so I second what others have said re making sure the children know he is not a toy. Ours will let DS ride him like a horse but DS is having to learn that it is NOT acceptable to do so...!
Secondly, be firm with him, springers can run wild if given half a chance. They are intelligent working dogs and need to be challenged physically and intellectually.

Original poster
poppyseed · 31/10/2006 14:31

Thanks!
Wow a springer called Harry ....good name . Our Harry is a springer/cocker cross.....apparently they're Sprockers !? Appear to be a bit of a designer dog at the mo, but didn't know this when we agreed to have him....we were just swayed by the cheaper price and the fact that he's so cute . I think that he will still be just as mad as all spaniel pure breeds though! DH grew up with Springers so he's used to them at least - as for me I think that it'll be a steep learning curve .

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Mellowma · 31/10/2006 15:34

Message withdrawn

Original poster
poppyseed · 31/10/2006 19:22

so what pup is he then?

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caffeinequeencanpoacheggs · 31/10/2006 19:33

Extremely jealous poppyseed - Harry's lovely. Enjoy him.

venusinfurs · 31/10/2006 19:37

Poppyseed,
Ooh, ooh, so jealous - we're doing this next year and can't wait! Great to hear all this advice too...must remember this thread. Best of luck!

Original poster
poppyseed · 01/11/2006 18:47

Thanks all

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