Dog breeds that won't turn on children

[Chickpearocker]

I really want to get a dog but with having a toddler I'm terrified of getting a dog that would bite it seriously hurt him. Are there any breeds that are safer than others, or less likely to turn. I've been told that surprisingly smaller breeds can be quite viscious even though they look small and innocent. Please help!

Yorkies are lovely and mine is my shadow. Notice how I said mine. That wasn't the plan, family dog was what we expected. Despite training, socialising etc our dog chose me. It's very common for this breed. Therefore I would say be very careful with yorkies. I'm not sure they are suitable for very small children.

A small dog can bite as much as a big dog. But the small dog is less likely to kill.

I waited until my youngest dc was 8 before we got a dog.

We've never had a problem but the rules for my children were,

Never bother him when he's in his crate.
Don't get in his face when he's resting.
Don't tease him with food.
No screeching or shouting near his face.

It's worked very well. We have a Border Terrier. I agree however that the breed makes no difference. I've seen bitey/yappy/grumpy dogs of all sizes and breeds.

OP I think the issue is no matter what dog you get, even the breeds that are 'viewed'as gentle you cannot guarantee that it will never harm your small toddler. If you have the time to train both and also the ability to separate them when you are unable to supervise then there is no reason not to get a dog. The key thing is although you might get a 'friendly' dog do not let your guard down with a small toddler around and make sure you understand body language from the dog so you know if it is getting anxious and stressed.

The Kennel Club specifically recommends labs, staffs and boxers:
www.thekennelclub.org.uk/getting-a-dog-or-puppy/are-you-ready-for-a-dog/child-safety-around-dogs/dogs-for-families-with-children/
However, as pps have said, the key is training and individual temperament.
It's lovely for kids to be (well supervised) around dogs, though.

We waited to get a dog until we a) decided we were 'done' with having anymore babies and b) our youngest was 8. I really wouldn't recommend getting a dog until ALL dcs are in school. They are really hard work... an hour's walk a day may not seem much but when you run a busy household and work part time it is surprising how much the daily walk dictates your day to day plans!

It's great that you have a big garden, wonderful in fact, but don't fall into the trap of thinking that just because you have land your dog will exercise itself! I can think of at least three of my friends with land who have big fat labradors that laze around in the sun all day!

Speaking of labs, I would recommend them and golden retrievers as child-friendly dogs.

I agree that any dog could turn on a child. My parents have cockapoos, both the most loving, needy dogs ever, always wanting cuddles etc. But for some reason (we think jealousy) one just really does not like my DD (unless she's sat in her highchair so there's possibility of food ) she's previously been fine with tons of other small children though, just on occasion gets a bit funny with mine.

Toddlers and puppies are definitely incompatible, wait until your youngest is school aged

Chickpea 'Also having a toddler shouldn't exclude someone from dog ownership'
Why not? It's what dog experts advise.

I've posted on here before about my mum and her dog moved in with us when DS was 2/ 3. It was the toddler who caused the issues not the dog, especially when he was tired and hungry late afternoon / early evening. The dog would be asleep and he'd suddenly dart across the room and grab it by its neck. It wasn't that you couldn't nip out of the room, leaving the sleeping dog and playing child in the room alone together e.g. to get cutlery to lay the table, you couldn't turn away from DS, even turning sideways to pick up a cup was enough time for him to move. Toddlers are just so impulsive.

I'd agree with the poster who suggested not getting one until your child was at school I'm afraid.

we waited til youngest was 8 as well. I think thats pretty standard advice.

The only dog that is guaranteed never to turn on children is a cuddly toy.

I have a basset, and they are brilliant family dogs. Placid, love cuddles and bred to be in a pack, so love their families - including children. Mine is amazing with all children, and I find that children who are scared of dogs will sometimes come and stroke mine because he looks unusual and doesn't bounce around.

However. Whilst mine is amazingly placid and lazy, if he were to be bouncy then that's a lot of dog to be leaping around if I had a toddler too - bassets are a similar size to a Labrador, just with teeny legs. Bassets can also be gits to train (particularly toilet training), get separation anxiety and aren't really an ideal first dog. Mine, for all of his brilliance was a bitey land shark when he was a pup and teething - although he soon learnt to have a very soft mouth. I've also known some bassets be completely unsafe with kids because they've been brought up in very negative environments with little training.

Avoid backyard breeders and puppy farms. Look for dogs who have been raised in family environments - or rescue dogs who have come from family homes through no fault of their own. Many rescues won't rehome to places with young children because no dog is guaranteed safe.

I think all dogs bite that's just their defence mechanism. The difference for me is which breed can bite your hand of if it chooses to and which one will suck your finger viciously! I have cavalier king charles spaniels, absolutely in love with them and have never had any kind of incident despite having a cobstant house full of neighbourhood kids!

There is no such thing as a safer breed around children (deed not breed etc) it all depends on training, temperament, how they have been 'brought up' etc but my personal opinion is you cant go wrong with a SBT or a boxer as Jilly has linked to.

All the SBTs Ive known (including my own :) ) have been wonderful around kids and very gentle - I can have my SBT on the floor one minute play wrestling with it and the next minute one of the kids will come along and I'll be ditched for cuddle time!! And if they get accidentally knocked they are far less likely IME to give even so much as a warning grumble let alone a nip which Ive seen and experienced far too many 'traditionally' perceived softer breeds do such as labs (but again this could be due to upbringing)

Ive not personally known many Boxers but the people that have owned them say the same thing - gentle playful and great with kids.

Thing is whatever breed you get is to not get complacent with them. Keep them separate if you're not around and teach your DC from day one that they are an animal not a toy and are to be treated with respect and kindness.

Maybe start with what sort of dog you want - big, small, medium, long hair, short hair, no shedding etc, very active or not, ok to be left alone for periods of time etc and take it from there.

Good luck - I love having a doggie in my life :)

All dogs can and do bite. I'd avoid anything bred to guard and terriers. Something soft mouthed like a lab from a very good breeder who temperament tests the puppies. There are a lot of very crap lab breeders out there with aggressive poorly bred dogs. Go for a show line not a hunting line. Don't choose the pup that chooses you as that's the most bold/aggressive one. Go for the one who hangs back checks you out and then approaches in a friendly manner. Keep in mind it's a PITA to take a dog to the park because the toddler will want the play park and the dog can't go in. So you may go outside for an hour every day but it may not be dog friendly.

I've had pups and toddlers and am quite happy to be called a hypocrite because I still wholeheartedly advise against it.

No dogs are guaranteed to be 100% safe with dc

I'd wait until your dc is a lot older - then train the dog and your dc at the same time. Teach your dc how to treat dogs and to be considerate of it.

Often very small dogs can be aggressive, yappy, demanding - size is no guarantee of temperament.

I'm with you there Gahbuggerit! I own a sbt and she's gorgeous, loving, gentle, friendly but a bit thick in places 😂. I think the big advantage, particularly with children is they're hardy enough to withstand rough and tumble without batting an eye lid but equally love a cuddle.

OP have a look at everything that's a must for the type of dog you want and see which breed match up. A good breeder will ask you about your lifestyle and match a pup to you x

Any dog can "turn", if by turn you mean "reach the end of its tether".

Research breeds. Some are more likely to be calm and people-friendly than others. Staffies for instance tend to be lovely with people but not always with other dogs.

It is emphatically NOT all about how they're raised. Genetics play a huge part.

When you've found a breed you think might be a good fit, find a responsible breeder. There is plenty of info online about how to do that/what to look for.

Talk to them. Find out about their dogs. Meet as many of the offspring/previous litters as you can. Ask to speak to owners of previous litters. Find out about how the puppies are raised. Whether they will get to mix in a controlled way with children. Nurture matters too.
My present dog spent loads of time with young teenage girls as a puppy (the breeder had granddaughters who visited often) and even now if she sees groups of girls she wags and wiggles and wants to interact 😄

Be realistic about how much work puppies are. Clue - huge amounts.

It's not like Disney. Interactions with dog/toddler have to be carefully managed. Toddler will need as much training as dog in order to learn to leave the dog alone. Even if you think they're both trained they won't be able to be left alone together unsupervised.

I'd strongly advise you wait.

Me, I managed to time it perfectly so that the day my youngest started school, I waved him off with indecent haste and immediately drove to pick my puppy up 😄

I don't think you can rely on the breed to tell you if it's safe or not for a toddler.

All I can say is that Iv owned 2 dogs
A Labrador and a now a Bichon frise

Both were/are wonderful family dogs, kind, patient and loyal.
I trusted my Labrador with all my heart, I knew that if my children put their hands in his mouth he'd just lick them at most.
They could pull his tail, ears etc and he'd just sit there and do nothing.
The night before he died, my daughter fell asleep on top of him.

Our Bichon is very similar, yesterday my nephew pulled her fur to lift himself up to cruise, she didn't do anything.
She loves hugs and playing with the cat, she's very very loyal and tolerant.

Good luck

There is no guarantee with any dog. I have a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel - they are generally gentle, forgiving dogs. However you need the best possible breeder, which is difficult if you have young DC. I did find a superb one who grilled quizzed me on how I was going to safely handle a 1yr old, 4yr old and a dog and was satisfied I could do it (helped that DC were raised around ponies). I didn't pick my dog the breeder did - he made sure the basic temperament was suitable for life with small DC (you need the right balance of not being nervous with not being too confident). The breeder raised and socialised his pups beautifully and he gave tons of advice on continuing that.

So my advice is choose a soft mouthed dog like a Cavalier Or Golden Retreiver etc.

My sister was attacked by a Golden Retriever, the specialist plastic surgery unit (where she had 6+ operations over the years) said that they had a surprisingly high number of children bitten by them. Research shows that this is because they often aren't taught bite inhibition as puppies.

No toddler should ever be trusted with a dog, buy the breed you like and train it but don't be complacent.

I own the kindest sweetest Terrier and a lively toddler, I know the child stresses the dog out and they aren't left alone, dog was taught bite inhibition as puppy and I know he is 90% likely to move himself away from the child, but there is always a risk. Dogs are not toys and I hate hate hate seeing children being allowed to play and climb on them.

Also, do a lot of research into dog body language. A growl is NOT an early warning sign, it usually comes after 3/4 other signals (whale eye, turning away, yawning, lip licking) that a dog is feeling uncomfortable. A surprising number of dog owners aren't aware of this.

Breeds don't cause injuries, adult ignorance does.

[ok, rant over]

CowParsley my old Labrador, was happiest when he was with my children.
My youngest used to get into his basket and he'd snuggle up next to her, she'd climb on top of him and hug him till she fell asleep, he certainly wasn't unhappy with my dd doing this.

There are a lot of very crap lab breeders out there with aggressive poorly bred dogs

I'm rather glad to see someone say this. A friend had to rehome her lab last year after he proved very aggressive around children, despite being handled kindly from a pup and getting a lot of training and a behaviorist's input (and he was huge and scary when his hackles were up). All we can see that they did wrong was to take a dog from someone's farm litter rather than a carefully bred family pet.