What age were your kids when you got a dog?

[workingmumuk]

My LO is about to turn 3 and is an only child. I'm thinking of getting a golden retriever pup once she's in school as I'm desperate for a dog and have been since I was a kid.

Puppy will be my first puppy but not my first dog as I had 2 rescue dogs growing up 🐕☺️

Is 4 too young to be around a puppy? Or should I wait a bit more?

What age were your kids when you got a puppy?

Any advice about talking to your kids about how to behave with puppy?

8 and 6 when we got a black lab pup.

I waited til my kids were in school. You have to teach them how to behave around dogs and before that might be too young - they may understand what you want them to do but in the excitement may squeeze the dog too hard poke him etc.
wait a bit - a golden is a sizeable dog and I'd always want it to know that the bigger people are the boss, a three year old can be eye level.

I was pregnant, everyone thought I was mad but it worked out perfectly.

If it wasn't then I would have waited until the kids were in school at least.

Mine were 11 and 13, although ideally we’d of got the dog 2/3 years earlier but circumstances weren’t right.

For us it’s been great as they’re old enough to understand how to behave around the dog, not panic with the nipping stage, could help me out watching him when he was younger. They look after him if DH and I go for dinner etc.

I’ve always had big dogs and children. The DC have all been around dogs since they were newborns (supervised, obviously)

Currently have 3 DC, 3 dogs.

Never had any problems or issues other than the occasional kid getting ran over 😄

Had the dog first.

I wouldn’t do a puppy with a child that wasn’t already living with a dog until school age, but exactly how old is a bit child dependant. They need to be fairly reliable at following instructions (as much as kids are obviously) ok to leave in a room while you rush out to let a puppy pee and be able to understand that when the puppy bites although it is sore, they don’t know it is, they’re playing.

That’d be 4 or 5 for some children, a bit older for some and much older for partners 😐😂

I'm in a similar situation. DS is an only child and we'd like to get a dog too. I'm thinking when he's around 7 then he won't be overwhelming for the dog as he'll be out at school and a little bit more interested (possibly) in doing things for it. He's 5 right now and I wouldn't contemplate it at the moment.

14 and 12. Puppies are a lot of work and it's good to divide all the jobs between us.

My two were 5 and 7

DD was 3. It was hard work at first but DDog was very much for me rather than the family so I was happy to put the effort in. I’d probably recommend that the youngest child is age 5+ for most families to make their lives easier because puppies aren’t easy.

We have a GR, they are the best!
I have had them since I was around 10 and I waited until my youngest was 8 before we got one as a family. They are large clumsy dogs and very Bitey as puppies.
It was the right decision as DS could just about cope and both DC were old enough to understand how to behave around dogs at home. Plus if it was raining etc I didn’t have to drag the kids out

14, 22 and 24! It’s been great being able to share the walks and caring responsibilities, and we’re never without someone to look after him while we’re out.

Hmm I got my ' best lab ever' when my son was two . She was a dream to train though , we got very very lucky because with hindsight it could have been chaos . Although about five yrs later we added a retriever to our family but it all worked out beautifully .I am very strict with puppies though .

4 is absolutely too young! I don't think they are mature enough until around 10/11. Do you actually know how hard puppies are?

7 and 9. A puppy is a lot of work so I think it would have been way too stressful for me if the kids were younger. Puppies are also VERY bitey which is difficult when you have younger children around.

Have you had a lab before…. You know they have teeth like razor blades don’t you and claws like Edward Scissorhands. Any flesh is fair game.

I would suggest an older, housetrained, non bitey Labrador personally. …

I’ll just add my Lab was 5 (ish) when I had DD. Good as good, they love eachother but he did knock her flying a few times- still does just by standing up and walking around etc.

Awkward having play dates too as some children are petrified of him and he thinks anyone running around, flapping their arms and screaming are great fun. (I put him in another room) but it’s annoying so I don’t really do play dates in my home.

We were a multi dog family before the children were even born so they had never known a time when we didn't have dogs. Eldest was 2 when he quietly and calmly watched a litter being born for the first time.The children all had their own dog too. My DC are adults now, we lost the last of our dogs last year (she was my eldest's beautiful whippet) and the dogs were a massive part of their childhoods.

Youngest was a year old. I was at home all day and wasn't a first time ddog owner.. Big breed ddog - also not a novice. Spend oodles of time supervising. Years before dc was around ddog alone.

Had another dc when ddog was 5 .. I saw her flinch when the buggy came back out!! Lots of walking to heel practice and a few squashed toes!! She bloody loved those dc!
You know your dc best op.

DC were 5 and 3. We got a mongrel puppy from the shelter (definitely some lab in there). DH was a SAHD at the time and so had the time for training Ddog. DC adored the puppy and played with her lots. The main thing we needed to do was ensure that the puppy could have a rest from DC when she wanted to. After 7 years there is a very strong bond between Ddog and youngest DC especially - lovely to see. I'm happy they've had the chance to grow up together.

Six, nine and eleven. We got a golden retriever puppy, a bitch. She turned into the most adorable dog ever, but when she was growing up she tried to dominate my six year old. Dogs are very cute at working out pecking orders and she quickly realised that my six year old was easy prey.

9/5. I feel like that was a perfect age, old enough to understand how to treat a dog, strong enough to withstand being accidentally knocked over. We lost DDog the same week the youngest left for uni, so they truly grew up together.

same here, Ddog targeted our 8 year old mostly.
They really didn’t “get on” (It was never allowed to get dangerous though). We got a behaviourist in who helped them build a relationship and they are fine now. DS is still probably Ddogs least favourite family member but it just means he likes the other 3 of us better, not that he doesn’t like DS now

9 and 10 here

...and they wrote a 20 point list of why we SHOULD get a dog.

Had a dog before my little one was born.