Dogs for small children? - Page 2

[Alyantavid]

Originally Posted by crl

Can I ask how much exercise your Chesapeake needs? I'm curious because we're pondering dogs ourselves.

Thanks!
Catherine

Tons. And tons. Chessies are alot like Labs in that they're very high energy and playful. Chessie's need water too, year round, they need access to water to play in. Swimming, playing fetch, running around behind kids keeps ours active. He's older (9 yesterday actually), and has bad hips so he isn't as active as he was, but you'd never know he was in any pain at all because he is still very energetic.

I love Chesapeake's but they have their own traits that can make them harder to own that some other breeds. They're extremely stubborn and can be hard to train, they pretty much have one master that they'll always listen to and not many other people can get them to do what they want them to do (ours is not like this btw), they're big and full of energy, you have the potential for hip/eye issues. But they're are very smart and will do anything for the people they love. Our dog is big and has a big bark so he tends to scare people away. But once someone does get out of their car at our house, he's leaning up against them wanting petted. He just barks so we know someone's there and then he's fine.

This has a list of some of their qualities.

[crl]

Originally Posted by Alyantavid

Tons. And tons. Chessies are alot like Labs in that they're very high energy and playful. Chessie's need water too, year round, they need access to water to play in. Swimming, playing fetch, running around behind kids keeps ours active. He's older (9 yesterday actually), and has bad hips so he isn't as active as he was, but you'd never know he was in any pain at all because he is still very energetic.

I love Chesapeake's but they have their own traits that can make them harder to own that some other breeds. They're extremely stubborn and can be hard to train, they pretty much have one master that they'll always listen to and not many other people can get them to do what they want them to do (ours is not like this btw), they're big and full of energy, you have the potential for hip/eye issues. But they're are very smart and will do anything for the people they love. Our dog is big and has a big bark so he tends to scare people away. But once someone does get out of their car at our house, he's leaning up against them wanting petted. He just barks so we know someone's there and then he's fine.

This has a list of some of their qualities.

Thank you! That pretty much confirms what I thought. I really appreciate it.

Catherine

[Noelle C.]

Originally Posted by crl

In additiono to hip dysplasia it is my understanding that Goldens are very prone to cancers and the average lifespan of a Golden is now down to something like 8 years? I've also read a few places that the popularity of the breed has led to less careful breeding and the lovely, sweet Golden temperment is not a sure thing anymore. Have you seen this?

Catherine

Not quite as low as 8 years, closer to 10-11. And yes, it's true that there has been a burst of people hoping to cash in on the popularity of goldens by breeding them to death with a total disregard to temperament and health. Unfortunately even show-dog owners are often guilty of this. This angers me.

Our older dog's grandparents and parents are still alive, as well as a couple of her great-grandparents. The greats are in their late teens. The grandparents are in their early teens. Her parents at 8 and 9. When you think about it, saying good-bye after even 15 years is hard. So it grates on me to see people breed ANY breed of dog hoping for quick cash. Unfortunately almost all the people I know who ever breed do so for the profit they plan to make. Us? We want to put healthy pups out there from parents of fantastic, gentle temperaments. The litter we've had so far we LOST a couple grand on, but so? Shots and health care and someone being home with them to socialize and train them are important. So it just really irks me to see people have a litter between any two random dogs of a breed and then sell them off to the first people who wave cash when the pups are 6 or 7 weeks old, claiming AKC papers as some sort of proof of quality. Um, no. AKC papers only certify (and sometimes falsely) that a dog is purebred, nothing more at all. We were so strict with where the pups were allowed to go, so strict we were insulted at times for it. Big deal.

Popular breeds and "rare" breed are all the rage, and there' such an explosion of both right now. I think especially the "designer breeds" get under my skin, Designer breeds are MUTTS. Having a German shepherd knock up a Lab does NOT make the resulting "German retrievers" a rare breed worth thousands!! If you want a MUTT (versus a dog that's part of a legitimate breed-development program), then go to a shelter. People who breed "designer" dogs are doing more to make breeders in general look bad than anything else.

I better step away before I get REALLY angry. "Designer" breeders and for-profit breeders of existing breeds make me SO mad. They're ruining breeds. And don't even get me started on people who think a puppy sounds like fun without putting thought into the long-term, and then who ditch the dog because it's actually work. Like Christmas puppies!!

[Savoir Faire]

His name is Max!

Thank you to everyone! We ended up getting a "young adult" lab/golden/? mix. He's yellow and totally mellow...AND IN LOVE WITH MY DAUGHTER!

[crl]

Congratulations!
Catherine

[tvantol]

We love our goldendoodles. MY DS is 21 months and is overly rough with them. We are trying to teach him to be gentle, but in the meantime they are so patient and have never shown any aggression what so ever. I also love the fact that they do not shed. We need to take them to the groomer 2-3 times a year to be shaved down, but well worth not having fur all over our house like we would with a straight golden retriever. They are high energy dogs and require regular exercise.

[greenmagick]

Originally Posted by tvantol

We love our goldendoodles. MY DS is 21 months and is overly rough with them. We are trying to teach him to be gentle, but in the meantime they are so patient and have never shown any aggression what so ever. I also love the fact that they do not shed. We need to take them to the groomer 2-3 times a year to be shaved down, but well worth not having fur all over our house like we would with a straight golden retriever. They are high energy dogs and require regular exercise.

They also are not a breed. They are a "designer breed" aka mutt and should not be bought....if you want one look at rescues, there are plenty there. I am happy for you though that yours doesnt shed....the majority I saw did, and really badly at that! They are very cute but as they are mixed some look really poodlish, some more retriever, some shed a ton, some dont, etc.

(wanted to make sure to add....this is not attacking anyone but meant for education for those who maybe dont know. Also, there is nothing wrong with "mutts"...I love em and up until my most recent pup, thats all I personally owned, However, I would never buy one from a "breeder")

[Greenchoice]

Originally Posted by Kirsten

The no-kill rescue where we've adopted all our pets over the last 17 years won't adopt dogs out to a family with kids younger than (can't remember if it is 6 or 8...) so depending on your local rescue's rules, that may not be an option.

And I very much agree that a puppy is too much work for a family with young kids. Young adult dog is the way to go - in a mid to large size.


We had a CBR when I was a teen. AMAZING dog. LOVE that breed. So smart and so good with kids. If we had a bigger yard, I would get one.

Please consider a shelter animal. My job(I work for a marketing company) recently started a new campaign with the Humane Society, Maddie's Fund and the Ad Council that is trying to change the image of the shelter animal.

Yearly 17 million people like yourself look for a new family pet and annually of the 8 million pets up for adoption 3 million are euthanized. We're trying to reduce this number. I personally have adopted my cat neko from a shelter about 3 years ago and she is the sweetest cat.

Check out this website if you don't know where to go locally for a shelter: Pet Personals.

Insofar as a good dog for kids, i have always heard that small dogs are actually not as good for small children and dogs like Golden Retrievers are excellent for the little ones( as people have stated above)

[tvantol]

Originally Posted by greenmagick

They also are not a breed. They are a "designer breed" aka mutt and should not be bought....if you want one look at rescues, there are plenty there.

(wanted to make sure to add....this is not attacking anyone but meant for education for those who maybe dont know. Also, there is nothing wrong with "mutts"...I love em and up until my most recent pup, thats all I personally owned, However, I would never buy one from a "breeder")

If you are interested in the "designer mutt" they are actually quite hard to find in shelters. To tell someone never to buy one seems pretty judgy to me. We did and from a very reputable breeder hence the no shedding. I have no regrets and anyone who meets our dogs fall in love. I could care less if they are technically a breed. Someone wanted to know which dogs are good with children and they are without a doubt great.

[chevy974]

HAving goldens is a blessing but one thing I have found comparing the health of my golden compared to my moms is they dont do well with corn or wheat at all. My moms are always itchy with ear problems they tend to get yeast in there ears they are heavy and hold moisture when wet. My golden has never had ear problems and isnt itchy all the time she is lean and trim and healthy but i feed her good food no corn and no wheat.

Just something to think about
amy

[MadiMamacita]

I recently heard that the Brittany is a fantastic dog for kids/families

any thoughts?

[Catherine12]

I think pugs do great with kids (disclaimer: I used to breed pugs. I love the breed and may not be totally objective). I currently have three pugs, and three kids under 6, and they get along great - the dogs are very patient and gentle with our kids, but also enjoy playing. Another advantage is that pugs don't have any special exercise or grooming requirements.

If you buy a puppy, be very careful to get it from a good source. There are numerous articles online about how to find a good breeder, what questions to ask, etc. You want to get a puppy which has been well-cared for and properly socialized. When I bred, I knew the temperament of all my pups before they reached sale age, and I did my best to match puppies to homes that were suitable to them - some puppies, even pug puppies, are not ideally suited for a young-kid household. You would also want to supervise the pup's interaction with your kids closely at first. Be sure to nip any potentially dangerous habits, like nipping during play, in the bud.

The advantage to starting with a puppy is that you can instill good habits from the start. If you can get an older dog that comes with good habits, that might be even better - but unfortunately a lot of adult dogs come with bad habits that you would need to break. Of course, puppies are a lot more work than adult dogs, especially in the early months.

About Brittanies - my mom has one. She is a wonderful dog, but VERY high-energy.

[WaitingForKiddos]

I saw goldens mentioned and I thought I'd add that the one we had when I was a kid didn't get out of the puppy stage until she was almost 4. She was smart and great at obedience but she was a nutty puppy!

[ouesi]

Originally Posted by Savoir Faire

Thank you to everyone! We ended up getting a "young adult" lab/golden/? mix. He's yellow and totally mellow...AND IN LOVE WITH MY DAUGHTER!

Congratulations, how wonderful for your family and especially your daughter!


For anyone else still looking...
We have had mutts for years, and currently have 2 mutts and 2 great danes. The danes are really wonderful with the kids, though I can see such a big dog being a bit much for a first-time dog owner, and you gotta watch out for the zoomies!!
Our boxer mix is really the best kid dog we have - he comes to the elementary school and other kid-related functions with me, and he is bombproof. However, he is also super high energy, and though we have the means to properly exercise him, that's not a reality for many families. So I think its important to be honest about the time you can *really* put in to a dog.

Many of the popular breeds are prone to genetic disorders. I would NEVER buy from a breeder who doesn't health test both the sire and dam - and I don't mean a once over from the vet. I mean penn-hip, OFA, CERF - an independent test for specific genetic conditions. Anyone looking to buy a purebred should go to the breed club's webpage (ie: golden retriever club of america) and see what health test are recommended. For example, goldens, at the very least, should have hips, elbows, eyes and heart tested before being included in any breeding program.
Once you know the tests required, ask the breeder which tests they do, and ask to see PROOF!! There are some shady people out there who really know how to talk the talk. Oh, and don't fall for the "there is no incidence of XXXX in these lines" either.

The thing about "designer breeds" (crosses of popular breeds) is that you're not going to find people health testing these dogs before they breed them. Why? For a myriad of reasons, but mainly because reputable breeders sell their non show pups on a spay/neuter contract so they won't be bred, and anyone with a half-way decent show dog isn't going to sully their reputation or the reputation of their breeding program with a deliberate cross breeding.
But the biggest issue with designer mutts for me personally is that its just another addition to the huge pet overpopulation problem we have in this country. WHY on earth would you breed ANY dog with so many dogs in shelters and rescues being put down daily? Reputable, responsible breeders are in it to improve an already existing breed, they have homes lined up before the breeding even takens place, and they keep up with the pups making sure the spay/neuter contract is honored, and remain a resource to the pup's owners. Many are also many are sensitive enough to the pet overpopulatin problem that they are also involved in rescue.