What small-medium sized dogs are generally good with young kids? - Page 3

[thekimballs]

My site is sadly out of date. We got the second puppy the week I found out I was pregnant (oops!) so she has not had nearly the same photo time lavished on her. She's a tri-brindle points bitch who is now almost 5 months.

Clue is over one now, and due to my horrible pregnancy has only been shown on two weekends. She is half-way to her championship (7 points including one major). All I need is to get her out a few more times to finish, but I went from hyperemesis to SPD (pubic bone separating) so walking is very painful and running is unthinkable. So it'll have to wait until the new baby comes. Technically the new puppy should be out there in a month too, but it's just not going to happen. It was not exactly the best-planned thing, but hopefully it'll all be fine once things settle down at home.

Thanks for asking!

[Eman'smom]

New pup and your pregnant, wow you've had a busy few months.



Back to the regular thread........

[Bearsmama]

Thanks, Mamas, for all the continued good info and for keeping this thread going and going...I'm keeping notes.

[Bearsmama]

Hi Mamas,
Okay, this is a *bit* o/t, but I had to come back here to this thread, with all of you dog-loving mamas, to ask a different sort of question. DH & I are very practical people. We don't do things without research and without thinking about timing. What's the right time? What's the right breed? What's the right organization? Etc., etc. We did this when planning out pregnancies, too. We think about money, space, you name it. We're thorough. That said, there's my inner animal lover (I've been obsessed with animals since I was a little girl) that feels that sometimes I just need to move with my heart. Which, of course, I never do b/c we're so darn practical. All this said, there's a dog up for adoption at a local shelter that has been deemed "darn near perfect" by the people who run the place. He is 7 years old. Housebroken. A mutt. Medium-Large sized. Tan. Adorable. Given up b/c the owner is moving out of the country. I emailed the group asking for additional information. He also happens to have a name that happens to be what my father called me as a child. Hmmmmm? Does any of this mean anything? Is there always a perfect time? TIA for your thoughts.

[thekimballs]

I think there is a huge temptation to view dog adoption/purchase as "mystical"--we want it to be as magical as how our children were given to us. I don't have any issue with things seeming to swirl together to make a good match, AS LONG AS you're also coming to it with your eyes wide open. You didn't want a medium/large dog, so what about this dog makes that sacrifice worth it? How are you going to change your life to make his life ideal? How much exercise can you give him, etc.? I'd normally much rather see people make the initial decisions (going to get breed x from rescue y, or breed z from a pool of breeders including a, b, c) and THEN having the perfect thing come along than to totally reverse everything you've decided because a dog really needs you. There will ALWAYS be an adorable dog that really needs you. That's not going to be the shortage. The shortage is going to be in how much you're willing to change your expectations or your routine or your life to fit this new possibility.

[Bearsmama]

Joanna-Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your words really hit the mark. And basically confirmed my convictions about how to *really* go about adopting a member of the family.

[Rani]

Thanks so much for the great info here! My dd (she is 9) is doing her research to acquire a dog. Why research you say? Her dad is a software engineer and prefers cats but is okay with dogs, just doesn't want the work. I grew up with dogs (cairn terrier and westie) so I know the work and would like to have a dog now we have a house we are going to be in for a good while with a yard.

So, that being said, I told dd that she needs to determine what kind of dog will work in our household (2 somali indoor cats, we both work and she has school) as well as what it really takes to own and care for a dog such as training, how much exercise it will need, what to feed, etc.

(I know that I will be helping her, but I want her to go through the process of really thinking about what it means to own an animal - cats are easy in terms of care - litter box, feeding) so she has no frame of reference. I make sure she sees the number of animals that are dumped off in our town - college kids get dogs/cats once they move off campus, end of term or grad comes and boom, dumped in the shelters.

So, that being said, if you are still reading, she has decided she really wants a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. She says it should be okay with cats and according to the tests she has found online, might be a good fit.

Could you knowledgeable mamas send me some links (pros, cons, etc) for this breed? I know they are herders, how do we keep such a dog happy? Terriers are hunters so throwing a ball for hours :LOL was great for them! I saw that several responses showed info on them.

Also, what other breeds are similar or would be a good alternative choice?

Thanks and hope I didn't hijack the thread....pm if you like...

[Bearsmama]

Rani-I think it's great that your daughter is going thru the "research" phase. Even if ultimately it is your decision, she will go thru the process and it sounds like she is trying to match your lifestyle with the type/breed of dog. Great! I think you will get excellent info here, especially from Joanna (thekimballs).

[thekimballs]

Pems are lovely dogs--but they do have a more "small dog" temperament. More "up" or hyper. It all depends on what you want, really--if you liked the Cairn/Westie temperament you may get along very well with a Pem. I have Cardigans (the slightly larger, easier-going, tailed version) and I ADORE their temperament, but I didn't want the higher energy level or demanding nature of a Pem. Corgis DO herd. You need to be very vigilant for the first few months of owning them to train them not to herd/nip people. They will try to herd a cat, but they're not cat-aggressive. They mainly want to lick them a lot, and if the cat runs away they will try to herd it back to themselves. Both of mine are just fine with our cat now that she has shown them that she does not appreciate the herding.

Corgis of both breeds are barkers/talkers. The Pem has a higher/shriller bark, but both of them like to let you know what's going on. If you have sensitive neighbors, you may have an issue with the noise. The Cardis don't bark for no reason, so they don't bark when I'm out there with them (except that the puppy likes to bark when she gets really excited, so she'll talk to me when I'm playing with her), but if I'm not with them they feel that they MUST let me know that a person walked by, or a bird flew too near the pen, or whatever. They talk to our horse a lot too (her paddock abuts their pen, and she likes them, so she'll come over and whicker at them and they have conversations).

Both types of Corgis shed, of course, though I feed a raw diet and find that it's very minimal. But MANY people say that their corgis shed like a house on fire all the time. This is going to be different from your experience with wire-haired terriers. Corgis' nails grow like crazy. You have to clip or grind them weekly. And, finally, corgis THRIVE on training. They'll make up commands and games if you don't give them to them. So they'll do best if you like a dog that you are interacting with; they're not solitary dogs.

[BlessedbyLily]

Yep - our Cardi, Runway, is the non-dominant type. He's not as serious as a border collie but just as willing to please. I'm a huge herding breed fan - they were bred to work and live with families, you know? I know they can get a little intense if they take their job too seriously but I can tell you from experience that it sure is easier to correct corgi back-talk than it is to correct German shepherd back-talk!

He's a bit of a barker and a "talker", too, but he mostly just barks when there is some kind of reptile around. We call him the turtle alarm.

BTW - Topper is beautiful! The breeder we got Runway from was in Arkansas and they had one named Topper, too I think.

Runway is actually a brindle, too but he's not very brindle-y and his coat is kinda long. There are pics of him and Slick (our half-Pembroke) on my blog (see sig).

Oh my, Joanna! I just looked at your corgi site! Runway came from Pecan Valley - his dad was Rooney. My husband is actually from Mayflower (although he denies it most of the time)!

[thekimballs]

Who's Runway's mom? Clue's a Rooney baby too, so they're at least half-siblings . Bronte, the new puppy, is from Thief and a bitch named Sasha, who is one of Betty Ann's Kodak/Ice kids. I LOVE Betty Ann's dogs--temperaments are just fantastic and the quality is so good.

[BlessedbyLily]

His mom is from another kennel, in Missouri maybe? Her name is CH Camelot's Lonesome Dove but I think they call her Sedona.

It was so weird - we decided we wanted a Cardi and were having trouble finding a breeder. Then I ran across Pecan Valley's website and it was in Mayflower, Arkansas, of all places! A lot of dh's family still lives up there so it was perfect.

[nd_deadhead]

Rani, I researched dog breeds long and hard before choosing a Corgi. We had a fantastic black Lab, and I'm convinced you just can't find a nicer dog, but he was just plain too big (in his prime he weighed about 110 pounds, without being overweight). I realize there are smaller labs out there, but I needed a dog a little more portable.

But because we were used to a really smart dog, I wanted a breed developed with more of a purpose than warming laps. I am also not a fan of small yippy dogs. And because I live in North Dakota, I wanted a dog who would at least tolerate (if not love) our cold, snowy winters.

The more I read about Corgis, the more I was hooked! They are described as a big dog in a small package, and I have found that to be very true. I prefered the slightly more laid-back personality of the Cardigan, as well as the tail (I just think dogs should have tails). Of course the Internet is a blessing and a curse - I fell in love with Cardis before I realized that they are not very common in the US! I ended up going to a breeder in Missoula, MT. Pems are much more common.

I brought Topper home when he was 10 weeks old. He had lived in the breeder's house, and was about 90% housetrained. She described him as "a very sensible puppy", and he continues to be. He is very smart - it took about 3 days for him to learn to hang out quietly in his "puppy playpen" in the kitchen while we ate supper, and within about a week our sons could run with him in the yard without him nipping their ankles. I taught him a lot of tricks initially, in addition to basic obedience, but he is SO food motivated that I can't get him to learn anything new - if he sees a treat in my hand, he runs through his entire repertoire of tricks, trying to please me enough so I give him the treat! He's not particularly interested in performing for love and attention.

If I were in the market for another dog, I would get a Cardi in a minute.

[kristenyostdc]

We have a 7 month old Boston Terrier puppy. She is great with the kids and just loves them. They all play together and have a ball. The only thing that we have had trouble with is house breaking her. They are pretty hard to house break, but hopefully she will be 100% soon! And also, she loves to play with the cats but can be kind of rough sometimes. But she is a puppy and that should subside soon too! She is pretty small too and I don't think she's going to get much bigger.

[Rani]

As with the OP, this is just the type of info I need. I have bookmarked the thread to show DD. Not sure why she is fixing on the Pem versus the Card. I think I am going to suggest to her that she see both in "person" so to speak. The hair isn't too much of a problem - we used to have Himi cats and Somalis while shorter haired, still shed. my Dyson Animal!

I figure the herding will give the cats something to do Just kidding!

DD wants a dog that will "look to her" for attention and for interaction - she wants more play time than the cats are really ready to give - they play with each other and generally look to us for petting, etc.

OP: I hope its okay I jumped on the bandwagon!

[thekimballs]

If you're ready to see dogs in person, the best place is a dog show. Go here to find one close to you (though realistically you may have to drive a couple of hours, because they don't tend to be close together). Dog shows are very enjoyable, but keep in mind some simple rules: Don't bring babies or strollers. Don't ever touch a dog before you are invited to do so. Do keep in mind that the dogs and handlers right outside a ring are going to be nervous/excited, so ask if you can meet them back at their car or grooming area to speak to them after they're done. Do find out where the obedience/agility rings are, because those are a lot more fun to watch than the conformation showing, especially when you don't know what the conformation ring is all about. Do show up early (things get rolling at 8:30 or 9 am) and DO buy a catalog (at the superintendant's table). Make a note of the ring times and locations for your favorite breeds, so you won't miss the chance to meet owners and breeders. And DO visit the vendors--you can get stuff at dog shows that you can't get anywhere else.

[nd_deadhead]

I had never met a Cardi before I bought our puppy. So I flew to Missoula, to meet both the breeder and the breed before making a final decision. The breeder and I hit it off instantly - in fact, I was planning to go back to my hotel, but ended up staying the whole day. I got to know my pup (I had him and his sister to choose from - he chose me), as well as his mother and 2 grandparents (his father was in Idaho learning to herd sheep). Topper rode home on the plane with me, under the seat (he was still tiny then!)

If I were to buy another dog from the same breeder, I wouldn't mind having it shipped, now that I know and trust her. I still send her photos and updates periodically. She was recommended to me by the secretary of the breed club in Canada (since I live not far from Winnipeg, I contacted him when I was looking for breeders).

[Magali]

My Rhadge is a poodle/chihuahua cross and he is so sweet with kids!

[Bearsmama]

Hi Ladies-
Yes, dogs are *still* on my mind. And I scour the local rescue sites at least a few times/week just "looking". Still not the right time for our family, but I DO have a specific question for Joanna: Although this is not a small or medium sized dog, what is your opinion on Golden Retrievers? Okay, I know I'm all over the place here, but I keep getting drawn back to the local Golden rescue site. I've met so many wonderful Goldens over the years. And although they are larger and hairier than what I had originally in mind, they just seem, in general, just so darn docile and happy. Of course, HUGE generalization there, I know. I know with Labs that many of them need much, much more exercise than the typical suburbanite can provide (I do not live on a farm or have a stream or acreage for the dog), I'm wondering if you feel Goldens have the same issue? That they've become overbreed, and the people getting them don't typically understand their physical fitness requirements?

TIA, Joanna

[thekimballs]

Personally, I think Goldens should get a lot more exercise than they typically do.

Adopting a pre-screened ADULT Golden is often a wonderful idea. The energetic puppy stage is over and the adults do tend to be great with kids. Somewhere around age three or four would be great. I would still do a good LONG walk at least once a day, and every Golden thrives on training classes, but they're sweet dogs. Just be honest with the rescue about how much exercise you can commit to daily, and ask for their advice on matching you with a particular dog.

The one thing that most people don't realize about Goldens, unfortunately, is that they are what my vet calls tumor factories. There's a HUGE amount of cancer in the breed. If you get a four-year-old the honest likelihood is that you'll only have the dog for three to five years, and a good many live even shorter lives. Goldens "should" be 12-13-year dogs, by their weight and body type, but 7-8 is a lot more typical now. Of COURSE you could be lucky and get a dog who lives to be 14, but the cancer thing is something that anyone considering a Golden should be aware of.