which dog?

zoelouise88

Im looking for advice on which dog to get.

I'm thinking about getting a dog, basically i want a short haired one (or one that doesnt malt), also needs to be good with children as i have a 2.5yr old son.

Which dog do you think i should go for?

scheming_gypsy

i'd say a staffy without even having to think about it

tealady

Hi I would contact your local rescue centre to see what they have. It will be neutered, chipped, deflead and they will take it back if things go wrong.
All that for a reasonable donation and a chance to save an animal from the green mile.
Please don't buy a dog, I have heard some horror stories about people buying.

coolio_2

Greyhound from a rescue

mark13

a rescue labradoodle.

f1re_cr4cker

id say a pug, wonderful temperement, wonderful with my 2 and 3 year olds and doesnt need loads of walking.

foreign_correspondent

a steady, gentle little staffie - the only dog the KC specify as being good with children - go to a good rescue (not all home with small children but some such as the dogs trust do) and ask them if they have any staffies or similar dogs that are known to be good wth children and be housetrained.

You may well get a very easy, ready made family dog that has lived with little ones before, as so many are ending up in rescues due to the credit crunch - through no fault of their own.

Labradoodles and greyhounds are both super, but can be a bit on the big side for around small children, and many knock them over accidentally!

Pups arent great with toddlers, as they go through a stage where they nip at things playfully - this tends to hurt and scare small children and can become really problematic. Its also hard and frustrating to be trying to toilet train a pup with a little one who will inevitably want to be playing and crawling on the floor - poo and wee where your little one plays is less than ideal, and if you are distracted by looking after the little one, toilet training can be a slow process with a lot of accidents involved.

Finally, apart from the practical reasons (ie. getting a mature, assessed, sensible dog!), please do not buy a pup - it just encourages breeding (often by unscrupulous people) whilst unwanted dogs die - so many lovely healthy little dogs are being put to sleep at the moment.

ohwell

Definately a staffie. They are very good with children and everything else as. You should however be the top dog in your pack and if you have sky, please watch Ceaser Milan "the dog whisperer" on Nat Geo wild. He is excellent and knows exactly how and why dogs do the things they do. It is down to excercise discipline and affection in that order. Staffies are tolerent of a lot of pain and that is why they dont mind children, they are classed as the nanny dog as they have a huge heart and love their family.
Definately go to a good rescue, KC will have details also try SBT rescue and search in google.
Foreign correspondent is right. All dogs especially Staffies are being handed in because people have no money to look after them, even with a rescue dog you will be able to train it to not do the behaviour you dont like. Ie pulling snapping. dont allow it to do the naughty things and only praise once you get the calm submissive state. I would go hungry then let one of my girls go. If it wasn't for my dogs, yes they are both staffies, then I dont know what I would do.

Good luck hope you find one. Let us know if you do.

Miss.Sian-Marie

Defo say a staffy, my sister has one as well as 4 children and he's soft as anything with them.
Lovely natured dogs

foreign_correspondent

Please do not try Cesar Milan technigues at home!! Even his show has a disclaimer saying that.

However, I agree with Ohwell that you can trach and ld dog new tricks - much more easily than you can train a giddy young pup in my experience. My dog now knows loads of commants (from 'wait!' 'sit' 'roll over' etc through to ones she has picked up from me just talking to her - I realised that if i want her to move and say 'hutch up' she knows exactly what I mean! lol)

She only knew 'sit' when I got her aged about 5, so everything else has been learned since, and I won a £50 bet a while ago after someone bet me I couldnt train her to balance a biscuit on her nose till I told her she could eat it - it was a challenge to get it past her mouth without her snaffling it at first, but a week later she could do it brilliantly, and £50 was mine!! How MSE is that!?

ohwell

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

Please do not try Cesar Milan technigues at home!! Even his show has a disclaimer saying that.

However, I agree with Ohwell that you can trach and ld dog new tricks - much more easily than you can train a giddy young pup in my experience. My dog now knows loads of commants (from 'wait!' 'sit' 'roll over' etc through to ones she has picked up from me just talking to her - I realised that if i want her to move and say 'hutch up' she knows exactly what I mean! lol)

She only knew 'sit' when I got her aged about 5, so everything else has been learned since, and I won a £50 bet a while ago after someone bet me I couldnt train her to balance a biscuit on her nose till I told her she could eat it - it was a challenge to get it past her mouth without her snaffling it at first, but a week later she could do it brilliantly, and £50 was mine!! How MSE is that!?

:T Nice one, I am trying to teach my big one that at the mo. havnt got there yet. I will keep trying tho