What is a good child friendly breed of dog?

nikki702

Another staffy vote here

jackieglasgow

Me too, I'm a recent convert, our dog is a rescue, but not in the conventional sense, she's about eight months old and the sweetest most adorable wee dog. My sons are 7 and 10 and she adores them. When they go to bed at night she cries to get out into the hall so that she can lie at the bottom of the stairs and wait for them, or look out for them, who knows? She doesn't need a lot of walking, and likes to do her own thing in the garden when we're all busy about the house, but will play happily when we makt the time for her. She's alone four days a week for six hours, and copes well with this as she's a lazy wee thing and spends the time sleeping.

My DSis has a daughter who's almost a year old, and Coco adores her. She can obviously tell she's a baby, and she is extra careful and patient with her. OF course, I wouldn't leave her or any dog alone with a child under 12, but she is very gentle and happy for even the baby to pat and touch her.

Apparently, they are known as nanny dogs because of their good nature with children and families. My dog is not so great with other dogs, but she hadn't really been socialised before, and is getting much better.

jamespir

we had a golden retriever they lovely soft dogs and an airdale (which was daft as a brush)

cleopatra4485

I don't see the problem with leaving a dog during the day when it is not a puppy anymore and settled in. I don't mind being left alone for 8 hours :rotfl:so why would a doggie. Leaving doggy in the house all that time, bursting for the toilet is cruel. I would get a lovely heated kennel in the garden, with lots of blankets and toys and I would probably be part-time anyway, so it would only just be three days out of seven. My step-dad has a lab and a bassit and has a heated kennel in the garden and they are very happy (maybe I should think about a friend aswell)

One of my old boy:Dfriends had a female staff and she was obsessed with sniffing your crotch and humping things (even though being female) so something not crotch hight would be good

hethmar

I still think you may have problems. Say your little dog is a barker? How are the neighbours going to feel about him locked out of the house all day and barking his head off because he is lonely? Again, any decent rescue would expect the dog to be part of the family home and wouldnt be happy about him being left outside.

jackieglasgow

cleopatra4485 wrote: »

One of my old boy:Dfriends had a female staff and she was obsessed with sniffing your crotch and humping things (even though being female) so something not crotch hight would be good

Ha ha :rotfl:the only dog I've known to do that is my MIL's Golden Retriever who was a fantastic old boy. And my sister's Staffie who is male and adores me when it's a certain time of the month! I don't think the size would matter, if it wants to sniff your crotch it will. (We hac a speyed whippet when I was growing up and she humped everything that moved, or didn't!)

Curious_George_2

we are moving this year and are thinking of getting a dog, im a sahm so being left alone isnt an issue... i have 2 kids, a 9 year old and a 2 year old and I hate staffies, not keen on very small dogs either

i know this post is no doubt going to start a riot....(can open... worms everywhere!) but can anyone recommend something for us that isnt a staff or similar muscle breed please?

jackieglasgow

Why do you hate staffies? I ill be honest and say that I thought they were ned's dogs, and I definitely did not fancy one, and they are tough looking, and have a rep as being dangerous, and last year when we were looking at the rescues I avoided all Staff /Pit Bull /Scary looking dog types. I can't believe how wrong I was. It's absolutely not about the breed, it's about the dog. My two boys were very wary of Staffs before, even though my sis has one, to the extent, that she kept it locked away when my boys were visiting. They now, having fallen in love with ours, thinks they are "the cutest dogs in the whole world". Big turnaround. Don't write them off just because of their reputation. I am so glad I didn't.

Don't looke for a breed at all, go to the rescues, read dogsblog, ad see which ones you fall in love with. The rescues will pair you up with the perfect dog for your family.

cleopatra4485

hethmar wrote: »

I still think you may have problems. Say your little dog is a barker? How are the neighbours going to feel about him locked out of the house all day and barking his head off because he is lonely? Again, any decent rescue would expect the dog to be part of the family home and wouldnt be happy about him being left outside.

oh god your joking right? this is not a baby being left in the garden for 3 'daytimes' out of 7 it is a dog, who's nature is to be outside in the fresh air. Call animal rescue there is a dog in the garden for 3 days in a week with a heated kennel, toys, food, water and a loving family, who is home most of the week. Or maybe it would be better to keep the pooch in a kennel in a shelter, waiting for this kind of life???

If it makes you feel any better I would probably have two to keep each other company when/if I decide to go back to work part-time.

You making out I am an irresponsible person (well I suppose I am just some writing on a forum :rotfl:) but I can assure you I am not, I have a very happy little baby girl and I find it a doodle looking after her and need something else now to look after (no not another baby )

foreign_correspondent

Have a think about the likelihood of a dog being stolen from out of the garden - it is a rising trend. Unless you can be sure your garden is so secure that you could leave other valuables in it, please do not leave dogs there unnatended.

Also, there can be other problems - if it barks, you will have upset neighbours and the environmental health on your back, you may find passing kids will tease it or want to play with it - if the dog nips anyone's fingers as they are dangled over the fence you will be liable. If it escaped from the garden, you are commiting an offence by your dog being out of control in a public place, and if it causes a road traffic accident you will be liable. Sure, any dog can escape from a garden - but if you are there you will know about it immediately - not 8 hours later.

Leaving two dogs together outside whilst you are at work are likely to bond very strongly with each other, and listen to you less, and it can cause problems betwen the dogs and the child, as the dogs do not see themselves and the child as part of the same group.

Why do you want a dog? In a years time you will be at work and surely your precous little spare time will be devoted to spending time with your toddler, not dealing with the needs of an adolescent dog, going for long walks every evening not to mention training classes etc? You may want something to look after now, but do you want the daily commitment of walks, training, feeding, kennels when you go on holiday and the end of spontaneous dog-free trips out for the next fifteen to twenty years?