Best breed of dog for kids (under 10)??

hethmar

I think you need to go to a rescue and see what you are matched with. Puppies all look cute but they dont always grow up cute and there is no guarantee they will like your kids. Get a proven dog.

sunflower_2

our dogue de bordeaux is amazing with the kids (4, 5 & 15)
goes in their rooms every night to check they are ok before going to sleep.

they torment the h*ll out of him and he doesnt mind a bit.

he is very large tho - takes up a lot of space

pawsies

Person_one wrote: »

Actually...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2003849/Boy-3-left-horrific-facial-injuries-Labrador-savages-Poole-Harbour.html

Personally, I've never heard of a bichon being aggressive with children and I trust mine completely around even tiny babies and toddlers, but it would be silly of me to then say that ALL bichons are great with children, its all about the individual dog and how its trained/treated.

It's all about proportion. Labs are the number 1 dog breed owned so of course will have more attacks.
Bichons are on the top 10 aswell I think but obviously won't do as much damage as they have smaller jaws.

Having said that I totally agree with you

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Person_one wrote: »

They also have a tendency to go nose to the ground and deliberately deaf if they get a whiff of an interesting smell! Not the worst habit for a dog to have but needs bearing in mind when thinking about where and how you want to exercise your dog. Some beagles never have a reliable enough recall to be let off the lead.

They can, indeed, but mine was easy enough to train to recall and walk off lead, stopping at the pavement for it to be clipped on to cross and off again, even unneutered and in the park with 20 other dogs. Although I was a reasonable mid distance runner, so I could keep up with him as I got older. And match him on a sprint, which was his FAVOURITE part of the walk.

I was only a kid, as my mother wouldn't have anything to do with the bother of walking or training animals. Had it been up to her, he would ever have gone further than the end of the garden. Even so, he learned from even a little ratbag like me.


But they are also very tolerant and gentle. He didn't bite me, eat the cats or rabbit, get into fights with other dogs or set a paw wrong after the first months of murdering soft toys, and was always fussed and touched by random strangers of all ages that just went straight to him. He was a child/female magnet. Needless to say, when my brother split up with his girlfriend, he took him for a few walks, too.


They also don't look hard, so they aren't popular with those who want something that appears scary, and haven't been bred to psychopathy so far.

Person_one

That's all great jojo, but dogs are individuals! There's no guarantee all beagle pups will turn out like yours, even with lots of effort put into training.

The first bichon I had when we were growing up would curl up with the rabbit in front of the fire and wasn't too keen on other dogs. The one I have now chases rabbits with intent, if not ability, to kill them and loves every other dog like a long lost brother! There are lots of similarities but they aren't the same dog, all individuals...

jenhug

I say Mastiff as thats what I have, although you hear nothing but bad press generally about "mastiff types" I have a true Mastiff (also known as English, or Old English Mastiff) Adorable. Have very simple needs, and they love human contact.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Person_one wrote: »

That's all great jojo, but dogs are individuals! There's no guarantee all beagle pups will turn out like yours, even with lots of effort put into training.

I know, I know. But the stories I hear about how Beagles are as pets and how they are untrainable (usually by people who have never had one), I'm like every other dog owner, I want people to know they aren't the trotting disaster zone they can be made out to be.

Anyhow, they're generally used for animal testing due their usual good health and tolerance of the most appalling things. So their overall temperament is reputed to be mostly good.

They've also got the advantage of being knee high, so they aren't a small dog that could be squished, or a big dog that could do the squishing.

Their owowowowowowowowowowowowowwowowow and the grumbles they make definitely sound like talking, though. They are very expressive dogs and they do look like puppies all their life, so they can give you one look and you melt......

~Chameleon~

Person_one

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

I know, I know. But the stories I hear about how Beagles are as pets and how they are untrainable (usually by people who have never had one), I'm like every other dog owner, I want people to know they aren't the trotting disaster zone they can be made out to be.

Its daft to ignore the potential downsides just because you want to defend them! I understand the impulse, but some beagles will never have a solid recall and that's something people should consider. Most of the ones I've met are absolutely lovely, and yes they're very cute, but only telling people the good sides doesn't make any sense.

I love bichons, but it would be silly for me to recommend them without warning people that they need grooming every day and trimming professionally at a cost of about £30 every 6-8 weeks.

davsidipp

how about a pug ours is fantastic with our grandson who stands alot of fussing and pulling around never heard a growl from her.