The Right Dog Breeds for your Kids
Get the Right Dog for your Kids
After you’ve decided to get a dog, you have to make the critical decision on what kind of breed will work best for your family, particularly if you have young children at home.
When I was young, my mother used to take me to The American Kennel Club show every year, held in downtown Chicago. Since we owned a wonderful Scottish Terrier at the time, naturally we gravitated towards that end of the show floor. But what struck me was the robotic response of almost every breeder if you asked them about their dogs’ behavior towards children. As if something automatically clicked in their heads, they immediately stated that “this breed is great with children!” This reply was the same, no matter what breeds we were looking at during a given moment: Dobermans, German Shepherds, Jack Russell Terriers, and so on. Even then I knew this was a farce, since I’d had more than a few altercations with local dogs practically running me down on my way to school – and usually those dogs were those that the breeders were referring to in regards to their well – mannered personalities with children.
While it’s blatantly unfair to stereotype breeds with broad generalizations, nevertheless there are some breeds that are demonstrably better with young children than others – and that’s not based on rumors, but in finding out exactly what the breeds were bred for in the first place. In discerning which breeds fit your family’s needs and temperaments, the prospective dog owner can save themselves a lot of difficult situations that may develop in the future, as well as sparing the dog the unfortunate problem of finding itself in a setting that’s inappropriate for it’s personality.
Some Examples of Preferred Breeds for Children
• Golden Retrievers
• Beagles
• Poodles
• Labrador Retrievers
Keep in mind that although retrievers in general are quite child – friendly, they’re still bred to be used as hunting dogs, so they’ll need a lot of space to run off all that energy, not to mention the corresponding play time required. Beagles have similar needs, while poodles are best for easy trainability, and also are good for children with allergies.
Why Pet Owners make Mistakes
Many prospective pet owners see a dog that looks cute and/or is small, and immediately thinks “I’ll take that one!” Not so fast – it’s often a mistake to assume that the size of the dog indicates a more manageable breed. You can see this phenomenon in the attraction of many terrier breeds, like Cairn Terriers and Jack Russell Terriers. These dogs, like most terriers, tend to be high energy and can often be snappy and high – strung, so if you have very young children around the house, you may want to skip these breeds, however wonderful they are in other circumstances.
Also consider the problematic situation of a puppy growing up in your home. Although every child wants a puppy desperately, they can also be a ton of work, so you may be better off looking for a dog that’s a year old instead. Large dogs can be OK, but dogs generally don’t have any idea about their size in relation to a child, so it may not be the best avenue to take due to accidents happening where the dog is entirely blameless for the child getting hurt.
Does the Dog Have to be a Pure Bred?
Not at all – in fact, mutts (or mixed breeds) can often be the perfect additions to a family’s home. There are excellent sources for finding out which Animal Shelters in your area are possibilities for finding your mixed breed, and you not only save a life, but end up with a great friend in the bargain.
At the End of the Day
You still have to do your research, no matter the breed that you’re looking for – that means spending time with the dog or puppy before you decide to take them home, as well as meeting the parents, if they’re available. Finding out your dog’s temperament and potential health problems before you make that critical decision will go a long way towards a great match between your dog and your family.
Other Relevant Posts:
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The Seven Worst Dog Breeds for Families
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