Dogs and Small kids?

[mypy]

I had a wolf mix before. Kyane was a wolf/ malmute mix. I learned through her and my half sister that wolf mixes are not the best for little kids. Kyane had never hurt a little one before but one christmas my sister Kaylie had climbed on her. Before Kyane stop to see who it was she bit Kaylie less half an inch from her eye. My Dad chose to keep her instead of finding a home that didn't have small children or other female dogs (she alway attacked them). That time was the only time Kyane ever hurt a person but I never left Kaylie alone with her again.

 

[Renee750il]

You really can't blame a dog for biting something unexpected on top of it. My sister was running down the hallway one night (when she was supposed to be in bed, of course ) Purdue was sound asleep in the intersection of the hall and living room where he could see the bedrooms and the front door if anything happened. Fey was intent on not getting caught doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing and fell right on top of him. He jumped up and stopped himself a hair's breadth away from having her silly face in his mouth. Not even my Mom blamed Poo for that.

 

[mypy]

I didn't blame her, I blamed my dad. For taking the chance that it might happen again. Kaylie has a few mental problems, she couldn't understand that she could play with Kyane that way. I just didn't think it was fair to either dog or child.

 

[nedim]

I don't want one to hyper but than I have to remember that I'm going to have a very hyper toddler soon. Maybe they could wear each other out. Training wouldn't be a problem. I learned from Smkie. I am always home. My house has a very big backyard, plenty of room to romp. It is going to a long time before I get one. So Ihave plenty of time to find the right type for my family.

Well, corgis are ok, but the are SO hyper and may have a tendencay to nip when the play. Mine is a pitbull in a little dogs body.lol. They are also great guard dogs.

 

[Doberluv]

When my kids were very young we had a GSD. He was wonderful. My son, when he was about 2 fell off the dining room table which he was climbing around on. He landed smack dab right on top of our sleeping GSD. That dog lifted his head, grunted (as it knocked the wind out of him) and walked across to the other side of the room and lay back down. I caught my son squeezing his nose and turning it like a door knob. I was a little ways off. Ajax, the GSD let out a little wimper and turned and walked away. Those were the two main things I can remember where I wasn't close enough to prevent. That dog loved kids, including the day care kids I had at the time and would lie by them, licking them and followed them around the yard when it was playtime. He was completely trustworthy around everyone...wonderful dog. He'd sooner take on some pain or something worrisome or uncomfortable than hurt anyone.

I never thought a thing about supervising dogs and kids way back then. It never crossed my mind. lol. These GSDs are definitely into taking care of their charges. Of course, they have to be good ones and raised with kids.

My father had always had GSDs and when my sister was a baby, they'd go to the beach and they'd leave her napping in a playpen, with him next to it, up in the shade a little ways off from where they were. When she'd awaken, he'd let them know and they'd come and get her. He was very watchful of the baby.

Then when my kids were a little older, we got a Lab, the one I just recently had to pts. She was the same way...not one thing perturbed her. If anyone would do anything by mistake, that is unadvisable to do around dogs, it didn't matter. She was a saint. But of course, I taught my kids how to be around dogs and they were very sweet and good to our dogs. It's those little toddle babies that ya have to watch out for because they do things by accident sometimes.

 

[mypy]

Ajax sounds like a wonderful dog same with the lab. Smkie's Mary is the same way with my kids. Smkie's Victor is also doing very good with them. I belive they know kids are smaller and weaker then they are so to be careful. It's funny how they seem to know more things then we give them credit for, don't you think?

 

[becca_4321]

Honestly I think Princess has some lab in her (1st owner swears that's not so) but she is like Doberluv's dog was. Ashlyn will be 2 in Nov., she sits on Princess, powerhugs her, will pull her tail, ears, play with her nose ect. It's Ashlyn that has to be watched so closely because she doesnt understand you just dont go doing that stuff to dogs! Princess just lays there and takes it, sometimes reaches over and licks her or gets up and moves. I'm always having to pick Ashlyn up off her, pet Princess and tell her how good she was then try to get Ashlyn to focus on something else besides the dogs.
I also believe the same thing Mypy that they do understand little kids need to be treated differently. When adults come over Princess gets so excited, grabs toys and tries to jump all over them (she is getting alittle calmer with them), but when she see's Ashlyn she just covers her licks on the face then goes running with her to play. I could lay my head on Princess and she'd move, but Ashlyn can lay her entire body on her and she just lays there until someone gets her off. I brush her tail and she tries to get away from me, Ashlyn pulls her tail and she just licks her! I'm starting to think I should teach Ashlyn to give the dogs baths.

 

[Amstaffer]

Some will think me crazy but of all the dogs I have been around Amstaffs are the best with kids. They have a bad rap because of the media but it is not correct. They are the perfect size, High Threshold of pain, Easy going temperment etc...

When it comes to biting they are always way at the bottom of the breed list. My two Amstaff are show gentle with my grand kids it just heartwarming to watch.

They are big lickers though so if you are a germ-a-phob this is not the breed for you.

The English version of the Amstaff (Staff. Bull Terrier) is actually called the "Nanny" dog.

 

[avenlee]

One thing you might want to consider in making a decision is the shedding factor. I'm only saying it because you don't know how young kids might tolerate it. With breathing and allergies and such.

 

[Bolerame]

well...... We are totally biased towards Boxers We've had (raised and bred) other breeds over the years but finally got our dream dog "Bolerame Brookes Tough Legacy", a gorgeous down eared fawn and white female Boxer. She is everything that we could possibly want in a family companion. Since then, we are actively promoting the Boxer breed, showing and breeding our dogs. We focus on temperment above all else. Without a great temperment it doesn't matter how beautiful the dog is. When we got Brooke, our little girl was 1 year old. The only problem we had with Brooke was how unstable Meg was on her little legs and the rambunctious pup had a tendency to knock her down. Not out of meanness but strictly because she didn't know her own strength or even moreso, Meghan's weaknesses.

 

[SaveCody]

Beagles are suppose to be very good with kids. They are good pack dogs, and will protect the kids and hang out with them. On a more funny note, I heard that herding dogs can be good for keeping the kids out of trouble. I had a friend who's dog would keep the kids on the grass while they were outside.

 

[bubbatd]

I still like the larger more dependable breeds .....I had Golden Retrievers before I had kids and knowing their disposition stuck with them. Ajax sounds like the GS that my folks had when I was born ! My guardian angel !

 

[poeluvr]

if you are looking for small dogs maltese are one of the gentlest small dogs and are good with children...but its the dog you end up having to worry about
i know labs, and golden retreivers are usually the mains. i know saint bernards are very good with children same with great danes-if your looking for a huge dog, beagles for hounds love children aswell. boxers are very fond of children aswell, which is a common misconception, cuz people often mistake their behavior as not good with children, but really they are great with them

 

[poeluvr]

aswell as border collie and just a general collies love children and treat them more like their their children and protect them

 

[1sweetnopichick]

I agree with the others - I know that most GSD's, labs & collies are great with dogs, we all know that. Something I love about them is their size. Larger dogs tend to want to protect small children where as *most* (not all) smaller ones tend to get intimidated by them which causes them to snap & nip. Mind you not all small dogs are like that. Also bully breed dogs are great with kids (such as boxers, dobe's , rotties, pits, etc). They have a higher pain tolerance for when your toddler begins pulling and pinching & falling on top of them. Most any dog you get will have to LEARN to be around kids. I personally have 2 boxers & 2 pits and and a lab/chow x & they all love kids. The 2 boxers grew up with them so they know how to be around them. The mix is just good natured around ANYTHING. My female pit didn't know any kids until we got her when she was 3 years old. It took some teaching that she couldn't jump on them & that their high squeels of joy wasn't something to fret over, but she makes a great "babysitter" now. Our newest puppy is turning 12 weeks old tomorrow. He's great with kids too but he's still in the "nipping" stage and those little teeth HURT. We're trying to get him out of that as fast as we can. Once he gets older he will be perfect for kids. Something we noticed about our male boxer is when he's around a toddler just learning to walk (he's done this with all 3 of them so far), he will walk beside them letting them hold on to him (ouch) so they don't fall and if they do fall he'll put himself in place so they don't get hurt. Because he has such tough skin and high pain tolerence it doesn't bother him. My nephew was scratched by a cat once (he tried to "baptize" it in the pool) and my boxer saw that. He won't let a cat NEAR a kid now but he's fine with cats any other time. My nephew and 2 little cousins INSIST they sleep with the boxers when they stay with us. We let them camp out in the living room every time. Princess is good about waking us up if they need something (like bad dreams, potty, glass of water).

 

[poeluvr]

thats hilarious what your nephew did baptising him...lol

 

[1sweetnopichick]

It must run in the family - I've been told I did the same thing (more than once, I grew up on a farm) when I was little. I either tried to teach them to swim or to baptize them. All I know is we were all sitting around and he was sitting on the steps of the pool when he grabed the cat and screamed "look cc, I'm gonna baptize the cat!!" The cat didn't take to that to well. Tyson didn't take to the cat too well. At the time I was terrified my nephew was really hurt then I was terrified Tyson was gonna kill the poor cat (that poor cat was in the wrong place at the wrong time). After it was all said and done I couldn't stop laughing at the whole thing!!

 

[Renee750il]

. . . On a more funny note, I heard that herding dogs can be good for keeping the kids out of trouble. I had a friend who's dog would keep the kids on the grass while they were outside.

Purdue, our German Shepherd, was just a worry-wart when kids were around. The neighbors teased him, threw rocks at him, stood on the other side of the boundary (even before we got the fence up), knowing that he wouldn't go past his own boundary line and would scream and bark at him, but when the 9 month old baby crawled out into the middle of the street, Purdue was the one who went out and stood over the baby and howled until one of us ran out and got him out of the middle of the road! Not their dog . . . MY DOG!

And they still teased him . . .

 

[1sweetnopichick]

And they still teased him . . .

That's just awful!!

 

[Renee750il]

They were a pretty worthless bunch.