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Which Dog is the best dog for children?
Submitted by PetLuv on Dec 18, 2007
My friend is going to have a baby. For Christmas she wants to get a dog. I know some dogs are gentle but huge. She lives in an apartment. Is there really a best dog?
Answer:
Holidays may not be the best time to introduce a dog into a home. Holidays are typically a hectic time which can be stressful for a dog that is being placed into a new environment. Dogs are creatures of habit so the hectic holiday times can be stressful even for a dog that has been part of a household for years. Also families have so many things going on that it is difficult to find the time necessary to devote to the new puppy. And this can cause bad habits to develop early. If at all possible, it would be better to wait until the holidays are over and the family has had time to return to a routine before introducing a new pet.
There are a number of things to consider when getting a new puppy. Dogs that live in apartments need to be quiet so as not to disturb the close neighbors. Dogs that live in households with new babies frequently need to be dogs that don’t need a lot of exercise because there may not be a lot of time to go jogging. And with the number of children developing allergies these days, it may even be best to wait until the child is old enough to insure that allergies to pet dander are not an issue.
There are many dogs spanning a wide variety of breeds that are wonderful with children. However, it is primarily because these dogs were well socialized with children during critical periods of their life. Socialization is best if it begins when the puppy is born.
If the new puppy is coming from a breeder, make sure that the breeder knows that a baby will be part of the household soon. A responsible breeder will help to insure that the puppy has the opportunity to interact with lots of children while he is still with the breeder. If the puppy is a rescue, take the time to work with an adoption counselor who knows the temperament of the puppy. In the best of situations, the adoption counselor may know the background of the puppy and may even have seen how the dog acts with children in the shelter.
Puppies need to learn to accept children of all ages. A 5 year old boy and a 5 year old girl interact with puppies differently and are totally different to a puppy. A 5 year old boy and a 10 year old boy are totally different to a puppy as well. A child in a stroller is totally different than a baby being carried by her mother. So the puppy needs to meet LOTS of different boys and girls of LOTS of different ages every day particularly during the first 5 months of him life.
From a dog’s perspective, a child can appear threatening. Children are at the dog’s eye level. Children have high voices. Children can be loud. Children can move fast. Children can sometimes forget to be gentle with a dog and can be unpredictable in their interactions with a dog. Children may grab at ears and tails. Children may try to take a dog’s food or treats.
Very solid obedience training is important for any dog. However, it is critical for a household with children. A dog that will be with a pregnant woman must know not to jump on people. The dog should also have a solid STAY and WAIT. The dog should be able to wait at the top of the stairs while the pregnant woman or the mother carrying a baby safely descends the stairs until he is called to join the rest of the family.
It’s important to get the puppy used to the sounds and smells of a child before the baby appears. Baby noises can be downloaded from www.findsounds.com and should be played at various times of the day in various rooms of the house at different volumes. Make sure the puppy has the opportunity to smell the nursery and the puppy knows to not jump on the crib, playpen, etc.
We are fortunate to have so many breeds to choose from because the right dog for one person will typically not be the right dog for the next person.
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