Reply With QuoteBorder Terrier. Sturdy, small and full of character.
Thinking of getting a dog - anyone have any recommendations for small-ish child friendly breeds ?
Border Terrier. Sturdy, small and full of character.
"Bite my shiny metal ass."
- Bender Bending Rodríguez
Can't beat a Tibetan Terrier. We have one and she's been a great addition, plus she loves the snow!
miniature schnauzer :D
cheers,mick
You wont go wrong with a Border terrier or similar, got our Border/Lakeland cross terrier six years back, 100% perfect with kids of all ages,
just avoid the obvious idiot breeds Staffys etc, and anything that will grow big, even Labs can be very moody.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
a pet and castration in one!Originally Posted by mickylall
miniature schnauzer :D
cheers,mick
Very cute though.
"Bite my shiny metal ass."
- Bender Bending Rodríguez
Sorry, but that is one of the daftest comments I've read. A small dog can be vicious just as a larger dog can be gentle. The training the dog receives is just as important, as I have friends who have Rotts who are gentle as anything.
The best bit of advice I can give is get nothing larger than a lab, be careful about cross-breeds unless you know what's in them and the investments you'll make when training your puppy will pay dividends when it's a dog. A small yappy dog can be showing aggression without you knowing it.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel - they are great with kids
A few years back SWMBO went out and got a "mid-sized" golden retriever
A bit dopey , but very good natured and great with the kids
The dog's not too bright either.... :wink:
:blackeye: ouch
Norwich Terrier - small sturdy dog with a really good temper, good for both kids and elderly and a lot of personality.
Is it going to be your first?
Boston Terrier.
We did a lot of reviewing before buying to make sure they are good family dogs, and they were always rated highly.
Since getting ours, she has been excellent. The kids can play with her and we have no worries!
They are clever and easy to train too.
Mini
My sis and family have a Tibetan terrier - very good with kids, but does seem very territorial and so barks a fair bit.
Stay away from Jack Russels, very sharp indeed and IMO not to be trusted with small children.
In fact terriers as a whole can bit a bit nippy and small dogs often have a Napoleon complex. :wink: I have found larger dogs are often more laid back.
That said, like humans, they are all individuals and how they are trained is the important thing.
Also, I don't know if you have given it any thought but there can be a lot of difference between dogs and bitches.
Cheers,
Neil.
:lol:
I have two golden retrievers (both male), they are great with kids and absolutely wouldnt hurt anyone intentionally.
The only issue with them is they weigh around 32kg each, which would knock most kids flying!
Even my wife struggles to stay on her feet when they crash into her. Its never intentional, they are just playing, but being knocked onto your arse by a dog is never going to be a bag of laughs....whether your an adult or a child.
I still wouldnt be without them though!
We've got a King Charles Cavalier spaniel and a recently acquired (yesterday) Coton de Tulear. The spaniel is a fabulous family dog and I'm sure the Coton will be equally good. They have a wonderful temperament and great characters.
8) 8)miniature schnauzer :D
cheers,mick
Best dogs in the world :wink:
Don't cast hair, are great watch dogs and child friendly. My 4 year old has my 2 absolutely tortured and never a whimper from them.
I have a litter of 7 pups ready to leave home this Tuesday :cry:
We have two welsh springers, loyal, loveable and great with kids
Border collies are great dogs.
This, I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
There are no idiot breeds just idiot owners!
We had a male Staffordshire Bull Terrier as a nine week old pup until he had to be put down at fourteen (cancer) he was about one year old when we had our first child and a second child two years later.
We never had any reason to fear for the children as he was faultless in his behaviour towards them and staffs are known as the nursemaid dog because of their tolerant nature towards children something that you wont see reported in the press!
All breeds/dogs are different and all have the capability to bite, good training, exercise, respect and discipline is paramount for a happy house.
Oh and don't buy from a puppy farm, the sort of deal where they deliver the pup to you, try to find a breeder who is happy for you to visit them and see the mother and/or father of the pup.
We now have a six year old rescue staff who is great but I wouldn't recommend a rescue to you as you dont know what you are getting and how that dog has been treated in its past and if you have small children this could be a big problem for you.
Also, have a look at the mum and dad before you buy and try and get a towel that's been with the mum prior to taking the pup away (I'll be getting a dog again, rather than a bitch when the time comes).There are no idiot breeds just idiot owners!
We had a male Staffordshire Bull Terrier as a nine week old pup until he had to be put down at fourteen (cancer) he was about one year old when we had our first child and a second child two years later.
We never had any reason to fear for the children as he was faultless in his behaviour towards them and staffs are known as the nursemaid dog because of their tolerant nature towards children something that you wont see reported in the press!
All breeds/dogs are different and all have the capability to bite, good training, exercise, respect and discipline is paramount for a happy house.
Oh and don't buy from a puppy farm, the sort of deal where they deliver the pup to you, try to find a breeder who is happy for you to visit them and see the mother and/or father of the pup.
We now have a six year old rescue staff who is great but I wouldn't recommend a rescue to you as you dont know what you are getting and how that dog has been treated in its past and if you have small children this could be a big problem for you.
Will that lovely little dog change colour as he gets older?miniature schnauzer :D
cheers,mick
As per many of the other comments on here its the owners that are the challenge. We have two dogs at present, a chocolate Labradoodle, a great temperament and perfect with the kids my Daughter cuddles him to death, and a 6 month old Dalmation x pointer great looking and very good with the kids but a box of frogs, but funny.
Bassett hound has been my best small dog.
I had my fair share of rottweilers, boxers and bull terriers over the years. All were friendly dogs, but not suited for families with small childred. (The rottweiler's weight was 46kgs...). Keep it simple: labrador, flat coated retriever etc are often people's first choice. If you have enough time, space and you really want to do something (teaching) with your dog, a border collie is a perfect dog for that. And it's a very intelligent dog! And if you're not into breeding dogs, go to a vet and ask him to neuter the dog (pup) at an early stage of its life. There's a lot of info on the internet why it's better to have your pet neutered.
Menno
Rescued greyhound make great kid friendly dogs. When they are retired, they take it literally - honestly! They do not tear around all the time (unless they see a rabbit!) :lol:
Mike
Whatever you do don't get a Border terrier or similar, especially a Border/Lakeland cross terrier, daft dogs and it has been said that the owners make daft comments :wink:
Also as has been said Staffies are the Nanny dog because of their temperament and ability to become a true famiy dog.
Do check yourself, but I read somewhere that Staffies are 1 of only 2 breeds that the Kennel Club recommend as a family dog.
This is a comment from the Kennel Club:
"Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Communications Director, said: It is no surprise that the Labrador Retriever has stayed as the most popular dog in most areas in the UK, it is intelligent and a truly devoted companion. Likewise, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is highly intelligent and affectionate, especially with children, but sadly people dont always associate the breed with these qualities."
Staffies are also great with other pets in the family, although sometimes they don't talk. :wink:
+ 1 (CKCSs are great with virtually anyone and any other animal)
Only downside (for me at least) is they alway crave attention - fortunately ours gets enough from my wife and daughters (I prefer our cat - feed, occassional cuddle, but nothing else required).
Hi all its my 1st post, i can not fined the introduce your self part :( any way i dont know a lot but i do know abit about dogs only a bit :lol: look in to it all mate before you buy as you are going to have it for a very long time, watch these vids on youtube 1st before you do any think, they will be on for about 2 hours but if you are planing to spend up to 15 years with it then 2 hours ant any think is it, they will open your eyes to the world of dogs and dog breeding, i would not wont you to get some think that is going to be in the vets more often then not and some lines in some breeds are :cry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPmKIgMoUPc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opvvhTWqS6U
my old boy who has now gone :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:
and my 2 little girls now a whippet and a bedlington :lol:
You'll be needing shares in the local vets practice! :shock:
Why a small dog?
I'd prefer something like a Weimaraner - best dogs I've ever had.
I couldn't have another dog with a long coat.
It's just a matter of time...
english staffordshire bull terrier, 1 of 2 breeds only in the world with the description "totally reliable with children".
No dog is totally reliable with kids, a dog 1st reaction is to bite, i have had dogs for over 20 years and i would never leave a small child alone with a dog of any size, i can all ways get a new dog but kids are a bit harder to replace :wink: get your self some think small and fun some think that you can let of the lead in the parks and not worry about it running of to start a fight, iv had mastiff and bull breeds in the past and they are great dogs but breeds like that are bred to fight and hold so you have all ways got to have that at the back of your mind, it all depends on if you are the type to get out a lot to burn of some breeds energy :bounce: why dont you get your self around the dogs homes for a look and give one of them a chances as theres a lot out there that need it :(english staffordshire bull terrier, 1 of 2 breeds only in the world with the description "totally reliable with children".
Yes, some of the choices seem a bit nancy-ish. :wink:
Agreed, an important consideration.
IMO If you want a dog to accompany you on long mucky walks you want a short haired breed that needs next to no maintenance.
I also dislike dog hair around the place.
Another reason for a short hair.
Cheers,
Neil.
I would say you have got it backwards, First get some children that are suitable for dogs! Deadly serious I have seen dozens of parents who have no idea how to treat children and dogs, And on many occations have seen children poking , pulling, hurting dogs whilst the parent watches on, Then comes the mass histeria when a child gets bitten, This is NOT a get at you but it really upsets me to see good animals put down because of bad parenting, And its getting worse.
PS we have a border terrier and she is absolutly superb, However i would not trust her with anyone who poked or prodded her she can and would nip!
Best wishes whatever you choose, But do not leave unattended!
^^^^^^^
Sensible.
Any dog will bite at provocation and small children are probably the worst offenders.
Cheers,
Neil.
Cairns and Westies are great dogs.
Don't forget crossbred terriers....they often have a better temperament than pedigrees. I have a Yorkie/Jack Russell cross..he's a real character!
Yes. I was bitten by one once, when it was on half term. Luckily my Doberman rescued me.
Size of house maybe ????
There is a girl across the way with two Weimaraner's, nice looking dogs but completely loopy. The other minor problem is she lives in a modern 2 bed terrace that you can't swing a cat in, you know the type, front door opens into the front room and about enough room for one couch and a tv. To me in any case border line cruelty to keep that sort of boisterous mutt in these sort of small houses.
I go along with never leaving small kids with any kind of dog regardless of how docile they are reputed to be.
Very true words, (very) small dogs are quite often a handful and much terrier breeds have quite high energy levels
Most of the larger breeds seem to be less insecure about their size and thus have no need to (over) compensate
Large breed dogs only have a need for clear pack structures (a pack leader they can follow), most bitches are far easier in that....
I grew up( learned to walk holding on to them...) with a Newfoundlander and a Great Dane and stuck with gentle giants.......
Fantastic pic and great dog, mate. :thumbright:Very true words, (very) small dogs are quite often a handful and much terrier breeds have quite high energy levels
Most of the larger breeds seem to be less insecure about their size and thus have no need to (over) compensate
Large breed dogs only have a need for clear pack structures (a pack leader they can follow), most bitches are far easier in that....
I grew up( learned to walk holding on to them...) with a Newfoundlander and a Great Dane and stuck with gentle giants.......
Lakeland terrier. Manchester terrier or an Irish terrier...can't go wrong with any -or all :D- of them.
Cheers
Joe
would love to have one of those Red Devils some day....at the moment our Deutsch Drahthaar will do
I think Labs make the best companions for a young family. They are easily trainable, (see below) very loyal and cope well in all situations.
I have Springer Spaniels and they can be a handful especially if you've not had dogs before. Great with my niece and nephew, but no way would I leave them alone together.
I was brought up with a Border Collie and that dog simply adored me and my brother and sister. I truly believe that that dog would not have hurt a hair on our heads under any circumstances whatsoever. But now as an adult dog owner I wouldn't trust my dogs with small children without supervision, even though they have never shown one iota of aggression.
I firmly believe that a dogs temperament comes down to both nature and nurture. Whichever breed you chose, investigate the owners and the puppies parents in as much detail as possible, get recommendations and buy a puppy from a calm, well trained and domesticated mother from a family who have kids. Don't go and see any puppies until you know their history, seeing puppies is the end, you will not walk away without choosing one - whatever the situation you find them in!
Then get the puppy into training as soon as possible, puppy classes start from around 10 weeks old, and keep training formally or otherwise for as long as it takes. With Springers that's for the rest of their lives. :lol: There is an old saying - A Labrador is born half trained, a Springer dies half trained.
Rob
We have a rough collie tri-colour. First dog I've ever owned and unbelievably friendly (so will get on fine with the kids)
The problem we have is we got a cat recently as well and our dog lets it do anything to him, he just won't show any signs to the cat that she is annoying him...
Off tomorrow to look at some Italian Spinoni which are supposed to be very good with children. Possibly a bit too big for OP.
Had numerous dogs when I was growing up as I lived on a farm. We had Border Collies as sheepdogs and whilst great dogs they needed to be worked as they are very intelligent and have boundless energy. Also several of them would have given stranger the odd nip.
Had a Cavalier King Charles and he was good but personally I thought he was a bit small. Also had several lab and Alsatian crosses who were very placid.
Training and socialising a dog when it is young is key. Getting a rescue dog is hit and miss. We had one 5 years ago and seemed fine but after 5 weeks he went for a visitor to our house. Wife was 35 weeks pregnant so he went back to the rescue centre the next day as we couldn't take any risks with a baby in the house.
Try to see both parents, be comfortable with the seller and understand your 4 legged pal could be with you for the next 15 years.
bichon frise's are fab.
laid back and sunny dispositions.
the guy wants a dog not a handbag. :lol:
well.. if small and kid friendly are higher on the options list than "must be the jean claude van damme of small dogs" then i still think theyre a good choice.the guy wants a dog not a handbag. :lol:
not as stubborn as terriers and not as nippy as the likes of shitzus and chihuahuas.
handbags be damned. :)
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