Choosing the Right Dog Breed for Your Child
One of the most important things you must consider when choosing a dog for your child is that you will probably be the one taking care of it even when your child becomes older. For that reason you want to choose a breed that will be easy to feed, groom, and walk. You also need to look to dog breeds that are good with children and not ones that are overly aggressive like a Pit Bull. Under no circumstances should any parent take a chance on a breed that has the potential to turn even on its owners. Of course, some people will tell you that even Collies or German Shepherds have that potential, but you certainly don’t read it in the newspapers.
For a small child, a small dog is your best choice. Children tend to want dogs with which they can play and that are smaller than they are. The toy and small breeds such as Chihuahuas, Yorkshire Terriers, Boston Terriers, and other similar sized breeds are perfect for children. Chihuahuas are very noisy, but they are also very gentle and lovable with their human families as are Yorkies and Boston Terriers. The small breeds are also better for your child to learn to feed and walk. It would be rather difficult for even a six year old to walk a Collie or German Shepherd no matter how gentle it might be.
Some breeds tend to be one-owner dogs, and since you will be sharing the care of the dog with your child, this is not the breed you want. If it becomes attached to you instead of your child, he or she will become very upset. Some breeds are also very picky about who feeds and bathes them, and though this may not be a problem when your child is young, it may be a potential problem as he or she grows older and wishes to take over care of their dog.
Before choosing a dog for your child, make sure the two of them are going to get along. This may require a trip to the pet store or breeder so that your child can interact with several dogs and choose the one that best suits him. A dog will attach to a person even as a puppy, so you want to choose the one that chooses your child. Never go out and just buy a puppy for your child because just like humans, they have their own personalities and may not be the right match for your child.
Even if you decide to get a dog from the animal shelter, let your child pick the one with the sad eyes looking to go home with him. Instead of saying there is a dog for every child, you must understand there is a child for every dog, and each dog will pick out the child he feels is right for him or her. Allowing it to happen naturally will assure you that dog and child are a perfect match for one another.
I can’t believe this writer is recommending toy breeds for children! Having been a Chihuahua breeder, first off, I can say that Chihuahuas are no more “noisy” than other dogs, if socialized properly and in general toy breeds bite more often than larger breeds(mainly to defend themselves and especially so, from the small low to the ground preditors, such toddlers learning to walk). I own a Chihuahua and I do have a toddler (2 years old). I can tell you first hand, my dog does not bite, but she is tortured endlessly by my son’s grabbing hands (learning to be gentle) and his unsteadiness on his feet (may fall over and crush her). My dog is very patient with my son, to a fault, I wish she would defend herself a just a little bit. She endures the grabs, kicks tail pulling and bops to the head with the occasional toy, but I can not say this would be true for most toy breeds, depending on their level of training some if not most, are very likey to endure very little and will bite quickly. I have owned these sorts of Chihuahuas too.
Please do not consider a toy breed for your child, it will be torture for the animal, dogs they are NOT toys for young children. They are animals that depend on us for their safekeeping and well-being. If you want to buy your child a toy, by all means, buy him or her a TOY, BUT NOT A TOY BREED DOG! What is more threatening…a dog your child is eye to eye with or one that bites his or her ankles and snarles at their mere presence? Consider a medium size, sturdy dog, if possible one that is not a puppy, sure pups are cute, but potty training can be a nightmare when you have a little person that also needs to learn that skill. Who wants to clean up poop and pee all day, both human and animal? Watch the rescue shelters for a grown (but not old) mixed breed, medium size dog. The dog will be thankful, the kid will love it and you will have the peace of mind knowing you rescued an animal. Trust me Chihuahuas are great pets, I want people to buy them, I breed them, but I never sold to people with children under the age of 5.
Comment by Kasy — May 23, 2008 @ 2:10 pm
We welcome all opinions - here’s another one… every home has 115V wall sockets… these bite pretty good too when you stick a metal object into them… rarely will you find a child that repeats the process…
The point… every child needs to learn to respect animals and the earlier they learn the ‘better’ (generally) their relationship will be with those animals… a toy breeb dog can nip pretty good… larger breeds may be more patient and less temperamental but they also have much larger nips and can do far more damage if they are so inclined.
Trust me… I also know! In my honest opinion parents are dumb to purchase any animal for a child just because they want it.
Comment by Baby Original — May 23, 2008 @ 4:49 pm