Kids and dogs

In the past we have had a couple of dogs snap at young kids and catch their faces and thus had to have the dogs put down causing great distress to our own kids so I'm not too keen on getting another dog.
However in the last few weeks we've had two somewhat large snakes in our back yard and I'm even less keen on having a population of snakes move in for the summer so we are looking at getting a dog.
Does anyone have any ideas of dogs with good tempraments (good with kids) and not too big but preferably not small and yappy.

Hi Erin,
I would probably look into some kind of spaniel. They have the most loving nature & are at that in between size. If you're looking for something slightly bigger I'd go for something like a wimarana (I have no idea if I spelt that correctly).
I'm more a cat person but my dad's a vet so I seen thousands of dogs in my time. I'd buy one from a registered breeder (with family history to check for heart/hip/eye problems etc) & have it given a complete physical from an independent vet before completing the transaction.
Hope this is food for thought,
Peta

Hi Erin

We have 2 dogs and 9 month old twins - the dogs are great with the babies, but I've learnt it's best for the dogs to be dogs and the babies babies. The dogs used to be our babies and lived in the house etc, etc, but since the babies were about 5 months we've put them outside and give them lots of attention and they're happy. They are both big dogs; one is a Weimaraner (this is how you spell it Peta!!) who has a lovely nature but if you're going to get one, buy a puppy, and make sure you take it to dog obedience classes etc.

I think it's best if they grow up together rather than already having a dog and then having a child. A nice dog if you're looking for a small dog that isn't yappy is a Basenji (they are small, sleek dogs that do not bark at all - it's in their breeding) or another nice dog is a Whippet (looks like a very small greyhound).

Definitely do your homework before buying any dog.

Sam

You know something, My husband is on his way home from Perth having picked up a weimarana pup. We had one when we were kids and mum reckons that it was my baby brothers best friend so that's what we decided on.
Thanks

I've got a 3 yr old blue cattle dog that we treated as a human (was kept inside etc) until our 6mth old little boy came along. We made sure only certain things changed, (ie, he is not allowed in the nursery) he is well trained & made sure he was involved in everything still & there has been no jealously so far, he doesn't touch the babys toys only his own & is a great protector, but on the other hand I won't trust him with Caine on his own no matter how good he is with him & i think its the same with any dog. But a bit of discipline & only trusting them 99% and they are good, on the other hand I think kids need to grow learning to respect the dogs place as well.

I aggree, I don't think little kids should be left alone with dogs at any time. No matter how good the dog, they're still going to bite if provoked and it's just not worth the risk. I know my foster boy is never gentle with anything.

i also agree never to leave your kids alone with dogs no matter how good they are with them. Animals can attack if provoked to. But on a lighter note, i have a Staffordshire bull terrier, she is the most gentle natured dog i have ever had, my friends also have one and they say the same thing. I would put one of those into consideration, but never intoduce an adult dog into a housefull of kids if it has never been around children. Buy a puppy and let the kids play with it, so the dog gets used to them, not the other way around. Your kids need to be the boss of the dog not the dog the boss of the kids. If you child wants to pull the dogs ears let it to a certain extent, so the dog knows from an early age that your child is only playing. Good luck.

Hi,
I have a Mini Fox Terrier. He is great with my kids, and extremely gentle with my 8 month boy. He is only small ( about double the size of chihuaha), but very tough. They are bred for catching rodents. I have bushland behind my place, and the next door neighbours are always complaining about snakes in their yards. We have only had 1 snake, which my chased away and that was 3 weeks after we had moved into the house. We have had no snakes now for 8 months. My dog is now 3 years old and I've had him since he was 6 weeks. He doesn't need much walking either, as running around the yard with the kids wears him out enough. He is our best friend!! My sister has a weirmarana to, and he is a great dog. He is not even 1 year old yet, and already knows so much. He latest trick, is to run down to the gate and collect the milk of the milkman. They live on acreage. The milkman puts the milk into a bag and Shaggy brings it up and sits it in front of the fridge. (Then my sister gives him a special treat!!) Hope you enjoy your new friend.
Tracey

i suggest never get a mixed breed make sure they are pure bred i've grown up with Staffordshire Bullterriors. my fiance Rottweilers a friend Doberman's it dont matter the breed of dog you get. it depends how they are taught. a aunt of mine has a fox terrior and a cougie they are nasty things. where the next door neighbour has a bull terrior and its the sweetest most gentle dog. some breeds are more docile but the OWNER makes the dog.

I agree Narrelle. I have a mini fox terrier and he is the most gentlest little thing. He is 3 years old, and I've had him since he was a pup. We also have a 6 month old Staffy, who is currently under our training and guidence. Both are purebred dogs, and we've had no troubles. We have had 4 other purebred Staffies, but unfortunatly, 3 were stolen, and 1 was baited. We have since moved from there, and our new Staffy is under guard. Enjoy you pets, but never leave a young child and a pet together unsupervised.
Tracey

Hi, I am am a vet nurse and have 2 kids and a border collie that is 4 years old. She is execellent with the kids. For example yesterday my 3 yrs old was caught pulling on her ears and she did nothing. my 3 yrs old was just trying to give her a hug. The only problem with border collies is the exercise that they require. I have assissted in a few cases at work where the dog has had to be put to sleep due to snapping at kids and they have mostly all been small dogs like spaniels and terriers. I have found in my experience that more little dogs are snappy with kids than the big ones. I would suggest going to your local clinic and seek information.

Hi, all our lives as kids we have grown up with all sorts of dogs and never had problems with them they were a combination of pure breeds and mixed.
Now a mum of two I still believe a child is better off being brought up with an animal of some sort whether it be a dog, cat, bird whatever.
We now own a serbian husky who is almost 4 years old and it fantastic with both our kids. Yes he is a very large dog and needs alot of attention but the rewards he give me and our children is priceless. We even now have a small saddle for him so when the children want to go for a ride we just put them on he has a sleigh as well and loves all the attention and activities we all do together as a family. I too would never leave the kids alone with the pets but I never would not have a pet in my kids life.