To Get A Puppy Or Not?

[chellz]

Hi everyone i was wondering if you could plze help me!! I have 3 beautiful children aged 2 and a half, 4yrs and 7 yrs.. We really would love to have a new addiotion to our family, a golden labrador!! My question is for anyone who has kids and a puppy/dog should i wait till my youngest is a few years older or do you think its okay to get a pupp at that age? I know labrador's are great family dogs, hence the reason why we love them so much... but im worried about the dog jumping or being nippy (as most pups can be)

any feedback positive and negative is welcome please

thanx michelle

[Esky the husky]

I think you mean yellow lab That is the proper name for the colour

Have you looked into adult dogs from a breeder?

This could be a good option if you want to bypass the puppy stage. (which could be good in your situation)

The dog could be one they kept to show but decided wasn't suitable.

Or it could be a more mature one, finished with their show career.

[minxy]

Hi Michelle

Welcome to DOL!!

Yellow Labs are gorgeous and a very lovely breed. Not everyone thinks that kids that young should be around dogs, but I have always had dogs since the day I was born, and I believe I was only 2 when we got a new puppy. The main thing is that you need to provide constant supervision at all times - a puppy or dog should NEVER be left alone with kids, ever. It really only takes a second for an accident/injury to happen. I think only you can really tell if you have the time and patience to commit to a new puppy with 3 kids.

Or you could perhaps consider an older dog that might be more calm???

[harley]

Yellow labradors are great dogs, but with any breed they need training and socialising. Yes a pup may nip and jump and it is up to you to teach him/her acceptable behaviour. You only get out what you put in.

If you are prepared to make time for training and socialising then I don't see any reason to wait. The children also need to be educated about their behaviour around the dog though.

Maybe you could look into a mature aged dog who has passed the puppy stage.

Talk to some breeders for some advice.

Goodluck

[~Shepherd~]

do it.

1st pup with the kids was a whippet.

I was pregnant and had a 2 year old

2nd dog was an older Puppy, a White German Shepherd. I was Pregnant again and had a 2 and 4 year old.

Couldnt be a better situation. Our dogs are mostly indoors and both are crate trained, but we dont use the crate any more. My kids are now 6 months, 2 and 5.

You will manage. Supervision and training for everyone. Just make sure you get a fully health tested lab to avoid heartbreak down the track.

[GoldenGirl85]

I agree that an older yellow Lab would be the better option, a puppy will take hours of training and having young children you may not be able to commit the time the pup needs to become the perfect family pet, Labs arent born that way it takes a lot of training, an adult lab would still need ongoing training, but the basics are there and you just need to reinforce its prior training

[Kirty]

Labs are very boisterous pups though - my friend has one and she does tend to bowl the kids over. You would need to be very diligent with training and rules, etc. But I think it would be OK.

[Remarkabull]

Hi and welcome to DOL.

I think that it doesn't matter what age your kids are, it just depends on how much work you are willing to put in.

I got a Dobermann pup when I was 8 months pregnant with my first child. Lot's of people thought I was crazy, but I knew that it would require some hard work on my behalf and I was willing to do it. I don't think it's for everyone however, and it also depends on how much you know about the breed and their requirements.

I also had alot of experience with Dobermann's and dogs in general, having grown up with them myself from an early age.

Labs are lovely dogs and do make great pets, however, I think alot of people make the mistake of thinking that they are all really friendly and well behaved from the start and then don't do any kind of training with them and end up with a large, uncontrollable dog that you can't let the kids near because it jumps all over them.

I'd say go for it as long as you do the research and are prepared to put in the effort.

[minxy]

Oh and Michelle, you might find these two threads helpful:

http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=170329

http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?show...amp;hl=labrador

The first one is Breed Information about Labs and the second thread is where all the lab owners gather to talk about the breed, so you'll find lots of useful information in there

[dancinbcs]

I'm going to go against the trend and recommend you wait another 6-12 months. It is much easier to explain to a 3 year old, how to behave around a puppy than it is to a 2 year old. I don't generally like to place puppies in homes with kids aged 18 months to 3 years. Before and after those ages seem to be fine but the real toddler stage before they are old enough to understand why they should or shouldn't do something, makes it much harder for the parents to manage a puppy as well.

If you want a puppy you could start looking for the right breeder now but with the plan to get a puppy next year.

[Staff'n'Toller]

I can recommend a breeder that will be breeding next year and she is very down to earth and pragmatic.

In my puppy school and training classes though, I find that the parents of families with young kids who choose Lab pups always find them more difficult to manage than they thought. Often the most difficult thing is controlling the children's responses to the puppy, so you are training the puppy 4-fold if you are managing your own interactions and those of 3 kids vs. puppy.

They absolutely need crate training, indoor stimulation, daily exercise that needs to increase gradually with their age, puppy school (4-5 weeks) training classes (8-10 weeks+) and environmental enrichment everyday. Is your garden precious to you? They often love to dig, chew up plants and up-end pots.

Do you have time to add another baby to your family right now? In toilet training and obedience/manners training that's what you will have in varying degrees each day for at least 15 months. If you think you can then go for it, but it will be nothing less than adding a furry baby to your family.

[Swizzlestick]

do it.

1st pup with the kids was a whippet.

I know all breeds need training and any breed can be boistrous, but there's a huge difference between owning a labrador pup and a whippet pup, esp when it comes to children in the household.

I'd be more inclined to wait until the youngest child is at least 4yo. Preferalby older though. Just my opinion.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[VJB]

If it were me, I'd wait a little longer, or get an older pup/dog. A lot of attention and energy is spent training a dog to have acceptable levels of excitement etc... plus exercising needs have to be met, or you are in for a destructive and upsetting time for all. Not always the case, but the breed you are interested in requires you and your family to be able to provide these needs on a daily basis.

A whippet on the other hand......... Oh, I'm in love with whippets.... will definitely have one of these one day.. Not as intense I believe as a Lab. (or GSP)

[Christina]

As long as you can train your children as well as your puppy I think its great for them to grow up together.

I had a doberman with young children. Big & 1st rule was to teach the puppy to sit & the children to order it too. Visiting friends had to say sit & no pats until she did.

Many happy years with a great dog who never jumped up, nipped or bowled them over. She adored children & was so gentle & obedient but I was very firm with all.

If you can be bothered to train & know you will not get slack with either children or dogs it can wonderful.

[Maddy]

Personally, I believe education of the potential owner is far more important than the ages of children concerned. Older children can still be bitten by incorrectly handled dogs.

No offense intended to the OP but if I were you, I'd put off getting a dog until you've put in the time to educate yourself regarding the breed chosen. Once you actually know what the breed is called (and a bit more about usual temperament and behaviour), maybe then you could consider getting one

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

I work at rescuing/rehoming dogs in my spare time - I'm going to be honest and probably unpopular!

I cannot recommend getting a puppy to people with children under 5. There are several reasons for this - generally speaking, people with one young child and certainly more than one young child, have their hands very full. I ask if you wanted another toddler? Mostly people say no. A puppy is the equivalent to having another toddler. Children under 5 don't generally have the cognitive abilities to know how to behave appropropriately around dogs. Once kids are 5, they are able to respond much better to our instructions on what to do.

Also, think how you will manage the exercise needs - can you honestly walk your three young children and a puppy, safely, at the same time? I wouldn't think so. It is not fair not to exercise a young dog properly and that is every day, not when you have someone to mind the kids and a spare 5 mins, chances are you won't want to spend those precious minutes doing your duty by the dog.

If the person insists on proceeding, I would recommend no tiny breeds and no bouncy breeds - labradors are big and bouncy. They are an extremely strong breed. To be well behaved, a puppy needs a huge amount of input from the owner. For about the first 2 years they will generally be very busy, very active and destructive but particularly so if they become bored.

In rescue, we do see many dogs being given up because the people have young children, often because they cannot cope with a dog as well. The pounds are full of young dogs mainly because people can't cope with their behaviours and got the dog intending just to leave it in a backyard, not walked and/or not part of the family so the dog starts digging, barking and so on.

[juice]

Be honest with yourself, labs are big and boisterous, lots in the pounds around 9 months of age, when that small pup jumping up has become 30kgs of dog, knocking over a screaming child.

If you can't commit to taking it for at least one good walk a day, don't do it.

I would suggest a goldie? bit calmer, an older dog, lab or goldie rescue? They have older dogs needing homes, and can match you up.

I don't agree with saying kids under 5 shouldn't have dogs, i did it, my son was 6 months old when i got my dally pup, but i put alot of time into my dogs.

Its all about matching the right breed and dog to your situation, and being honest with the time you have.

[~Shepherd~]

Personally, I believe education of the potential owner is far more important than the ages of children concerned. Older children can still be bitten by incorrectly handled dogs.

No offense intended to the OP but if I were you, I'd put off getting a dog until you've put in the time to educate yourself regarding the breed chosen. Once you actually know what the breed is called (and a bit more about usual temperament and behaviour), maybe then you could consider getting one

How rude, who cares about the name its the home that matters.

Im sure the lab will get a lot more love and attention than many large scale breeders and animal collectors I know. Our rescue has placed a WGSD 8 month old pup in to a home with six kids including toddlers. We have a waiting list of over 15 people just in Melbourne, and our rehoming condition with this pup was that he must go to a home with kids.

They are first time GSD owners, and this dog is thriving. A good breeder and rescue will educate, prepare and support their buyers so there is no confusion as to what they are getting and also be available to support their buyers during 'difficult' situations.

Thinking a home is not worthy of getting a pup due to describing a colour of a coat is BS. Most of the average dog owners I know would call a yellow lab gold. Who cares?

[Snout Girl]

oh who cares if she says yellow or golden really.

constantly correcting the OP makes us sound like awful stuck up dog snobs

[poodlefan]

Welcome to Dogzonline!

The first thing you're going to learn is that DOLers are passionate dog people. Don't be put off by that - it can be a bit overwhelming at first.

After that you'll learn a lot about dog breeds, puppy raising, training, feeding - you name it.

I'd suggest you reverse engineer your dog choice. Rather than pick the breed first, figure out what you're looking for in a family dog in terms of:

* temperament

* exercise needs

* training requirements (all dogs need training but some need it more than others )

* grooming

* involvement with the family (eg. inside or outside only dog, going on outings etc)

Answer those questions and DOLers will come up with breed suggestions. The Labrador Retriever may or may not end up being the best fit for your requirements. You are right that they CAN be excellent family dogs - but they aren't born that way. They need a lot of training and supervision to make the most of that potential.

Once you've chosen a short list of breeds to consider, DOLers can steer you towards selecting a responsible breeder. Sometimes finding the right breeder is as challenging as picking the breed you want.

Edited September 13, 2010 by poodlefan