Trisven13 Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 If wanting a dog to make you feel safe then most Fauves probably wouldn't be very suitable. Some will alarm bark, certainly, but just as many will happily greet every visitor to the house. It is one of their attributes that makes them so great for families with kids as they never mind when random children rock up :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angeluca Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Sounds like you just opened up the playing field quite a bit. What dogs have you had in the past, what dogs would you like in the future and maybe breeders and owners of those particular breeds could give you a few pros and cons. I have golden retrievers and can't fault them, I breed with temperament as one of my key elements, I have 3 children between 10 yrs and 20 months so a tolerance is very important. My goldens go crazy if a car rocks up. they don't usually bark otherwise. All mine bark to let the visitor know that they are their to be spoken to and played with. There is no protection in it, but the alert system is perfectly fine with me. I have 4 running together majority of the time at the moment, I do obedience with the 2 younger ones, and they don't seem to need individual exercise however I live on 5 acres, so a house block i would recommend regular training either obedience or tricks and plenty of interaction along with a game of fetch most afternoons should have a very content goldie. They are an intelligent breed and do better with a combined intellectual stimulation as well as physical rather then either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akayla Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I'm a single mum so I know what you mean about wanting to feel safe. I live between 4 schools so there are heaps of kids and teens that will get up to no good if they can. When I had my old GSD no problems. When she died within weeks I had teens knocking on my large windows at night. Apparently funny. So I got another GSD and taught him to sleep next to the window. He wasn't even 6 months old and the pranks stopped. He didn't need to do anything just be there. The Lappie would bark but then hide behind me. So not so secure feeling :laugh: What breeds do you love? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I understand about that feeling of safety too with my other half working away quite a bit - a decent bark is really all I feel I need and my Dally certainly gives me that. HW made some excellent points but I echo "what breeds do you love." My advice is to get a breed YOU want to walk and train and toilet at 3am because you will be the one who does all the work!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leah82 Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 (edited) I'm going to put in a vote for cocker spaniel. They are a very sturdy dog for their size, minimal shedding and a great temperament for families (providing you find the right breeder). Only downside would be that they take awhile to mature Edit: they also have a decent bark on them, we had handy men too scared to go into our backyard to check the gutters despite telling them the dogs were harmless Edited June 11, 2014 by Leah82 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trinabean Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I do think Boxers are under-rated as a good family dog. They generally have a great affinity for kids and thrive in the hustle and bustle of family life. They love to be part of the family, so I wouldn't recommend getting one as an outside-only dog. Mine can miss a walk occasionally (eg. if I'm sick) and is happy as long as he still has some company, or one of the kids throws a ball for him in the backyard. Boxers can be boisterous, especially when young, so training is important. We got our Boxer when my youngest child was 4 and had no issues training the pup (or the kids!) how to behave with each other. The Boxer's short, single coat is very low-maintainence. I would only buy from a registered breeder who breeds for correct temperament and health tests. Most Boxers are alert watchdogs, who can look and sound quite serious when required. But in general, once someone is welcomed into the home, they are a friend for life. They will be greeted with great joy, and a helicopter tail.... :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trinabean Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I understand about that feeling of safety too with my other half working away quite a bit - a decent bark is really all I feel I need and my Dally certainly gives me that. HW made some excellent points but I echo "what breeds do you love." My advice is to get a breed YOU want to walk and train and toilet at 3am because you will be the one who does all the work!!! That is very good advice TSD. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest donatella Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 In my family there has always been dogs. With myself and siblings, with my children, with my siblings children. No issues at all BUT we are dog savvy people. Would I recommend just any breed to a new family who had no experience, no probably not. Also depends on what is meant by young family. No dog experience I would probably suggest waiting till the youngest is toilet trained before you get a puppy and start all over :laugh: Both the GSDs and Lapphund have been fantastic for me with my girls. Yes me too! Every kid should have a dog to grow up with and be taught how to care and love an animal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory the Doted One Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 Airedale. The ones I've met always seem to be very gentle and tolerant of kids. Will alarm bark. Can be naughty and exuberant as puppies, but like to be in the thick of things. The ones I knew loved running with kids, but alongside them. They seemed to respect space and even when they did jump they didn't flatten you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purdie Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Another vote for Airedale; wonderful dogs.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlaznHotAussies Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 (edited) Dogs that I have seen fit in perfectly in a young kid family situation are Cocker Spaniels, Aussie Shepherds (I have seen those dogs playing with my 2yo niece and it's gorgeous, also my 8yo brother has my dog's litter-brother and they're BFFs...oh and we had some Aussies at the football with us a few months ago to do a bit of socialising and ended up handing the leads to some tiny kids about 3-5 years old, they led them around and it was gorgeous! Such obliging dogs), Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Kelpie (my cousin's son has his own sheepdog), Border Collie (show line - he's very gentle with my 1yo niece). Oh my Uncle has a Samoyed and she seems to dote on his 2yo grandson :) lovely dog. I had a Silky Terrier x Maltese growing up, she's 15 now - toughest little critter out there! She'd follow me on trail rides with my horse, gets towed around in my little brother's red wagon behind his bike (this was pre-Aussie Shepherd!) & is always so obliging and lovely. Apparently that temperament is fairly common in Maltese dogs? Shih tzus also come across as a lovely placid breed and they're fairly solid - not super small and delicate! Edited June 12, 2014 by Scootaloo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justrace Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I think that no matter what breed you pick, you're best to go with a breeder that knows the puppies temperaments and will assist matching a dog to your family. My previous dog was a blue heeler x and we could not of asked for a better dog for my kids to have as their first pet. But she was great with everyone and everything. Good luck with your choice, it's very exciting adding a new member to your family Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VizslaMomma Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 (edited) Seriously what awful advice... You really can't put blanket judgements out there like that. Each family should be judged on their own merit. One of the pups from my last litter went to a family with a three year old and two primary school aged children. When I met the family the children were all very good with dogs (even their three year old) and the parents had very good control of their children. They also ticked all my other boxes as far as requirements for a puppy family goes and my now 11 month old pup is thriving with them. I met another family with young children when considering homes for the litter. The way the children acted around my adult dog and parents reaction (or lack of) to the children's behaviour told me all I needed to and I didn't have a pup available for that family. I think Haredown Whippet's list is very good.If you are an active family maybe have a look at Brittanys too. It was tongue in cheek. A dog going to any home with two preschoolers would need careful consideration. The venture would require a lot of research. ETA: the adults would be foremost in any choice for me. They will be the ones needing to be responsible for everything Edited June 12, 2014 by VizslaMomma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiecuddles Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I am more than happy to put forward basset hounds as being amazing dogs for families with young children. In general they adore kids, have wonderful even temperaments, are family oriented and although not what I would call obedience champs they will happily learn the rules of the house and follow them and for me that's the main thing. :). They have a similar temperament to a beagle but a little less of the hyperactivity that can get some beagle owners in to trouble. Lol. Like a beagle they are scent hounds so not suited to running off lead unless on a fairly contained area(we take ours to a dog beach which is enclosed along the length but open on one end for example). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonElite Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 NOT a dobermann. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobie Posted June 13, 2014 Author Share Posted June 13, 2014 NOT a dobermann. Just out of curiosity why do you say not a Dobe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Having a Dobe around very young kids is hard work and I wouldn't recommend a Dobe to someone who has never owned one with a young family. They are fantastic dogs in the right hands and circumstances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiecuddles Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 We looked after someones dobe for a while, she was a gorgeous dog but very bouncy and I guess you would say spirited. Lol. I could definitely imagine it being hard to ask a young dobe to contain all that boisterous energy enough to have the level of 'chillness' I like around kids Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuralPug Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Many breeds go through a bouncy adolescence during which they are prone to knock litties over in their excitement. The Boxer is a prime example - great family dog if you get an older settled adult, but really hard work trying to keep youngsters safe from Boxer youngsters. As a six year old (and a plump sturdy one at that ) I was bowled over by an excited young Irish Setter when visiting a kennels. I think the breeders thought they'd lost the sale, but my mother probably thought it was a bonus and bought the bitch anyway! Some small breeds are extremely fragile and a toddler could break their bones by tripping over them - the Italian Greyhound is an extreme example (sometimes I think you can snap an Iggy bone just by looking sternly at it! ). But the bottom line, as others already have said, is that it is horses for courses. If you think the parents are sensible and responsible enough to keep both puppies and children safe, then any breed is suitable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonElite Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 A 6-9 months old dobe is a very large dog with very little brain and super energy. They are like a tornado. 9 out of 10 people can not cope with having young kids and a dobermann puppy. There are many otehr breeds that are less energeting and smaller, therefore less likely to injure small kids in play due to size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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