Question:
D> If you want a dog for your child to take care of then the child should be D> at least 12 in my estimation. If you want a dog for a child’s companion D> then 6-10 is a fine age as Sudhir said. If YOU want a dog for YOURSELF then D> go and get one without worrying about the child’s age, but realize the dog D> is YOURS. Very true. I got "my" first dog at the age of 2 weeks, when my father brought home a GSD "for the baby." (Well, he needed an excuse–until she finally lived with dogs, my mother was convinced she was NOT a dog person. As an aside, she ended up with more photos of my dogs than of her child in her wallet.) Incidentally, although a young child cannot in actuality BE responsible for a dog, s/he can learn responsible and be convinced s/he IS responsible for that dog. At the age of 3-1/2 I decided for some reason known only to a 3-4 year old to run away from home. Why didn’t I? Simple, I could not figure out how to carry enough food for my dog. No, I didn’t think of food for myself, or where >I< would sleep, but I did worry about the dog. (Not to worry: I could have gotten no further than the corner–I wasn’t allowed to cross the street alone.) Was I truly RESPONSIBLE for Yuley? No, but I did learn a sense of responsibility for her. I pity children who do not grow up with a dog in the family. Avrama & Shomer … nfx v2.7 [C0000] Love creates hostages to fortune.
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>… my mother was convinced she was NOT a dog >person. As an aside, she ended up with more photos of my dogs >than of her child in her wallet.)
Of course. Grand-dogs are higher on the scale than mere children. But lower than grandchildren…
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> I think you should wait you child is about 6-10 years old > before you get a dog as a puppy.
My son was 6 months old when I got our wonderful blue merle collie, Skye. I wanted a dog and chose that time to get a pup because I was on maternity leave from work and was able to be home to spend time with and housebreak a puppy, something I couldn’t have done after I had gone back to work. However, I bought Skye because "I" wanted a dog, not because I wanted one for my son. An infant is way to young to want, need or appreciate a dog. I wanted a pup though, and I had tons of funs bringing up my two babies together. The work was all mine though. As my son got older he and Skye became friends but my son was never old enough to really help take care of the dog. That was my job. Skye died just before my son’s 13th birthday. Several months later he began pestering me for a new puppy. This time I said if he wanted a dog he had to help take care of it. He agreed and this time he was old enough to do it. That was five years ago and my son is still faithful about walking Maggie every day. If you want a dog for your child to take care of then the child should be at least 12 in my estimation. If you want a dog for a child’s companion then 6-10 is a fine age as Sudhir said. If YOU want a dog for YOURSELF then go and get one without worrying about the child’s age, but realize the dog is YOURS. Never leave a child under the age of 7-8 alone with a dog for any reason. Debbie
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I got a puppy when my son was 2 1/2, and believe me, it was a lot of work socializing the two to one another, and really tested my patience with both species as well as my training skills. I’d trained several dogs for obedience-trial competition, so I wasn’t a total novice, and I had a generally nice little boy, so this was a best-case scenario, I suppose–but I wasn’t really prepared for the complete lack of interface between the way dogs and little children play and communicate. The child was always exciting the dog by running around with his arms in the air, calling the dog’s name, at which point the puppy, with the best of intentions, would try to play by tackling/mouthing the child, who would scream bloody murder, further exciting the dog. Eventually everything worked out fine: the dog (now 3) and the boy (now 5) are good buddies and the dog is even more tightly bonded to my small daughter, born when he was over a year old. Still, if I hadn’t known anything about dogs, I’m not sure I could have seen the light at the end of the tunnel. If you go ahead with this, I would get a calm, lowkey, older–even positively elderly–dog from a shelter or rescue organization. It’s crucial that you start with an absolutely unaggressive dog, and then that you be willing to train both dog and child extensively. It’s especially important, if you have stairs, that the dog be taught to wait at the top or bottom of the stairs while the child is climbing up or down–otherwise the dog will try to push by and send the child flying. Also, get a crate to put the dog in when things get too hectic or you can’t supervise. Katharine Maus and Ch. Csillag’s Bartok (3 years), and children Everett (5) and Sophie (1 1/2)
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We’re looking for a good dog to get for our 11-month old daughter. We live in a nice little neighborhood on a small lot, so we want a small dog. We want a friendly dog that would not bark too much — more of a child’s friend than a watchdog. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Brodrick Shepherd, President Armageddon Books http://www.sel-mor.com/armageddon
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There is no suitable dog for your child. Honestly. There are some dogs that tolerate children fairly well, there are a few that truly dote on them, but there are none that can be your daughter’s dog. If you understand and are ready to get a dog for yourselves then select one based upon qualities you like, consider the dog to be your dog, and do the work necessary to raise it to be as polite and sociable as you will be doing for your daughter. Your daughter will be ready for her own dog when she has matured enough that she can follow instructions, that she can remember to follow those instructions, and that she can consistently follow them everyday without reminders. Until then any dog you get should be because you want one for yourself. So what is the committment of getting a dog with such a young child in the house? I was raised with a dog, but my parents, especially my mother had considerable dog experience. My parents committed to training the dog even though that was a lot of work while taking care of a baby. Having a dog is very much like adopting another child. It takes as much or more time, but it represents additional challenges because you have to learn new skills. You have to learn how to communicate with the dog so that it becomes a welcome and valued member of the family. Your best chances of raising a reliable, stable, well socialized dog will be to raise it mostly indoors. Before getting more involved in deciding what breed of dog you want I recommend deciding on whether this is the right time to get a dog. To help in your investigation I recommend the following books: "The Art of Raising a Puppy" the Monks of New Skete "Good Owners, Great Dogs" Brian Kilcommons "Childproofing Your Dog" by Brian Kilcommons "Surviving Your Dog’s Adolescence" Carol Lea Benjamin Finally I recommend viewing "Sirius Puppy Training" by Ian Dunbar because it shows puppies and children in action. Here are a couple of sites on the web to look at http://www.dog-play.com/choosing.html http://www.duke.edu/~hendrix/choosing.html http://www.zmall.com/pet_talk/dog-faqs/ http://www.canismajor.com/dog/clasfied.html http://www.canismajor.com/dog/responbr.html http://avery.med.virginia.edu/~rmm7e/classified.html — Diane Blackman _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ One good thing about being wrong is the joy it brings to others. the lion.
: We’re looking for a good dog to get for our 11-month old daughter. We live in : a nice little neighborhood on a small lot, so we want a small dog. We want a : friendly dog that would not bark too much — more of a child’s friend than a : watchdog. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Response:
> We’re looking for a good dog to get for our 11-month old daughter. We live in > a nice little neighborhood on a small lot, so we want a small dog. We want a > friendly dog that would not bark too much — more of a child’s friend than a > watchdog. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. > Brodrick Shepherd, President > Armageddon Books > http://www.sel-mor.com/armageddon
Dear Brodrick, I would think again about getting a dog specifically to be a friend to an 11 month old child. I have two kids, 4 and 7, and from my own experience and from the advice of most dog experts, children as young as yours do not know to interact appropriately with a dog. If you do get a dog, don’t expect it to be a great friend to the child, and you will have to strictly supervise all your child’s interaction with the dog for the next few years. I understand that you want a dog, but you should consider waiting a few years until your child is older and better able to understand how to act with the dog. Lauren
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Diane, You and I don’t always agree, but, by gosh, every word you have said here is the God’s honest truth. Not only do they have to train and discipline a puppy, but they ALSO have to train and discipline the child at the same time to not abuse the puppy. And that is a gargantuan job. Thanks for writing it. Lois S Dogs 9
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>We’re looking for a good dog to get for our 11-month old daughter. We live in >a nice little neighborhood on a small lot, so we want a small dog. We want a
For an 11 month old child I would suggest a stuffed animal. She is way too young for you to be buying a dog for her. Now, if you and your spouse want a dog, and you guys are going to keep tabs on the dog around the kid (for a kid that young should NOT be left alone with any dog), that’s a different story. But please don’t buy a dog for an 11 month old, thinking that this dog is for her. It should be for you guys. Ann, Twzl & Sligo — Anyone who is such a scaredy cccatt that they MAIl their flames to me rather than posting them, will see them posted as a followup to the thread.
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I tend to agree. I was three (my brother was two) before we were allowed to have a dog. In looking back that was too young. Granted we had breeds that were rather tolerant of children but still I think I was not mature enough. We were never alone with the dogs (EVER) and carefully monitored. Your basic three year old is not mature enough to handle any dog and a baby of 11 months is not either. This is not a bash or flame of any kind. I think you should wait you child is about 6-10 years old before you get a dog as a puppy. If you are going to adopt an adult dog that has been around children…..Well, that is a different story. I would not allow my child to do what I did to my dog when I was little. I used to pull his tail, ears, legs, jump on him, wrestle with him,….all the rough play. The GSD was a great dog and rarely got angry. Even then he would just run away and bark. Never snapped. BUT I think that is rare. In retrospect I would not blame him if he had bitten me. I deserved it. : >We’re looking for a good dog to get for our 11-month old daughter. We live in : >a nice little neighborhood on a small lot, so we want a small dog. We want a : For an 11 month old child I would suggest a stuffed animal. She is way too : young for you to be buying a dog for her. Now, if you and your spouse want : a dog, and you guys are going to keep tabs on the dog around the kid (for : a kid that young should NOT be left alone with any dog), that’s a : different story. But please don’t buy a dog for an 11 month old, thinking : that this dog is for her. It should be for you guys. : Ann, Twzl & Sligo : — : Anyone who is such a scaredy cccatt that they MAIl their flames to me : rather than posting them, will see them posted as a followup to the thread. — Sudhir Nayak Department of Biology University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 19104-6018 .^. .^. / / `’ `–’ /~~ | `. | `. | , | ! `. `.| | | | i `’. | # |# | ! / / i `| | `. | | | | | | `^’ | | `. ,’ `-’ `-’ | | | | ( ) ( ) `-’ `-’ STEELERS FOOTBALL RULES!!!!!! // _ _ ( o o )
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>> But please don’t buy a dog for an 11 month old, thinking
that this dog is for her. It should be for you guys.<< As a parent and dog owner, I can assure you that your baby is too young to be interested in playing with/caring for a dog. The best age for aquiring a kid’s dog is around 5 years, when the child can understand how to respect the dog’s space. (For more info and books on the subject, see my page on dog topics.) My baby is also under a year and we have multiple adult dogs, and I can guarantee you will be overloaded caring for both the child and the puppy/dog. The dog will have to be trained to be gentle with the baby, and you will have times when both will need your attention, such as a crying baby and a dog vomitting on the floor. You won’t be able to even turn your back or be distracted when the dog is in the room with the baby, no matter how well-mannered the dog is, as the baby may slip and fall on the dog or otherwise startle it. Of course keeping the dog outside is an option, but it will still need to learn not to jump on the baby and other manners. It IS possible to bring a dog into the home with a baby, but MOST experienced dog owners will advise against it at such an early age. Wendy Browne Urban Legend APBTs **Responsible Parent and Dog Owner** Baby and Parenting sites, APBT and Am. Eskimo sites, tons of Dog sites (including rescue) and Gardening too! ~ *~*~*~ http://members.aol.com/iluvpits/index.html
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