Hello,

We are wanting to get a puppy to grow up with our 4 year old daughter. We would like some advice on the best breed to have with a small child around, i.e. good temperament, non aggressive, etc.

We would like a dog that will grow to medium to large size.

Also, if anyone knows of a reputable breeder for the recommended breed, that too would be a great help.

Thank you

Are there any particular activities you want to be able to do with your dog? Eg, do you like regular long country walks and want a dog that can keep up or do you like the look of agility? If you just want a pet, that's enough, it's just useful to pinpoint what you want out of a dog to help you decide which breed is best.

A lot of dog enthusiasts are really devoted to one or two specific breeds and as they love their dogs, will tell you that they are the best breed but you've got to look for what suits you. Good luck!

Oh yes, good point. We'd like to do regular walks with it. Not necessarily daily cross country stuff, just a quick walk around the block twice a day and then maybe a walk in the country at the weekends. Nothing too major though.

Have you thought about a staffy? These are renowned to be one of the best breeds to have around children. My staffy adores children, she will look out for them and will play with them, she will even withstand having her tail and ears pulled (which children do like to do to dogs lol) I would just say go careful with a puppy with children as puppy's do tend to nip when playing

I'm not sure a staffy would deal very well with a quick walk around the block twice a day... they're energetic dogs (especially from pups) and need a fair bit of physical and mental exercise. I agree they're great with kids but staffies are chewers and bored staffies are worse chewers!

They also need a lot of socialisation from pups if they are to be good around other dogs (sorry, you may not like it but I personally believe they need more socialisation than some other breeds) and this takes a lot more than a quick walk around the block twice a day.

I know Strix's beagle gets short walks during the week and good long walks at the weekends and he's got a very stable temperament. They are strong willed little critters though!

I hadn't actually thought about a Staffy, but will look into it further, possibly a 20-30 minute walk round the block isn't such a good thing for a dog that needs more.

Clairy - it's fine for a pup, as you have to be careful of their joints but as the dog gets older, it'll need longer walks :)

Also note that with energetic breeds, you might want to put in a lot of time tiring the pup out mentally (brain games and puppy training etc) because the larger, heavier breeds can only go for short walks (rule of thumb is 5mins per month of age) due to their growing bones so will still be quite highly driven when you get home!

I know you say a little dog, but have you thought of adopting a retired greyhound?

The amount of walking your thinking of sounds ideal, and they are the quietest, laid back dogs i've come across.

Yes we have thought about a retired greyhound, and we did want a dog around that size. We were just a little worried about the temperament of an "older" dog that hasn't grown up with children.
Are they generally good with kids?

Greyhound Rescues will be able to tell you which ones are ok and which ones aren't :) They're usually very gentle guys though (unless you're the hare)!

If you contact the various greyhound rescue they will be able to tell you about a specific dog's temperament. Retired greyhounds are felt to be fairly undemanding in terms of exercise (basically, they are knackered out from racing and happy to take a 20 minute trot around the block twice a day) but on the other hand, if they have lived in kennels prior to retirement, they may need a lesson in housetraining - not to mention behaviour around cats and other small furry critters, but these things are not insurmountable and greyhounds are stunning creatures, and often live long and healthy lives. I adore them and would love to own one, one day.

I know people will tell you staffies are great with kids but like any othe breed, you need to see the dog for yourself and if possible see the mum and dad and find out what their temperaments are like- and it's not just a case of temperament - think about your home life, what you can and can't offer a pup or older dog- what your finances are likely to be, the amount of time you can commit to exercising and socialising your dog, as these are the things you have to live with, once you get your beastie -and it's better to do your research now before you commit. than to find out you made the wrong choice. Good luck

For a well behaved pet thats good with children, i dont think you can go far wrong with a spaniel (but Im biased) .... they have a lovely nature and depending on which type, you can opt for small or medium size.

Some 'retired' greyhounds may have never actually raced either, they may have been bred for racing but just not been good enough, for whatever reason. It's best to talk to someone who knows more about it though.

Personally i'd find a staffordshire a bit too 'hard' to have around very small kids, what I mean by that is they tend to be very muscular and when they get excitable they can bruise you with love! - don't mention the wippy tail either :lol:

Our first thought was a Dalmation, but someone told me they can be a bit nasty sometimes, also they have arthritis problems

a bichon friese is a great dog
we have one ,verry good temprement,,cuddly loving
and the best thing they dont malt at all
best dog we have ever had

Most pedigree dogs come with their own health issues.

Why not go for a Heinz 57

Our first thought was a Dalmation, but someone told me they can be a bit nasty sometimes, also they have arthritis problems

Like any dog, it's down to breeding and rearing, not the breed of dog. Some dallies are great with kids, some aren't. Mine are gentle with them and tolerate them to a degree but they've never been raised around kids. My oldie was a rescue so I had nothing to do with his rearing but as much as I tried to socialise Takara with kids I really struggled as I don't know many people with kids and when she did see kids they'd screech 'dalmatiaaaan' whilst running towards her! Hence she now avoids them if possible.

However, dallies are working dogs and require a great deal of stimulation, both physically and mentally.
To give you an idea, my two get two, one hour walks a day plus smaller walks and a garden to go out in when appropriate. Takara also does lots of training to keep her from getting bored and Eddy does a bit (it's always fun for him because he's senile and forgets what you teach him straight away so you can always teach the same thing and he thinks it's something new!)

Eddy does have arthritis. However, he's 13 years old, we got him at 11 1/2, overweight and kept on a few towels in a plastic basket.
He is on previcox for pain relief (about 40p a day!) and regular joint supplement.
I don't think dallies are one of the top breeds for arthritis and actually, most dallies act like puppies upto the day they die! Nobody believes me when I say Eddy's 13!
Dals are, however, one of the breeds prone to gastric tortion as well as urinary stones.

I think dallies that become aggressive are bored, understimulated and under exercised - that energy has to go somewhere!

The best piece of advice about dals is: Never underestimate them! :lol:

Our first thought was a Dalmation, but someone told me they can be a bit nasty sometimes, also they have arthritis problems

My friend used to breed dallys, she never had a nasty one ... but they were all mental

:lol: Yep they take a lot of work! Well worth it though and they are trainable despite what people think. They just have lots of energy - they're still very closely related to their working lines and when you were bred to run alongside and in front of a carriage all day and then guard the horses through the night - you get a bit bored doing nothing all day!

I agree staffys are great with kids...mine died a few months ago and kids miss her terribly

Hello,

We are wanting to get a puppy to grow up with our 4 year old daughter. We would like some advice on the best breed to have with a small child around, i.e. good temperament, non aggressive, etc.

We would like a dog that will grow to medium to large size.

Also, if anyone knows of a reputable breeder for the recommended breed, that too would be a great help.

Thank you
Beagles are indeed a good breed to have with children, and it sounds like their exercise requirements would suit you, though they are probably slightly smaller than you had in mind (though they are a big dog in a little body - they're 100% muscle!)

One thing nobody else seems to have mentioned yet is the preparation you should give your child before you invite a dog into your home. It isn't unusual for a child not to grasp the difference between the stuffed toys they can throw about by the ears and a living animal which feels pain and has teeth to retaliate with!! Whilst some breeds are more tolerant than others of being poked and prodded, there is no guarantee that any dog won't respond when treated badly

Way too many dogs wind up in rescue because they have told a child to please leave them alone - which in dog sounds like 'Grrrrrr' - but now we're all encouraged to become hysterical when a dog doesn't behave like a stuffed toy

Totally agree with you, but our daughter is an incredibly gentle, animal-lover, she even holds worms gently in case she frightens them! Also we have cats and my mother-in-law's dog comes to stay regularly, so I'm hoping that she's got the hang of real animals. However, we will be going over it again before we make a decision.