Good dog for young kids... (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Skillet
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Italians are notorious for their red rockets.
Liam calls it his lipstick.
Did you decide on a dog breed yet?
I saw in your original post you were thinking about a black and tan coon hound.
I have a walker coon hound, and he is the best dog I have ever had. All he does is eat, sleep, play, and poop. He is a very smart dog, and very loving to everyone, and everything except cats, because they always run away before he can play with them. He is a good hairs dog too, because if he hears or sees something he doesn't like (Like the school bus, or FedEx truck or cats) he will bark, and howl, until it either a. Goes away, or b. Gives him attention.
Great dog, I would have 30 more if I had room.
You heard that they aren't good family dogs, that is partly true, the only ones that I know aren't good family dogs, are the ones that were used for hard core hunting. All of the ones that are not hunted with, are EXCELLENT family dogs.
kid friendly, go anywhere, play rough dog. stay away from: herding dogs (other than perhaps a german shepherd). border collies tend to be sketchy and sulk when disciplined. aussie shepherds and cattle dogs are a lot more "emotionally secure", but if you can't find a way to harness the herding instinct you're going to have a big problem. stay away from hunting dogs akita, elk hound, beagle, etc. that being said, i know a lot of coon hound (very popular south of the mason-dixon) owners and they are a very nice dog. sled-type dogs have a strong tendency to bugger off if they are not thoroughly exercised on a regular basis. good dog for an avid runner.
good place to start: most retriever breeds are pretty much bomb proof, and all it takes is a ball to keep them happy for hours, you can't go wrong. about any of the mastiff breeds are great, that includes rottweilers . they are pretty laid back (in spite of any reputation or how they look) and like to play rough. they generally don't mind if a kid wants to grab their ears and ride them like a pony, not that i recommend that. dobermans are very smart, and keenly aware of their surroundings. first and foremost a guard dog (which sounds like what you're looking for) and are about the best at picking out what is friend and what is foe. very easygoing and laid-back in spite of any bull**** reputation. very similar in personality to an airedale terrier.
just remember, find the breed that is most likely going to fit your lifestyle. never mind what it looks like.
good place to start: most retriever breeds are pretty much bomb proof, and all it takes is a ball to keep them happy for hours, you can't go wrong. about any of the mastiff breeds are great, that includes rottweilers . they are pretty laid back (in spite of any reputation or how they look) and like to play rough. they generally don't mind if a kid wants to grab their ears and ride them like a pony, not that i recommend that. dobermans are very smart, and keenly aware of their surroundings. first and foremost a guard dog (which sounds like what you're looking for) and are about the best at picking out what is friend and what is foe. very easygoing and laid-back in spite of any bull**** reputation. very similar in personality to an airedale terrier.
just remember, find the breed that is most likely going to fit your lifestyle. never mind what it looks like.
when it comes to animals, pretty is as pretty does... better to have an ugly horse that's nice and does what you want, than a pretty one that wants to kill you.
forgot to mention the bernese mountain dog. real easygoing, likes to rough-house, and very protective at the same time, but not overly protective. they don't quite fit into any category as they were more a beast of burden than anything else. a lot like a saint bernard, but about half as big. a standard poodle is also an often overlooked breed, very similar to a doberman behavior and intelligence wise.
forgot to mention the bernese mountain dog. real easygoing, likes to rough-house, and very protective at the same time, but not overly protective. they don't quite fit into any category as they were more a beast of burden than anything else. a lot like a saint bernard, but about half as big. a standard poodle is also an often overlooked breed, very similar to a doberman behavior and intelligence wise.
That is pretty much what he looks like, only a lot goofier.
He was a "Clearance Puppy" if you will. I paid $20 for him, and he is my "therapy dog" so to speak.
These kids aren't too crazy about the dog.
Jacket
Moderator
We are 11 months into our first Bernese. Great dog, super friendly, and not nearly as needy as a Retriever. She loves the kids and they love her. If not for the price, I think this is the perfect dog. But if you live somewhere where it's hot most of the year it's probably a bad choice.
Merry Christmas
a newfie is a nice dog too, but the grooming and clipping with them and the bernese might be a little much for some people. there's a trade off for everything.
Sporthunter ...
My vote goes to Labs or Irish Wolfhounds. Although there are lots of great breeds to base a family pet on .. BUT you still need to train them/socialize them properly.
One of the well known breeders of Wolfhounds around here started because he wanted a large breed that could accompany a mentally handicapped child. It was extraordinary how well they interacted and the comfort the parents had.
The down side to Wolfhounds is like other giant breeds they don't live long and leave a pretty big hole in your life when they go. The other problem is that if a thief breaks into your house - and is not deterred by the dogs size - if the thief opens your refrigerator and shares whats inside with the wolfhound - chances are you've lost your valuables ... and your dog!
Wolfhounds generally very docile by nature (and as a result of careful responsible breeders) will play with cats, kittens, puppies and any other dog in the neighborhood. As long as the other animal shows no aggression a wolfhound will happily play with almost anything. You might assume from this that they lack the aggressive instinct to dominate in a showdown - you will be disabused of this notion in a real hurry when your wolfhound encounters an animal that bites them -- because their friendly demeanor changes in a frighteningly fast manner -- it is extraordinary to see how quickly an animal weighing 175+ pounds can respond and move!
Short story to illustrate -- I was jogging, with the wolfhound on a leash (despite laughing comments from passing drivers about "who's leading who") - we encountered a very large and, as we discovered, aggressive male doberman being walked (also on a leash) .. I pulled the wolfhound in to heel with a short leash and we slowed to a walk giving the other guy and his dog lots of room. My dog seemed pretty interested, showed no aggression (tail wagging as usual) and was anxious to greet the other animal - which I did not want to allow given the other animals response as the doberman started to growl/bare teeth etc
While we were still some distance apart the idiot leading the doberman dropped his leash and his dog attacked. This happened so quickly all I could recall was the doberman hitting my leg and bring his jaws down on the back of the wolfhounds neck as the wolfhound tried to turn (but was being held by my leash) .. .the next think I recall was the doberman on its back - 4 legs in the air - eyes back in the skull with lots of white showing - head back and wimpering. The wolfhound stood over him and had the doberman's neck in his mouth. I simply do not recall/did not register what happened in the split second(s) interval between. Three of us were obviously pretty shocked at the speed and violence that just took place: myself; the dobermans owner and .. clearly the doberman
My view on dogs and children is that you NEVER know exactly what a family pet is thinking - and until your child is big enough to deal with some aggression .. you need to supervise them (child and dog) constantly.
Another small bit of experience I will share -- when my son was very young he loved animals .. unfortunately a stupid acquaintance of mine brought his Lab into the house we were visiting and released a very excited animal to greet the boy ...before I could get between them, the Lab in it's excited (and non-aggressive) state ran at the boy quickly and managed to knock him to the ground ... the dog certainly wasn't intending to hurt the child unfortunately he still was knocked to the ground. My son (10 years later) is still very wary around dogs. We are slowly working on this as I want him to learn that he must show confidence that animals will respect ... his younger sister has no such issues and has learnt to push horses around while helping to muck out a barn -- and deal with dogs. In fact I am a little afraid she will find a coyote and bring it home one day!
those are words to live by!!
My vote goes to Labs or Irish Wolfhounds. Although there are lots of great breeds to base a family pet on .. BUT you still need to train them/socialize them properly.
One of the well known breeders of Wolfhounds around here started because he wanted a large breed that could accompany a mentally handicapped child. It was extraordinary how well they interacted and the comfort the parents had.
The down side to Wolfhounds is like other giant breeds they don't live long and leave a pretty big hole in your life when they go. The other problem is that if a thief breaks into your house - and is not deterred by the dogs size - if the thief opens your refrigerator and shares whats inside with the wolfhound - chances are you've lost your valuables ... and your dog!
Wolfhounds generally very docile by nature (and as a result of careful responsible breeders) will play with cats, kittens, puppies and any other dog in the neighborhood. As long as the other animal shows no aggression a wolfhound will happily play with almost anything. You might assume from this that they lack the aggressive instinct to dominate in a showdown - you will be disabused of this notion in a real hurry when your wolfhound encounters an animal that bites them -- because their friendly demeanor changes in a frighteningly fast manner -- it is extraordinary to see how quickly an animal weighing 175+ pounds can respond and move!
Short story to illustrate -- I was jogging, with the wolfhound on a leash (despite laughing comments from passing drivers about "who's leading who") - we encountered a very large and, as we discovered, aggressive male doberman being walked (also on a leash) .. I pulled the wolfhound in to heel with a short leash and we slowed to a walk giving the other guy and his dog lots of room. My dog seemed pretty interested, showed no aggression (tail wagging as usual) and was anxious to greet the other animal - which I did not want to allow given the other animals response as the doberman started to growl/bare teeth etc
While we were still some distance apart the idiot leading the doberman dropped his leash and his dog attacked. This happened so quickly all I could recall was the doberman hitting my leg and bring his jaws down on the back of the wolfhounds neck as the wolfhound tried to turn (but was being held by my leash) .. .the next think I recall was the doberman on its back - 4 legs in the air - eyes back in the skull with lots of white showing - head back and wimpering. The wolfhound stood over him and had the doberman's neck in his mouth. I simply do not recall/did not register what happened in the split second(s) interval between. Three of us were obviously pretty shocked at the speed and violence that just took place: myself; the dobermans owner and .. clearly the doberman
My view on dogs and children is that you NEVER know exactly what a family pet is thinking - and until your child is big enough to deal with some aggression .. you need to supervise them (child and dog) constantly.
Another small bit of experience I will share -- when my son was very young he loved animals .. unfortunately a stupid acquaintance of mine brought his Lab into the house we were visiting and released a very excited animal to greet the boy ...before I could get between them, the Lab in it's excited (and non-aggressive) state ran at the boy quickly and managed to knock him to the ground ... the dog certainly wasn't intending to hurt the child unfortunately he still was knocked to the ground. My son (10 years later) is still very wary around dogs. We are slowly working on this as I want him to learn that he must show confidence that animals will respect ... his younger sister has no such issues and has learnt to push horses around while helping to muck out a barn -- and deal with dogs. In fact I am a little afraid she will find a coyote and bring it home one day!
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Cube Dweller
Moderator
Boxer. which is a crossbreed of an old English Bulldog (not the modern version) and a bull mastiff.
We adopted a 4 month old puppy a month ago and I can't believe what a great dog she is. She absolutely loves my kids and tolerates being hugged, hung on and teased. No snapping for treats when they are held right over her nose. She loves to cuddle up on their beds at bedtime. I lost the "no couches and beds" battle pretty early. Everything I've read says they are a 55-65 lb lapdog. She does have stinky farts though, and snores. Low maintenance too, typically don't need baths, very short coat so no dog hair to vacuum. We may adopt another one in a year or so.
We adopted a 4 month old puppy a month ago and I can't believe what a great dog she is. She absolutely loves my kids and tolerates being hugged, hung on and teased. No snapping for treats when they are held right over her nose. She loves to cuddle up on their beds at bedtime. I lost the "no couches and beds" battle pretty early. Everything I've read says they are a 55-65 lb lapdog. She does have stinky farts though, and snores. Low maintenance too, typically don't need baths, very short coat so no dog hair to vacuum. We may adopt another one in a year or so.
Boxer x1,000... absolutely amazing dogs. I've had quite a few great dogs over the years but not one of them tops my current Boxer. Literally can't say enough good things. Amazing around kids- from babies on up. Has only shown a "mean" bone twice- both times protecting me in very valid situations. Obediant to a fault and a personality that makes you think he's a human. I've had him since 6 weeks old and for the first 3 years took him literally everywhere I went. Make sure they get lots of excersize and even more love and you will never want another dog.
A disclaimer on the side - even though most boxer owners would agree with what I've said, I know I really lucked out with my buddy. I don't ever expect to have another Cooper, he is truly a once in a lifetime dog.
A disclaimer on the side - even though most boxer owners would agree with what I've said, I know I really lucked out with my buddy. I don't ever expect to have another Cooper, he is truly a once in a lifetime dog.
Boxer's are wonderful dogs. Always a puppy and love people.
![IMG_0291 [LC dogs].webp](https://forum.ih8mud.com/attachments/img_0291-lc-dogs-webp.584669/ "IMG_0291 [LC dogs].webp")
Lol, it certainly feels like it sometimes.
