Grew up with a German Shepherd that my parents had before I was born. She was a brilliant dog, caring and good natured. The only harm she ever did to me was knocking me on my arse trying to get to the front door when the postman came.
Suitable dogs with young children
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German Shepherds are without a doubt the best dog to grow up with. They're caring, protective and as mentioned good natured. They're also pack animals, so it pretty much sums up what their character is like and how much family means to them.
Yea i grew up with a German shepard dog too, they are relly good as well but for children id still say a smaller dog like a King Charles but Alsations are very cute too
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had a staff for ten years, brought up with 2 very young children, boys aged 3 and 1 when I got the staff, was not kc reg'd it was an Irish line bred which is bigger than a standard satff, more akin to what a lot of people consider pitbulls.
knowing and understanding both dogs and children is the key, not breed selection as the media would have us believe, the dog knew his place within the family and the children knew to love and respect him, broke their hearts when he passed away, not a single nip, baring of teeth, raised heckles in all his years.
I'd have no other breed now
knowing and understanding both dogs and children is the key, not breed selection as the media would have us believe, the dog knew his place within the family and the children knew to love and respect him, broke their hearts when he passed away, not a single nip, baring of teeth, raised heckles in all his years.
I'd have no other breed now
Had a Border Collie who was great with kids...although it did try and herd them up like they were sheep if they got separated...fun to watch.
Now have two West Highland Terriers, great with kids, would recommend them, they've put up with heaps of abuse from kids.
Now have two West Highland Terriers, great with kids, would recommend them, they've put up with heaps of abuse from kids.
Sounds like my staff, he weighs 24 kg and the vets consider that an ideal weight for his size
He's great with the kids round my area, as soon as he sees them near him he drops to the floor and waits for them to get closer so he can get some attention of them. To be fair, he does the same with everyone he sees as he's a little attention whore
There are no such thing as Irish "lines" of Staffies. It's either a pitbull or a pitbull mix.
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If you have time/energy then a cocker spaniel. My mate has one and it's as mad as a box of frogs but very gentle and not too overbearing.
My in-laws (now in their 70's!) have just got a springer pup and to be honest he's a great dog but seems more work than the cocker.
As with any pet it's wise to do your research but to be brutally honest I think a lot of owners put up with bad dog behaviour when they really should be disciplining the dog (i.e. puppy/dog training). Have a chat to your local dog training centre and see what they say - they will have far more experience than most on here.
Plus - most of the time people will recommend what they have or have had which isn't necessarily what you're after!
My in-laws (now in their 70's!) have just got a springer pup and to be honest he's a great dog but seems more work than the cocker.
As with any pet it's wise to do your research but to be brutally honest I think a lot of owners put up with bad dog behaviour when they really should be disciplining the dog (i.e. puppy/dog training). Have a chat to your local dog training centre and see what they say - they will have far more experience than most on here.
Plus - most of the time people will recommend what they have or have had which isn't necessarily what you're after!
Same here - black Lab with a baby and he's (he being the dog) absolutely awesome with her (and our eldest girl who is 5).
We've had no aggression along the lines of your dog but our lab is an utter arse when he's out on the lead - he'll growl at strangers (people or other dogs) who approach us (me/wife/2 daughters) when he's out and about - completely placid in the house though and completely placid with anyone he knows.
I think he sees us as a pack and anyone comes near his pack and he's on the defensive.
Most important thing though is he takes the abuse of our daughters all day long (baby pulls and pokes at him and 5 yr old plays/teases him and tries to get him to do impossible tricks) - patient and playful but he knows his own strength so he's very gentle with them both.
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what about an Akita, are they ok with kids?
Apparently if raised with them, and even then only those particular kids.
Yes really. Phone the USPCA, RSPCA or the British and Irish Kennel Clubs and ask them if there is a recognised breed or line of Irish Staffordshire Bull Terriers and you will be told there isn't and it is a term used to cover Pitbulls and Pitbull mixes. It was also covered in the BBC documentary into dog fighting over here.
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I'm not disputing that they can be great dogs for a family environment but it's worth noting that as a breed they suffer from dodgy hips so you've got to get them checked (make sure the parents are hip-scored is the way to do it I believe), they may also have other hereditary complaints as with probably the majority other pedigrees. They also tend to be very bright dogs so if you can't keep them sufficiently occupied then it's not a good idea to have one, stultified intelligence can lead to bad behaviour and destruction of your property.
what about an Akita, are they ok with kids?
They're quite a strong, dominant breed with well developed protective/guarding instincts from what I understand so probably not the ideal but like most dogs with sufficient training and discipline I'm sure you could live with one in a family environment. Of course it's a massive generalisation to try to label a breeds traits, dogs are still individuals but the general characteristics of the breed are usually a fair indicator.