Getting a dog - have children
Discussion
I would like to get a dog beacuse firstly I have always liked dogs, I want to keep doing a lot fo walking and also we live in a rural setting with no neighbours and the Police advised it!
Now the diffiuclt bit is I have three children - one starts school in sept, one is 2 and one is a baby. 3 sets of friends have done it with children of the same age. Is this wise? They have all bought puppies (all borders).
The trouble is I want a medium/large dog - we have an acre of fenced in garden. We back onto fields.
I walk everyday (ok not currently of raining). I don't want anything that needs loads of exercise such as a springer - my aunt used to have one of these it needed 3 hours of walks a day to keep it sane!
I have owend dogs in the past but not that recently.
I would be keen to hear any opinions on this - whether this is atupid idea, if not what dog you would recommend. Any other ideas.
Now the diffiuclt bit is I have three children - one starts school in sept, one is 2 and one is a baby. 3 sets of friends have done it with children of the same age. Is this wise? They have all bought puppies (all borders).
The trouble is I want a medium/large dog - we have an acre of fenced in garden. We back onto fields.
I walk everyday (ok not currently of raining). I don't want anything that needs loads of exercise such as a springer - my aunt used to have one of these it needed 3 hours of walks a day to keep it sane!
I have owend dogs in the past but not that recently.
I would be keen to hear any opinions on this - whether this is atupid idea, if not what dog you would recommend. Any other ideas.
Largely personal preference but I've had several Golden Retrievers - some arrived before the kids, some arrived after the kids and all have been fantastic with all my kids. As with any breed you need to go to a reputable breeder to avoid too much in-breeding which can affect the temperament of any breed.
The advantageof having from puppy-hood of course is that the children are a fixed part of dog's life from day one arriving in the house at an impressionable age. The dog needs to be taught it is not pack leader, but equally the kids need to respect the dog - mine have all been incredibly placid and happy to be used as playthings but if you pull a dog's tail or poke it in the eyes for long enough any animal will revert to natural instinct.
But good luck - I wouldn't be without my dogs...the kids however (only kidding!).
The advantageof having from puppy-hood of course is that the children are a fixed part of dog's life from day one arriving in the house at an impressionable age. The dog needs to be taught it is not pack leader, but equally the kids need to respect the dog - mine have all been incredibly placid and happy to be used as playthings but if you pull a dog's tail or poke it in the eyes for long enough any animal will revert to natural instinct.
But good luck - I wouldn't be without my dogs...the kids however (only kidding!).
I for one actually think it's good for kids to grow up around animals + the dog will have a great time.
We always had dogs, intact I was often left in my pram with a dog tied to it (that does sound like a recipe for disaster) but it was a simpler time, and also a time when if the dog ever bit me - it was seen as my fault (and it probably was) but it was never anything too serious + I learnt not to play conkers around the dog.
We always had dogs, intact I was often left in my pram with a dog tied to it (that does sound like a recipe for disaster) but it was a simpler time, and also a time when if the dog ever bit me - it was seen as my fault (and it probably was) but it was never anything too serious + I learnt not to play conkers around the dog.
I'd recommend a flat-coat Retriever, we had a lovely black one, she was soppy as they come with kids, but had a seriously deep bark, so might be a good alarm system as well if that is what you are after.
Didn't need as much exercise as the collies we used to have either, beautiful looking dog as well
Didn't need as much exercise as the collies we used to have either, beautiful looking dog as well
Get a b
h working-labrador. They are slightly smaller in height, but possibly the safest dogs to have. Intelligent, gentle, and caring. My brother in law has some and also a good friend of mine, never ceases to amaze me what good dogs/companions they are.
If you have kids then definatly get a puppy, invaribly you are around more then when the children are in there teens, and thus more time to train and give the attention the dog requires.
I can't wait to get one, but i feel i am just going to have to wait for a few years, circumstance is not right, but its a nice little achievement/goal to have for me.
h working-labrador. They are slightly smaller in height, but possibly the safest dogs to have. Intelligent, gentle, and caring. My brother in law has some and also a good friend of mine, never ceases to amaze me what good dogs/companions they are.If you have kids then definatly get a puppy, invaribly you are around more then when the children are in there teens, and thus more time to train and give the attention the dog requires.
I can't wait to get one, but i feel i am just going to have to wait for a few years, circumstance is not right, but its a nice little achievement/goal to have for me.
Just bear in mind with retrievers that your world turns beige - the insides of my cars are permanently covered in hair, we've abandoned carpets downstsairs all together and go through a new vacuum cleaner every 12 months!!!
Oh and the smell of a wet retriever in a hot car after a swim is simply something you get used to - after the first 4 or 5 years!
Seriosuly though, great dogs!
Mate has a Labradoodle by the way - if I rememebr correctly they were specially bred to not shed hair, seems to be fairly successful but they're not especailly good looking dogs (IMHO).
Oh and the smell of a wet retriever in a hot car after a swim is simply something you get used to - after the first 4 or 5 years!
Seriosuly though, great dogs!
Mate has a Labradoodle by the way - if I rememebr correctly they were specially bred to not shed hair, seems to be fairly successful but they're not especailly good looking dogs (IMHO).
+1 for Golden Retriever, they are really good natured and have great characters. The downside is lots of dog hair, which gets very wet each time she gets walked in the rain (or just after), so needs regularly towelling down in the autumn/winter months. You really need a tiled floor area to deal with it as well or you will ruin your carpets.
Clean:
Dirty:
The good news is that they are pretty self-cleaning in that mud just dries and drops off the coat itself (on the floor/dog bed etc). If you're adverse to gold hair everywhere, regularly brushing the dog and hoovering then I'd go for a Labrador instead as they are very similar in nature but the shorter coat requires less maintenance.
Just one thing to be aware of though, all puppies will nip/mouth you and they have sharp little teeth. It's not malicious, it's just their way of playing and learning, so that's something to be aware of with children's hands. They grow out of it pretty quickly though
Have fun, ours is brilliant and never fails to bring a smile
Clean:
Dirty:
The good news is that they are pretty self-cleaning in that mud just dries and drops off the coat itself (on the floor/dog bed etc). If you're adverse to gold hair everywhere, regularly brushing the dog and hoovering then I'd go for a Labrador instead as they are very similar in nature but the shorter coat requires less maintenance.
Just one thing to be aware of though, all puppies will nip/mouth you and they have sharp little teeth. It's not malicious, it's just their way of playing and learning, so that's something to be aware of with children's hands. They grow out of it pretty quickly though
Have fun, ours is brilliant and never fails to bring a smile
Coco H said:
Tony 
indeed!
Ah - I forgot to mention - baby has possible asthma - definately has some reaction to cat hair and possibly to dogs - though not that pronounced - I do wonder if the Golden retrivers would shed too much?
The more you exercise / brush / swim them the less they shed. Our kids love brushing the dogs and the dogs love being brushed so that works out nicely! indeed!Ah - I forgot to mention - baby has possible asthma - definately has some reaction to cat hair and possibly to dogs - though not that pronounced - I do wonder if the Golden retrivers would shed too much?
We find giving ours a dedicated bed that we wash every couple of weeks helps confine it as well. The more time they spend outside (which they will if you've got a big garden) the better. All of our bird nesting boxes have nests in them made largely of Golden Retriever hair - must be the cosiest chicks around!
itsnotarace said:
+1 for Golden Retriever, they are really good natured and have great characters. The downside is lots of dog hair, which gets very wet each time she gets walked in the rain (or just after), so needs regularly towelling down in the autumn/winter months. You really need a tiled floor area to deal with it as well or you will ruin your carpets.
Clean:
Dirty:
The good news is that they are pretty self-cleaning in that mud just dries and drops off the coat itself (on the floor/dog bed etc). If you're adverse to gold hair everywhere, regularly brushing the dog and hoovering then I'd go for a Labrador instead as they are very similar in nature but the shorter coat requires less maintenance.
Just one thing to be aware of though, all puppies will nip/mouth you and they have sharp little teeth. It's not malicious, it's just their way of playing and learning, so that's something to be aware of with children's hands. They grow out of it pretty quickly though
Have fun, ours is brilliant and never fails to bring a smile
I didn't recognise the first picture as a retriever.Clean:
Dirty:
The good news is that they are pretty self-cleaning in that mud just dries and drops off the coat itself (on the floor/dog bed etc). If you're adverse to gold hair everywhere, regularly brushing the dog and hoovering then I'd go for a Labrador instead as they are very similar in nature but the shorter coat requires less maintenance.
Just one thing to be aware of though, all puppies will nip/mouth you and they have sharp little teeth. It's not malicious, it's just their way of playing and learning, so that's something to be aware of with children's hands. They grow out of it pretty quickly though
Have fun, ours is brilliant and never fails to bring a smile
They are excellent personalities for children, I grew up with my parent's first dog (a golden lab retriever). She was always caring and attentive, but could turn it on and be fearsome when needed.
Our kids were older but we have a German Sorthaired Pointer lovely with them, does need 2 walks a day but if you have an acre of land it should be able to entertain itself. We love ours so much weve just put our names down for another pup!
edited just to add I get Asthma and cant get near retreivers or labradors its longer hairs which cause my problem. Also retreivers moult a lot!
edited just to add I get Asthma and cant get near retreivers or labradors its longer hairs which cause my problem. Also retreivers moult a lot!
Edited by siwil1 on Tuesday 15th June 10:02
Coco H said:
I don't want anything that needs loads of exercise such as a springer - my aunt used to have one of these it needed 3 hours of walks a day to keep it sane!
Cara van Man said:
Springer Spaniel.
See the recent thread for a detailed description
Always best to read the OP!See the recent thread for a detailed description
I reckon the Goldies have got thsi one wrapped up!
I can recommend several breeders!
Edited by LeeME3 on Tuesday 15th June 09:59
Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff