Good Family Dogs

[labellavita81]

(I'm sure I'll get yelled at for this) American bulldogs or Pittbull - If you find a dog whose parentage is known and who you raise yourself they make AMAZING family dogs. My friend's bully lets her grandson climb all over him. Recent SO's sister and him were raised with a pitt bull female and she was like a mother to them. Again though I'd find a reputable breeder with dogs you can see and be around to make sure the temperament is what you'd want.

Pitbulls are restricted breeds, though. . .they cannot be taken to certain places. I see signs up everywhere. We are renting and all the apts that accept pets do NOT allow pitbulls. Also, this may sound a bit off here, but because of pitbulls' negative reputations, some friends may not want their kids around anyone with a pitbull! It can cause issues/problems planning playdates. Whenever I told friends that my inlaws have a (restricted breed) rotweiler, they were horrified that I even let my kids live with me and the grandparents during the summer and even visit them. My kids only had one friend come over that summer. In fact, it was embarrassing having such a dog and luckily we moved cuz we'd never have kids over with the response from friends I have.

My point is even if you have a great dog, you cannot change others' opinions of them. If one of my friends' kids had a pitbull or rotweiler, they would NOT go to that kid's house.

Pitbulls are actually illegal to breed and buy in Ontario, Canada, if you own one you must muzzle it before you bring it outside for walks. I agree they may not be the best pet for all of the reasons stated above.

 

[labellavita81]

(I'm sure I'll get yelled at for this) American bulldogs or Pittbull - If you find a dog whose parentage is known and who you raise yourself they make AMAZING family dogs. My friend's bully lets her grandson climb all over him. Recent SO's sister and him were raised with a pitt bull female and she was like a mother to them. Again though I'd find a reputable breeder with dogs you can see and be around to make sure the temperament is what you'd want.

Pitbulls are restricted breeds, though. . .they cannot be taken to certain places. I see signs up everywhere. We are renting and all the apts that accept pets do NOT allow pitbulls. Also, this may sound a bit off here, but because of pitbulls' negative reputations, some friends may not want their kids around anyone with a pitbull! It can cause issues/problems planning playdates. Whenever I told friends that my inlaws have a (restricted breed) rotweiler, they were horrified that I even let my kids live with me and the grandparents during the summer and even visit them. My kids only had one friend come over that summer. In fact, it was embarrassing having such a dog and luckily we moved cuz we'd never have kids over with the response from friends I have.

My point is even if you have a great dog, you cannot change others' opinions of them. If one of my friends' kids had a pitbull or rotweiler, they would NOT go to that kid's house.

Pitbulls are actually illegal to breed and buy in Ontario, Canada, if you own one you must muzzle it before you bring it outside for walks. I agree they may not be the best pet for all of the reasons stated above.

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

Warning: This is off topic... So sorry, OP! I do hope you will decide what's best for your family!

All the pit-banning makes me terribly sad, as do the irresponsible pit breeders. I'm legitimately depressed So, for the record (and not to change anyone's mind... only to boost my own mood), I LOVE MY PIT! I feel lucky to have a pup that is the polar opposite of the pit stereotype. I hope she stays as sweet as pie til her last day on Earth. She's just a darn good dog. Except when she tries to jump fences Whether her genes or my 'ownership' are responsible for her wonderfulness is up for debate, but I'm happy she's in my life!

 

[AGBF]

Oh, one more important point that I wanted to make:

Dogs do not recognize babies as humans. I think it has to do with their smell, and with the way they flail their limbs. Regardless of the cause, it is vital that whatever dog you adopt, you have him very well trained before you bring a baby into the house. A well trained dog will leave the baby alone once you make it clear that that is what you expect him to do.

If you aren't sure you're ready to adequately train a dog, I'd wait till I was past the baby-raising stage to adopt one, for sure.

I'm not going to argue with you, Haven. I just want you to know that our elderly Golden seemed aware that our daughter was human from the get go. Our daughter was close to three months-or perhaps even three months-by the time the dog met her, so she was no longer a newborn. But she was pretty young.

Deb/AGBF

 

[Deelight]

I recommend either waiting until you've had a baby, or if it is going to be a long time before you have a baby, go ahead and get a dog now. My recommends are:

Labs- This is my first choice. They are the most tolerant, docile, easy going dogs ever. They are incredibly smart, and have a low scare threshold as well. They are protective without being aggressive. They are also great babysitters. Our black lab is currently playing momma to the kitten, and she can differentiate between our cats and other cats, and will chase other cats away. They love kids, and love to play, but are also very very careful.
Yorkies - They are super smart, and very people oriented. They are tolerant of nearly everything. Mine will put up with ANYTHING and LOVES to be around anyone, any size, any time. She has never snapped or snarled. She growls to talk (little whiny growls) and that's it ever.
(I'm sure I'll get yelled at for this) American bulldogs or Pittbull - If you find a dog whose parentage is known and who you raise yourself they make AMAZING family dogs. My friend's bully lets her grandson climb all over him. Recent SO's sister and him were raised with a pitt bull female and she was like a mother to them. Again though I'd find a reputable breeder with dogs you can see and be around to make sure the temperament is what you'd want.

Wow, really? No baby here yet but I would allow a child under my charge to have contact with these breeds over my dead body. The problem is, no matter what the breed all dogs are animals; they get scared they overreact etc. But in particular, those dangerous animals have no place around children.

WOW really???

I feel like that's really off base. Did you read my account of the pitts around our families? You have to remember most of the dogs that bite are trained to fight, or be guard dogs, not family dogs.


Go read about the goldens and german shephards that bite. The little dogs that bite. It's quite common.

The dog from the original little rascals was a pitbull - and way back when they were considered good kids dogs until they go a bad rep from being owned by a small amount of morons who ruined the breed for others

Yes there are aggressive little breeds and big breeds heck half the dogs they show to be pitbulls are not pitbulls on TV they just get better rating with the label

- cattle dogs for instance are really bad with kids because they are nippers - they are breed to nip around ankles of sheep

Having previously been an inexperienced dog owner and owing an American Staffy (pitbull but with a different name) I would say that these dogs are fantastic around kids

Amstaff's and PItbulls are PEOPLE dogs not DOG dogs and unless socialised from a young age do not get along well with other animals however are really very good around people and kids of all sizes - they are happy to be with people they love their families and pine when without them.

They are built like tanks and can take out the abuse that kids give them - heck mine did and when it got to much he would walk away and go sleep - if he saw a kid on the street he would cry because he wanted to play with them - as he was also very well socialised he would cry if he saw another dog

He was the most gentle an beautiful animal that I have ever had the pleasure of having in my life and if he was still here when our little one came along I would let him play with him SUPERVISED but I would never ever leave a child and a dog alone EVER no matter the size

Every dog can be bad or good depending on the owner - these dogs do get an unfair bad rap and because of the labeling I will never get to own one of these beautiful little puppies again.

As for the OP - the best dog is the dog that fits your lifestyle and I ditto Pandora 110%


- Have your kid first if you still want a puppy then get one when the kiddo is older - I am not saying your doing this but I see many couples get dogs as a practice for kids and then when the kiddo comes along the dog get forgotten - animals are hardwork and they take a lot of effort and care

ETA: I would be more scared of the average chiuwawa(sp?)

 

[MichelleCarmen]

.[/quote]

ETA: I would be more scared of the average chiuwawa(sp?)[/quote]

A friend of mine has to lock her chihuahua in the bathroom when company comes over because he bits people! Guess he's like a Gremlin!

Come to think of it, the most aggressive pet I've seen among family/friends was a cockatoo. The thing was NUTS and attacked my mom's friend, my DH and me at various times. It even attached onto my husband's shoe! Basically it had the personality of what a pitbull is said to have!

 

[monarch64]

From experience, my opinion is that it is NOT OK to bring a canine into a family environment when there are children under two years of age, regardless of breed.

ETA: I would just like to state because I feel that this is really important:

I love my dog, but I would NEVER TRUST her with a child, whether the child is an infant or toddling/walking. NEVER! Daisy can be trusted to do two things: eat and sleep. Anything else is up in the air, whether she's been trained or not.

For the record, my Daisy is a 20 lb beagle. Very docile, very obedient. Yet, I don't let her off leash around my niece who is only 32 months old, never have let her off leash around her, etc. Certainly she knows how to act and is often let off leash outside and inside. However, I would rather be safe than sorry, always. I love my dog, and I'm not willing to give her up.

ETA: not trying to play partial, but I've been bitten by both an Australian Shepard and a Westie, and also an Australian Cattle Dog. Have dealt with many a breed. These dogs and their bites happened in my youth (and I"m talking under 10 years of age), and I never developed a fear of any of them. Every breed has its purpose, and every breed has a lover.

 

[paris29]

You ladies are absolutely amazing. Thank you for all the advice. Fiance and I have had many dogs throughout our lives: teacup yorkie, jack russel, miniature schnauzer, siberian husky, lab/german shepherd mix and a westie, so we have had a lot of experience with dogs, but not with dogs around young children. We have been looking through a lot of different breeds lately, and are now leaning toward getting an english bulldog, we have read/heard they are excellent with children, if trained well of coarse. Anyone have experience with this particular breed. We are planning to ttc in a little less than 2.5 years and plan on getting the dog in two or three months.

 

[monarch64]

You ladies are absolutely amazing. Thank you for all the advice. Fiance and I have had many dogs throughout our lives: teacup yorkie, jack russel, miniature schnauzer, siberian husky, lab/german shepherd mix and a westie, so we have had a lot of experience with dogs, but not with dogs around young children. We have been looking through a lot of different breeds lately, and are now leaning toward getting an english bulldog, we have read/heard they are excellent with children, if trained well of coarse. Anyone have experience with this particular breed. We are planning to ttc in a little less than 2.5 years and plan on getting the dog in two or three months.

Throw the "english bulldog" into the search engine in "Hangout!" You are sure to find opinions there. Thanks for consulting PS first. Best of luck to you and your fiance!

ETA: sorry, I missed the TTC sentence! Good for you! Sounds like you have a perfect timeline. Much luck to you and your fiance!

 

[zoebartlett]

PPM -- what a gorgeous photo! Your dog is beautiful.

I hesitated posting in this thread because I think it's veered waaaayy off course. When we grew up, my parents got a dog for our family. We got a terrier/sheepdog/spaniel mix, and she was such a good dog. She was the only dog we had, and when she passed away a number of years ago, my parents decided not to get another dog. Terriers are known to be very stubborn, and our dog was no exception. That wouldn't stop me from getting another one someday though, IF I had the energy to keep up with the training.

There are so many wonderful breeds out there, and yes, all breeds do have issues of one type or another. Have you looked at the American Kennel Club site? That might be a good place to start to get familiar with the temperments/personalities of several breeds.

 

[dragonfly411]

Paris - Good luck with your dog hunt! I will mention that you need to do some serious reading on English Bull Dogs. Because of their facial structure they can be a bit high maintenance. You have to get in and clean their little wrinkles constantly to prevent skin diseases or fungus etc. They also have some sinus issues. My sister is getting one, and they are ADORABLE! Those and pugs tee hee! I hope you find the dog that is just right for you and I think getting one long before TTC is a good idea.


Haven - your post made my day. It is everything I feel and more.

And the bullies posted in here are soooo sweet and pretty!

 

[elrohwen]

Ugh, don't try a pitbull if you are an amateur dog owner.

Some people have naturally dominant personalities and don't even realize it (they're not mean or anything, they just are in charge) and they can handle a pit bull. Even the nicest pit bull would turn on me within a week.

It's not a rumour, it's a sad statistic, the number of pit bull and aggressive dog attacks in the US. Ask your insurance agent which dogs cost less to own when you get homeowner's insurance. Most insurance agents ask about dogs now, when selling you a homeowner's policy.

I'm pretty sure any pit bull breeder who needs money and with a litter of puppies to unload will tell you they're great. . .

I guess we should ask you: what type of dogs have you owned before?

And have you considered a cat?

They have different breed characteristics/personalities too. Some are extremely affectionate, some are constant talkers, some act like a meatloaf all day. Check out the cat fanciers website, and/or petfinder.com.

Dominance theory is well debunked at this point. I would read some more on the theory before espousing incorrect information about it.

I've also worked in dog shelters with a variety of breeds for many years and have a lot of experience with pits and other stronger breeds.

 

[elrohwen]

To the OP, I still stand by my suggestion of adopting from a shelter and asking specifically for dogs that are good with kids. There are a million labs in shelters, and labs are generally regarded (in this thread at least) to be good with kids. The important thing is that you can find a dog that fits your lifestyle and will get along with children. If you do get a puppy, make sure you spend a ton of time introducing your dog to other children, since you won't have one of your own.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

To the OP, I still stand by my suggestion of adopting from a shelter and asking specifically for dogs that are good with kids. There are a million labs in shelters, and labs are generally regarded (in this thread at least) to be good with kids. The important thing is that you can find a dog that fits your lifestyle and will get along with children. If you do get a puppy, make sure you spend a ton of time introducing your dog to other children, since you won't have one of your own.

Yeah, this is a great idea. Volunteers/employes of shelters get to know the animals well enough to determine the personality vs. some random person trying to get rid of a pet. We adopted our previous cat from the Humane Society and they had gotten to know the cat and raved about how good he'd be around kids. There were a few other cats I liked and they explained why those cats wouldn't be a fit for my family. Our most recent cat was adopted from a woman giving him away on CL and again, I asked numerous questions - basically interviewed her on the cat's personality and luckily she was telling me the truth! My DH once brought home two "male" cats and I kept instictively feeling one was a girl and told him that and finally looked (which felt really weird to me, so that took me a few days to do! lol) and yes, the cat was a girl. The owners had lied b/c DH told them he only wanted male cats. Ugh. He took their word for it!

 

[Puppmom]

Man, I think it stinks that some breeds have a bad rep but no one should have a dog (or any animal) they're uncomfortable with around their children.

I have a large dog and an infant. My dog completely ignores the baby - maybe he just wishes the baby would go away. Our dog is very well trained and, as a result, very well behaved. We NEVER leave him alone with the baby and we'll continue to monitor their interaction. He's a great dog but his buttons have never been pushed like a toddler can push them! The one downside about having a big dog is it makes it difficult for the kids to help out with the walking. Our dog is great on the leash but weighs the same as DD so we're just not willing to take any chances.

 

[Steel]

You ladies are absolutely amazing. Thank you for all the advice. Fiance and I have had many dogs throughout our lives: teacup yorkie, jack russel, miniature schnauzer, siberian husky, lab/german shepherd mix and a westie, so we have had a lot of experience with dogs, but not with dogs around young children. We have been looking through a lot of different breeds lately, and are now leaning toward getting an english bulldog, we have read/heard they are excellent with children, if trained well of coarse. Anyone have experience with this particular breed. We are planning to ttc in a little less than 2.5 years and plan on getting the dog in two or three months.

Good luck in your decision. BTW, I totally agree with your attitude to training, from my experience the more effort you put into training your dog/puppy the greater happiness you and he/she will share.

 

[Haven]

Oh, one more important point that I wanted to make:

Dogs do not recognize babies as humans. I think it has to do with their smell, and with the way they flail their limbs. Regardless of the cause, it is vital that whatever dog you adopt, you have him very well trained before you bring a baby into the house. A well trained dog will leave the baby alone once you make it clear that that is what you expect him to do.

If you aren't sure you're ready to adequately train a dog, I'd wait till I was past the baby-raising stage to adopt one, for sure.

I'm not going to argue with you, Haven. I just want you to know that our elderly Golden seemed aware that our daughter was human from the get go. Our daughter was close to three months-or perhaps even three months-by the time the dog met her, so she was no longer a newborn. But she was pretty young.

Deb/AGBF

That's interesting. Perhaps 3 months is old enough, who knows?

I do think it's a really important consideration for anyone who is considering bringing a new dog *and* a new baby into the house at the same time.

(I didn't make this information up, by the way. It's very widely known and acknowledged as fact. However, as someone who has never had babies of the human variety, my actual experience with this is very limited. It is something I often think about, though, when people bring babies into our home. My Pit is such a good girl that she respects everything that comes into our house, so she's not a good indicator of whether or not dogs see humans as babies.)

 

[Haven]

You ladies are absolutely amazing. Thank you for all the advice. Fiance and I have had many dogs throughout our lives: teacup yorkie, jack russel, miniature schnauzer, siberian husky, lab/german shepherd mix and a westie, so we have had a lot of experience with dogs, but not with dogs around young children. We have been looking through a lot of different breeds lately, and are now leaning toward getting an english bulldog, we have read/heard they are excellent with children, if trained well of coarse. Anyone have experience with this particular breed. We are planning to ttc in a little less than 2.5 years and plan on getting the dog in two or three months.

I LOVE English Bulldogs! Oh my gosh, I just melt every time I see one. DH and I really wanted one, but we also wanted a dog who would fit our very active lifestyle and we knew an English Bulldog just couldn't keep up. But oh man! Would I love to read with a great big English Bulldog curled up at my feet each night.

Have you seen this video? I first saw it on Cuteoverload.com. LOVE!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN7YWz2RqH8&feature=player_embedded

I will say that our local shelter has had at least four English Bulldogs over the past two years, so I would strongly encourage you to visit the shelters and see if you can rescue someone. Shelter dogs can be wonderful, and they deserve loving homes, too.

Best of luck to you with your new pup, and ttc! I'd love to see pictures! (Of the pup, not the ttc-ing, of course. )

 

[dragonfly411]

There are also English Bulldog Rescues too!!!

 

[Prana]

Warning: This is off topic... So sorry, OP! I do hope you will decide what's best for your family!

All the pit-banning makes me terribly sad, as do the irresponsible pit breeders. I'm legitimately depressed So, for the record (and not to change anyone's mind... only to boost my own mood), I LOVE MY PIT! I feel lucky to have a pup that is the polar opposite of the pit stereotype. I hope she stays as sweet as pie til her last day on Earth. She's just a darn good dog. Except when she tries to jump fences Whether her genes or my 'ownership' are responsible for her wonderfulness is up for debate, but I'm happy she's in my life!

She's so sweet! And pretty too. I love the all white!!!

 

[Prana]

I just saw that you are looking into English Bulldog's...I think that would be a wonderful choice for anybody! Of course, I'm biased....I love all bully breeds! I hope that you find what you are looking for and definitely agree about checking out English Bulldog rescue options. Good luck!

 

[AGBF]

I didn't make this information up, by the way. It's very widely known and acknowledged as fact. However, as someone who has never had babies of the human variety, my actual experience with this is very limited. It is something I often think about, though, when people bring babies into our home. My Pit is such a good girl that she respects everything that comes into our house, so she's not a good indicator of whether or not dogs see humans as babies.

Haven-

In an effort at scholarly research, not one at showing you up, I entered a phrase like, "How dogs perceive human babies" into a search

engine and found a link to an interesting article that has absolutely nothing to do with the matter we were discussing. It is fascinating,

however, and germane to the topic of how dogs and humans (and wolves) think. If anyone knows how a baby learns to look for objects

with growing sophistication when they are hidden (see The Magic Years), he will appreciate this reference!


http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112524209


Deb/AGBF

 

[AGBF]

Haven-

I really didn't find anything that supported your claim that dogs did not recognize human babies as part of the human family...and I looked. I had never heard of it before, but I figured it must be something new that had been found out and that I had missed. I did find this quotation in a recent article, however.

"The nature of canids - wolves and dogs - is that of the family group. It is normally two dominant adults and related individuals of various ages. Usually only the two dominant adults breed, yet all members of the pack help to care for the mother and pups, bring meat back to the mother and pups, and guard the pups. Subordinate females may 'baby-sit' and even help nurse the puppies. Domestic dogs do not commonly bring food back to a mother and pups but may guard a bitch during pregnancy and while she is lactating, as well as guard or watch over the puppies.

Pet dogs relate to you and other family members as if they were members of the family. Ideally, your baby will be accepted by the dog as an offspring included in this family unit. In fact, dogs are more likely to protect an infant from strangers or visitors than they are to be 'jealous.'"

Deb/AGBF

 

[dragonfly411]

AGBF - You are partially right. The dog will be more likely to protect the baby from strangers. In viewing the baby as a member of the family group though, it is also going to react in a pack like sense, vying for dominance in the hierarchical chain. The parents are the alpha male and female. The dog is going to try to stay as close to the top of the totem as possible, to retain importance within the pack. That's what would possibly create jealousy. In the wild, this is a life or death battle. If a wolf moves down on the totem, he/she could eventually be shunned and pushed out of the pack. These are normally the animals that die first. They eat last, even after the young. For a dog, being moved down on the totem is the worst thing possible, which is why they might get jealous of the baby getting attention from the parents. They want the attention so that they know their place in the family group remains guaranteed.

 

[AGBF]

dragonfly-

I know dogs think we are part of their packs. I have had dogs and I get it! I was really interested in the idea Haven introduced into the discussion that dogs perceive human babies as something other than human, though. Because dogs seem to be able to know that children and adults within the homo sapien family are human even though they also think that those people are part of their packs!
I am still interested in finding some material to read about the idea Haven mentioned.

Deb

 

[iLander]

A couple of remarks have bothered me about this thread:

"Dogs don't perceive babies as human."

Sure they do, after about 10 minutes, they know it's a human. They're not morons. They also know it's your "puppy". Wether they are willing to accept your puppie's place in the hierarchy, that is the real question.

"Dominance theory has been debunked."

By whom? Dogs are pack animals, there is dominance in a pack. End of story.

Just because someone says it's a fact doesn't mean it is.

Reminds me of "if the cat has kittens in the oven, that don't make 'em muffins".

And yes, we know your pit bull is special.

Can you guarantee that the OP's pitbull will be special? If you want to make that bet, I will be happy to bet against you, based on this article below, from the CDC:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published in 2000 a study on dog bite-related fatalities (DBRF) that covered the years 1979-1998. The study found reports of 327 people killed by dogs over the 20-year period. Using newspaper articles, the CDC was able to obtain breed "identifications" for 238 of the 327 cases of fatal dog attacks; of which "pit bull terrier" or mixes thereof were reportedly involved in 76 cases. The breed with the next-highest number of attributed fatalities was the Rottweiler and mixes thereof, with 44 fatalities.

These are facts, not muffins.

 

[Haven]

Deb--That NPR piece that you shared is very interesting.

I know I've read the "dogs don't recognize babies as humans" bit in multiple sources over the years. We subscribe to The Whole Dog Journal, so perhaps they had a piece on it, but I read so much about animals that I can't recall where, specifically, I read about this. I do know that I've seen it in pamphlets before, and I recall that it was "the first few months" of life where dogs don't recognize babies as humans. I believe that these pieces said they believe baby humans to be animals because of their odd movement, and smell. It IS interesting stuff, if only I could find an actual reference for you.

All that being said, I just don't have the ability right now to go rooting around in my old dog journals for an actual reference because I injured my back on Monday night so I'm limited in my movements at the moment.

I am positive that dogs recognize children as humans, for sure, of all these references to the baby thing it has always been about very young babies. If I said children earlier, that was my mistake.

ETA: ILander--I find it interesting that my decision to share information that I have read "bothered" you. This is a discussion forum, be prepared to encounter ideas that are counter to your own. That's part of the joy of participating, and I fear you might miss out on that if you bother easily.

ETA2: ILander--my last ETA came across as snarky. Sorry. I'm having awful pains in my back right now, and I found the tone of your post to be counter-productive because it came across as angry to me. BUT, that doesn't matter. I shouldn't have written that last ETA. Sorry.

 

[iLander]

Deb--That NPR piece that you shared is very interesting.

I know I've read the "dogs don't recognize babies as humans" bit in multiple sources over the years. We subscribe to The Whole Dog Journal, so perhaps they had a piece on it, but I read so much about animals that I can't recall where, specifically, I read about this. I do know that I've seen it in pamphlets before, and I recall that it was "the first few months" of life where dogs don't recognize babies as humans. I believe that these pieces said they believe baby humans to be animals because of their odd movement, and smell. It IS interesting stuff, if only I could find an actual reference for you.

All that being said, I just don't have the ability right now to go rooting around in my old dog journals for an actual reference because I injured my back on Monday night so I'm limited in my movements at the moment.

I am positive that dogs recognize children as humans, for sure, of all these references to the baby thing it has always been about very young babies. If I said children earlier, that was my mistake.

ETA: ILander--I find it interesting that my decision to share information that I have read "bothered" you. This is a discussion forum, be prepared to encounter ideas that are counter to your own. That's part of the joy of participating, and I fear you might miss out on that if you bother easily.

I guess I'm just losing patience with this thread, which has gotten way off track and kind of silly . . .

I'm going to go watch big bang theory. . . that'll cheer me up

 

[Haven]

I just wrote an apology to you by editing my last post--I'm just cranky because I'm in pain and I took it out on you. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that.

 

[GliderPoss]

Mini Dachschunds. We're 3rd generation owners and they are wonderful dogs with kids. They will put up with anything - ours used to get dressed up and wheeled around in prams like dolls!

I will emphasize that I believe ALL dogs require a certain level of discipline and anyone who tells you that Daschshunds are nippy little snappers is a incompetent owner who doesn't know how to raise a dog properly.... This applies to all breeds. You are the "top dog" not them.

Agree with the others that you should have the kids first THEN get the dog.