Dog for Child - Children and Dogs

Most of us grew up watching Lassie, Rin Tin Tin (often called "Rinty"), or we at least had a favorite TV animal. Like Mister Ed, or Roy Rogers' Trigger. To us, that animal was a hero. No dog was smarter or braver. Why, that animal was unstoppable!

This uncanny loyalty is what children and we, as adults, want in our family pets. But the Collie puppy you bought is not Lassie, and the German Shepherd is not Rinty. When getting a dog for child you need to do lots of research on the dog breed. Also, have the personality of the puppy you would like to have evaluated well before purchase.

More than ninety percent of dog bites in the U.S. are from conflicts between children and dogs. Few adults know how to approach a dog correctly or how to stop a dog from biting, so they pass their inexperience on to their children.

Parents often believe the dog for child should not react if the child pounces on him or pulls his ears. Get real! It's instinctive. Dogs nip one another to say "You are pulling too hard on me. CUT IT OUT!"

The relationship between children and dogs is often out of balance, too. The child is rarely the superior in the relationship, which is one of the largest contributors to dog bite. The parents and the children must EACH individually be pack leader to the dog.

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I cannot emphasize enough the importance of research. In my opinion, lack of education and preparation are the biggest things that add to the overpopulation of shelter dogs. If you just love Rinty and you simply must have one like him, be able to answer these questions.

From where does this dog breed originally come? What was the intent behind creating the dog, and for what purposes was it used by man? The Collie and the German Shepherd were both herders, which means they move and protect livestock, and drive off predators.

What are the temperaments of the pup's Dam and Sire? Are the lines pure at least four generations? If the dog breeder cannot answer at least four, there may be a hidden problem there such as a serious health issue, or inbreeding, which makes dogs aggressive. A lot of times, a purebred dog that will bite just anybody is inbred.

Want to get a mixed breed dog? Please use common sense on two fronts. Make SURE the dog shelter is reputable. Do not pick up any stray out of just any animal shelter off the street. Believe me, been there, done that! Many of those dogs have medical problems and temperament problems, as well as previous owners who can tell you these things. And, uh, the shelter staff conveniently forgets to tell you.

Two, make sure you know what the dog is mixed with. Lab-Huskie would be a bad idea. Lab-Shepherd is a good idea. Pick a mix of two dogs who have the same instinctive desires. For example, two who want to run all the time, or two who are people oriented. You don't want the confused, mixed personality of a dog that's torn in two different directions. Makes sense, huh?

Consider, too, how much activity does this dog need? Will you do it every day, rain or shine? And his training, will you be consistent?

Even more critical, make sure all members of your family meet the dog BEFORE he is brought home. Do NOT take the puppy home:

1. If he does not come near your family after ten minutes of being in the room with you and your family.

2. If he urinates on the floor at the approach of any of you.

These two are signs of extreme fear. That does not mean the dog is not adoptable, but a fear bite may happen to your child or another member of your family. Children move more quickly than adults, and they push dogs more than adults will. A dog that is nervous like that does not know how to deal with it.

3. If he shows any kind of aggression - snapping, growling, showing teeth - when your child touches him. If you don't feel comfortable hugging the dog, don't get him. Children like to hug dogs.

4. If the dog is jumping excessively on your child, forget it! Somebody is going to get hurt. And you really should choose one that's calm enough for your child to walk him on leash, unless your child is really young and not capable of going out with the dog by himself.

Be willing to accept what the dog is telling you. Dogs never lie on their applications. They always tell you "I am what I am." It's people who fail to read them.

It's perfectly fine for your new dog to prefer to follow one select member around the house for the most part. What's not okay is for the dog to become nasty or possessive in any way when anyone else comes near that select person.

If the dog growls at you when you move in to discipline your child, "Goodbye Dog!"

If the dog will not allow your child near you, "See ya'!"

If the dog starts blocking access to any area or thing in the house . . . Unless you've been schooled in how to deal with dog dominance behavior, "Bye, bye!"

Do not leave your children and dogs unsupervised. Most dog bites occur in these times. By being there, you really know what happened and who's at fault.