Best time to get a dog with young kid without waiting forever
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Anonymous
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When is the best time to get a dog with a young child in the family? Daughter is 2 and an only child.
We are: very active (runners/hikers/outdoor people) and prepared to give the dog plenty of exercise; animal lovers; avid travelers; dual full-time working couple but with some flexibility/low-key hours. We are not neat freaks. Our house is small but we have a yard and live near a very large park and walking trail. DD has a calm, easygoing temperament. She can be rambunctious but understands instructions and is pretty trainable (so we don't worry too much about her hurting the dog/pulling tail etc). She is a little skittish about dogs after some loud barking incidents, but nothing outside the range of normal for her age, imo. We had a dog who died of old age when she was a baby, but DD does not remember that dog. We are considering large dogs only (purebred puppies) such as Labradors. Advice? We don't want to wait until she's in school or anything. Basically trying to decide between now (with a 2-year-old) or at preschool age (3-4). |
Anonymous
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Bad time - this is why rescues don't allow you to adopt unless the kids are over 10, especially with big breeds.
Why not wait? Think how much you'll upset the kid if you have to regime it due to failure? Think of the poor dog. 7-8 yrs is best. |
Anonymous
| "re-home" not regime |
Anonymous
| We have a similar lifestyle and knew we wanted a hound. We had a very hard time finding a good fit - many rescues will not adopt hounds to families with small kids because they are so needy (the dogs). It sounds like you want a puppy, so there are no restrictions - just be aware that having a puppy is like having a newborn all over again. |
Anonymous
Considering they are only thinking of purebreds I doubt the breeder will object. Op, why not get a rescued lab from a breeder if you can't wait? This way you can find a dog that is already good with kids. I've heard people adopt "failed" seeing eye dogs but, don't know how to go about doing that. |
Anonymous
I would be fine with a grown dog but DH wants to start from scratch with a puppy so we're not dealing with the variables of other people's training, behavioral history, etc. Yes on the newborn thing! Ha! That's why I waited til toddler was potty trained to consider |
Anonymous
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I would say 5-7 years old. Ours was six and really had trouble understanding how to handle puppy but it ultimately worked out okay. If you get large breed puppy at 5, child will be old enough to help with simple tasks, will be old enough to walk dog once dog is out of puppy phase. Then when kid is a teen and busy with life, dog will be a mellow elderly dog that will sit by them while they do homework. Then dog likely ready for the tainbow bridge when they leave for college.
Puppies and preschoolers are tough but obviously not impossible. |
Anonymous
| I agree with 5-7. We adopted when my younger son was 6 and he was just able to respect the dog and it’s boundaries and dogs are like having another kid. |
Anonymous
| We got our current dog as a puppy when our youngest was 2 - on purpose. A puppy doesn't mind a toddler like an older dog would. Didn't mind housebreaking as much since we had just successfully potty-trained! |
Anonymous
| I would suggest waiting until your child is 10 or close to it. We have an only child and have always had labs. They are great family dogs but they are strong and require lots of activity. I would never let a young kid walk a lab. Also, if you get a dog when your child is very young, the reality is that your child won’t remember the early years of the dog and the dog will be old or pass away at the point where your child is most attached and can be actively involved playing and caring for the dog. |
Anonymous
| I don't think there is a perfect age but I do think two years old is a particularly tough age to get a puppy. Your toddler is still all over the floor with (very chewable) toys strewn everywhere and little to no impulse control. You're still dealing with a lot of poop and pee and you'd need to babyproof for both which is just logistically tricky. I really think it's more enjoyable if you wait til school age for a puppy--like 4 years old and up. And you can teach an older child some basic responsibilities and empathy at that point. Good luck! |
Anonymous
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PP here who had the puppy and two year old - our dog is a smaller breed, so size wasn't a concern. And this is the only one of our dogs who learned that the children toys were only for children and stuck to chewing on her own toys. The house was already childproofed, which worked well with a puppy - think lots of gates!
Dogs die - you can't avoid that happening, OP! |
Anonymous
Will dh be the one handling the puppy? Because if not than his vote doesn't count. It is a LOT of work! I can not imagine having a 2-4 year old with a puppy!!! My pup is 1 years old now and we got him at 8 weeks. Trust me, you will make mistakes with your dog. Our first dog, now 13 we got as a 2 year old. Still work and needed training but, so much easier and they knew her personality. She was and is great with kids. My kids were 9 and 11. Don't set yourself up for mistakes and then the poor dog has to be re-homed because he nips or is bad with your kid. It isn't fair to the dog. |
Anonymous
Both of us. He is the more experienced dog owner but I am home slightly more |
Anonymous
| Sounds like maybe at least 4yo is best. Sigh. Not what i wanted to hear but perfectly valid! |