i want a dog

[jessgray]

:fingerscrossed: if we move we are hopefully going to get a dog. ds1 is a huge fan of dogs. his fave book is 101 dalmations, he loves watchign the raggs on tv lol
i am not sure what sort of dog we should be looking at getting though.:detective:
is there certain breeds (other then pitbulls) that are a no no near kids? we would be getting a puppy so the dog can grow up with kids. i was thinking of going to the animal shelter and rescuing a puppy from there but i dont know if they are as good tempermant wise as pure breeds.
so what do you think?

[Squiggles]

Hi Jess,

I think it is a mixed bag with rescue dogs vs Pure breeds. Both of our dogs are pure breeds - Our german shepherd is a beautiful gentle dog but our mini foxy has all the typical terrier traits and can get a little snappy if she doesn't get enough attention or if she sees another dog - in saying that though she has been really gentle with all of our friends kids (prob as they are a similar size to her!)

I know there are certain breeds that are really very gentle with kids and have a great temperament - Labradors for example are great, so I would assume if you got a rescue dog that was part Labby it would be a pretty nice dog. Staffy's again are good with kids.

Certain breeds - german shep's for example I would not buy a rescue dog that was part shep as you really need to be sure with big dogs and also they are more prone to health problems. I would also steer clear of any dog was a working dog breed eg - part kelpie as they can be really active and become destructive etc.

So to end my long ramble - do some research on what breeds you think you would like then go to the RSPCA and check out what dogs they have and go from there.

This website might be useful... http://www.petnet.com.au/dogselectapet.html

If you decide to get a pure breed please please buy from a registered breeder and not from a pet shop (just my personal crusade to stop the sale of dogs and cats in shops)

Good Luck!!!

[Tanya1985]

Just to let you know too, Pit Bulls are not necessarly a no no with kids, alot has to do with the owners that are generally attracted to that breed of dog.... young males some of whom are very irresponsible. I personally don't have a pit bull but I do know that they are good with children, if they are put through the correct training.... just like any breed. I would agree with the working breed dog thing too, they do need ALOT of work. Maybe a King Charles, I have never owned one personally but I remember weekends spent with them at my godmothers house and they were FANTASTIC I am even considering getting one before my bub comes. My family has two staffies and a greyhound and they are all wonderful with kids, it really depends on what you want the dog to be like. Just investigate it well and I am sure you will be happy with the result! GOOD LUCK!

[Mum2Tyla]

Hi
as a vet nurse I have seen the bad side of nealry every breed pit bulls are great around kids if they are raised right idiots buy them and intentionally make them aggressive, lanradors are great if trained right if not they can be a bit stupid, if you rescue a dog be wary as often they are their for a reason, try get a puppy that way you are less inclined to be taking on any behavioural issues
Kelly

[Mum2Tyla]

perth pony obviously an intelligent woman to be getting out of the veterinary industry and you also own an alaskan malamute like me :wave:

[aquarius]

we got a mongrel rescue dog from rspca at 8 mths of age, she was there because she had been mistreated by her previous owners and the rspca had confiscated her, not coz she had done anything bad or there was anything wrong with her. we've had her 4 yrs and she is a fantastic dog, v obedient and intelligent. the people at the shelter will hopefully be able to tell you something of the dog's background and what they've observed of their temperament and they should let you walk it and play with it so you can judge for yourself. it is true that adult rescue dogs can be a lot more work than a baby puppykins from a breeder, so you gotta be prepared to put the effort into training them and understanding them - but you've saved a doggie's life! you did say u were thinking of getting a puppy so it could grow up with your kids, the start of the new year is actually a good time to be looking around shelters for little puppies as lots of people get puppies for xmas presents but then decide they can't handle them and give them to the shelter :(

[jessgray]

i know pit bulls can be gentle its just with ds1 at the age where patting = a poke in the eye or a smack i wouldnt want a dog that could latch on like a pit bull can ifyou know what i mean.:) and if we got a pit bull here where i live you have to a heap of paperwork on top of registering it coz its deemed a dangerous breed.i dont think its worth the hassle :laughing:

alaskan malamute are gorgous dogs.

aquarius- yep thats why i want to go to a shelter to save a xmas present:crying: pets are 4 life not 4 the holidays:shame:

[lovinmybub]

We got our last dog from Great Dane rescue and rehoming, and yes, he was a fully grown great dane and HUGE. He had been really badly mistreated and was just a giant bag of bones. He was the best dog ever, picked up obedience training so easily and really was a gentle giant - fantastic with kids - they could take food from right under his nose and he wouldn't flinch.

In saying that, I think we were really lucky, we met another rescued great dane and she wasn't so nice at all!

When we lost our first dog earlier this year we wanted another great dane but decided to go with a puppy and he has been soooooo much more work!! I thought it would be easier to train a pup than a fully grown dog.... I was wrong!!

Mum has had 2 german shepards and they have been the most beautiful dogs, always staying by my little sister while she was in the yard to make sure she's ok! The first was a stray, the second a pup from a breeder. She also has a king charles cav, friendly but not very playful!

I have a friend who worked in the behavoural section of the rspca, the dogs have to go through behaviour checks before they are sold, but I agree that if you get a pup, you'll know its past!

[Areca]

If you decide to get a popular dog, like a labrador, make sure you look into the breeder. Popular breeds = lots of backyard breeding and that means that they don't care about breeding the best dogs, they just breed and get some quick cash. Bad temperment dogs breed bad temperment puppies. I've seen an aggressive labrador in action...very scary!

I rescue dogs and always will. My first dog was a beagle/kelpie x from the RSPCA. She was 8 months old and fully trained. Gorgeous dog. Could walk without a leash even and knew to wait for the beeping nosie before crossing the road. I have no idea why someone put so much work into her to give her up but she was amazing! She had only been taken there the day before.

My second rescue was a true mix breed. He definitely had cattle dog in him but had a few other breeds as well. He was 4 months old when we got him. He had been at the RSPCA since he was 6 weeks old. We had to have him put down at 21 months because he was extremely people aggressive. He missed that most important part of socialisation time and spent it locked in a cage. I had an animal behaviourist out to try and help. It was a case of backyard breeding and a bad start to life...there was no hope.

My third dog, our current dog was 3 years old when we got her. We wanted a staffy and a search on yahoo found us a staffy rescue a couple of hours away. She is great! She knew nothing when we got her, not even how to sit (maybe she knew it all but just in a foreign language?) but she is great with kids and our DD especially.

Do a search on the net...there are quizzes you can take and they match you with the breed of dogs that suit your family life best.

Rescuing is great, just ask where the dog has come from first.

If you go to a breeder, generally speaking a good breeder only breeds when they know they have homes for their puppies...there might be a wait but worth it. Don't buy from the newspaper, a sign on the side of the road, or a pet shop. When you have your breed picked ring around and ask local vets for breeder's numbers. When it comes to picking the puppy the best puppy to pick is not the one that comes tearing up the yard and jumps all over you, nor is it the quiet one that shys away and acts like it wants to disappear so you don't notice it. Get the one in the middle, the one that is wary at first but then comes up to you after a couple of minutes. Just watch them and see what they do, rather than charging in and grabbing the first puppy you can get your hands on.

[fire~fly]

We have a Staffy and he is so wonderful with kids. Weve had him since he was 10 weeks old, but he was about 2 when our son came into the picture., Our dog is so amazing with my son, i couldnt ask for a more perfect dog to be around my child.