Dogs

Bringing a new puppy or older dog into a home with children is an exciting time for both the family and the new pet. Make the experience as happy as possible by matching the breed of dog to the lifestyle of your family.

Small children aren’t the only thing to consider when choosing the breed of dog to add to the household. If the time you have available for the dog doesn’t fit the dog’s needs, it will cause problems whether there are small children in the home or not. Some dogs need more physical exercise and will not live up to their potential without it. The size of the breed must also fit with the amount of space the family has. Attention to grooming needs and the cost of providing medical attention to specific problems certain breeds are susceptible to should also be researched before the dog is chosen.

Some breeds have different temperaments. Once you have investigated the different breeds and have narrowed your list down, look for a dog breed that seems to like a lot of attention. These types of dogs are eager to please and often will be easier to introduce to a home with small children. A sporting dog has been bred to work alongside of people and is eager to please, making it easier for the dog to be trained when the reward is loving attention.

While any type of dog can be socialized to fit well with a family, some dogs have physical features that make them a better fit for families with small children. Very young children don’t know the difference between hugging and squeezing. A small breed can be hurt while receiving loving attention from a young child. Larger breeds are more able to take the hugs and love pats in stride.

The most popular breeds of house pets seem to be Golden Retrievers, Labs, German shepherd’s and Collies. These are all larger breed dogs that have been bred to work with people.

Dog temperament is unique to each dog, even within specific breeds. The right dog can fit in with any family, no matter what type of dog it is. Some families don’t adapt well to pets, no matter what breed of dog is chosen.

Get to know the dog before deciding whether to bring him into the home to live with small children. Make sure that the kids know how to act around the dog. Don’t leave small children unsupervised with the pet. And most importantly, make sure that you make the time to meet the requirements that your dog needs so that added stress is not introduce into the home with the new pet.

About the Author:

Lisa Mason is a freelance writer with a specialty in Internet content and SEO articles and the author of How to Earn a Living Writing for the Internet. She has written thousands of articles, hundreds of ebooks and thousands of website pages and related content in more than 10 years as a professional writer.

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