Tell me about your dog

DCKate · March 2014

We aren't ready for a dog yet, but I've always had a dog and can't wait to bring one into our family. I want to hear from all of you what some of the pros and cons are of having a dog right now. How do they handle a LO who is walking and grabbing and invading space?

I know every dog is different, but would love to know how your dog handles being around LO, if you've had your dog since it was a puppy or adult, from a rescue, etc.

emja0214 · March 2014

There are definitely dogs that do better with kids than others. You can research which breeds are recommended. We have a half pug half pomeranian, which is not a typical breed, and she is wonderful with DD.

spainy17 · March 2014

We have two English Bullgogs. Duke and Tank.

We got the first when dating and the second when engaged. They are now 6 and 4.

PROS: We chose bulldogs because when we were dating we lived in a townhome and worked odd hours so we wanted something that would not need walked and that we would not feel guilty leaving kenneled when working. They are perfect for this, so lazy and require next to no exercise. They are very mild mannered and cuddly. I love how DD interacts with them and it has made a huge difference for how she is with animals in general. I think it is really good for kids to grow up with pets. I cannot wait for her to be able to run after them.

CONS: They ARE heavy so we worried when she was tiny that they would squish her. Now the only problem is that our younger one tries to give her kisses and she is still really tippy when standing so she has fallen over before. The only other con is that I often have to kennel them when it is just us as home because I can't handle all three of them since DD is so in their faces right now. The boys take it well but I'm sure they get annoyed.

lmkirby21 · March 2014

We have a 4 year old husky that we've had since she was a puppy. She is super gentle with our lil man and is always giving kisses. She doesn't really get in his face much and kind of knows when to back off him if he's cranky or what not. She thinks of him as her own baby. I can't imagine my son growing up without her. I will say that At first she was hard to train bc she was very hyper, but now she is a pretty calm chill dog. Almost on the lazier side lol.

mrsodonnell12 · March 2014

We have a teddy bear (Maltese and shih tzu) and she does wonderful with kendall climbing on her, hugging her and playing with her. They are best friends!!

DCKate · March 2014

This is really helpful. My husband never had dogs growing up and has a lot of concerns. I always had a dog and think its so important for kids to grow up around animals, to learn to be compassionate and kind and responsible.

littlebean4 · March 2014

We're crazy and decided to get a puppy in December when Little one was 10 months old. It's been iiiinsane! haha. He's a cane corso mastiff, supposed to be great with kids, good family dog. I have to say he is a pretty good dog, definitely more mellow than a typical puppy but definitely still has his moments where I find myself ready to punch him in the face

. I would have to say the biggest issue right now is that I can't just put my LO down and do things around the house like I could have in the past, I have to make sure they're separated bc though he's good, he still gets hyper, wants to just lick her face and nibble on her toes. Can't wait for the day when he starts to relax and they can just be best buddies.

Brummy14 · March 2014

We have two pugs. I love them, but with kiddos, most days I wish I didn't have dogs, to be honest.

Keeping ahead of the constant shedding, barking at anything out of the ordinary...and while they are great little high chair vacuums, they now believe the girls are eating 100% of the time they are not watching. So, if they are not in the room with is, they are freaking. Out. I'm peeved at them more often than not, these days. So, I guess, in short -- not to be the uber downer -- be really, really sure you're wanting to go down this path!

spainy17 · March 2014

Yeah, I will say the shedding sucks. I just assumed that I would be able to do floors more often and obviously with a LO I at least can't nearly as often. It's gross.

ohiodoxiemama08 · March 2014

We have a miniature dachshund, who I (somewhat) jokingly refer to as my first born

DD is not a cuddler but he just may be the snuggliest dog on earth. If your lap is open he is on it! He also sleeps about 90% of the time.

He does pretty well with DD...I was worried because he was the center of attention before (and honestly he still gets plenty of attention). DD loves him, he could go either way with her. He loves her when she eats (I love that he cleans up her mess) but isn't a huge fan of her pulling on him (which is fair because he is smaller than her).

I am biased, because I'm a dog lover but I think all kids should have a dog. It's great for their immune system, a great companion and a way to teach responsibility. But just make sure it's really for you. It absolutely breaks my heart when people have pets and give them up due to kids. Hope this helps

Las135 · March 2014

We have a Pit Bull.... gasp! Yes a Pittie, and he is awesome with DS. He lets him crawl all over him, and pull his ears, and tail. He has became a little barky/growly when strangers come up to the door and DS is in the living room, but he is just being protective. My parents have a huge piece of property, so they have a 130lb mastiff/lab mix, a 150lb American Bulldog, and 2 chihuahuas. They are all so good with my LO. We have been very lucky to have such great animals. ALL of which have been adopted from our Local Humane Society!

Just another testament as to why Adoption is sooo awesome!!

Ash2015 · March 2014

We have three dogs. Our schnauzer and beagle are both over ten years old and don't really pay much attention to DS. DS and the schnauzer growl at each other sometimes (never any biting, though) and the beagle runs away when he tries to mess with him. We also have an Aussie who is a little over a year old. DS adores him and he adores DS. They play fetch and the Aussie knocks DS down and DS sits on the Aussie's face. Basically, they have a great friendship lol. The only con I've had with our dogs is that they bark a lot and that isn't great for nap time. But I second the comment about them being great high chair vacuums!

jobiann · March 2014

Great post, since we are moving into a new house with an awesome already fenced in yard (previous owners had two dogs) we just started looking. We like Beagles and English Setters (which we won't hunt). But we are still exploring different breeds.

Chappy_jr · March 2014

We have an 8 year old Cocker Spaniel rescue. We got her a few years ago and she has been a joy because of her high energy and happy face, although she does not do well with the public since she has a lot of anxiety and high energy. I did have some concerns about her with DS but she knows that he is part of the family. She doesn't love him (never wants to be petted by him) but she'll get out of his way and follow him around the yard now that he is walking. They compete for my attention, that's for sure!

It has actually gotten easier for us now that DS is walking because we can take the dog outside and toss the ball or DS can even toss the ball inside if the weather is bad. Before DS was walking I simply couldn't tend to both of them and had the guilt and annoyance towards the dog that others have mentioned. She really is a high energy dog and while walking is fine, she prefers about an hour of ball tossing a day, pretty hard to do with a nursing baby.

She did nip him once about five months ago when he stumbled on top her and scared her awake but it wasn't bad - no broken skin. I would still never leave them alone together unsupervised.

dreemkin84 · March 2014

I have a 4 yo schnoodle (poodle and schnauzer). He's already getting to be an old man who just wants to sleep on someone's lap all day lol. But he's really good with Norah.

Pros: no shedding to worry about. He's gentle and sweet with Norah, especially with toys and bones that she grabs from him. They will keep each other occupied by playing with each others toys. He eats the food she drops on the floor. She gives him hugs and kisses and it melts my heart.

Cons: He will growl at her if she pulls his fur or squeezes to tight (he's not a large size dog). He will steal her cheerios from time to time. He is like another baby getting under your feet. He barks a lot. I suggest a quieter breed!

Good luck deciding!

82Sonia · March 2014

I LOVE my dogs but some days they drive me absolutely crazy. I wouldn't trade them for anything but I'm not certain I would have adopted a dog after baby. We have much less time for walks and much less time for playing just with them.

My daugher absolutely loves them and we make sure that she knows to treat them gently.

ReeceFamily · March 2014

We have Ollie, an 80-pound mixed breed that needs TONS of exercise (lab/shepherd/pitt mix?) and Louie, a 10-pound mini doxie who is a big cuddler. I love them dearly, but honestly they are a source of constant guilt and stress to me right now, because we're really not able to give them all the exercise and attention they deserve. They do okay with DD. Ollie intends to be gentle, but he's a bull in a china shop and will accidentally knock DD down with his tail or lick her to death. Louie is patient (he's a senior, 12 years old) but she keeps pulling on his ears and we're waiting for him to snap at her one of these days!

It will get better over time, but if I didn't already have dogs there's no way I'd get one right now. I'd wait until your LO is older. Just my two cents.

sekura · March 2014

We have two Great Pyrenees. These are very large, family-oriented dogs, known for being good with kids. The elder (12) we got many years ago, and socialized with kids, the younger (2.5) we actually got when LO was 5 months old--because our other Pyr died unexpectedly of bone cancer, and we just couldn't go without another one! The younger one had lived with kids before--both are rescue dogs.
That is something you can find very helpful in choosing the right dog--going with a rescue will allow you to know the dog's temperament, behavior, and history before you adopt. When we got Ripley (younger one), we knew we had to be very careful in our selection. Some dogs simply aren't meant to be with young children.
They have both been very good with LO; no aggression, very tolerant of having their hair pulled, etc. Biggest downside to having dogs at this time with kids is the extra housecleaning and time to care for them.

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