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jadavi
20-05-2012, 08:21 AM
Our beloved old dog died two months ago and we are slowly thinking of what next. .. She was a border collie / shepherd mix and was fab with the kids and had grown up in my boisterous home educated (ie at home all the time) family of four kids.

The big question is safety with my mindees.
We could go with a puppy - top ten seem to be lab, collie, spaniel, pug, husky, etc. The big reason would be that we would be in control of its experience and would protect it.

Or we could find an older settled dog who comes from a family with young kids who are getting rid for genuine reasons. ( moving house somewhere smaller etc)
Trouble is you never really know what experiences the dog has had and what its behaviour could be like under certain circs. One of my mindees was a vicious little boy ( my guinea pig story - remember?) and he has a dog now .. God help it.
..... Which is why I keep coming back to a puppy.

Any advice tips cautionary tales.... All hugely appreciated my friends
Ja xxxxx

Pipsqueak
20-05-2012, 08:34 AM
We got a pup last Sept. I already had two dogs.

I think as a previous pet owner you know what to expect more.
What I did find a bit of a battle with one of my older ones (age 4) who loves to love and squeeze to death (!!!!) was that she thought the pup was a dolly and would constantly hoike the pup around.

Thankfully the pup is a placid little animal (Jack Russell) and although the jump up lots with needle teeth stage passed, nothing untoward happened. (Had to ban the child from touching the pup for a while).

I think its putting in clear boundaries with the kids - making sure the pup is treated like a pup and not a dolly lol, giving the pup lots of social experiences and their own space and that the kids respect this. Ensuring good training for the dog - so we can all live in harmony.

Nearly a year on the pup is still mad as a hatter, the kids adore her - 4 now 5yr old still thinks pup is her baby but hey ho!

One of my older dogs is a rescue dog - many rescue centres won't rehome rescue dogs with childminders (now so I am told) or families with children under a certain age.
we have been very lucky with our Daisy - she is terrific with the kids and adores the attention.

jadavi
20-05-2012, 08:59 AM
Thanks - yes we heard same from the rescue people too - none given to families with children under five.
It was after a good long talk with her and hearing the reasons for this- that I came round to the puppy idea.
It'll be so much more work for me and I'd rather have a placid settled older dog but I've been convinced it's too risky.
My own kids would love it and would help and my 17 y o is gonna be a vet nurse so all good on that front - but she is at full time college.... Thought of getting it mid July so she is around the summer hols for the puppy's first six weeks with us
Having said that I'm gonna ring my local animal centre now and could still(maybe) be swayed if there's an older dog who's used to young children.
Still undecided older or pup....
Any other thoughts?
Xx

TooEarlyForGin?
20-05-2012, 09:34 AM
Hi, I have just gone through exactly the same thing. Last November our wonderful lab died at 14, :( all the kids absolutely loved him (although he slept most of the last year), we were going to give it some time before getting another dog, but we missed having a dog so much we got another chocolate lab puppy in March.

I told all the parents we were having a puppy and to chat to me if they had any concerns, I detailed all the precautions I would take with him, although all of the parents were with me when I had our old dog, so were happy and excited for us.

The first few weeks were really hard work, some of the children who already have dogs were really chilled with him, others were jumpy and nervous. We had firm rules on how we treat him, and all of the children look forward to seeing him. As they walk through the door they say hello to him before me :).

We have a crate for him so he has somewhere to go and somewhere I can put him when he is getting over-excited and explain to the children, its his space. I have ended up having more stair-gates than I ever had in the past as he is a continual toy pincher, and has learnt that if he sits patiently one of the little ones will usually "feed" him a toy. The biggest issue I have had is that he is a "chewer" and can destroy an item of footwear in minutes, so all shoes and coats have to be put away, which has been forgotten on occasion, so I have had to pay for a new pair of trainers. Luckily the parents have been wonderful and love the fact their children get to see a puppy growing up.

It has been very hard work, but he is getting used to the routine and is already so gentle with the children as he is being raised with them.

Good luck, let us know what you decide to do.

p.s I love him sooo much it has been worth it

jadavi
20-05-2012, 10:04 AM
Thanks
Yes I was thinking stair gates in each room and pop him in wherever we are not ... And have his crate in the hall where we can see him.
Did you fence off a special piece of garden for him? Don't really fancy doing that as ours is small already ...

uf353432
20-05-2012, 11:50 AM
well I kind of did a bit of both, I rehomed a puppy from a family who decided they had taken on too much. They had young children themselves and we saw her in situ to check tempermant etc. Jess wasn't a new puppy, but past the icky toileting stage, but still in the stealing toys and chewing stage lol! We have a large crate under the stairs which is her 'safe' place and we have a gate system which controls how much access the children have to the garden and the dog has to the garden. Its worked really well - the kids love her and we love her and she loves us. Now she's past the whole toy stealing and chewing stage - thank goodness and she really is a lovely dog. As much as its a pain those early months - I think getting them as young as possible is probably the best option.

sarahjane
20-05-2012, 12:15 PM
I hate to contradict but many rescues will home to families with young children and the fact that you work from home is a huge plus.
Any rescue worth it's salt will have assessed the dog in it's home and you will also be home checked to make sure they can rehome the right dog to the right people. You may have to wait a while for the right dog but there will be one out there somewhere.

I have details of various lab rescues, and also of a rescue called the oldies club (google it) who only take in dogs over the age of 7.

Many of these dogs will be fostered in homes rather than kennels and so the fosterers will have assessed them also.

If you would like some contact details then pm me and I will see if I can help.