Reward Canine - Children and Dogs
When buying a dog for a family with young children utmost care must be taken. Below are listed some points to consider before buying a dog for a family with a young child:
- Never leave the dog unsupervised around the children
- Make sure the dog is big enough to withstand rough play
- Make sure the dog is not too big so it won't hurt the children by knocking them over
- Consider getting a puppy younger than 12 weeks. If it gets a good experience with children at this age it will generally feel comfortable around children for the rest of it's life.
- Keep away from the herding dog group - for most of them it is fairly natural to nip (that's what they do when the herd sheep and especially cattle) and your child won't like such a treatment.
- Keep away from the traditional guarddogs. They might be fine with your children but might step in if a friend's child gets too rough with your child. Many a dog has been put down for this reason and the dog is only doing what it is supposed to.
- If you plan for the child to walk the dog, make sure that the child can physically hold the dog when grown up without any problems. Never let a child under 10 years of age walk a dog alone. Avoid breeds that are likely to fight with other dogs.
For further information please contact Reward Canine on e-mail or phone 0419 517 480