Thinking of
getting a dog?
Top Questions
for Dog Adoption & Handling
(For families with children)
By Julie Bjelland Lokhandwala
Below are
some questions from a parent with a 4-month-old baby and a 4-year-old son who
is interested in getting a dog or puppy.
It’s a good list of questions and answers for anyone with children
considering getting a dog.
- What is the best age dog to get with children (i.e.
puppy or older than 1 year)? I think you should get a dog that is
older than 2 years old. Any younger
than two and you have to deal with a lot of the puppy/adolescent behavior
that can be difficult with a baby and very active boy in the house.
- Most shelters list what is best for the dog; such as children
over 10, how can I find a dog that is best for children under 10? I
think you should get a dog that is medium sized or bigger…a small sized
dog can be injured easily with your son’s age and energy and simply
because your son is too young to fully understand what can hurt a
dog. There are some great online
resources to check out.
- Purebreds vs. mixed breed, what’s better and for
whom? Mixed
breeds are generally healthier and get the best of both traits. But, breed rescue groups can also be
great places to adopt adult dogs because the dogs are living in foster
care which are more like real homes; not shelters, so their personalities
are really known even better.
- Is there any particular breed of dog that is better
with children than others? There are so many differences within
each breed as to what a dog can be like so It
really does depend on the dog. Shelters and rescue organizations are
generally trained to know what each dogs temperament and personality is
like that they have available for adoption, so they could meet with you
and discuss what dogs they have available.
You may think you want a high-energy dog to match your son’s energy
but I would NOT get a high-energy dog with a baby and a small child. High – energy, young dogs require a lot
of exercise-like 3 long fast paced walks up to an hour each and can NEVER
skip a walk. High-energy dogs do
better with people that plan to do dog agility, dog sports, hiking,
running daily, and are always on the go, etc. Playtime, even with your active son will
not be enough exercise for a high-energy dog in my opinion. Think about your energy level and
typical schedule as the parent and try to match it to that.
- For a small yard, what size dog is best? In
my opinion dogs that do well are the ones that go for daily walks, so the
size of your yard doesn’t matter that much. Again, I think at least a medium size
dog could be good for your family.
- Where can I go for dog training that will include a
youngster, so they can learn too?
You, perhaps??? Your 4 year old son is
really too young to be a part of a professional training experience. What I would suggest is that parents
first learn dog training and then teach children the VERY basic things
like what they’d be allowed to do and what they aren’t. For example, make the dog sit before
offering a treat. Don’t feed the
dog at the table. Teach your
children some of the family rules for the dog. Plus, when you learn command words you
can teach your child, but age appropriate as it is really difficult for
him to be consistent enough. The
training is going to be done by you, the parent. My web site that features my dog
training book is a great place to start as it offers all the information
you need to start the training process: www.webdogtrainer.com
- What breed of dog can handle being alone for a
portion of the day? Most dogs that have been well exercised, tired out, and fed before
you leave can be alone for a portion of the day. You may think about keeping them in a
crate while you are away, but that will depend on the dog.
- Dogs and babies; introducing your dog to your baby. Until you have established yourself as the dog’s leader, the dog
should not be allowed close to the baby.
You as its leader can later introduce the baby but it will be done
on-leash and after you’ve done some training with the dog for a period of
time. Otherwise, the dog should not
be near the baby in the first few weeks.
When you do introduce the dog, they should be first introduced to
the smell of the baby through the baby’s things, then later sit quietly
next to the baby in a down stay with you holding the baby. The dog can be allowed to smell the
baby’s feet and legs but not near the babies face yet. Babies and small children need to be
supervised with your dog at all times.
- How often should the dog be fed? Twice
a day is best for their health.
They need to be allowed to relieve themselves after eating as well.
- What is the best dog food or what should/shouldn’t be
in it? If your dog has no health concerns, some
of the premium foods with fewer by-products are good. You can speak with your VET about this
after your dog has been examined…they will know more then regarding their
fur, skin, etc to recommend a food for you.
- Dry or wet dog food? Dry dog food is best for their teeth.
- What resources are there for finding a good
dog-to-family match? A really good shelter or rescue organization should have these
resources. They should know their
dogs well and be dedicated to matching the dog with the right person. If they are not, then you should not
adopt from them. I am also willing
to work one-on-one through my site to help people pick the best dog for
their family.
- When an infant is in the house, can a dog be adopted
soon or should there be a waiting period? Should the dog be a puppy or an
older dog? Personally,
I know I wouldn’t have been able to handle having a new dog with a
newborn, because it is a lot of responsibility with the exercise,
brushing, cleaning up after the dog and the extra supervising. You will not be able to let your
children around the dog unsupervised for the first few months until you
have established your training with your dog and your son has completely
understood what he can and can’t do with the dog.
- What should you look for when adopting a dog that the
shelters may not tell you? If it is a good shelter, they should be
really upfront with you. Shelters are careful because they don’t want to
see the dog returned back to the shelter.
- What to do when puppies teeth and bite? Having
a puppy is A LOT of work! Teething
goes on a long time and when they are small they have very sharp
teeth. You have to constantly offer
your puppy an alternative to chew on and be good with your timing and
technique. I have a lot of this
information on my site too in more detail and I am happy to work
personally with you through the site as well.
- Can an old dog really not learn new tricks???? Old
dogs CAN learn new tricks. The
amazing thing about dogs is that as soon as you teach them something well,
they learn it!
Good luck with your search for the right dog for you
and your family! For more information
and consultations about picking the right dog for you and your family and for
training and behavioral advice visit: www.webdogtrainer.com