Recommend a book about dogs?

rylie

Hey all, just wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction....

I've wanted to get a dog for years now, but we had a baby last year and I gather having a new dog and a toddler might be an explosive combination!

I'd like to start researching breeds and get an idea of the type of dog that would best suit us in the future. Is there a good book anyone could recommend?

Also, if we went down the rescue dog road, is there any way of being sure that a rescue dog will be gentle and patient with kids?

Thanks in advance
Rylie

Whispered

Hi OP - I can't recommend a book as I do al of my checking up on things here - but in response to your question about a rescue dog and a child;

If you went for an older dog, you could go through a rescue. They will listen to what you want from your dog, how much exercise you can give it etc then pair you with a dog they feel most suitable. In your case the dog will most likely come from a foster home with kids and have proven themselves as good with kids. It goes without saying of course that no dog can be 100% trusted with kids.

If you go down a rescue puppy route, you will have as much chance getting a dog who will grow up to be good with kids as you would if you went to a breeder. Some breeds are known to be better with kids, and you can tell the rescue what breed you want. Again, it goes without saying that nothing is guaranteed but this is the case with dog bought from a breeder.

Why not tell the forum what you would like from your dog and people can make suggestions. (prepare for people telling you how great their dog breed is and loads of pictures! )

(in first for the staffies!)

Best of luck with your search.

suziwalsh

Contact a good rescue like www.dogstrust.ie who will be able to match you up with the right dog/pup for your needs and give you loads of support and advice, far more then you would get if you were buying a dog.

A good book is by gwen bailey called the perfect puppy or her book choosing the right dog for you.

Dogs and children make a great combination however it is worthwhile considering all puppys play bite and also no puppy comes house trained....so it might be easier opting for an older dog who is past those stages.

Alternatively you could always foster a dog from the guide dogs and see how you get on by either temping or taking one for a year. Good way to see without the commitment of a dog.

Discodog

rylie wrote: »

I gather having a new dog and a toddler might be an explosive combination!

It's often a lovely combination. The child learns to understand dogs from an early age - the dog will already be able to understand most of you !. As a toddler I literally lived with animals & could be found curled asleep with the dog, on the dogbed !. As I grew up the dog grew with me & we became inseparable.

My parents made a wonderful decision by getting a dog & many years later I have three in the house.

Cherry Blossom

There are lots of things to take into consideration other than the baby, you want to find a dog to suit your lifestyle as a whole, things like indoor or outdoor dog, how much time you have to exercise it, how much effort you are willing to put into grooming and/or cleaning up hair - low shed dogs for the most part need a lot more grooming.

If you are going for a puppy the most important thing you want is reared in a family home with young kids and handled from day 1. This more so than breed.

Having said all that - another point for the Staffordshire Bull Terrier from me.

mymo

Same here as discodog, I grew up with dogs from very young and we always had dogs, also cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and assorted other smallies.
I currently have 2 dogs and two cats in the house, as well as a twelve year old.
A toddler and pup can be a handful but is worth it in a year or so when they are both over the crazy stage.
You will have to be quite careful when toilet training, puddles and poop and a toddler aren't great(baby gate can be very useful) , but otherwise its just a matter of watching them when together and teaching the child how to behave with the dog.

Many dogs end up in rescue from families for various reasons, sometimes a break up, or a job loss/can't afford dog. They would be assessed and often go into foster care first, so if you asked a few rescues I'm sure you could find a great dog.

I think kids benefit a lot from having pets, it teaches so many things, patience, respect and how to love and care for others. Its really worth it.

As for breeds, well its one of those hard to answer questions. I would suggest a medium size dog as it will be big enough to cope with the play with a child, football, running around in the garden etc, but not too big to knock the child when excited.

Some small breeds can be snappy, that said I have a Lhasa apso who loves small kids and babies, she is so gentle with them, follows them around and plays nicely.
The other dog is bigger (springer size) loves kids too but could knock them when playing and excited. That said he is very good with my friends two special needs girls and has never jumped up or knocked them.

Its really just a matter of looking around, no pup will turn out in a specific way, its more a matter of upbringing and training. There are breed traits that will be more prominent in certain breeds, but no one can ever tell from a tiny pup, what it will turn out like.
Exercise is very important for a dog around kids (as is training), if the dog doesn't get enough exercise, it will be more excitable and it's the cause of many problems.

Best of luck

rylie

Thank you all for taking the time to reply, it's much appreciated. I looked into fostering guide dog puppies but one family member has to be at home during the day.

Myself and OH work full time so that in itself is putting me off a little- is it cruel to leave a dog alone from 8am-5pm? I'm just not sure if I'm being a bit selfish in wanting a dog at this stage? Having said all that I'd love baby rylie to grow up with a dog. Aaagh, I'm waffling now, sorry guys!

suziwalsh

Yeah its not a good idea to leave a dog home alone for that length of time unless you are going to use doggy day care. The pup will be lonely, difficult to house train and may develop behavioural issues. Not recommended at this stage.

You can put your name down to mind a guide dog pup at weekends....that might be a good way have a dog in your life.

Cherry Blossom

rylie wrote: »

Thank you all for taking the time to reply, it's much appreciated. I looked into fostering guide dog puppies but one family member has to be at home during the day.

Myself and OH work full time so that in itself is putting me off a little- is it cruel to leave a dog alone from 8am-5pm? I'm just not sure if I'm being a bit selfish in wanting a dog at this stage? Having said all that I'd love baby rylie to grow up with a dog. Aaagh, I'm waffling now, sorry guys!

A lot of people in this situation take on two older dogs (as in not puppies) that are a bit less needy and will have each other for company all day. Rescues often have 2 dogs that need to go together for whatever reason so perhaps you could contact some of the rescues and leave your details so they can contact you if anything suitable comes up.