Children with golden retreiver or boxer?or other breed suggestions?

**Tekkencat** · 05-06-2012, 06:19pm

nothings wrong with them but you dont know their history or what they are going to be like around kids/families/adults without kids etc etc - the rspca (as should responcible rehoming places) usually vet the places where the pets are to be re-homed and with teeny kids (we're talking months/weeks old here aren't we?) they just aren't suitable

i've had them in the past too - Im very surprised you have had pups as the maj of re-homers are older dogs (strangely always seem to be 18 months old or above) pups are very scare

**mummyplus2** · 05-06-2012, 06:35pm

Both my dogs are rescues and I also foster dogs who are in rescues waiting for a home. I have 5 kids 6 and under and have not had any problems with any of the dogs I own or foster. Greyhounds need minimal exercise contrary to belief. I walk mine for half hour every day but they generally recommend 2x20 minutes a day.

Oh if we are talking golden retriever instead of lab my sister has one and it cannot be trusted near kids, it bit my stepson and is very grumpy despite growing up with children in the house. Also very drooly!

**lisnic** · 05-06-2012, 06:40pm

We just had our previous rescue dog pts (a parsons jack Russell) she was adorable and loving but she had her issues that we couldn't change after her 8.5yrs before us (i.e. socialising with dogs)

So have decided if we get one it will be a puppy so we can bring it up train it socialise it etc

I'm not 100% yet but am deciding breed etc so I can thoroughly investigate it and if it feasible yet or if we wait a bit more - it is the 2 littlies with dh working away that is what I need to decide about just now and when I'd fit the exercise in - however I do take ds to park everyday or 2 anyway but I still need to think a bit more on this front - its the only thing that's making me not just say right let's get one just now without a bit more thought

I think it is a timing thing really as we are a dog family and we miss Tyler (our little jack) but I just need to be sure when is the right time now or wait a bit??

I do think a puppy would be great for kids and growing up with them being little too but got few things to weigh up still

I think I'm pretty decided it will be a retriever (I always said this breed,dh likes boxers) now or when the time comes :-)

**Bop** · 05-06-2012, 06:44pm

We got ours when the kids were at school, the idea being that I could walk her after dropping the kids off and it works well most of the time, but holidays and sick kids are trickier (although as they get older its less of an issue as the older kids can now take her out).

Bop

ETA: She is also a rescue dog - she was 2.5 when we got her and is fantastic with kids, but we have had to work hard to fully socialise her with other dogs.

**mummyplus2** · 05-06-2012, 06:46pm

Also, there seem to be a lot of labs up for rehoming around the 7 month mark, I think purely due to that age being the hardest! I would never get a puppy, I fostered one once and it was so much hard work! I much prefer the older ones as they are a lot calmer, already trained, and fully assessed. I got my dogs when they were 2 and 4, one was an exracer and the other a stray. My 4 year old exracer is the easiest, most laid back dog I have ever known.

**Bubble** · 05-06-2012, 07:02pm

We are getting a cocker spaniel puppy at the beginning of July and can't wait

My friend has two labs and they are fab with children too.

**Sam** · 05-06-2012, 07:10pm

Originally Posted by mummyplus2

Also, there seem to be a lot of labs up for rehoming around the 7 month mark, I think purely due to that age being the hardest! I would never get a puppy, I fostered one once and it was so much hard work!

I can vouch for this

our pup is nearly 8 months and just becoming a bit easier. The first 6 months was harder work than any of our children

**kelly** · 05-06-2012, 07:30pm

Mine is an exracer too mp2, also rescue and she was then used for breeding for 2 years and is the most laid back dog i've ever known!

**Shoppie** · 05-06-2012, 07:54pm

We had a retriever growing up which was fab and we were tiny and persecuted the poor thing!

We did rehome a boxer, which was as others have said nuts. We had to rehome him as he just kept completely trashing our house every time we went out

Then we had German Shepherd/ lab crosses for the rest of my life - four different dogs in total, all brilliant and I think its a really good cross.

We lost our cats when our DS1 was 2 and I was pregnant with DS2. We decided to wait as I just adored my cat and couldn't imagine replacing him

Now time has worn on and I've become more and more sure that I just cannot cope with anything else. I think in 3 - 5 years time maybe, but I really would encourage you to give yourselves at least 6 months before you get another pet.

**Stephi103** · 05-06-2012, 11:31pm

I had a goldie and he was the most loving and fantastic dog ever. He was just a perfect temperment in everyway. We got him from a Breeder in Hastings.

He would lay next to the girls and cuddle them and let him fuss him all the time, if they crawled/walked away he would get up and go and lay next to them again so they would fuss him again!

We had to re-home him as Sofia became allergic to him and 7 months down the line we are still broken hearted and miss him very very much.

Regarding the rescuse line of things, people can look for the breed rescuces as well because we rehomed him through the golden retreiver rescue and the lady who has him now is one lucky lady! He is fully trained and beautiful temperment, not all rescues are from bad situations, mine just proves it.

**Velvet Chain** · 06-06-2012, 12:55am

Just for information but currently Battersea have more than 80 puppies to be rehomed - they are all under 3 months old.

There are always puppies at rescues but they are usually reserved as there are waiting lists for people to take them in, last time we rehomed two springer spaniel puppies from them which were beautiful and lived for many years wihtout any problems at all.

And as to not know the temprement of an animal from a rescue, personally i would prefer to rehome a puppy from a rescue where they have been assessed than from a breeder who is basically just out for making money and not assessing the owner or the dog - just because they are KC registered doesn't guarantee the temprement of the pup.

**santafi** · 06-06-2012, 01:13am

Personally I wouldn't get a Goldie - for many years they topped the list of dog bites recorded in Emergency Departments as there are so many badly bred ones out there.

If you do get one, make sure it's from hip scored parents and that you get to meet mum with the puppies. Temperament problems and bad hips are a huge problem in this breed, but with the right breeder these can be avoided.

**lisa82** · 06-06-2012, 11:24am

Goldies are lovely doggies, we had 2 when i was younger and i have a 13 year old now.

I can also say rotties are fantastic dogs too

The kennel club recommends staffies with children and again while we have an old one hes still as nutty as a fruitcake

Any dog can be dangerous, its not the dogs fault its how its trained, or sadly not in many cases and that makes them bad dogs. Bad dogs = bad owners.

**SaintSarah** · 06-06-2012, 04:32pm

Originally Posted by Stephi103

Regarding the rescuse line of things, people can look for the breed rescuces as well because we rehomed him through the golden retreiver rescue and the lady who has him now is one lucky lady! He is fully trained and beautiful temperment, not all rescues are from bad situations, mine just proves it.

I agree with this, I used to volunteer for a breed rescue (Labrador) and the re-homing process was very thorough and the dogs fully checked out before they were homed. Dogs are not always re-homed because they are trouble, but sometimes circumstances change and lovely friendly dogs need someone new to love them.

Originally Posted by lisa82

Any dog can be dangerous, its not the dogs fault its how its trained, or sadly not in many cases and that makes them bad dogs. Bad dogs = bad owners.

Again I agree with this.

Id also like to say to those asking about walking a dog, if you have one you find the time to walk them, it's as simple as that! There are some days when the last thing I want to do is don my wellies and walk the dogs but I have to because otherwise I am not being a responsible dog owner....that said, I would probably wait until your baby is slightly older lisnic....our puppy is 10 months now, and my word she was/is hard work, not sure I could have coped with her when I had tiny babies...it not just the walking it's training, socialising, toilet training and chewing of everything that is the hardest thing!!

**Jolou** · 18-06-2012, 09:53pm

We have an 11 month old Goldie and he is fantastic with the kids. So soft and gentle. He doesn't need loads of exercise, training tires him out too.

**cheeky_biscuit** · 18-06-2012, 10:08pm

I am not a dog person but love our chihuahua! DH got her in december from a "reputable KC breeder"; unfortunately we now think she came from a puppy farm (long story but dog fine). She is a fantastic dog though, great with the kids, doesn't need a lot of walking and very happy in the cats company. DH works from home so there's always someone with her.

**Hazy** · 18-06-2012, 10:44pm

What about a Shih tzu? They don't shed so no hair everywhere. They're small so your children won't be knocked over by them. They'll also be able to hold the lead when they're old enough. They also don't need hours and hours of exercise. They're also good with children.

**zummerzet lou** · 19-06-2012, 11:32pm

We have a golden retriever and she is absolutely fab with the kids.

Had her as a puppy, when our youngest was only 5 months old. The kids do everything with her - play, dress her up, take her to bed and she happily goes with the flow and is extremely tolerant of all of it. In fact, she's never growled, shown her teeth etc EVER!

The downside is that they are very hairy ... you have to brush them regularly, not to mention hoovering all the time.
They are also notorious as being naughty puppies ... the first year of her life she chewed a hole in the wall (yes - in the plaster), ripped the stair carpet up, chewed the skirting, ruined our garden by digging holes and destroying ALL the shrubs.

That said, from about 9months onwards she chilled, and is happiest now in front of the fire.