Pets & Animals >
Dogs (Other)
Get a Widget for this title
RSS FeedAre small dogs safer pets around children?
Results so far:
| Yes | 25% | 464 votes | Total: 1869 votes | |
| No | 75% | 1405 votes |
Yes
Write now
Print
Invite a writer™
Add to FavoritesA big dog's jaws can exert enough pressure to crush a bone. By this measure alone, they are more dangerous than smaller dogs. Therefore, a smaller dog is safer to have around children.
Regardless of the temperament of the individual dog, we cannot read a dog's mind. We can never state with 100% certainty that the dog would not bite if provoked. A dog can surprise you and not respond with aggression, but it is not wise to make the assumption that they will not.
Children poke, climb, pull hair and stick things in dogs faces. Sometimes, children are tempted to take toys or bones away from dogs. With that in mind, would you rather take the chance of a small dog getting irritated and retaliating or a big dog?
A situation could go either way and you cannot predict the outcome. I heard a story once about a girl who tripped over her dog in the dark and was attacked. On the other hand, my son once dropped a bowling ball on the Husky we had at the time and the dog did nothing other than give him a dirty look. You just don't know how a dog will respond, even if it responded differently in the past.
I know first hand that little dogs tend to be nippier, but the damage they can inflict is minimal compared to a big dog. I have witnessed what a big dog can do to a smaller dog. I can't even imagine what that dog could have done to a child.
Of course, if you believe your dog (regardless of its size) has aggressive tendencies, you should put your children first and find the dog another home. With that said, I think it is more about training your children than it is about training your dog.
We have four dogs, ranging from 90 pounds to 4 pounds. Although my biggest dog is the calmest dog, I acknowledge that she is a dog. As soon as they were mobile, I began to teach my children about the proper way to act around dogs. Even with the best precautions, though, my earlier examples show that accidents can still happen.
Not only can a big dog bite with extreme pressure, enough to shatter a bone, but big dogs can also knock children to the ground. Thankfully, our big dog doesn't jump, but we have had dogs in the past that did. We have also had neighbors with big dogs that jumped. My oldest son was bruised and scraped up one time by the neighbor's Akita knocking him to the ground and pinning him. A small dog probably would not have even put him off balance.
So, I have to conclude that the strength of big dogs, both in biting and knocking down, makes them more dangerous than small dogs.
Learn more about this author, Jennifer Paige.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
No
Purebred dogs have been my hobby for about 30 years. I bred, owned and showed Shih Tzu for twenty five years. I have also owned Scottish Terriers, Lhasa Apso, and a Boxer. I have studied all groups of dogs and although I no longer show dogs, I try to keep current by reading dog magazines and watching dog shows.
We currently have a male Lhasa Apso, very typical for his breed, who is a pleasurable part of our household. "Buddy" is not the most obedient dog I have owned and has a petulant for bolting out the front door when it is opened for any reason. Buddy is not a really good listener but he is far and away THE most loving companion dog my hubby or I have owned. He will be five this summer. We purchased him from a very fine breeder when he was ten months old. From a training aspect, this is not a good age to acquire a dog. I assume Buddy was held back because his breeders were considering showing him. When I was breeding, I have waited to see if a dog would be suitable to show. In Buddy's case, I would think that they ultimately felt he was a little outsize (to the Standard for the Lhasa Breed) for showing. We are seniors and for us, having Buddy is a joy. He keeps us hopping, alive and happy. He loves both of us equally and is our joy!
Having said all that, you might be disturbed to hear that I do not consider Buddy a good dog to be around children. The Lhasa Apso was originally a guard dog inside the Tibetan monasteries. The standard for the Lhasa still includes the term "gay and assertive but chary of strangers". The term "chary" indicates suspiciousness. Originally when recognized in United States and Canada, the Lhasa was placed in the Terrier Group. A Terrier is a feisty dog (excluding Soft-Coated Wheatens and Dandy Dinmonts). Later, it was moved to the Non-Sporting Group.
So, since I have introduced Groups to you, let me explain. Purebred dogs are, in North America, divided into seven groups. These are Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding. The Herding Group is the newest and was created to cut the size of the Working Group.
Generally speaking, the Groups represent dogs of similar purpose and traits. It surely would be great to have a group labeled "child-friendly" and that would simplify finding a family dog that interacts well with children! Since we do not, let me generalize and try to point out why I feel certain dogs are better suited to being around children.
This brings me to the point that it does make a difference if the dog or child was in the household first. If the dog was in the household and possibly an "only", then he virtually was the child in the household. Acquiring a dog after having a child probably helps in terms of the dog understanding that this was the child's house before he came along.
The dogs in the Sporting Group that seem to get along well with children, or be easily trained to interact well with children, would be the larger ones including the Retrievers (Chesapeake Bay, Curly-Coated, Golden, Labrador, and Nova Scotia Duck Tolling).
The American Kennel Club, where purebred dogs are registered, shows the Labrador Retriever as the Number One Dog for the past ten years! So, one would think that Labs are doing something right! The Golden Retriever is currently placing 4th in popularity but has been higher. There are currently 157 breeds recognized by the A.K.C. and of course, we can only work with figures for purebred dogs.
When we were expecting our first great-granddaughter (who is now just over one year), I pushed for us to give Buddy a brand new fiberglass crate for Christmas. Buddy accompanied us to PetSmart purchase his new crate. We looked for one of good size for him to have some toys and water with him. Buddy watched as the man assembled it for us. He walked politely to the checkout as we paid for his new crate and took it out to the car. He knew from that day that this crate was especially for him. Buddy is usually very quiet in his crate and understands he is in there when granddaughter visits.
Dogs regard crates as safe havens. There should be a nice, soft blanket or sheepskin in the bottom and toys already in there. When you have to place your dog quickly in the crate, his things are already in there.
My experience with dogs has shown me that smaller dogs, with the exception of a few who have been raised with small children in the household, feel intimidated by children. When the dog feels intimidated, he does not behave as one would wish with a child, particularly a small child.
My Boxer, Red, was obedient to the point of being over trained and when I had an unwell infant, Red actually assisted in her care. I taught him, very easily, not to lick her at all as her skin was delicate and prone to rashes. I taught Red to sit on the floor beside Carrie Jane in her little seat and there was never a problem to leave them together in one room while I was in another. In fact, Red would come into the kitchen to let me know if something was wrong with Carrie Jane in the living room.
In my opinion, this type of behavior is consistent with a dog who has been very highly trained to commands, and who does not feel alienated by new people or situations. I like the Boxer breed very much because I feel they are very trainable and confident about themselves. The Boxer is currently Number 6 in A.K.C registrations. The A.K.C. Standard describes the Boxer as fundamentally playful yet patient and stoical with children.
My first choice for a family dog is one of the retriever breeds. In particular, the Labrador Retriever which is currently number one in popularity in America would be my first choice. Here is a dog without a chip on his shoulder, without a self-conscious attitude who just plain loves life!
If you read the comics and know "Red and Rover", "Rover" from that strip is pretty true to retrieving breeds. Here is a dog who is by his young master's side every waking moment. He waits at the corner for the school bus to bring his master back home. That strip is very true to Retrievers in general.
Let us take a minute to look at children, especially young children. What do they do? They crawl, then they walk, they investigate everything, they poke their fingers at things and generally try to find out what everything is. Nothing wrong with that! That's what healthy children do! Little children don't mean any harm to the dog, they just perhaps think of the dog much as they do their toys. Speaking of toys, a child will go after a dog's toys and for some smaller dogs, this is a major red flag! The dog will compete for the toy and do what he has to in order to retrieve the toy. That could include biting or scratching a child.
In the case of the Shih Tzu, I quickly learned that little children would poke their fingers at the Shih Tzu's face. The Shih Tzu has large, prominent eyes that are very vulnerable to injury. The child could very easily harm the dog's eyes. The Shih Tzu might not bite the child, as his teeth are rather small and undershot. However, he might resent the child. For many households, the Shih Tzu IS the child. The Shih Tzu Standard indicates that his sole purpose is to be a companion dog.
Many larger dogs, particularly the Labs and Goldens that I have picked as two excellent breeds for children, feel very secure about themselves and have a gentle nature. The A.K.C. Standards for both dogs indicate excellent temperament and gentle attitude.
Dogs are not people and one cannot expect any breed to deviate greatly from its original purpose or temperament.
When selecting a dog breed for a household with children, do check out the standard of the breed you are contemplating at akc.org. Look for a dog that has an easy going temperament and is known to get along with children. In general, when you ask around, you will find that most sources will lead you to a large dog breed.
Learn more about this author, Martha Sutton.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
