by Jennifer Powers

Created on: March 03, 2009   Last Updated: March 07, 2009

Are small dogs safer around children? No, they are not. One particular dog breed is not safer over another, just like size does not matter. As an owner of a dog walking company in Northern Virginia, we deal with breeds of all types. Some small, some medium, and the majority are large. The only dogs my clients have ever not had a problem with when adding children to the mix are Labs, German Shepherds, and even Pitbulls. They have had problems with Chihuahuas, Yorkies, Shih-Tzus and Schnauzers.

One might say bigger dogs have a bigger mouth and more weight so that means they are less safe around children. But when any pet attacks, the size does not matter. When I was growing up, we had a Peekapoo (Pekingnese Poodle mix) named Peek-a-Boo. He was a small 15 pound dog and loved my Mom. He hated me; I would merely climb over the dog gate and this little dog would come to attack me. After his third dog bite, it was time to get rid of him. But I had needed medical care from this little dog's bite, which was a bit scary for me even at the age of eight. Imagine how bad it could have been if I had been an infant! He was taken to a family with no kids and had no more problems, and we were told later that Poodles are sometimes the worst dogs to have around kids.

Over the years, I have watched my friends with their kids and how their dogs have interacted. The big dogs saw the kids as someone to play with and the small ones tended to be jealous and aggressive. I didn't boil it down to a big dog vs. small dog problem, and chalked it up to how the dogs were introduced to the children. This is really what it boils down to overall. How is the dog raised? Are they raised around children, are they treated differently when children are around, and most importantly have they been neglected because the attention is directed at the kids? Are they a rescue that may have been abused at one point or another?

I think the biggest thing is a dog's personality and how it is raised. I have three big dogs who have never been around children on a regular basis (one was terrorized for a little while as a puppy and that was the only extent of children experience he had), and they are great. It's almost like they're built-in baby sitters because if a baby is crying, they come running to alert me to go pick him up. They share their couch with the babies and they don't even try to steal their toys. Best of all, there has never been a growl or any sign of aggression and I fully trust my dogs around my kids. Ironically, my parents' Shih-Tzu who has been around kids and has gotten older, actually growled at one of my babies when my Mom was holding him! I had never had to worry about dogs being around my children up until the visiting dog showed jealousy and aggression.

There is no bad dog or bad breed. My family has Pit Bulls around their children all day and there has never been an incident. It is all in how a dog is raised and treated. If an owner has showed aggression at any point in a dog's life, the possibility the dog will be aggressive also increases. Some dogs are used to being played with roughly which can also contribute to aggression. Small, big, history of aggressiveness or not, there is no dog that will be safer around kids. Big dogs can knock kids over during play, and a big or small dog can bite (even if there is no history) so always keep an eye on your dogs and kids to ensure everyone's safety.

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