What is the best dog for children ages 2 and 4??Is a pit out of the question?

Answer 1

No matter what kind of dog you get you need to watch the kids not the dog their little and don't understand yet.you have to train the human before the dog,and pits get a bum rap.mixed breeds make the best pets save one at the pound.

Answer 2

A pit is certainly not out of the question. As others have said, it is not the dog that is bad, but more often the owner. Sometimes because of bad breeding there are dogs that from the start have it rough but an irresponsible owner only makes that problem worse.

If you do decide on a pit, go to the shelter and look at an adult dog, one that is at least 2 years old. The breed typically reaches maturity by that age and any aggression would have already surfaced. A shelter will not keep any pit that has human aggression (which is NOT tolerable by breed standards). Normally, by the age of two, the temperment is set and you can bet your heart on it, that it will not change. Mind you if you keep up on correct handling and training. Of course like that, any dog can be an awesome companion.

I would look for a more mellow pit (or dog in general) because you have smaller kids and a hyperactive dog (like a lab, or occasionally a pit bull) could potentially knock them down. That also can be trained down. I have an 8-month-old and my dog is often lying next to him where he is playing on the floor. My dog is very cautious where he walks when the baby is on the floor and knows that he cant rough house when the floor is pre-occupied.

Please please please please do research before adopting any breed of dog, as some are not meant for everyone. If you are very interested in a pit bull, check these sites out, they are wonderful resources!

http://www.pitbullforum.com/index.php
http://badrap.org
http://pbrc.net
http://www.workingpitbull.com

and for training for all breeds: http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm

Answer 3

I would not trust a pit bull or rottweiler around children. At the age or 2 and 4 you should be more concerned about the safety of the puppy. Children can be very cruel to small dogs. So often I have seen young children beat,poke and pull the puppies ears and poke things in the puppies eyes,eventually the pup is going to bite the kid! And all to often the parent will smack the dog or tie them up outside or take them to the pound. Avoid any unnecessary pain to the animals.Make sure your child is ready for a puppy. A two year old is in no way capable of understanding that the puppy is a baby too,the 4 yr old is old enough to bond with a puppy for a life time as long as the child knows he/she shouldn't hit the puppy! The ideal time would be to wait for the 2 yr old to be 4 then both children are old enough to respect and love the dog. Cocker Spaniels are excellent with children.

Answer 4

i do not think a pit bull is out of the question. Pit bulls are wonderful family dogs, you just have to do research on the breed, and make sure they are well trained and well socialized (as with any dog). You could try going to local animal shelters to rescue a dog. And no matter WHAT dog you get, always make sure the dog and kids are supervised around each other. Good Luck, i hope you find a nice family dog!

Answer 5

A pit is definitely not out of the question. If you do decide to get a pit, make sure you go through a reputable breeder who will support you throughout the life of the dog. Most of the issues that pits end up having are not due to the dog, but rather a lack of education for the owner. They are not a breed that can be owned by just anyone. A responsible breeder can give you the support and information to make sure that your family succeeds and your pit is an ambassador for the breed.

As suggested by many other people, you may want to try the pound. Mutts can be wonderful pets. You may also want to try one of the many "What breed is for me" quizzes online to see what breeds would be best suited for your family and what you can realistically see yourself doing with and for the dog. They can help you weed out breeds that might have a different energy level than your family, breeds that have different grooming requirements than you're interested in, or breeds that are more or less protective than you'd want them to be. One of the many is at dogbreedinfo.com. Best of luck.

Just as a side note, I grew up with an Alaskan Malamute, a breed that is known for being animal aggressive, and is often on the "menace breed" lists. I used to ride our dog around, pull on her ears, play with her mouth, hang on her tail, and sleep curled up with her. She was not the friendliest of dogs to other people or animals, but she was as gentle as can be with our family. Many kids have grown up with traditionally aggressive breeds and been just fine. The family just has to establish rules and guidelines for both the dog (a pack heirarchy that places them below the children) and the kids (what things are okay to do, and when it is okay to be around the dog).

Answer 6

When considering getting a dog for a family, you must consider the needs and lifestyle of the family. Small dogs with small children are generally a disaster since they are extremely fragile and children can potentially cause major damage to a small breed dog. Many large dogs (including pit bull-type dogs) are very high energy and may not necessarily be good for the family. However, if you've got loads of time to dedicate to playing, walking and obedience classes (all dogs need them), I would definately consider a medium to large breed dog - and this includes the pit bull.

The standard for the APBT (American Pit Bull Terrier) calls for a medium dog who may/may not be dog aggressive but should NEVER be human aggressive. There is a big difference between human aggression and animal aggression. Being as this breed of dog is a terrier, it is not uncommon to see it happen.

If you are considering a APBT or APBT-mix, then I would definately recommend an adult between the ages of 3-5 years. This would give the dog plenty of time to settle down into maturity (since this breed is slow to mature) and show any potential behavioral problems like dog/animal aggression.

This is not a breed for everyone, but on the same token, no dog (regardless of breed) should ever be left alone to be a nanny to children because of the risk of injury to both child and dog. This is a family event and all members should be involved.

Here are a list of excellent websites if you are considering adopting a pit bull (yes, I suggest adoption since reputable rescues spay/neuter and vaccinate their dogs along with temperment testing/obedience):

http://www.pbrc.net
http://www.badrap.org
http://www.pitbullforum.com
http://www.ukcdogs.com (for breed standard info)
http://www.pitbullcorner.com

You are also welcome to PM/e-mail me. I've personally got two APBTs and they are around many children daily. Our one APBT is a therapy dog (the red one in the avatar).

Answer 7

In the beginning of the last cenrty Pit bulls where called Nanny dogs for thier great love of childern. Pits are used as service dogs, therpy dogs,SAR dogs,police work and detecion work for US custems. If trianed right,both kids and dog a pit willwork as a family pet.
There is an extravagant amount of bad information out there about Pits and Rotties. Did you know that the American Temperament Test Society rates their temperaments at above average and at about the same level as Golden Retrievers?? Here’s how they stack up along with some other popular breeds:

Average Rating of all Breeds in this study: 81.0%
Cardigan Welsh Corgi 76.8%
Shih Tzu 76.9%
Old English Sheepdog 77.8%
Beagle 78.2%
Cocker Spaniel 81.5%
Rottweiler 82.3%
Golden Retriever 83.2%
American Pit Bull Terrier 83.4%
Mixed Breed 85.1%

In the ATT test, a dog is put through a series of confrontational situations. Any sign of panic or aggression leads to failure of the test. The achievement of pit bulls and Rottweilers in this study disproves once and for all the old tired belief that they are inherently aggressive to people. (Thanks to Bad Rap Pit Rescue for this resource)

To be fair, these dogs aren’t for everyone - no one breed is universally appropriate for every person. Pits and Rotties, like every dog and dog owner, should go through at least basic obedience training together. Pits and Rotties require a lot of activity, a lot of love and attention, and an owner who understands dogs or is willing to learn. They are loving, loyal and gorgeous dogs. Don’t believe the hype!

Answer 8

a pit is not out of the question. Any kind of dog that you weather it be a pit or a smaller, more "famous" family dog, you will need to make sure that you work with the puppy and the kids, and never leave them alone, and just make sure that they are raised together. That is all that any dog of any breed needs to do.

Answer 9

I tried a lab once, it didn't work, bit my two year old at the time.
Today kids are 11, 4, and 2 and we adopted a border collie-aust sheperd mix female.
She herds the kids like they're sheep. Protective and always making sure she has everyone in they're area. I love it. A single mom of the kids now and she is better than
my husband at some stuff LOL.
A perfect fit. They need to work though and herd, it's they're breeding and what they like to do. Good luck and try to stay with a family oriented dog, collie, retreiver, etc.
They will save your life if needed.

Answer 10

a little saying for you: They're no bad dogs, just bad owners. Pits just need to be trained well, because they become strong dogs when older. That is true for any larger breed however. The best thing to do is to look for temperment of the INDIVIDUAL dog.