I was told that Lhasa's are not good around children I have a 7, 3yr and 4 month, what should I do?

Question

My 3 year old loves to play with her alot, and my 7 year old loves to pet her and hug her alot she even sleep with her is that ok the puppy is only 13 weeks

Answer 1

As long as you set and enforce rules for your children handling the dog and make sure that the dog isn't getting overwhelmed with rough handling, you should be fine. Give the dog an easily accessible space of it's own to escape the children - a crate is a perfect spot. Make sure your children know that the space is for the dog only, and when she goes to her space to leave her alone. As long as your dog's individual temperament suits your family, I wouldn't worry about what people say.

Also, please do not let your children interact with the dog unsupervised, no matter what breed or age the dog is. It is your responsibility to protect both your children and your dog from undue harm and accidents always happen when nobody is watching.

Answer 2

Dogs that are said to not be good around children are usually dogs that have been tormented or mistreated by children. I believe your dog will be perfectly fine and make a wonderful companion to you and your children as long as you treat the dog with respect and always remember that younger children require supervision around animals. Sometimes little ones don't exactly understand how to treat animals, so it is your job to teach them and show them. I'm certain if you can manage 3 kids a Lhasa puppy can find a wonderful place in your home! Enjoy and have a great time.

Answer 3

If a puppy is raised around children they are usually great with children as an adult. The best way to make sure your children never get bit is to never leave them alone with the dog. Also it helps to give the dog a place she can play, sleep, eat, or just rest where the children cant get to her. She needs to have 'her space' so when she gets grouchy and tired of the kids she doesnt need to get ugly or grouchy with them she can just go to her space and relax. Our dog has the laundry room. When he is in the laundry room the kids know he needs a break from them. It took obout two months for the kids and the dog to figure all this out! Good luck! As long as your kids are good to the dog Lhasa's are great with children.

Answer 4

How this is going to turn out is going to depend partly on what you do and partly on the quality of the breeder. A good breeder would have temperament tested the pups to see which would do well with kids.

Go to the Lhasa club site:http://www.lhasaapso.org/BreederReferral/BreederRef.html

Look at what they say about LAs and kids. Training the pup is very important.

You also need to be aware that being cautious and suspicious of strangers is part of the BREED STANDARD. That means that you'll have to socialize this dog so that your children's friends can visit without worrying about the dog. Of course, you should never leave the dog and kids alone together.

The pup should be sleeping in a crate. According to the breed club, this pup will assume it is in a higher place than the kids in the pack order if allowed to...

I am sure she is a sweet pup, I suggest you find a good trainer to help you teach her the rules of your family and polite human society and it will be fine.

Answer 5

If you raise the dog with the children and make sure that your kids don't hurt it, it should be fine with them! Just make sure you set boundaries and give the dog a "safe place." The best way to do that is to have a kennel the dog can run to when it needs alone time, and make sure the kids know that it is off limits to them. Growing up, we had a Lhasa in the family when I was 14 and my baby brother was only 1. The dog was fine with all the kids and was never aggressive!

Answer 6

Lhasa's can make great family pets, you've been misinformed. Having your children interact with the puppy is actually great socialization for the dog and will help it to develop a good temperment. Of course, you should be supervising and watching for aggressive behaviours from your puppy. Growling, getting mouthy etc.

Answer 7

Hi there my sister bred Lhasa's ad has had the mother as a pet with her own children and she has been great, however will NOT tolerate any other children and neither will any of her two puppies that she born. I know this as one went to my Mother and one went to my father and not one of them will take to a child. Just be very careful for your own sake it is a Dog afterall. Good Luck.

Answer 8

Be very, very careful.

It's good for the dog to socialise with her. Its good for her to learn to respect them in their position in the pack(home)

You must control your children as any incident will be YOUR FAULTand not the dog's.

All of this is advice that has nothing really at all to do with the breed of dog, its common advice available from any dog expert.

They must NOT get in her bed with her.
They must NOT pick her up or try and pick her up. If they hurt her, it may be a natural reaction for her to nip, but a nip can catch and tear a child's skin. Dogs warn in that way, remember that.
They must NOT be left alone with her without you in close proximity.
They must NOT hit her.
They must NOT take bones or toys or food from her.

Teach your children how to behave around a dog and you should be ok. Let your children do as they please (as you have indicated you do presently) and there is a nasty accident waiting to happen and we all know full well the dog will get the blame no matter what.

Answer 9

It is perfectly fine that your puppy plays and sleeps with your kids...Lhasa's are wonderful dogs, we have one and he is awesome with everyone, my 16 and 10 year old, my brother in-law has 2 of them and 3 kids ranging from 5-15 and they do great with their kids also, so you have no worries :}

Answer 10

i think all dogs are good with children if they understand that a puppy is not a toy! They dont want to be picked up and hugged in that strange position children hold them. I wouldn't recommend your child to sleep with the dog, you puppy can pick up lots of different germs while in the garden or on walks, you would have to treat pup for worms and flees.
Keep educating your children to play nice and not to pull his/her tale and let pup have time along when he/she wants.