Are poodles good with young children?

Question

My daughter is 17 months old and I know she likes pets. She gets along well with my sisters Jack Russell. I wanted to get a poodle since they seem to be a bit calmer but I dont know how well they get along with kids. Please help.

Answer 1

If properly trained and embraced as a beloved member of the family, any breed can make a great pet.

Answer 2

I have a Standard and he is great with kids. If you want to go with a Poodle, I would either get a true Mini, or a Standard. I wouldnt go with a Toy since they are so small and although kids don't mean to hurt, they may get a bit rough....I don't think Toy dogs can handle that. I'm personally a big dog person, so I would recommend the Standard. And they ARE very smart dogs and learn very quick. Just be sure to train your kids the proper way to treat a dog. And with any dog...never leave them alone together. Most of the time when a dog bites a child, the child had provoked the dog, or threatened it in some way. (not all, but most)
I don't think people realize that Poodles come in 3 sizes..Toy Mini and Standard..>Standard being the biggest (45-75lbs) Not all Poodles are tiny yappy little ankle biting lap dogs. I just think it's funny when people refer to them as such.

Answer 3

I would go for a Standard Poodle rather than a miniature or toy poodle (even though they are adorable)..Standard Poodles are easier to train and more playful, they are are great with kids ! Miniature and toy poodles can be more reserved and less tolerant of children...Both the Jack Russell and Poodle are pretty entergentic dogs, but I do believe Jack Russells are more high-strung..Beware of "teacup"-size poodles (they are tinier than toys)..they seem to have a lot of temperment and health problems..
Hope I helped !

Answer 4

Poodles are not necessarily calm dogs. I had a mini for years and he actually was good with kids but the toys are definitely not. Don't judge by one or two examples of any given breed: research your breed and your breeder carefully, and teach your daughter how to behave around dogs. Expect a good breeder to ask YOU questions as reputable breeders want the best homes for their dogs as much as you want the best dog for your home and family. Some breeds and some individuals within any breed are naturally more tolerant than others . I had a Rottweiler who was the most trustworthy dog you could hope for and he would tolerate just about anything from children and puppies. Good breeders know their dogs and can help you find the right dog for you. Do not go to a pet shop or puppy supermarket (any person or kennel that advertises more than two or three breeds at most) as you never know what you are getting with a mass-produced puppy. You might even consider a slightly older dog as puppies invariably bite when they play and they play rough!

Answer 5

Toy and Teacup poodles are usually not very good with children. They usually only have 1 human and they will be very protective of that human. If they should chose the baby as their human, they will be very protective of the baby which, although it sounds like a good thing, you could end up being bit yourself.
Most of all, you need to consider the individual personality of the dog.
We had a miniature when I was growing up and he was great with kids. Except that he played very rough. His favorite game was trip me and pull my hair.
If you really want to get a dog for you little one think about a lab. They are very gentle, very smart and can be very protective of small kids around strangers.
Personally, I think 18 to 14 months is a good time to introduce a pet to a child as they are old enough then to understand not to hurt it but young enough to bond well with the pet.

Answer 6

I own a male neutered standard poodle. I love him to death, he is the most friendly dog (to people) out there.
Although this is true, I wouldn't recommend a standard poodle for someone with small children. He is VERY excitable (he's nine) and likes to jump and run. I have young cousins, and sometimes he is a bit much for them. He also likes to try and nibble my next door neighbors infant. He's definitely not a children's dog, because he's extremely strong, and hyper.

I also wouldn't recommend toy or miniature poodles to people with small children. In my experience, they are often one person dogs, and in that sense the might get aggressive. ON top of that, small dogs and small children generally do not mix.

That's my opinion, I hope I helped.

Answer 7

In my experience no. The worse bite that I have even seen a child receive was by a poodle. The little girl was trying to walk, stumbled, and tried to grab on to the chair that the poodle was sitting in to pull herself up. The dog just attacked her and she had to have over 40 stitches in her face, arms, and hands. I personally would not recommend any of the terrier or toy breeds.

Answer 8

both poodles and schnauzers (both miniature) are wonderful with young children as they are very patient but I would still suggest supervision since she is only 17 months old as some dogs (no matter how mild their temperment) will snap at a child for petting them too hard, just make sure that she understands that she needs to softly pet the dog.

Answer 9

It's all about how well you socialize them when they are younger. If they are use to having children touch, grab, and pick them up than they are most likely not going to care. However children do have to be careful around small dogs because the dogs tend to be intimidated (children are larger than them), and also can get hurt by the child. I think with enough socialization any dog can be a good dog with kids, adults, and other animals.

Answer 10

Poodles tend to be very yappy and very protective of their owners hence they can bite at a moments notice. Poodles are my lest favorite dog, I'm not sure why anyone likes them because they just seem to want to sit in your lap and bark. A 17 mo old does not need a pet yet, please wait until she is older.