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Baby Gifts |
The Best Dogs with Children
To
help parents select a dog for their children, a gallery of breeds is offered
below. These breeds are accepted by many dog experts to be good with
children. That means these dogs actually like kids and enjoy their company.
It does not account for individual dogs within these breeds that may not
hold true to their predictable breed traits. Keep in mind, mass breeding
operations have produced millions of puppies that do not maintain original
breed characteristics. Most of these pups show up in pet shops. However,
both commercial and noncommercial breeders have managed to make negative
contributions. Your only protection is to buy from a reputable source, get
some form of guarantee, examine the puppy's parents, where possible, look
for a pedigree, and read as much as you can about the breed of your choice.
Utilize this website, research other parts of the internet, go to the public
library for reference sources on dogs, buy one of the many good books
available, and go to dog shows and talk to the experts.
Most
of these breeds are from the existing dog Groups as established by the
American Kennel Club. These breeds fall into one of the following Groups:
Sporting Dogs,
Hounds,
Working Dogs,
Terriers,
Toys,
Non-sporting Dogs, and
Herding Dogs. The breeds recommended
include dogs of every conceivable size, shape, temperament, and tendency. It
should be clear by now that every household has different tastes, desires,
and needs. You are certain to find at least one or two breeds that match up
with your requirements. All the breeds portrayed here have in common a
fondness for children. Beyond that they are as different as night and day.
Read all the information you can about the breed you are most interested in,
and pay close attention to descriptions of the dog's personality.
If the breed you are most interested in does not appear on this list that
does not necessarily mean you should forget it. There are many reasonable
breeders of those breeds not mentioned that produce lovable, adaptive dogs
that maintain their original characteristics. Many breeds are not mentioned
simply because of the limitation of space. But the sad truth is that poor
breeding practices and/or mass breeding have radically changed many dogs of
several breeds. There are no absolutes, however. There are no rules to this
game. You are at the mercy of pure luck although a diligent research effort
can help to make a difference.