These are only my OPINIONS based on personal experience. You should ALWAYS do your own research before welcoming any pet to your family. And, remember, there are ALWAYS the exceptions. I mean no offense in this article, and this is only meant to be things to consider before bringing a dog home.
1. Not all breeds are good around kids. Even when bought as puppies, these breeds grow older and start to develope their breed temperments. One of the most common misconceptions is with dalmations, because of the Disney movie "101 Dalmations". Here are a few more breeds to avoid when you have children under the age of 13 (these are just generalizations based on breed temperment)- Chow Chow, Dalmation, Saint Bernard, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Rottweiler, Jack Russel, and any tiny breed dogs. Dogs considered to be pitbulls (staffordshire bull terrier, american pit bull terrier, american staffordshire terrier) can be a great choice, but must be very well trained and socialized. All breeds on this list have different reasons for being considered not a good fit for children, and like I said before, there are exceptions.
2. DO NOT GIFT A DOG! Ok, well, giving a dog(or any animal) as a gift to a kid is ok, but don't bring it home on the day of the occassion(birthday, christmas, etc). Holidays and special occassion are loud, exciting, and chaotic, which is NOT a good environment for a new dog. Think about it- this dog, whether it be a puppy or an adult dog) does not know you, your home, or your family, so they are already scared and stressed out. Now, imagine a child coming down stairs on Christmas morning to this adorable puppy, with the bow tied around it's collar, and then the child's excitement becoming very vocal. They will want to hug and play with the puppy briefly, and then continue to rip through the rest of their gifts, vocalizing their excitement for each gift. Add in the lights, music, mess, and everything else that goes on on these particular occassion, and you have a puppy's worst nightmare. If you want to get your child a pet as a birthday or Christmas gift, try instead to wrap them a rawhide bone, or put a pet store giftcard in a card telling them that they will be getting the pet, and give them a few days to prepare.
3. Do not expect your child to take care of the dog. I always encourage parents to give their children the responsibility of caring for a living being, but expect that you will be the one doing most of the care. I see parents coming in to my grooming salon ALL the time with shih tzus that are so badly matted that they must be cared for at a vet. And when the parent hears that bad news, they turn to their child and blame them for the dog's condition. I understand that you are trying to teach your child a lesson, but the dog is suffering for this lesson. Punish the kid another way for not brushing/feeding/walking the dog, and do the work yourself.
4. Avoid small breeds. It makes me sad to say this, because there are several small breeds that I feel would be great for kids, but the smaller the breed, the higher of a rosk for that dog to be injured. Think about it, a small breed puppy is so darned cute, your can't resist picking them up. Neither can your 6-year-old, who is much clumsier than you are, and more likely to drop the dog, or fall while carrying it. Or, your child is running around the house or yard, and runs right into the puppy/dog. Bigger dogs can handle a child's roughness better.
5. Never leave the dog alone with your SMALL child. Older kids are better with being alone with a dog, but smaller kids will get the urge to mess with the dog, whether they are awake or asleep. I learned this mistake personally with my mom's dog, who was asleep. My mom wanted me to see something, so, not thinking of it, I went with her, leaving my daughter in the room watching cartoons, while the dog was sleeping in the corner. Within two minutes of being gone, I hear a yelp, and then my daughter crying. She just wanted to sit next to him and pet him, but her sitting down and touching him while he was asleep startled him, and he bit her. Luckily it was just a warning snap, and it barely left a mark. This is normally a VERY sweet dog, who is normally VERY good with my daughter, but when he was startled the way he was, he resorted to his natural instinct for just a split second. We were very lucky that the damage wasn't worse.
Dogs make GREAT pets for kids. They help build confidence, a sense of responsibility, provide moral support, provide friendship, and have many many more benefits. But not every dog is a good fit for a child, and the more you research, the higher your chances are of finding that perfect fit.
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