Best Dog Breeds for Kids and Cost Considerations for First-Time Owners

[chefmoseley]

My DH or I have never had a dog or other 'needy' pet. Meaning we have both had fish and that's all. No animals that you have to take care of on a daily basis. My mom and his mom both have dogs who are between 7yrs and 9yrs old. A Cocker Spaniel and the other one is a German Shepard. We have two little girls 3yrs and one who will be 2 in Sept. We are thinking about getting a dog but want to be smart. What breeds do best with kids? What are the approximate monthly costs (I know that bigger dogs eat more and stuff) We are thinking about getting a medium size dog as we have a town house with a yard. I am not sure how quickly they go through a bag of food or how often/how expensive vet visits are...Sorry for all the questions just really clueless. If you think we should wait until the girls get older let me know as well

 

[cathyskitchen]

I have had dogs all of my life, and had cats for a few years. Definitely find a breed that is good with kids - we have a Black Lab, and all Labrador/Retriever breeds are good breeds for families, however, they are bigger dogs. If you can find a small breed, they are best, esp. since a smaller lab is usually an English lab, which are more calm. The American Labs can be very hyper and very big (trust me on this - I have an 85 lb. American Lab female who is not overweight - she is just a big girl!).

Regarding food, we get her food at the local Costco. It depends on what your vet recommends for feeding, but most food can be found at local grocery stores or pet stores, too, and you can get coupon deals online.

As far as grooming, if you don't want to spend a lot of money on grooming a dog, then don't get one who needs a lot of grooming. Cocker Spaniels need to be groomed regularly (every 6-8 weeks) and that can get costly. My Lab doesn't need professional grooming - just brushing regularly by me. I can clip her toenails myself, but the vet usually clips them for her at her regular check-ups, too.

The only things that can get expensive are the vet visits and antibiotics, if needed. Labs (and any dog with floppy ears, esp. Cocker Spaniels), tend to get ear infections, and they can come down with all kinds of bacterial infections just like humans. Since there are usually no health-care plans for pets, you have to pay full price for antibiotics, and it can be in the hundreds. But, this is usually pretty sporadic, and we haven't had a lot of huge vet bills for our dog - only a little more since she's gotten older (she's 11 1/2 now).

Good luck and best wishes - and don't go to a pet store or a "puppy farm" - buy from a reputable breeder!

 

[Kitchen Diva]

Cocker Spaniels are good with kids, as are beagles, but beagles are vocal and hard to train. Golden Retrievers are WONDERFUL with kids, but you'd need to look for a female, as they tend to run on the smaller side. Our female should be about 60 pounds, but she's larger because she's got a slow metabolism.

The better the dog food the less they eat. Our dogs eat about 2 cups of dry food each day. We feed them twice. Our other dog is a male golden, and he's LARGE- about 10-20 pounds larger than most pure bred goldens... But he still only eats 2 cups of dry food each day. Each dog has a different dry food due to food allergies in our male, but I'd say a 20 pound bag of high quality food (not bought at the grocery store) lasts about 3-4 weeks.

Antibiotics are not hundreds of dollars for pets. I think when our cat Camilla Bean needed some for a severe respiratory infection they were $24.00 for a 10 day supply. I feel for Cathy who had to pay hundreds for antibiotics...even with the few ear infections our male golden has gotten, we've never paid more than $30.00 for a full course of antibiotics.

The annual visit for shots and vaccines can get pricey, but it depends on whether or not your vet charges just for the shots or the shots and the vet visit. I'd say all in all they are very affordable, and if you go with a reputable breeder (actually call the people that have gotten dogs from the breeder) you should not have major issues. Groom your pet often, clean ears weekly, brush 3-7 times each week, bathe as needed- clip their nails, and don't feed them human food and they will have less chance of getting allergies and bacterial issues and digestive issues...

Best of luck.

Oh, when I was a baby, we had a cocker spaniel, a beagle and a German Shepherd. All three of those dogs adored me. Our two Golden's LOVE our 4 yr. old niece and obey her better than anyone else in the house and my niece only weighs about 36 pounds!

 

[Kitchen Diva]

My DH or I have never had a dog or other 'needy' pet. Meaning we have both had fish and that's all. No animals that you have to take care of on a daily basis. My mom and his mom both have dogs who are between 7yrs and 9yrs old. A Cocker Spaniel and the other one is a German Shepard. We have two little girls 3yrs and one who will be 2 in Sept. We are thinking about getting a dog but want to be smart. What breeds do best with kids? What are the approximate monthly costs (I know that bigger dogs eat more and stuff) We are thinking about getting a medium size dog as we have a town house with a yard. I am not sure how quickly they go through a bag of food or how often/how expensive vet visits are...Sorry for all the questions just really clueless. If you think we should wait until the girls get older let me know as well

There is also a really good book out there that I bought when researching what type of dog to buy. It's called Choosing a Dog For Dummy's... go pick it up, and read it, and feel free to PM me with any other questions. I've had pets my whole life so I will help as best as I can. JanetupNorth is also another really good person to ask because she work's for Dr.'s Foster & Smith...

 

[hollye44]

I had a miniature schnauzer growing up, and she was my favorite dog. As a breed they are playful, smart, obedient, and good with people. I think they are the perfect size for children and your home. I also recommend going to your local humane society to see if they have any pups you might be interested in. As for vet bills, it depends on your area. Vets cost more in bigger cities and less in small towns. I worked at a small town vet in high school, and now that I'm in a bigger city the prices are drastically different, and all for the same thing. Call around to a few of your local places and just ask what the annual vaccinations and check-ups cost. Yearly maintenance care you will want for your dog will include regular vaccines and rabies vaccine, bloodwork for heartworm check, and monthly heartworm preventative pill. Other costs include food (of course), bath and grooming supplies, flea and tick preventative, crate, bed, toys, leash, bowls, etc. It adds up quick once you make that first trip to the pet store!! But, dogs are wonderful and loyal, and if yours is a dog family you will love every minute of it. Good luck with your decision.

 

[janetupnorth]

You've gotten great advice so far and you have MANY breeds to research and choose from so I won't chime in too much more except to say if you have any specific questions on supplies, vaccinations, and other things along those lines PM me. I'm well-versed on the "pet maintenance" side of things. I'm most familiar with the following breeds: German Shepherd, Husky, Samoyed, Border Collie, Laboradors, Golden Retrievers and Australian Shepherds. If you're looking at smaller breeds, I'd have to look things up for you.If you want a "common" dog for kids temperament-wise, I'd go with a Golden Retriever. Good luck and great to research!On the age of the kids, it isn't a matter of their age, it's if you can handle the kids and the care of the pet because he/she will be yours to care for! The only way I'd tell you DON'T get a dog now is if you don't have time to train or care for it.They're fun to have!

 

[Chefstover2]

My BIL has a Sheltie that had major shyness issues until he brought her here to visit...one day around my kids and she found her special purpose! I believe shelties are great family dogs...good at herding the kids, too!

Good luck!

 

[Kitchen Diva]

If you want to know just how great Golden Retrievers are with kids, PM me and I'll tell you stories of the bond between my niece and my doggies! It's amazing how much those two dogs love that child! And I mean LOVE!!!

 

[smspamperedchef]

We have a lab mix we got from our local animal shelter. They neutered him as part of the price. Not sure what he is mixed with but he is super sweet, loves water, and great with the family. He is a good watch dog too though. Found that out when a consultant of mine came to feed him while we were out of town. He became so protective he wouldn't let her in the house. Barked and growled which he never did before.

 

[PamperChefCarol]

We have had golden retrievers for years. We are on our third, the last two were from the golden retriever rescue. The rescues are a great place to find a dog. The people really make it a point to know the dogs because they want to find good homes for the dogs. Enzo, our golden now, has papers back to 1900.... he thinks he's pretty special. But you could get a 2-3 year old, already potty trained, etc and you would know the temperment of the dog beforehand.

As for size, we have sort of got the reputation as the people who will take the giant ones. Bailey was 130, the Mike Tyson of goldens and he was not fat, just (honestly) big boned. Enzo is 122 lbs and tall and slim. But those are the exceptions, most goldens are 50-70 lbs. Unless of course you feed them and they will eat until they explode!

They are truly great with kids, all the neighbor kids know Enzo and visit with him on our walks. In addtion to Enzo, we now have Sophia, who is half black lab/half golden. She's good with kids but her speciality is that she liked to cuddle.

As for food, Enzo gets 2.5 cups twice a day, and Sophia gets 1.5 cups twice a day. Vet visits can add up, but you going to have to pay for those no matter what breed you get. Regular walks are important, plus they love it. I take each dog out alone, it's their mommy and me time! It takes about 2 hours for both, but they are worth it, and I need the exercise.

Dogs are great companions and will give back your efforts twice fold. I can't imagine not having them in our lives.

 

[Koolotus]

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If you want a "common" dog for kids temperament-wise, I'd go with a Golden Retriever.

!

Have to second that! or third or forth.
Just an FYI, Golden's are gorgeous, but they are a long haired dog. If you have never had pets and this may be an issue for you, please keep that in mind.
I adore our dog Mudd, he is a yellow lab, golden and chow mix. Cutest thing ever and awesome with the kids. He is their pillow and no kidding he kisses them all good night and checks on them often
But in the winter when we let him grow out his hair is long!! I measured a tail hair and it was almost 11 inches!!! Because he is part chow his hair is thick and he gets puffy, the first time we got him shaved down he looked like he had lost 50 pounds!!
Cost wise...
Vet once a year- years worth of frontline, heartworm, shots if necessary and tests = $350
Groomed every 10-12 weeks if it's warm- $75
Big bag of Purina dog food every other month - $11
Sam's club box of Milk bones every 6 weeks-$10
misc toys and treats about $75 a year

Mudd also eats a shameful amount of people food and as some dog owners can tell too many milkbones...but he has AWESOME teeth!

Hope that helps...also keep in mind, a dog decision is a lifetime decision. Think about having a dog for 15 years if you are lucky.
Good luck

 

[cathyskitchen]

Just to clarify on the "hundreds of dollars" for antibiotics, my poor Molly dog gets bladder infections pretty frequently (3-4 a year) and they run pretty expensive (over $100 for 10-day supply, more if she needs a stronger type). She is just getting old, and as they get older, they get more expensive, just like all of us!