Kids with pets are less stressed

by Rachel Mosteller (Subscribe to Rachel Mosteller's posts) Nov 8th 2006 2:02PM

It always seems like a good idea: I bring my two small children somewhere where there is a dog as a pet and the next thing I know, I'm thinking "gee, we should get a pet!"

Except, I want it to be one of those poopless, no-worries type of pets. Perhaps the type that feed themselves, never need medical care and bring me the newspaper in the morning. Do they make those?

Well, if they ever make that poopless brand of dog, I might be interested in knowing that, according to parents, children with pets have less stress and more activity in their lives. Nearly half of people that responded to a survey said that having a pet made their child feel loved, friendly and relaxed.

I'll call it Puppy Prozac. Good times for everyone!

I'm hoping one day, when I'm not having to wipe two bottoms constantly, to get my children (and me!) a dog. But then, what kind of dog? A big dog? A little one? One that sleeps a bunch or the kind that jumps off the couch and makes you want to slip that puppy said Prozac?

Are there any types of dogs that are known for working well with children? And, by any chance, are any of these dogs poopless?

Comments (301)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 16)

candace 11-08-2006 @ 2:48PM

Cats are pets, too.

:-)

wookie 11-08-2006 @ 3:56PM

Bunnies can be litter trained, don't make noise and can be well socialized.

For dogs, I am a big labrador retriever fan (we have two) but you have to be very careful selecting a breeder or rescue, as labs tend to be very overbred which leads to huge temperment and health problems.

Dogs in general can be a lot of work, and any dog that is a "working" dog (lab, collie, shepard) needs to be obedience trained and worked with fairly often to keep them happy. Labs can be like 2 year olds for many years... they chew (oh GOD do they chew), they sometimes have too MUCH energy and a tail that is at coffee-table level.

But they are loving, faithful, entergetic, fabulous with kids, everything (I) ever wanted in a dog. Our lab allows the girls to put blankets on him, pretend to feed him bottles, play "doctor". Couldn't ask for a better dog.

So if you're looking low maintenance, I suggest cat or bunny. If you're seriously looking for a dog, I would encourage you to be realistic about the amount of time and energy they require.

z. 11-10-2006 @ 9:57PM

well, I hate crazy barking dogs and those are generally small dogs so I went for a big one. But I like big furry dogs better than big bald ones so I've exchanged no barking for daily vacuuming.
And don't believe the hype: golden retrievers are not all smart, I have the goofiest of them all.

Bonnie Leach 11-08-2006 @ 2:53PM

We got one of these puppies for my 92 year old grandma: http://www.perfectpetzzz.com

Jason 11-08-2006 @ 3:37PM

Yeah, I would say the best type of dog is a cat

Jen 11-08-2006 @ 4:19PM

Adopt a kid-friendly healthy housebroken mutt who needs a home. No housebreaking or destructive chewing need occur. Just a very grateful dog loving your kids. Going with purebreds is just asking for financial costs up front and lots of vet bills for their inbred problems on the back end. Why bother? I had a half malamute half wolf for 14 years and the woman who was placing him said he was an angel with teeth. He was, and more. I got him when he was 2. He was fantastic with my daughter. I miss him every day. Don't go by "breeds." They are all individuals.

trisha 11-08-2006 @ 4:20PM

I agree with Jason. We have a cat and our 8 month old LOVES her! Cat's are less maintenence and can be ignored more if needed (small children, enough said) but then again, a can isn't a dog! I keep pacifying my husband with "we'll get a dog when we have a yard for it to run in."
Good Luck choosing a dog, but again, I think Jason is right, the best kind of dog is a cat.

ann adams 11-08-2006 @ 8:14PM

Cat lovers of the world unite.

They're extremely low maintenance, warm and fuzzy, and usually quite lovable (in their own fashion) The girls wouldn't know what to do without at least one kitty in their lives.

Justme 11-08-2006 @ 9:49PM

Get a mutt.

My mom has two mini dachshunds. They spend more per year on their medical care than I spend on mine! Seriously. One has severe allergies and has to eat special food that costs a fortune or he scratches himself until he's bleeding. The other has something wrong with his eyes where he gets fluid in them, and he's on a special medicine for that, but that medicine gives him mange and all his hair falls out, so he has to be on this other medicine for that, and they have to keep them very carefully balanced to keep his eyes clear and his fur on. Oh, and he bites. And they both bark like they're insane.

My dog, on the other hand, is half German Shepherd and half Greyhound and half Chow ( :) ) or something. Hard to say. We got her at the pound for like $30. She's 6 and has never been sick a day in her life. (Did I mention that Mom's dog with allergies is 3?). She's super smart - she can go get all of her toys by name ("go get Eeyore," and she gets Eeyore, "go get pig," and she gets pig, etc. for like 30 toys). She somehow knows the difference between her stuffed toys and the baby's toys, and she leaves the baby's toys alone. She is extremely good with kids, and has been delightful since the moment we brought her home. She was easy to housebreak (Mom's dogs, at 3 and 14, still crap in the house when it's too cold or rainy for them to want to go outside. Charming). It was easy to teach her not to chew. Really, the only problem we have with her is that she's overprotective, and barks like crazy whenever someone comes to the door, and would probably take the arm off of anyone who tried to hurt me. I had a friend pretend to hit me once, and it took me 20 minutes to calm her down (I was demonstrating that dogs are better crime deterrents than guns).

One time I was upstairs with the baby, and I needed my husband for something, and so I said, "Max, go get Daddy!" and she went straight downstairs and looked at my husband pointedly, then walked toward the stairs, and repeated this until he got the hint and followed her. Just like freaking Lassie. I swear I am not making this up.

She does poop, and she does have to go to the vet for shots, etc. every year, but as far as dogs go, she is extremely low maintenance. And big dogs have bladders the size of tanks, so they can be left alone longer if you work or something.

And there is absolutely nothing more fun for my 14 month old daughter than throwing the ball and having Maxine chase it. It just cracks her up every time, and provides for hours of (supervised - I'm not stupid) entertainment.

There are thousands of wonderful unwanted dogs who are euthanized every year. Seriously, get a mutt.

Tamyu 11-08-2006 @ 10:41PM

We have two cats and they are more like siblings to our 2 year old than pets. They`re a year and a half old now - we found them thrown away just after birth when my son was still really small. I gave the kittens milk on a similar schedule to my son, and they are now healthy and happy...

And they have NEVER so much as hissed at my son. He climbs all over them, hugs them, steps on them, etc and they never get angry at all. They even sleep together.

Oh, and the poop? I just do a quick litter box change every trash day.

Personally I`m afraid of big dogs. I was attacked by a pit bull when I was little (which had been a loved family pet up until then - no abuse, etc) and I have other relatives whose small children were seriously injured by an overly friendly dog. Maybe when my son is 10 or 12 and wants his own puppy we`ll think about it.

ben 11-09-2006 @ 3:36PM

Don't fall prey to the mutt vs purebred thing. Get what you want, i've seen mutts that are constantly sick and purebred's that are never sick so your mileage may vary. Anyway when we were getting our dog and knew at the time we wanted to have kids (pre child days seem so far ago...) we used www.dogbreedinfo.com go to the find a perfect dog at the top then scroll to the "take a quiz". You answer some questions like "how many times do you want to walk your dog" or "do you want a dog that doesn't shed" and such and it suggests some breeds and you can click on them to find more info. Found it very fun/handy to use.

Helene 11-12-2006 @ 6:23AM

Get a smart dog whatever you do. Muts are terrific and so are poodles if you get one from a breeder. Dont go to a pet store. Poodles can be yappy if you are not careful, but they are smart smart smart.

L. 11-12-2006 @ 6:25AM

i have 2 german shepards and 1 cat. the best pet is definitely a dog. the cat is smelly and annoying. no matter how much you change the litter box it still smells. as for the comment about purebreds being sick, i have never encounted either one of my dogs being sick. they are both very healthy dogs. german shepards are the best dog for anyone especially a child to have as a pet. they are loyal and obediant and protective especially of my children especially the 6 year old. it's like my daughter is her baby. she protects her like you can not even imagine when a strange person is at my house they are not even allowed to go near her. the male is very protective as well not as much as the female but just as good they are good watch dogs. they are very protective and you would never have to worry about not being safe they are easy to train obedience and potty train. however they do need to be crate trained when you are not home and they do need to be brushed at least 3 times a week cause they do shed alot but this downfall is not a big deal to how much of a great dog you will have in the end.

diamondodge 11-12-2006 @ 6:27AM

just me, z, and ben, i can relate to your scenarios.
there are good dogs, bad dogs, purebred and mutt, good cats, bad cats, but GET ONE FROM THE POUND!!!

Tabitha 11-12-2006 @ 6:32AM

A shar-pei is a great choice. They are loyal, they like to play and sleep, they rarely bark, and love to be loved. I have 3 and they are wonderful. ;0)

Kevin 11-12-2006 @ 6:32AM

Cock-a-poo is the way to go. A friend of mine had quadruplets in 1999. They would bring the kids to my house and Holly (the dog) was so well behaved. Holly would have been 5 years old then. My sister just had a baby in May and when she brings the baby to my house, we can put her on the floor and not have to worry about anything. I definitely say Cock-a-poo is the way to go with kids.

Tabitha 11-12-2006 @ 6:32AM

And yes, I got all 3 of them from the pound.

E V 11-12-2006 @ 6:46AM

Cats scratch and can carry a bunch of germs in their claws. By breed [careful breeders] they can be a good choice, Ragdolls come to mind.
Dogs [purebreds by careful, responsible breeders or careful rescue by breed] are a great choice but be aware that you should chose a breed by it's original "design", what it was bred for. A dog that was bred to be an attack or war dog is a very bad choice.
Individual animals are just that, individuals, with their own mind and temperments. That is why I go for a rescued grown dog who is established and trained [at least housebroken].

Dale 11-12-2006 @ 6:49AM

When my children were small I got a Bichon Frise. Puppies are alot of work to train but they are quick to learn and they do not shed. The work outweighs the joy of watching my daughter cuddle and nurture her day and night. My daughter's responsibility is to give her food and water as well as let her out. Bichon's are very tolerant of children when they are brought up with them and have very friendly personalities. My daughter strolls her around in her baby carriage, dresses her up, brushes her hair and teeth, and anything else you can imagine she would do with a doll and the dog loves the attention. As a bonus for me, the dog is a fantastic jogging and hiking partner.

Carol 11-12-2006 @ 6:51AM

Kids with pets may definitely be less stressed; but kids with stressed and unhappy parents are even MORE stressed and unhappy. SO, with your feelings about animals; you are probably best to get something that's cute, fluffy and stuffed. I've had dogs (taught obedience classes) and currently have cats (definitely lower maintenance). Both have been wonderful with my small (8 & 3) children. There are benefits and there are downfalls to everything. We had a Champion Weimaraner that was spectacular with the kids. But, I knew both his parents and the rest of his family "tree". I've known Goldens that bite and Pit Bulls and Rottweilers used for therapy dogs. I've seen gentle cats and cats that aren't so gentle. If you definitely want a pet (and it sounds like you DON'T!!) then take your time; and do a LOT of research.
Pets, like children can be wonderful; but they also take a lot of time and love. Definitely don't make a snap decision; and definitely check with shelters, rescues and even breeders to help make a decision. Good luck and God Bless!!