Toddler and new puppy
From what I read everyone seems to think they are not good for small children which is the exact reason we were going for this breed since it was supposed to be good with kids. We have had other dogs most recently my lhasa which is also a hairy fuzzball that had to be groomed albeit on a smaller scale. He passed away at 16 last summer. I was concered with him and my daughter since she doesn't handle small things well and was hoping a larger breed would be more tolerant of her fumbles and viceversa. Sorry this is so long I would appreciate any info Thanks |
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I have found the OES breed to be very good with kids as long as you are willing to take time out to train your daughter as well as your puppy on appropriate behavoir. One thing I have had to work with Drake and the my kids is what is cute when Drake is little is not going to be cute when he weighs a hundred pounds. At eight weeks and weighing 15 lbs the kids loved to have Drake herd them and he would run and knock them down, now that Drake is almost 7months and 60 lbs it is not so funny to be knocked down and sat on. Another thing kids need to be taught is how to pet the puppy to minimize puppy nips and when to leave the puppy alone. Also be ready to supervise your puppy at all times when with your daughter. Most of these tips are true no matter what breed. The OSE is a very active playful breed, high energy. They are also very loving and loyal. I believe that most of the aggression issues that you have read about have other causes then being of the OES breed. These would include poor breeding, poor training or lack of proper supervision. Do your research about the breed and ask questions. One person put their OES up for rescue at 12 weeks because they did not realize how big an OSE would get. Oes need alot of grooming which I love to do. They love to play and play and play! Oh did I say play? If you decide you want a OES then research breeders. Talk to them and visit them they should be willing to answer any questions you have. Then when you have brought your bundle home attend puppy classes. Sounds like alot of work but the pay off is worth it! Good luck and keep us posted  |
| Hello,
It is really easy for me to stay and read and post during my children's nap times as well. I love this place and the people here are great! I think there are good and bad in all breeds. In my experience with OES as a child growing up was wonderful. I lived in the country and was allowed to roam free and my sheepie Harry was my best friend. He never hurt me, but if someone approached that he was unfamiliar with he would growl and act mean, but if I spoke with the person and it came apparent to him that they were no harm, he would lick them to death and he had bad manners as I allowed him to jump. I didn't think to train when I was a kid. 
I am now all grown up with a 6 yo and a now 4 year old. They were 5 and 3 when Jack and Annabelle came in our family. My husband and I spent over a year looking for a breed of dog for our family. We checked out every website and we went to the library and dog shows to find the breed we wanted for our family. We had it narrowed down to 3 breeds...the OES, newfoundland, and a basset hound. We have never regretted our choice. My husband is as inlove with them as I am. The only problems I have ever had was bumping. When they play chase, BOTH dogs bump them. MOST of the time it does just that bump them a little, but on occasion they have fell down. It has been on our lawn so only laughter and licks occur and then most of the time the dogs will stay right there for the kids to use Jack or Annabelles hair to pull themselves back up. OUCH@ 
They have potty trained quickly for me, but I know others who's progress is slower. I have trained them to use commands and not to jump. My kids can also tell them to sit, down, stay, shake and rollover (kids favorite)  and the dogs listen to them.
I will also add that the 4 year old is a boy. A boy who is irritatingly impulsive and has at times been known to jump or fall on one of the dogs and they just look at him like why are you doing this. I will stop the kids from annoying the dogs, but sometimes kids do crazy things and it is good to know that so far that the dogs have been great. With all of these good things said about OES, it does differ from dog to dog. It does depend greatly on who the breeder is and how she chooses to breed and socialize their dogs. Annabelle's breeder had her dogs and puppies as part of her family, they were socialized with 4 boys and some cats. I think all of those things come into play. Anyway, I am not trying to tell you to go out and get one, just do what you are doing, reading posts and going to other website's about sheepdogs. I commend you for keeping your daughter safe and doing your homework researching what dog breed would best suit your home. I hope what ever dog you choose, sheepie or not, that you and your famiy have a wonderful time raising it. Best of luck to you and keep us updated on the search. 
Stormi and co. |
| Welcome to the forum!
In addtion to what's been written, I would like to note that this forum is not a scientifically selected cross-section of OES owners. A large percentage of the people on here are into rescue. Almost by definition this means that they are dealing with some of the most difficult dogs. Others that come here are looking for help with their difficult dogs. Still others are here just because they are sheepie crazy. There is a lot of crossover: I am here for all of the above reasons! I'm involved with Rescue, I had a difficult dog and I'm sheepie crazy. Is there a "silent majority" of very happy sheepie owners? Probably. Do I have any numbers to back that up? No. In general, I am skeptical of young children with any breed of dog. While I love dogs, they are DOGS and sometimes they behave that way. I worry that sometimes kids can get hurt. The vast majority of the time they aren't seriously hurt nor emotionally scarred. That said, I have seen it both ways: tons of families that have dogs as wonderful members, and others that have had to make the difficult decision to give up the dog for the sake of their kids. I never had a dog growing up, yet I was bitten on the street at the hip by an agressive pooch when I was around 10ish. If I had a dog, would I have recognized aggressive signs if there were any? I don't recall if there were or not. Good luck in your decisions! Feel free to vent/think aloud here at the forum. |
| I've had dogs all my life, my parents and grandparents have had dogs all their lives. All raised with kids, neighboors kids etc. My parents and grandparents seem to have a magical way with dogs, every single dog they have ever owned, no matter the breed, size, sex, whatever has been an ideal canine citizen. Perfectly behaved, all the time, in any situation. My dogs have been more rambunctious, I still think they are great, but I think it relates directly to your own personality. My Dad said that because I am a more active, more outward with my emotions, more playful type of person, that my dogs are bound to be that way too.
I agree with Ron, dogs and kids should be supervised, no matter what breed. Crates are great for those times when kids get too rowdy, a dog who is crate trained feels it is his or her bed, safe haven, personal space. Teach the children that if the dog goes into his or her crate, it's time to leave it alone. But still supervise. Training, as BritPresSyd said, is imperative. Teaching a pup not to jump right off the bat, making sure they know the sit, down, stay commands and will respond to them in any situation is for everyone's safety, including the dog. |
| Wonderful advice from everyone so far.
My first Sheepie was rescued from the pound when my son was just over two. I didn't know better at the time. This was 15 years ago. Although I told him repeatedly to leave her alone he bugged her a lot. One day she nipped him on the foot..he cried, no skin was broken, and he did learn his lesson. Still training a child is tougher than a dog, they don't have the understanding under the age of 5 to know when enough is enough. I'm glad in my experience her bite was controlled and she had put up with a lot until that point. On the other side of the spectrum this same dog laid faithfully by his side when he had surgery and didn't budge from her place for 3 wks. She became a therapy dog and worked with kids with disabilities. Sheepies in my opinion are the best dogs for kids. Eventually, Shaggy and I were under contract to go into schools to educate children about dogs and how to prevent being bit by one and taking care of their pets. With a rescue you don't know their history 100% and a child under 5 may trigger something in them - you just don't want to take the chance. A pup will have razer sharp teeth the first couple months and you want your child to know when to hand over a toy for them to chew on instead of a hand. A young child may still not understand that small toys are dangerous to a pup and may leave things lying around. I'm not necessarily writing in sequence here just whatever comes to mind. The most important thing with kids and dogs that honestly scares me the most is this: Children whom often come up to eye level with a dog will often grasp the dogs head on each side and want to give it a kiss. EEKS!!! My heart always does flip flops as in the child's eyes this is ...you're so cute I want to kiss you...In the dog's eyes this is a direct challenge and means I want to fight you. The consequences are serious as the child's face is right in front of the dog. Never let a child look directly in a dogs face while holding it's head. Ahhh enough of my ramblings. If you feel confident that you can control all of the above then I say go for it and if something is telling you ...mmm not sure ...then wait another year or two. Good luck with whatever choice you make! PS I would definately recommend a sheepie for a child. They are considered the nannies and clowns of the dog world. |
| HI everyone well i went to see the breeder last night. Nine balls of wiggling fur. TOO CUTE. I had a long talk with the breeder Her kids were running around Her youngest is 4 They are very good at being handled and were used to their comings and going. Also I got to see mom and dad. They were great. Did I mention evrything was great. I didn't take my daughter cause I didn't want to get her hopes up but I brought back video and she is in love. Now the problem is I can't make up my mind I have two favorites. One male and one femlae so my daughter will have to break the tie evn though I'm sure she'll just want to take both!!!!!! No help.
Thanks everyone for your imput and I definetly will take puppy kindergarten as well as provide puppy own space to get away from too much stimulus. I will post a pic as soon as I decide. They won't be ready to come home till first week in august OOOOH I can't wait! |
| That's awesome! Isn't it amazing to see what cute tiny little bundles of fur they start out as? And one of the many great things about old english is that no matter that they get bigger, they are always cute, wiggling bundles of fur who just want to love and be loved.
I get to pick my girl up the first weekend in August too! I am sooooo excited! I haven't seen them in person yet, but I have talked to my three favorites over the phone! Crazy, maybe, but that's okay, because mypuppy won't care! I keep staring at their pictures, and I think I have narrowed it down to one pup. I guess I'll decide for sure when I get to see them in person, which might be this weekend.  |
| Congrats on your new puppy! I hope everything goes well.
Children and OES can be wonderful together - with the proper training (of both). OES are alot of work - they require a lot of time to raise them properly. Grooming and training is a big part of life with an OES. They are BIG dogs (some males can be 100+ lbs) and can be rambunctious (perpetual toddlers!). As long as you take care in finding a reputable breeder and provide proper training and care - OES can make great family pets! But....please be aware - children are one of the main reasons OES are put in rescue. Your daughter will need to know what is acceptable behavior as well - which would be the case with any puppy! Although they may be big - they shouldn't be climbed on and/or rode on by a child - this can lead to problems with their hips (which they already have a tendency towards). Be sure that your breeder has had the proper testing done on the sire/dam (hip certification, eyes tested, etc.). OES are a herding breed - which means they will try and herd the members of their pack (you, your daughter, etc.). This can sometimes mean "nipping" , bumping, knocking over - which is usually the behaviors that causes the problems with children. You need to be sure you are prepared to train your puppy with positive reinforcement. Good Luck! Kristen |
| Ron is so right, many of us are on this forum with OES that were rescued and have particular issues to overcome. I want to add another OES story that I think is pretty typical but depending on your parenting style either cute or terrifying!
I rescued Henry at about 1 year and I don't think he had any exposure to toddlers. He is 85 pounds of energy and likes to bump people (herd.) My friend was visiting with her 2 year old son who is a pretty sturdy little guy and loves dogs--he had a dog at home. He had been eating (the toddler, that is) and as is usual for two year olds had food all over his face. He was running around in the grass with Henry right behind him trying to lick his face. Finally, Henry got sick of chasing this moving meal, he bumped him on the ground and put one paw on the baby's chest to hold him still so he could lick the food from the baby's face. I was there in a second to pull Henry off the little guy. Fortunately the baby screamed in delight and his mother was completely okay with this kind of play. |
| hi everyone, just wanred to let everyone know we decided on the female. Her name will be Pelua (which means fuzzy) Also story above is very cute. My uncle has an alaskan malamute who thinks he's a lap dog and is perpetually sitting on my daughter's lap. All you can usually see are a pair of shoes sticking out from under his fur. And of course hear the squeals of pure delight from my daughter "my willie" even as we try rescuing her.
I have already registered for a puppy class that begins a week after she arrives home (Aug. 7 homecoming ) There is also a kids class I'm hoping to get my daughter into that teaches animal signs but she's a few nonths younger than they usually take. Hopefully they will make an exception. now we wait.......... |
| Sounds like you're off to a great start! Do we get to see pictures soon? LOL |
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