Are OES good with toddlers?
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| Welcome!
Try this thread.... http://forum.oes.org/viewtopic.php?t=17771 |
| Thanks so much! |
| small poodles are very snappy dogs - if it was a female the behavior doesn't surprise me. and I love poodles. |
rkpc wrote: We just had to get rid of a poodle mix because he was aggresive, would growl, bite, disobey, and very protective of my husband (wouldn't let me or the children come near my husband)...so the dog went to live with some family members of ours that have no kids and seems much happier. However, my husband has since talked about getting a dog and I want a bigger dog than our last (he was about 15 lbs) and I don't want shedding, but the main thing is I want it to be good with out kids. I am reading conflicting things on the internet about them being good around children and not. My kids right now are 1 and 2. Thanks for any help/input
my oes is now 18 months and loves children and adults they are not a aggresive dog by nature now thye used to be in the old days have been bread to love thye do get very attached to owners ,when i kiss my wife or hug her he wants to be in the middle we can give him all the attention but not us together he wants it all LOL benji is a great dog and im really glad i got one they are fun loving dogs if you get one from pup they are easy to train if you work at it they are very inteligent dogs . |
| A good, well bred[i][u] OES is not aggressive, but it is absolutely mandatory that you select a dog for sound temperment and good health.
With children 1 and 2 years old, I'm not sure you would really be happy with an OES --and I got my first OES when my youngest child was 4. They grow up physically very, very fast: will reach 65-90 lbs by a year of age, but not have any common sense or grown up coordination and will still have tons and tons and tons of energy. What this means is that your kids will get knocked down. A lot. Not in an agressive mean way, but because they are small and because that cute little furball of a puppy will be very much larger than they are very, very quickly. Also, remember: all puppies teethe, which means they will chew everything, including your children's fingers, toes, and hair, shoes, toys, clothes, furniture, shoes, new shoes, favorite shoes, the only pair that still fits shoes, expensive shoes, etc. And fingers and toes and hair. OES are herding dogs, so they tend to nip at anything that runs by, including small children. You can train them not to do this, but it is work. An OES will grow large enough to eat off of your kitchen table without standing on his hind legs. He will be able to wash your face for you by standing on his hind legs. He will want to be next to you at all times, more than your 2 year old does. An OES needs a lot of exercise, a lot of training, and a LOT of grooming. That said, my children loved our OES. Currently, we have 3 OES, and my youngest child is now 20 years old. All of my OES have been very, very good with children, including small children, but you must know that one of the most common reasons for an OES to be given up by his family is because he was too much around small children. To be absolutely honest, if I had 2 children as young as yours, I would probably wait a couple of years to get a dog or else I'd get a lower energy, medium sized dog. |
| I say it is up to you. An OES is a huge responsiblilty and tons of grooming. Also house training when children are crawling, can be a constant ordeal, but an ordeal you may not mind.
It will be a lot of work, but not un-do-able. I got Maisey-Blue when my twins were 2. I wanted her so bad, that the work seemed like nothing. But it was work. A LOT of work. All pups nip, require house training and play. My Maisey flattens my kids to this day if she gets hyper. By this I mean jumps up and puts her paws on their shoulders. Maisey flattened them from Day 1. I try to avoid those situations, but it does happen on occasion. She also steals my kids stuffies constantly. It will be a ton of work for you, but also a lot of love in return, for you, and your family. My twins now spoon Maisey and watch T.V. Only you know if you are ready...Good luck |
| I have had at least one OES since my oldest child was 1 (almost 12 years ago now). I have three kids and the youngest is now 4, and I have three OES and they all do wonderful together.
Just my experience....I believe in raising them together. Kids have to learn to manage the dogs and dogs have to learn to live with the kids. It's worked perfectly for us - never had a problem one. |
| I can only speak from my experience with OES as to how they are with toddlers, I brought mine from a highly respected breeder and asked loads of questions as I also have small grandchildren who visit as well as2 children (now 12 & 13) at home and one has health issues so I had to be extremely careful in my choice of dog.
Sammy is now 2 1/2 and is wonderful with toddlers, he seems to instinctively know if a child is going to get hurt by something and puts himself between the child and the thing he seems to feel will hurt them. If children are running he will run with them and as a puppy felt he had to grab at them to stop them but never in a nasty way. One of my sons has epilepsy and he will alert me to a seizure before it happens. My advice would be the same as everyone else's, look for temperament and use a good breeder, asks lots of questions of the breeder and visit their kennels if possible and look at the parents of the puppy you may be interested in. |
My experience...Pearl, my 10 year old OES has always been great with everyone. She is a therapy dog and has had extension training. Heart, my 7 month old is, well, a puppy. When my grandkids come to visit, there is some initial jumping and air- licking and excitement. I am right there making sure NO ONE gets hurt---am giving commands to "settle"..some are heard...most are not...  --
Good luck and keep us posted... |
I myself have had OES since I was 11 years old. I currently have 3 small children..ages 5,4 and 2. and 5 OES. My dogs are fantastic with the children, and my children absolutely love the dogs. When I have a litter of pups, all we hear constantly is "mom can we go play with the pups again" over and over.. 
Personally, and I agree with a previous post, if you get a well bred OES with the proper temperment, I see no problem with an OES and children. Yes, a puppy will be a puppy so expect the pup to chew, and yes as a pup they get big quick which could knock a toddler over. And yes, be prepared for alot of work training etc. But this goes with ANY breed of puppy. I have sold pups to many families with children, and a few who have had other breeds and could not handle them due to hyperactivity, and every family has been more than happy with their OES. So the basic question is are you ready for a puppy? Do you have the time with the two small children to train the pup? If your answer is yes, then in my opinion the OES would make a wonderfull family pet. |
Quote: Do you have the time with the two small children to train the pup?
I think that's the key question. There are people with small children and Old English Sheepdogs that do very well... they usually train the dog well and supervise closely. They also understand and love the basic nature of the breed. On the flip side, there are Old English Sheepdogs that end up at shelters or in rescue because the puppy grew too fast and didn't make a good companion for small children due to the herding instincts. I think a lot of this has to do with the owners lack of work with the puppy. Whatever dog you decide on, start training from day one. Do NOT wait 3-6 months to begin. Puppies are usually very intelligent and can begin learning at a very young age. Three of my OES arrived at 9 weeks of age... within a matter of 2-3 days they knew the verbal command for sit... even my severely vision challenged girl. http://oesusa.com/KayteeSit.html So start training early, keep training sessions short (like 2-3 minutes at first) and always make it FUN! for a pup... and continue to train. Good luck to you. |
| From watching Chopin with adults and with my neices (1 and 4) he seems very aware of what the girls can and can not handle. with adults he will play rough and jump about but from the first time I let him play with the girls his behavior seems to adapt to what each of them (age wise) can handle--he will run with the 4 year old but never jump on her, and he will sit and let the baby pet him and kiss her legs and face from time to time (which she adores) My concern would be more for the wotk that you are putting into the raising than any safety for the children as they do require a lot of constant love and attention. good luck |
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