Advice about OES and children
For all you with children....how well is the OES with children. I have always wanted an OES and have done research on all the web site... curious what the real deal is... Any advice would greatly be appreciated. Nicole |
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| I've had OES with my kids their whole lives, and all have been great with my kids, however, it is important to remember the kids have to be taught as much as the dog. Kids should never be left unsupervised with dogs, no matter the breed or how much you think you can trust them (kids or dogs).
Welcome to the forum! Researching the breed, making sure it is right for you and your family and your lifestyle is so important, this is a great place to start!  |
Breeding and Training has so much to do with this - a well bred, healthy, socialized and properly trained OES can be excellent with children (as long as they are also properly trained!  ). Children should be supervised at all times (as they should with any dog).
You really need to ensure you are getting a puppy from a responsible and reputable breeder. They are a very large, boisterous breed (like a 100 lb toddler) - with a strong herding instinct - which can sometimes be problematic with children. They have alot of demands that your typical "family dog" may not have - i.e. GROOMING - so the time needed to properly care for an OES should be taken into consideration. I would recommend the OESCA website "About the Breed" as well as the Tips on Buying a puppy! www.oldenglishsheepdogclubofamerica.org This is just my opinion! Kristen |
| My guy loves children. But that in its self is a problem. He loves them TOO much. He just has no clue how big he is and thinks the kids are his playmates. It's one thing when I run around with him and he tries to herd me. It is another thing when he is doing it to a 4 year old.
Granted, I do not have a household of children, and his exposure to young children has been limited. From my experience with him, a big, boistorous, butt wagging fur ball of a dog can be scary, but both the dog and the child need to be taught how to play together correctly. |
| We have 2, 3 year old OES. One male, one female. Both are excellent with our kids ( I run an in-home daycare, by the way).
The good points of each; Liz is an excellent "watch" dog. She will bark at anyone who she thinks is bothering the children. This includes the older kids! She is very tolerant of the little ones climbing and crawling on her. Cooper is the herder out of the two. He likes to keep all the kids in one room, and will block their path if one tries to separate from the others. He will place himself between one of my 2 year olds and the stairs until I take her hand. Please keep in mind that the herding thing may scare some children. The biggest drawback I see with ours is size. I don't allow both dogs in the same room with the kids at the same time. They are very playful, and I'm sure you can imagine what two 80 pound sheepdogs bouncing around in one room would be like. As you can see from other posts, not all sheepdogs are this good around children. You will need to take the dog's breeding and temperment into consideration. My first question when getting both dogs, was are they good with children? (In Lizzie's case, her parents). I do believe, though, that if you get the right dog, an OES can be a fantastic family pet. |
| Great advice from everyone!
I have two furballs- One is GREAT around kids of all sizes, the other I wouldn't trust with kids of ANY size. I agree that it really depends on the way the dog was bred/raised (both of mine are rescue babies so I don't the details of thier life before they came to me). Just remember they do get big and while they think they are playing, the two yr. old they just knocked down may not think so. Be sure to do your research...As precious as these dogs are, they aren't for everyone- make sure you know what you're getting into before that cute fur ball turns into a 90lb teenager. Training and knowledge are a must to ensure a peaceful family~ Good luck and Keep us posted! Cindy and The Monsters |
| Thanks for all your advice!!!
Nicole |
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