Advice on first pet (dog) for 6 y.o kid

[anna]

Hey everyone!

Big news from our little corner of the world: my son, soon to be 6, finally got the "yes" he's been hoping for since he was 4—we're getting a dog! But, here's the twist: we're complete newbies to the dog-owning scene and honestly, a bit lost on where to start.

We live in Europe, and we're on the lookout for a furry friend who can fit right into our family life. We're dreaming of a dog that's gentle, easygoing, and just the right match for a lively little boy and his first-ever pet.

So, I'm turning to you, the pros, for some much-needed advice. What breeds would you suggest for our family's very first dog? Any tips on making our home welcoming for our new addition?

Your wisdom and any fun stories about introducing a dog to your kids would be golden. Thanks for helping us make this dream come true!

Thanks for your help

 

[klpotte3]

@anna Do you want a dog?

Are you ready to put in the work that comes with a dog?

Even a low energy, well trained, easy going dog is going to end up needing 2-3 hours of your time a day. Are you ready to commit that much time to a dog?

If you want breed recommendations, fill out the breed questionnaire over at r/dogs as it's quite thorough. There is a LOT to consider (energy levels, how much shedding/drooling/barking you can tolerate, what kind of personality you want, etc). So unfortunately without more info it's hard to give a good recommendation.

I also recommend looking over the wikis of r/puppy101 and r/dogtraining as they have some very good info.

You'll also want to learn a lot about dog body language and how to safely introduce kids and dogs. Things like pulling hair, sticking hands in the dogs mouth, pulling the tail and ears, hanging on the dog, sitting on the dog, etc all needs to be prevented and immediately stopped.

Edit: here is one comment with some very good resources about kids and dogs
https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/s/j2ZKMFiycC

 

[anna]

@klpotte3 Thanks so much for the advice! We're definitely excited and ready to welcome a dog into our lives, and we're making sure our little guy knows how to interact safely and kindly with our future dog. That's also an excellent to introduce responsibility, care, and commitment to our son.

We'll dive into those breed questionnaires and educational resources you mentioned - sounds like just what we need to get started on the right foot.

It's great to get a reminder about the importance of understanding dog body language and ensuring a gentle introduction for kids. Appreciate you sharing those resources and giving us a friendly heads-up about the commitment involved. Thanks again!

 

[matthewg27]

@anna Golden retriever