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How many have opted to adopt a project dog with young children?

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Member Since
01/04/2009		 
 
Barked: Mon Nov 26, '12 10:15am PST 
I'm just curious, how many of you all who willing choose to rescue and foster serious project dogs also have children in the house?

if you had children in the house, would it affect your decision to rescue a project dog? If so, why or why not?

This post is based on a conversation I had with a friend of mine, and I'm just curious as to what everyone says.
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Trigger

*Blackdog*		 
 
Barked: Mon Nov 26, '12 12:26pm PST 
Would depend on the situation, but I'd venture to declare not many reasonable or reputable rescue organizations would ever place a serious case in a family with specifically young children.

The risk and potential liability would be too high.
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Miyu CGC

Bow down to the- Princess Brat! 		 
 
Barked: Tue Nov 27, '12 9:34pm PST 
It would probably also depend on the issues. If he was only aggressive with dogs, and that was the only dog in the home? Probably not a big deal. Easy enough to work on away from the kids. But anything to do with resource guarding, or something that might hurt the kids? Nope. No way.
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Member Since
01/04/2009		 
 
Barked: Wed Nov 28, '12 5:05am PST 
I was just curious as to what everyone would say. There seem to be some really hard core people on this site, and I just wondered how many of them had kids.

The dogs seem to take up so much of their time to rehabilitate just to do normal things that I do with my dog with out even thinking of it, like getting a CGC or walking down the street and passing people or other dogs or bikes or kids.

I mean, if you have a stroller or even if you wear your baby, how are you supposed to control a dog that lunges at everyone or everything or barks uncontrollably?

How do you teach a kid to walk and explore their environment if you're constantly having to worry how the dog will react?

The two things just don't seem to go together.

I just can't see some of these people having kids along with these high intensity project dogs.

My friend says it's possible, but I tend to think that most families want a "normal" dog, as in, not a dog that has severe dog or resource aggression. But, I see so many people judge adopters for not wanting to take on the liability of these high risk cases and I just think to myself, "Wow, these people have less empathy for human beings then they do for dogs." That's what's crazy to me.

My kid comes first, and honestly I probably wouldn't hesitate to rehome a dog that exhibited unstable tendencies. If someone with out kids wants to take on a dog like that and is able to devote to them the time that the dog needs to be more stable, then I think that's great.
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Dro

Gota do what you- gota do		 
 
Barked: Wed Nov 28, '12 7:19am PST 
Ive taken in a project dog which i found out later that had been used for dog fighting his name was Brute he was a huge German Rottwilier. I needed my parents permission of course since im still in high school i am a senior. I have a younger sister in the house. He was my responsibility. He was aggresive towards buddy and was not really safe around people his behavior would switch instantly from loving and playing to lunging and snarling. He had a bi polar behavior he just did not trust humans what so ever. At the end even i became a little afraid i would chain him as i cleaned the yard he had gone to the vet was updated on his shots my opinion he should of been spayed to help calm him down. Eventualy i got him to become more comfortable with people and other dogs and it was time to say goodbye i had to give him up i wouldnt do it again because i felt like the dog was not safe enough to be left alone and everyone pushed me to keep working with him so he could be rehomed ASAP lol i wouldnt do it unless you are able to watch that dog and dont leave it alone unspervised.
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Jewel, PCD

8.6lbs of fury- in a bow!		 
 
Barked: Wed Nov 28, '12 7:48am PST 
I don't have kids and I feel that gives me more freedom to take in foster dogs without worry. I do have a small dog as my own dog which does make me worry about bringing in larger dogs but so far they have all (thankfully) been very respectful/afraid of her.
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Lucille

I am the Sock- Bandit!!!		 
 
Barked: Wed Nov 28, '12 8:27am PST 
So you're saying that those who advocate for rehab dogs have more empathy for dogs than people? can't say I've seen that here...not even close to some other forumes I'm on.

Sure it depends on the issues the dog has. But I'm going to add that most of the parenting I see nowadays is really lacking. I see people who can't even handle going to a grocery store with a child, nevermind go somewhere with a project dog and a kid. I honestly think young puppies are often too much for many folks with kids to raise well. The puppy gets sidelined and out of control even when it's an easy one to train. In my area, getting a kid is the number one reason why people give up on their dogs/puppies and surrender them to a shelter. Sorry if I don't seem empathetic enough, but I consider getting a pet to be a commitment for the pet's lifetime, not just until a person decides to have a kid. If they know they're at their limit, fine, at least try and re-home, but no, they just dump the dog.

Depends on the dog, depends on how good a trainer the parent is, and how good they are at parenting. Too many variables here, really.
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Member Since
01/04/2009		 
 
Barked: Wed Nov 28, '12 9:43am PST 
Lucille, are you deliberately trying to get a rise out of me? Why would you deliberately misconstrue my post like that?

I must have hit close to home. I didn't say there was anythign wrong with people choosing dogs over kids, or not being able to have kids and instead having dogs. That's a life choice. I only posted because I just don't see how some of the dogs I see people post about could possibly fit in with a family who has kids.

Kids require so much time and energy. I'm sorry that you feel that parents aren't up to your standards. I often see that type of judgment from people who don't have kids themselves. When I see another mom with a screaming kid, I try to remind myself, "That could be a foster kid. That kid could have a learning disability, etc."

I do the same when I see a person walking an out of control dog. You do not know their story.

If someone feels that they want to personally center their lives around their dogs, and they can provide the care that some of these high risk dogs require to live out a semi-normal life, then I think that's great, and those dogs are very lucky.
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Member Since
01/04/2009		 
 
Barked: Wed Nov 28, '12 9:53am PST 
I'd also like to add that regardless of anything, a dog that fits INTO a family's dynamic is going to have a more successful time in staying in that home then one that the family has to work around.

I never said anything about puppies and infants. I agree that probably people bite off more then they can chew and don't do research and buy from crappy breeders or whatever any number of irresponsible things that people do. That isn't at all what I'm talking about.

I honestly just wanted to see if anyone who adopted project dogs also had kids and if so, how they handled it.
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Opheila

It ain't over- till the fat- kitty sings		 
 
Barked: Wed Nov 28, '12 3:14pm PST 
Just personal experience with adopting a dog at all with young children...my oldest was two when we adopted Misha, a Siberian husky pup. Bad idea-
1. Huskies like LOTS of exercise, two year olds can get cranky if you're out walking when they aren't into it.
2. Husky puppies are still big and strong and can easily topple a small child.
3. Puppies get mouthy, young kids get mouthy. Puppies need housebreaking, young kids need housebreaking.Puppies can be destructive, you children can be destructive...how much extra work do you want to take on really?

IMHO wait until the kids are school age, maybe around 7 years old. Then they can help out a bit with doggie care.
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