Bull Terriers...

Well it depends if you have the time to devote to a dog. Dogs are very time consuming and need a lot of time and attention as you train them. With young children in the household your time is probably taken up with their needs.

I can't speak for the temperment of the bull terrier but I think 1 is too young to bring a puppy into the home. Your 3 year old is old enough but at one, can you really watch your son with the dog at all times? 1 year olds are often clumsy and don't really understand the consequences of their actions. Our son (who is 20 months) is loving towards our two cats but when he is tired or cranky and they are around he tries to pick them up by their fur or pet too hard. I would wait a least another year. And then there is all the extra work for you...as if you aren't busy enough! lol

Hi, just over 2 years ago we bought a bull terrier from Dieter's Bull Terriers in upstate NY. We chose a female because I heard they are a little easier around children. I know at Dieter's they raise the puppies around kids so that was one of the selling points. At the time, I had 2 girls (ages 3 & 1)and a hubby who is gone about 15 days per month plus I work full time+. Everyone thought I was crazy. However, our BT trained easily, but I had a pit bull & a shep chow mix prior, so I had experience with stronger breeds. She is wonderful with the kids (they are now 5, 3 & 1). However, she was your typical puppy with typical puppy teeth. She was crated but I followed Cesar Millans advice and feel like we have a wonderful dog. She is great to take on walks/runs/trail walks sans leash and doesn't leave our side. (she does have her moments though, trust me. I can tell when she hasn't had enough exercise)I can go on & on and if you like I will respond to you in more depth, Me & my girls spend a great with our BT and Im very happy with the results. Oh, and she hasn't met another dog that she hasn't loved to play with.

Hi there!
Getting a puppy can be very exciting. The good newe is that both of your children are probably at least very closeoro walking, so you don't have to worry about crawling. Bull terriers can be very similar to amstaffs in their temperament, but it really depends on the breeder. For a family with very young kids, I always recommend adopting a dog that is a little older. This is for several reasons: your house is busy enough without adding the craziness of housetraining, chew training, socialization and manner training that goes into a puppy for the first year(not to mention we are just coming into the holidays). More importantly, though, you will know what it's adult temperament is like. Even with a puppy from a breeder, there is still a LOT of guesswork as to how that adult dog will be in a family. And finally, if you can adopt a fog who is over 12-18mo. You will not have to deal with the frustrations, excess energy and destruction that comes with adolescence. Bull terriers have a great tolerance for pain and can be very patient with small kids, but they can also be extremely stubborn and destructive, not noticing that their innocent exuberance has trampled the kids again. If you have a LOT of extra time, energy, patience and a sense of humor then a BT (or any powerful large breed) puppy may be right for you. However, if your dream dog doesn't drive you crazy(in a good way:) for the first yerr of it's life, then I would consider teaching your children about saving a dogs life by adopting an adult, temperament tested dog of your favorite breed. Purebreed rescues exist for most breeds and usually have dogs whose only crime was to not get purchased by a family who was ready for a puppy. Feel free to call or email to discuss it further!
All the best with your decision!

S. Walker
Side by Side Dog Training
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www.sidebysidetraining.com

Hi M.,

You may want to consider a labrador retreiver. They are great with kids and are very sweet and loyal.

J.

I have a 10.5, 7.5 and 3.5 year old girls and i have a husband who works long hours and does a great deal of traveling during the week. We promised our girls that when the youngest was potty trained we'd get a dog. We brought home our labradoodle (rescue) puppy in May. In the beginning it was a great deal of work for me. I was walking him every hour b/c I was training him to go outdoors and not on wee-wee pads. (which is why I chose the spring to get a dog). This was probably the biggest challenge for me/us on the weekends b/c that was when my husband was around and we'd usually take weekend trips or day trips but I was now subjected to staying close to home b/c I had to get back to walk and/or feed the dog b/c he couldn't be stuck in the crate for more than a couple of hours. When I'd put him in the car to go to puppy school or where ever, he'd get car sick. He'd chewed my banister and some of my furniture while I was taking care of the kids and didn't realize what he was doing. It was tough and we really had to change our lifestyle for the first 6 months of having our puppy. Thankfully he has a very good temperment, b/c my littlest one tortures him to no end, and he doesnt do anything to her in return. He also has a bundle of energy so I take him to the dog park on a daily basis to play with his friends and get tuckered out for a few hours afterwards. Although it sounds like I'm complaining which at times I do a great deal, I love having him around. He keeps me company during the day and is nice to have around when my husband is traveling and he's the cutest, furriest thing I've ever brought home! Since you have owned a pet in the past, you know how much work they are! so just really think about the additional responsibility a pet will be with 2 toddlers in the house. You might want to wait a couple of more years before getting a family pet. You'll all be able to appreciate the pet so much more! Good Luck!

The best dog for kids are the mutts...mixed breeds. They aren't as "high strung" as pure breds, because they don't have the possibility of being too closely bred. If you insist on a pure bred, make sure that the mother and father are not related. Any puppy can be taught social skill, but you have to take precausions that they aren't any where near your children's toys. Chewing on things can cause emotional upset for the children and can be harmful to the puppy. We had the nicest pit bull you could find, but we socialized her from 8 weeks old. Older dogs are great, but you need to find out as much info as you can about the dog.

Whatever you do, just make sure you consider the kids first and foremost. Pets are great, but not all pets mesh with kids very well, and I can't stand when people bring home puppies and then get rid of them in 2 weeks time because they're not good with the children. It's not fair to the children or the animals. If you have any doubts at all, don't do it.
L.

I do not have any experience with bull terriers. Personally
love English Springer Spaniels. However, that being said,
I would wait a while. The kids are young so they won't
be too much help with a puppy. Actually you might put
a diaper on the dog and walk the baby LOL. I tried
a puppy when the kids were 3, 2 and 1yo. Did not work.
Puppy went back after two days. What was I thinking!!!
\
I would hold off a bit if I were you.

Hi!
Bull Terriers are such great dogs! It will make a great addition to your family, if the time is right. By that I mean do you know how much time/effort a puppy is? (I don't know if you have experience w/puppies.) One may be too young, depending on your household situation. If you crate train, and you are at home pretty much all the time you may be able to handle it. Bull Terriers are very strong willed and need a strong disapline programe from the beginning. You may want to wait until your one yro is two or so! Bull Terriers are wonderful with kids, if you train them so they know who is boss! Good luck!