my 6 yr daughter is frightened of dogs ever since a neighbours dog went to attack her last summer, luckly a passer by intervened and she escaped phyisically unhurt, although the mental scars are still there.
Recently she's been asking for a dog (a nice one!!) and was thinking about a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel as these dogs are friendly and fairly small.
Do you think its a good time to get a dog?
We have been wanting a dog for some time now but this set our plans back a little, so any help or advice would be great.
Many Thanks
Heather & Melissa

I f everything else is right ( ie you have time to give to a dog etc) then I would imagine this would be the ideal breed.

Hi, I'm at home almost all week, so i do have the time, how much will a puppy cost us?..a KC reg??

I can only tell you from experience it might be best to wait. My son was 3 and in the stroller when a huge dog came up to him and licked his face. He (my son) went nuts!!!!!!!! I guess he thought the dog was going to eat him or something. After that day, whenever he saw any size of dog he would go nuts. When he was almost 6 he wanted a dog. We went to the Rescue center and got a little dog who was so sweet. My son was fine coming home with the dog in the car. But once we got home, everytime the dog walked up to him and started to sniff him, again my son went nuts. I tried everything, nothing would work. After a week I had to take the dog back to the Rescue center. I'm not saying this will happen to you, just thought I would share my story. :D Shirl

thanks,

My daughter is ok with other dogs in the family, (grandma's dog also little) so hopefully she'll be ok.

I thought a puppy would be a good idea so she has time to bond with it before it reaches the playful stage.

Thanks
Heather

Hi Heather,

I just wanted to let you know that I have an eight year old blenheim King Charles Cavalier, and two children aged seven and three. To say she is the perfect dog would be to under estimate her. She is absolutely fantastic with the children, even if they go near her food bowl. In eight years, I can honestly say she has not growled at any of us, even once. She is a real pleasure. If you are looking, just do what any breeder would recommend, and see the puppies with the mother. If you have a nervous child I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending them. Lovely!! Good luck with your search. Julie

Hi Everyone,
thanks for all the replies, you have been very helpful.
I have 2 children Melissa is 6 and my son is 3 next week, so this breed of dog seems to be perfect for us.
All i need now is to find a local breeder, as i don't want to buy one from a "puppy farm"
Does anyone know where i can get a list of registered breeders in my area (tyne and wear)?

Many thanks once again
Heather

Here is a link for CKCS Club have look around the site it has some useful information on it as well as a puppy register.

Hope that Helps

Tracy

Many, many years ago (before I was born, so almost the dawn of pre-history:)) my parents and 3-year-old brother came home from the Far East; my brother was terrified of dogs. Rabies was, of course, endemic, and the locals' fear of dogs had transmitted itself to him.

My parents had a recommendation from a friend, and bought a cocker spaniel. My brother chose the puppy, they became firm friends, and he has been perfectly happy with dogs since.

Basically, if your daughter is suggesting getting a dog, and you can manage the hard work a dog entails, then I'd say go for it.

I agree a CKCS would be an ideal choice, we have one in our training group and he is fanstastic, friendly, loving, clever, and just plain ideal for his situation (the son has a few problems and is not always that good with the dog...)

Good luck in your choice

Lindsay

ps don't forget to check out health tests for these dogs though :)

Perhaps a more mature dog with a proven temperament may be a better option than getting a puppy. Another poster has just had an awful experience trying to raise a puppy with a bad streak and her daughter has ended up with a bad bite to her head :(
No one breed can be guaranteed friendly!

The only reason that I would suggest a puppy, as in my brother's case, is that puppies look so less frightening (to a child) than an adult dog. But you have to do a lot of homework to get the right breeder. CKCS are certainly lovely family dogs - not too big to knock a child over - and if you get one from a heart-healthy line you can hardly lose. :)

And no, I don't keep them, so I'm not biased!! :D

Heather,
we had the same problem, my daughter was 8 and scared of dogs to the point she would cross a road rather than walk anywhere near them. Then she started asking for a dog last year, as the rest of the family had always wanted one and our youngest was about to start school we dived in.......initially my daughter was in love with the fluffy pup until after a few days he settled in and became boisterous & her fright came back, she would run through the lounge to get out as fast as possible and sit on the sofa with her feet up....Oh no we thought she isnt over her fright, then after a week of this she got up one morning and had done a complete U turn and is now the member of the family that wantsto walk puppy, groom puppy, feed puppy etc etc and is the perfect child with him and other dogs we meet on walks !
So she was scared then joyous to get the pup then scared for a few weeks until she became used to him.
I know every child is different but I thought I would offer my story as it is similar to your problems and even when we thought we had maybe done the wrong thing with encouragement it definitely was the right thing to do.

Our pup by the way is an Old English sheepdog!

Jude

Thanks for the replies.
I am only going to buy from a breeder, and not a "puppy farm" so i can make sure it is healthy.
my daughter is looking forward to getting a new addition to the family, if i can find a genuine breeder!!!
Thanks once again
Heather

Heather,

I too have been in the same predicament. My daughter (for no reason) has always been (since 18 months) terrified of cats and to some extent dogs. We have realised that she doesnt have a phobia, but is easily disturbed by sudden surprises.

We have been working on her with dogs for sometime, as her fear really concerns me when she is next to a road etc., she is quite likely on the sudden appearance of a large dog to run straight in front of a car!!

Recently we have taken several dogs for walks and my daughter is very comfortable to hold the lead with us, as the dog walks forward. Sometimes she is jumpy if the dog turns towards her. We have now also got her sitting in houses with puppies and dogs, as long as she know that I will be there if she needs me (and she does like to keep her feet up, if there is a lively puppy in the room!). We also play many dog games with her, she has a simple lead, a stuffed toy, feeding bowls etc. We've even explained (and demonstrated) play biting, so that she has some understanding of why they do it and how to handle it. This has all taken sometime, but yesterday she actually stood at the window waiting for a friend and her dog to come by so that we could invite them in for coffee/tea!

She is still not completely cured, but we have decided to take the plunge and get a puppy Miniature Schnauzer puppy. A couple of weeks ago, I managed to locate a mature and reliable mini s. for us to visit, it was fantastic to see my daughter sitting next to him and stroking him (although it did take her 20 mins to warm up to this).

Tonight we are off to a dog show training meeting, as I know of a breeder there, who has invited us. This will be a challenge for her, as there will be many dogs, but we have said that as long as she doesnt run, scream or react in a silly way, we will carry her in until she has got her bearings. But I do believe all of this gentle exposure has really helped her over this during the last year.

Sorry, no real advice, but I thought you'd be interested in my story.
K.

Hi Karen,

I hope thing continue to go well for your daughter, we have 4 months to prepare my daughter for our new dog, but she's really excited about it, she isn't as jumpy now when we see dogs since i've told her we are getting one!!!
Its all she talks about, so keeping our fngers crossed that we don't have many settleing in problems.
best wishes
Heather

Heater

Good luck with your daughter too. The dog training was fun last night (some huge and barking dogs of only a few months old!!). Eleanor was really nervous at first and sat at the back of the room with her feet up on the chair. But, she wants to go again and still wants a dog!

A very kind lady we met there said she would go and fetch her mature Mini S. for Eleanor to see (this was a show dog). By the end of the hour session, Eleanor was walking it around the room on the lead.

Have you decided which breed to go for? I am finding this very hard. I think we'll go for a Mini Schnauzer, but have also considered an English Cocker.

K.

Hi Karen,
We have decided to get a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
As this breed have a lovely nature
When i took her to school she walked past a pit bull terrier without getting in a flap!!!
i was surprised to say the least!!!!!

Regards
Heather

A Cavalier is the best breed you can get for a child scared of dogs theyre lovely, we've got one a ruby. WELL DONE! your making the right choice!

All the best Betty.