Watching Children

[CBCNei]

Greetings! First time to this forum and I hope everyone eagerly shares their .02 worth. We have a sitution I'm researching. I have 5 children - ages 14, 12, 11, 9 and 1.5 - the youngest has down syndrome. We have for some time wanted a dog in the family and now we have additional motivation. Some children with downs syndrome tend to wander. We would like to get a dog that can help watch and 'herd' a wandering child inside or outside. Can a dog be trained to do this kind of work/play? Second,we have an opportuntiy to get a well behaved 3 year old female chocolate lab in good health with all the accessories very reasonably priced. Could we train/use a lab for the herding work/play?

Eric

[Husky_mom]

labs are multipurpose dogs, i think its a good choice, because some of the more herding types might (i said might) get snappy and labs seem to be more gentle and adecuate for this situation, but i´m not an expert in that matter that´s just my opinion.

[Alysser]

Well, Collies(smooth and rough) were bred to 'herd' and they are very smart dogs. So, I would probably suggest a Collie of some sort. Maybe you can make her/him some type of threapy dog for your child. I don't know! But GOOD LUCK to you.

[luvofallhorses]

People train dogs to be a service dog for special needs people. I would suggest a golden retriever or a labrador retriever. They are both great dogs! Good luck!! also, I wouldn't suggest a high energy breed with your children...golden retrievers and labrador retrievers are pretty mellow imo.

one more thing, I don't know where you live, but here is a site that has information about service dogs..

http://www.k94life.org

again, good luck on your search!

[pitc9]

First off, WELCOME to Pet Talk!! You've come to the great place!
A Lab would have been my first suggestion, so the Choc lab you are talking about may just be the answer you're looking for!
I too would worry about a Herding dog being to snippy with small children. A herding dog's instincts to herd start with nipping the heels of what they are herding.
Any dog can learn anything as long as you take the time to teach them! Dogs are eager to learn new things and most look for a job to do and you'd tend to have less behavioral problems with a dog that has a job!
Good Luck!

[MyLittleMutt]

I don't think you would want a herding dog.

I think the lab sounds like a good choice.

[buttercup132]

i would suggest a collie or a lab they are both great learners and good wth kids

[lv4dogs]

The lab may be a good choice. I think a lab or retreiver would be your best bet. Herding dogs would be great for it... but like mentioned, sometimes they may nip at heals.
No matter what your decision is with the breed of dog, you will need to do extensive training with him/her.

It could be done thats for sure.

You're best bet is to research to see if it has been done before & how they trained. Are you a member to down syndrome sites? Maybe they have more info on service dogs for children with down syndrome?

I wish you luck.

[.sarah]

golden retrievers and labrador retrievers are pretty mellow imo.

That depends on what they are bred for. My Labbie girls are both from field/hunting and performance lines, and they can be VERY hyper. If you can, try to find out if the Lab is from show or performance lines, it will make the world of difference. The show Labs, while still active, have much less drive and energy and would fit your situation better. At 3 years old, a show Lab will be pretty mellow (usually) while a field/performance Lab will still be very hyper. I'm very active in Labs, and know plenty of dogs from both types of lines, and this all comes from personal experience with them.

If you don't know her family history, another way to tell is by what she looks like, though this isn't always completely accurate.

Field Labs are leaner all over, with longer noses and more alert eyes. Click here and here for pictures.

Show Labs are more stocky, with a shorter nose and a softer look to their face. Click here, and here, here for pictures.

I agree with Karen, a trial run may be the best way to go. Good luck!!

[ParNone]

Although certain breeds may be more suited to that type of work, I'd have to agree with Karen, it's gonna depend more on the individual dog.

I have 2 Smooth Collies, Oz and Gull and Oz just naturally does the things you're wanting, without any specific training. Whomever he determines is part of his herd, he watches out for them and lets me know if anything's amiss. I don't have any children, but he treats my nephews as if they were his responsibility. He watches them like a hawk and actually gets distressed if they get out of sight. He's very gentle with them. There's no nipping of heels. Collies tend to herd, by nose poking. Although I don't think I've ever seen him even do that towards the kids.

For my other Smoothie, Gull, though, it's all about fun and play. He's not always aware of everything going on around him. He doesn't seem to have that natural watchfulness trait that Oz does. I'm not sure "concern" is something easily trained.

I think it takes a very special dog to be a service dog. Good Luck!

Par...

[tricollie4me]

My rough collie, Bijou, is much like Gull is -- Bijou is all about activity and playfulness and being silly and fun. She does herd my kids (I have five kids also, ages 2-12) but with more of a "nose in the back of their knees," rambunctious, chase-about kind of manner, not a "nip with teeth to get them rounded up in a group" kind of way. She also tends to herd my younger ones much more than the older ones, though she likes to jump on my 10-year-old the most -- I think it's because he's most her size when she's up on her back paws "standing" up.

Because my own collie is just over a year, and we adopted her when she was a 14-week old puppy, I can tell you that this first year was hard with having both her and the children to care for. She loves the kids, and they love her, but the smallest ones were a bit fearful when she first came into the house because she was so active and hadn't had any training at all. My pup didn't know she wasn't allowed to race through the house and jump on and off furniture at blazing speeds, and my kids didn't understand that the dog didn't want to eat them! Honestly -- my little ones used to call out, "Bijou's gonna eat me!" It took several weeks to get everyone living together in relative harmony, and we're still working on Bijou not jumping on the kids from time to time - it's simply the puppy in her that gets her going, I have no doubt in another year or so she'll be much better behaved, and of course the kids will be another year older/taller as well.

That all said, I do feel that a collie can be a magnificent choice for your family if you're able to adopt an older dog and know a bit more about temperament/activity level, etc. Bijou is enormously tolerant of the kids and always has been, even as a puppy. The kids are as careful as kids can be with Bijou, but they tend to give love in a big way which means lots of hugging and occasional tugging and joyful snuggling. It's really beautiful! My two-year-old daughter often throws her arms around Bijou and says, "I love my Bijou!" and Bijou looks at me with her big brown eyes as if to say, "Well, this sure beats living alone in a barn back before you brought me home!" Everyone feels good having her as part of our family

Best wishes -- you've received very good advice and I agree that a trial run is the best way to go and if you're unable to do that, then adopting a dog with a known history and temperament is most important. I've always believed that the temperament of an individual dog is a more important consideration than a specific breed in and of itself.

[Karen]

I'd "test drive" the Lab you've been offered. Many dogs of different breeds are self-appointed nannies, others simply are not. My first dog was, and she was a maybe Shepherd/Dobe or Rottie mix. It depends not so much on the breed as the temperament of the individual dog.

A large breed like a Lab is certainly better in this situation than a more delicate dog, as the Down Syndrome child will need to be taught to be careful with the dog, as well as vice versa, and you don't want a dog too small to withstand an enthusiastic hug!

[caseysmom]

I would think your child would be entitled to a service dog trained to help with specific needs of their situation. I would suggest calling around also.

[CagneyDog]

Labs can get pretty hyper, and although they are known to be great, smart, family dogs not every Lab is like this. I think you should look into getting a service dog that is properly trained for this type of stuff.

[cyber-sibes]

Welcome to PT! The lab you describe sounds wonderful, have you had her together with your kids yet? That will tell you alot. It's good that she's 3, a more mature dog will probably be better than a puppy or young dog for your situation. We'll all be waiting to hear more!