Quote: ana kozlowsky

 Quote: lisa brazeau

I hate it when people say "I'm getting a dog for my kid..." That statement really bugs me. IMHO they can get what ever kind of dog they want... As long as they understand it's THEIR dog to care for and train. Entrusting a 10 yr old to take care of any dog is a ridiculous idea, let alone a dog that is prone to being large and in charge.

I absolutely agree with Lisa. What happens to the dog when the girl is 13 and wants nothing more than to hang out with her friends and make eyes at boys? "We cannot take care of this dog so decided to put it to sleep" is way too common response. Or "my daughter brought her friends home and they started playing with the dog and one of the girls got bitten. This dog has forfeited any right to draw another breath".

Sorry---did not mean to imply so many negatives. This is a dog-crazy kid, very mature and responsible for her age, with a responsible set of parents. I get nervous when people ask me for advice about dogs, as everything I know came from raising 1 very easy-going canine.

Ten years is a long time to be without a dog if you are a dog person! Perhaps their living situation has not allowed it until now, have the parent's had dogs prior? These are questions that any breed rescue or animal shelter will ask.

I have re homed one of these dogs in the past because he was "just too much for the family to handle." They decided on this breed because they fell in love with "Chance" from Homeward Bound...They should have listened to their kids because they wanted Shadow, the Golden!

Most of the children that I deal with on a daily basis are intimidated by dogs that look like this. I currently have a Golden here that is being trained as a service dog and ALL the children love him! If the child would like a Golden, a softer dog, and they are getting the dog for this child, why are the parent's thinking American Bull dog? Hopefully, they realize that they will be the one's caring for him!

AB folk can read into whatever they wish. This kind of dog would not be one I would recommend to be a first dog to a little girl like this. It's no because it's a big dog, a bully, or whatever. It's because 1) the parents seem to have a disconnect about getting their kid a dog when this is their dog that they will have up to 15 years, 2) they seem to be looking for breed rather than behavior type, and 3) have identified no purpose other than companion for this dog which is a poor life for a dog type that needs a job to avoid trouble.

Really, at this point I wouldn't recommend any dogs to these people until they work out the "What we want a dog for" criteria and a reality check on their lifestyle.

I am sorry for sounding so negative, Meredith, I did not mean to offend you. It is just such an old story that almost always ends the same - the parents have to take care of the animal that nobody needs or wants anymore. Children have so much going on, they grow up, they have school, friends, extracurricular activities, there just won't be time for the girl to take care of the dog all by herself. With a dog that size she won't be even able to walk the dog safely.

Meredith, why are they looking at this particular dog?

It does seem like, as first time dog owners, they may be naive about what it takes to properly care for a large breed dog.
If proper pack structure is not in place, you have a potentially problematic situation that is only exacerbated by the dog's size.

How will the 10 year old be interacting with the dog? She will not be able to walk the dog by herself, and as others have pointed out, she may not be suited to the roughhousing type of play that this breed may enjoy.

It just doesn't seem like a very good fit...

My dad had an american bulldog. He bought it from someone who didn't have time for it anymore. My dad LOVED the dog. Long story short, The dog was a basket case. No matter what dad did to help him get over his issues, he was just hopeless. He had major separation anxiety and was unstable. He got away from my dad and bit a couple strangers (he was very protective of the family). The last straw was when he bit a child on the hand. My dad had him put to sleep and he hasn't been the same man since. Bad breeding, bad raising, maybe both- who knows.I'm the first to admit that my dad made mistakes with him too. But he has worked with dogs his whole life and couldn't fix this animal.

Not saying you shouldn't get one. We all loved Rocky. He was so sweet and endearing. My Dad would like to get another pup one day. Just be forewarned, they are a LOT of dog to handle. If you go for it, do yourself a favor and research the lines and temperament. They require a STRONG confident handler. Not a dog for a child.

I have met quite a few American Bulldogs that were really cool. Lovable, goofball types. There is he "scary" potential there, though. It's just such a strong breed of dog.

I think it could be a good match if the family were also considering a Rottie. What they would be getting into with an American Bulldog isn't all that much different. Probably not for the inexperienced, and a child definitely should not be the primary handler.

If they are into he bully breed look, I saw the cutest dog one day at the park that I could see fitting into a family really well. It was a Boxer x English Bulldog.

It was a basically a very peppy, medium sized bulldog with fewer health issues. I think it's one of those new designer mixes, since English Bulldogs can't breed by mistake.

As a owner of an AB I wouldn't recommend one if they are first time owners. However of my three dogs Diesel is the best with my children (4 & 2). You definately need to do your research and find a good breeder and if possible see past litters of same parents to see how they are maturing. If they want an older dog try for one that is 2-3 as it seems that around the 18 month mark is when the tempermanent traits appear.

AB's in general are great with kids and family and I have found them no worse for knocking the kids over than any other dog I have been around. Diesel probably has better overall OB but did develop DA even with socialization so it is always a guess as it is with any dog.

I wouldn't go by scary media stories it is no fun to tell the storey of the chi who bit his owner's nose off cause they aren't scary looking dogs. If my mind serves me right one of the highest dogs with the most incidents of biting is a retreiver but with the good media they have it doens't come up. Small dogs can be even worse but because their damage is usually not as severe it is ignored. Sorry a bit off the topic but the generalizations of AB's, pitbulls being the big bad dogs really makes me angry.

I'm going to agree with what others have stated here.
Bullies are often times dogs with no sense of bodily awareness and can be over-rambunctious for children. I have an olde english, very similar to a bully AB, with AB blood in him. The dog is a nut. The running right at you on a recall and slamming, the body checks, the lack of co-ordination, the head butts, the list goes on. Of course none of this is out of aggression, it's just the way he is.
During agility training this dog would rather smash through the jumps than go over them.
I'm under the impression that bullies can do very well with children, but are not for the inexperienced owner. They are hard headed, stubborn and can be very willful during training (of course this is some, not all), and through personal experience, they are not as easy to train as working with a highly intelligent breed like a JRT, golden, mal, border etc.
So in a situation where a child was really into the rearing and training of the dog, I would suggest an easier dog start with. The golden sounds like a good match, and I really don't understand why the parents wouldn't want to go that route.
Do they realize the drool involved??? LOL