Best Dogs for Children

In this fast-paced era where ever-busy parents find it really difficult to spend lot of time with children and entertain them, pets are great companions who can keep your child engaged tirelessly for long hours. Pets teach children about compassion toward other being.

Dogs have been domesticated for centuries together; hence many breeds are quite friendly with humans. However, parents should be careful while choosing the breed depending upon the age of the children. For example, large dog breeds like Mastiff or Great Dane are not suitable if you have infants or very small children at home. Similarly, very small breeds like Shitzu, Pekinese or Chihuahuas may find it difficult to cope up with hyperactive kids.

Some of the recommended dog breeds are as follows:

• Collies are suitable for almost all age groups. They are friendly and can be groomed easily.
• Golden retrievers are very gentle with children and are tolerant to all their naughty antics.
• Beagles are one of the most social breeds but they do not like to be disturbed when they have their food.
• Poodles are loving, loyal and trustworthy breeds as long as they are not mishandled.
• Newfoundland breed is suitable for children regardless of their age. These dogs are tolerant and protective about their owners.
• St. Bernard is advisable for older children due to its large size. However, they are gentle and extremely protective if well trained.
• Basset Hounds are gentle dogs who get along really well with children who know how to handle them well.

Is a Border Collie Right for Your Family?

The Border Collie is a herding dog that has only been documented since the early 1800's. Originally, only classified as a sheep dog, in 1915, the Border Collie name was set in stone and breeding began in earnest. What separates the Border from other herding breeds is their stare. They have a hypnotic stare that seems to make the sheep go where the dog wants them to go and spooks them into action. They set their stance and stare at the sheep and identify what needs to be done. When they are on the move, they are fast and agile and have a lot of stamina. These dogs are fine tuned herding machines. With a few commands the shepherd can have his flock of sheep out of the pasture and into the pen in a very short period of time.

A few notable Collie traits are that of craving attention, high intelligence, high energy and a love of taking care of its flock. As a member of the herding breeds, they can be a bit verbose and nippy as they shuffle there little sheep around. Therefore, they are not recommended for really little children. Older kids that can command attention and work with the trained commands are great. The Border is a dog that will watch over their family members. They are good at recognizing possible threats and raising an alarm.

Border Collie's have to be trained. They can wreak havoc on the household if left unchecked. They need an outlet for all of their intelligence and energy and they need to understand what is and isn't appropriate in regards to those outlets. Luckily, they are easy to train and eager to please. Once the basic commands like sit, stay, come and no have been mastered, more complex commands can be taught. Border Collie's can perform very complex tasks. They respond to hand signals as well as verbal cues and these can be combined to create some really unique tricks.

As a house dog, the Border Collie needs to be exercised daily. Having a fenced in yard makes things easier. You can throw the ball, Frisbee, or any other toy and they will get it in a flash. You can also set up an agility course in the backyard and work on training them to your and your Collie's hearts content. The Border is a dog that excels at agility training. Ducking, weaving, jumping and following a course at their masters command makes them jump for joy. Agility training not only exercises the dog, but it creates an enduring bond with your Border Collie.

Overall the Border Collie can tolerate many conditions, from hot to cold, from apartment to home to farm (so long as they get plenty of daily exercise and mental stimulation). They are relatively healthy. They do need to be brushed two or three times per week. They are a medium sized dog averaging 40 pounds. They have a life span of 10 to 14 years. So, now that you know more about the Collie, is it the right dog for you?

Collie - Is This the Perfect Dog For You?

Do you know how the Collie got its name? The word has its beginning way back in the early days of the English language. It comes from the Anglo-Saxon word col meaning black. Col or colley was a name that was also used for the sheep of Scotland many hundreds of years ago. These sheep were coal black. The dogs that watched over them were called colley dogs. Later these sheep dogs were simply called Collies, and the name has remained in the language.

Queen Victoria had much to do with making the Collie popular in her native England. During one of her visits to Balmoral Castle in Scotland in the 1860's, she saw some Collies working with sheep. She was so impressed with their intelligence that she decided to take a pair back to Windsor with her. The Queen was so attached to her Collies that they went with her wherever she went. But one time, on a royal visit to France, she didn't take one of her dogs. She missed her pet so much that a member of her court had to go back to England to bring the collie to France to be with her mistress.

In England, the royal family sets the style. If a queen wears a certain kind of hat, her subjects notice the style and try to get the same kind. If a duke knots his tie a certain way, before long most of the men are copying him. The same is true with dogs. When Queen Victoria favored the Collie, she unwittingly made the breed one of the most popular in England in a very short time.

In America, the movies and TV set the styles. Back in the 1920s a German Shepherd named Rin-Tin-Tin was the hero of thousands of children - and grownups too. All through the 1920s the German Shepherd was the most popular dog in the country. In the 1950s, a Collie named Lassie did for her breed what Rin-Tin-Tin did for his. When we saw Lassie on the screen, we realized that Collies were not only good sheep dogs, but they were good companions for youngsters. Their intelligence and love for children make them excellent pets.