What is a good, child-safe pet

We had a Beta fish for about a year and a half. You're right, it was the easiest pet in the world.    -    abbamom123 2/1/2010 4:04:46 PM | FlagA small snake might be cool too.    -    ADMINTODD 2/2/2010 8:31:51 PM | Flag@ADMINTODD: I don't think a small snake would be a safe pet -- even if it's not poisonous. A turtle or a fish may be a much safer choice.    -    melissam 3/2/2010 2:30:58 AM | FlagWe just got a guinea pig 2 months ago, and with proper supervision, she makes a great pet! Both of our children take turns holding her, and she's calm enough to not hurt them. Even though I'm the one cleaning the cage, they do feed her and take care of her.    -    FlyingB 3/11/2010 11:38:27 AM | FlagI have raised kids and dogs together for years and I have to say if you have the room you really should consider the gentle giant breeds. Saint Bernards were the best we ever had.    -    Marielavoe 3/24/2010 2:50:07 PM | FlagI agree. My daughter will get a beta next year! I had one for 4 years once.    -    lifeloving 3/31/2010 9:35:58 PM | FlagWe have hermit crabs inside & chickens and goats outside :)    -    SAHMandHW 4/2/2010 2:54:10 AM | FlagChildren love animals that's a fact! Dogs, cats, birds, doesn't matter, kids love them all, but it is important to take into to consideration the age of a child before purchasing a pet. 'When considering which pet to get for your child several things must be determined in order to provide a safe and happy environment for your child and their pet. The age of the child should be the first consideration, is he/she old enough to manage a relationship without causing injury to the pet or themselves? If purchasing a dog, cat or other domestic animal will be a long-term responsibility so it is important to pick the right breed for children, many breeds like Labrador, and Collies are not good with small children, but are fine with older kids. Likewise, a cat can and will cause injury if they are hurt or frightened by small children who think they make excellent dress up playmates. Perhaps the best bet for a young child under the age of five would be a fish, goldfish are hearty and require little maintenance other than tank cleaning, and children are more often then not mesmerized by the colorful fish swimming happily in their tanks, sometimes watching for an hour or more at a time.    -    walkinturtle 4/12/2010 1:15:45 AM | Flag

Fish are great pets, too. If you want a pet that is low maintenance, cats are not that bad. I would recommend declawing them first thing.    -    ErinS 4/1/2010 11:09:23 AM | Flag

I absolutely agree.I have found medium to large breed dogs tend to by more relaxed around kids. They are also less likely to be hurt by kid play.You never want to leave a child and a dog alone, but getting a puppy when you child is young is a good plan. Both our oldest son and our large dog are 15 years old. They both learned and grew together. It is a beautiful thing.    -    momtastic3 3/23/2010 12:34:00 AM | FlagI would agree with the larger dogs being more patient with children. I have had all sorts of animals with my children and the most well mannered ones seem to be larger male dogs. Betta fish are always great to. They live through anything and forever. The only problem there is there is not much interaction.    -    Adensmama14 3/23/2010 3:16:43 AM | Flag

got    -    Regina 3/1/2010 7:43:46 PM | Flag

This is a good point. I've worked with dogs and cats (training, behavior problems, etc) for many years. I don't recommend a small dog for small kids, though it is what most parents instinctively go for. You want a dog that has a gentle nature and the size to withstand a small child using the dog as a leaning post, trying to pick him up, trying to play, etc. Small dogs will be easily hurt and therefore will be more quick to retaliate by biting. A bigger, sturdy dog is much better for little ones. Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers are legendary for their tendency to be gentle and loving towards children. And they are big enough and strong enough to withstand rough handling and even enjoy it!To be honest, an adult dog would be much easier for you, while your kids are so young. It's hard training a big puppy and raising toddlers at the same time, especially if you aren't used to working with dogs. And a wild, untrained large breed puppy will definitely be hard to deal with and will scare and hurt the kids, by accident. BUT you can't bring in an adult dog with unknown background to live with such young children -- you'd have no way to be sure how the dog will react to your children if they accidentally hurt the dog. So unless you can absolutely KNOW the dog's full background (maybe friends with small kids have to give up their dog and you've seen the dog in action when kids have cried, played rough, etc), you'd need to go with a puppy. If you get a puppy you really have to do some research and learn BEFORE getting the pup, everything that goes into training a puppy to have reasonable manners (no jumping, no mouthing, etc). Commit to NEVER leaving the dog with the children unsupervised -- EVER, even just to answer the phone, no matter how gentle the dog has always been. So if all this sounds too much,and it IS too much for many people with toddlers, then consider waiting until the right adult dog comes along. Or consider a people loving kitten. Make sure the kids do not be too rough with the kitten, or it could grow up to be terrified of them. Or go with the fish!Oh, and reptiles aren't good for kids this young -- they can have salmonella on their bodies, and so are better for kids that are old enough to remember to always wash their hands after handling. And rodents (piggies, rats, mice, hamsters) are easily hurt if handled roughly, and also may wet on the hands, and again, the children aren't old enough to keep clean.    -    mom2amyrose 3/15/2010 2:24:45 AM | FlagI know I'm long winded. Sorry. I meant to say there are a few smaller breeds that can be good with kids, but you have to be careful because they can be tougher to train in some ways, though less rambunctious too: Boston Terriers, Jack Russells, Beagles, and a Standard Poodle might be a very good medium sized choice. But keep in mind that those breeds (except the poodle)also have tendencies to be too aggressive or territorial, so you'd have to choose carefully and train carefully.    -    mom2amyrose 3/15/2010 2:32:34 AM | Flag

Jack Russells are also good sturdy dogs, we have owned quite a few. Just know what you are getting into. They are just the same as having a two year running around your house, the only difference is that they can jump higher.    -    Tiffinyd 3/13/2010 9:33:18 PM | Flag

Well, I disagree about the boxer. We got on about the time my son was born. Yes, they are a little silly acting when adolescents, but they are great with children. They have this ability to sum up how to play with you based on your size. Our dog plays with me and my husband much differently than with my children. She's very protective. Once, my child was playing with her, and fell down and started crying (this was like the first time it happened) she actually stood over my child as if to protect him from whatever had hurt him. I would recommend the boxer.    -    danielle128 3/20/2010 9:14:39 AM | Flag