Good Pet for My Son? & Our Family?

[Doodlesville]

I wonder if a adult dog with a child that young would be a good choice,
i know most reputable rescues wont consider it

[dustt]

good point - waiting until your son is older is probably your best option if rescue is the way you decide to go!!

[julie_s]

I think younger children and doodles can be a great combination, but it depends on the dog and the child's temperament. We adopted Stella when she was 5 months old. Our kids at that time were ages 2, 4, and 6. Stella has always been gentle around them. Playful, but not pushy. She already had the chewing and play biting stage over with, and she was not a jumper. In addition, she was already housebroken, so we didn't have to worry about that.

Sometimes if you find the right older dog, things can be easier than with a brand new puppy. And I feel that for anyone with a toddler to chase after, easier is better!

Good luck! I hope you are able to find a doodle that won't cause allergy problems.

[Jac]

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Conten ... C=0&A=2229

Please read the above article...about children and dogs. Then, you will understand that many things come into play when you select a dog for your family pet, especially when you have children.
Doodles can be remarkably loving and gentle...and I have heard stories of Doodles being bad family pets. Breeding plays a huge role in this. If you find a good breeder who carefully selects the breeding parents you will be well ahead of the game. If you buy from a back yard breeder, pet store or puppy mill, you will almost surely have issues that you don't want to deal with...among those issues could be serious temperament problems.
However, I would like to say that if you are put off by puppies chewing on furniture, shoes and purses and if you feel that the stories of such destruction are horror stories, you might not want to get a puppy...any puppy...because puppies do these things. Sure, the owner can keep things picked up and out of reach but it really is up to the owner. Even adult dogs will sometime chew and destroy things...it is all how they are trained.
You have to be committed to training the pup, or adult dog for that matter. Dogs don't come hard-wired to do everything we tell them to do...they learn by experience. If they get a reward for bad behavior (enjoying the shoe is a reward) then they will continue to do it. So, it is up to all new dog owners to take their dog to training classes and to work with the dog every day. It is not easy. But good behavior is not going to happen without guideance from the family.
I also agree with Heather that you need to exercise the dog and stimulate his mind.
There are issues that you need to address with your family before you get a dog...do you want a pup or older dog? Either way, your child needs to learn how to relate to a dog...and you need to supervise your child every second that the dog is with him.
Working closely with a trusted breeder, you should be able to know whether or not the pup is from gentle parent dogs.