[LadyBelle1]

Ok I have a question. I was just reading through some posts and a lot of people on here were complaining that people with kids should not own chihuahuas. Just curious about how many people feel this way?
I on the other hand totally disagree. If the children are raised around chi's and are taught how to properly hold them and are well supervised, then I think chi's and kids do really well together. I have 2 chihuahua's and 1 chihuahua/pomeranian mix and I have 4 kids ages 5,8,11,and 13. We got our first chihuahua (fudge) when my son was only 3 and he has never hurt or dropped him because he was under my constant watch and now they are constantly together. My children have always been around chi's because my parents have 4 of them and there oldest one is now going on 16. So anyways I was just wondering what other peoples views on this subject are?

 

[deb9017]

I have four children and a 5 month old Chihuahua puppy. My two youngest are not allowed to pick him up, but they do not even try (mainly because he is a puppy and sometimes nips little fingers). At first he seemed a little intimidate by all the noise and confusion, but now he is used to it and it is just a way of life for him. I would never leave the puppy alone with the two younger ones, but it seems to be working well for us.

 

[chimom]

I see nothing wrong with having children and chis in the same house, provided the children are taught how to handle and pet the chis. I would advise someone with small children not to get a very small chi though. They are more delicate, and more prone to injuries. When I say small, I am referring to under 3 pounds or so.

The problems arise when parents don't take the time or make the effort to teach their children repect for and proper handling of pets, whether they be chis or any breed.

 

[Tinker]

I don't see anything wrong with it as long as the children are taught how to handle a chi and watched if they are very young. I got my first chi when I was a child and since my parents were not dog people the breeder taught me. We were also required to bring the puppy back many times so she could check on him. He was my dog all the way and we adored each other.

 

[sullysmum]

My first chi was brought up with children and was very well socialised,but the ones since dont have contact with children.

 

[NoahFL]

We got Zeus when my daughter was 1. As she grew up with him, we had strict rules with her. When Zeus was real tiny (he's 11 pounds now), he was in the kitchen with a baby gate up unless I could watch him and my daughter interact. We encouraged their bonding by allowing my daughter to feed him treats, and she would sit next to him when he was eating his food. When Zeus was a puppy, we would tug on his ears and tail, and play with his paws to try to motion what a young child would do. Zeus will be 2 this month and my daughter and him are buddies. In the morning, when I wake up, Zeus goes to my daughters bed to sleep until she gets up. Zeus is not a morning type dog. My other daughter is 2 months old and I think Zeus thinks that it's his baby. When she cries, he goes right to the bassinet and sits there. If I'm changing her diaper on the floor (on a towel), Zeus will lay right next to her until I'm done changing her. It's not uncommon to find my oldest and Zeus laying on the couch watching cartoons.

 

[stefanie_farrell]

hmmm in which posts did you read people saying that? I havent seen anyone on here saying that but I do read it in profiles of the breed and on other sites. My chi is with a 6 year old and theyre perfectly fine with each other. :wave:

 

[Cooper]

People that don't teach their children how to be gentle with chis shouldn't have chis.

People that are responsible and can teach their children how to handle small breed dogs (provided the children listen :lol: ) should have all the chis they want.

 

[*Nicole*]

Filmore is great with babies, children and when around other adults. He has never nipped, bit, growled or barked at anyone. Sometimes it is scary because he will go with anyone or to anyone that shows him a little attention. :shock:

 

[simplysweet8806]

I agree that it depends on how the chi and the children are raised and socialized. If the parent doesnt' take time to teach the children about the small dog or the dog isn't use to small children around him then there could be a problem!

Teddy goes half and half. He loves my 2 year old cousin, they've grown up together. Teddy will fetch with him and lay down with him if he's sleeping and he's the same with my one year old cousin.

On the other hand he does not like my almost 7 year old cousin. I think it's because she's so tense around him and screams if he even comes near her because he growled/snipped at her once when she was about 5 because she was being mean to him.

He does def. prefer adults though or my 2 little little cousins. He also likes boys better than girls which I find weird :shock: But if its an adult he goes either way.

Maybe because my two youngest cousins are boys and do so well with him and all the girls he has ever been around like to pull his tail and get right in his face or scream when he comes around! :twisted:

 

[LadyBelle1]

Stefanie--- The thread that I was reading was titled "Just Sickening" and the comment from bluesmom kindof offended me because it started off as " geez.. it makes me SO sick when I go into PetSmart or Petco and I see some lady walking around with her 2-4 YOUNG children parading their tiny chi " I was just thinking hmmm.. when I go to petsmart it is usually with my 4 children and I have my 3 lb. chi with me. So that is where I read it and started thinking OMG do people think of me bad when I have my chi and kids together. I didn't get my chi from a petstore and my kids are not hanging it by one leg, but the beginning of that statement made me start thinking. So that is why I asked how people feel about it.
I guess I should not have been offended because I got my chi's from a breeder and had to drive 4 hours to pick them up and they always ride in a cart on a blanket when in petsmart because I am afraid someone will have a big dog in there that will think they are a snack.

 

[usmcjess]

Yoda is only 6 months old. He HATES Children. I dont know why, he growls and nips when children come around. Adults are fine.

 

[LadyBelle1]

OMG I came sooooo close to naming my little Fudge --Yoda. I really love your chi's name.

 

[Cooper]

Yoda is only 6 months old. He HATES Children. I dont know why, he growls and nips when children come around. Adults are fine.

Cooper hates kids too... the younger they are, the more apt he is to bite them. I have to be very careful since most kids come running to him. He's already chomped down on 2 kids that I can remember... maybe 3 or 4 though.

 

[Gadget's Mom]

It is all in the parents sociallizing the children with the chihuahua and teaching both the children and the dog how to interact together... They both need to know who to treat the other.

You can teach a child how to treat the dog but if you don't teach the dog how to treat the child then you might have problems...

It's the same as if you are socializing 2 dogs together. you tell the dogs to be nice to eachother... and so on and so on...

Gadget loves all ages of people.... but he knows the good kids from the bad kids. He knows which kids will be nice to him and which of them have not been nice to him...

I have 1 kid here in the park that chased Gadget the very first time the kid was around Gadget (I told the kid not to chase the dog) Every time Gadget sees the kid he goes the other way....

On the other hand he loves the almost 2 year old next door... but she asks me if she can pet him everytime before approaching Gadget... I usually pick him up and he sits there and lets her pets him... she has never had any problems with him...

SO I think kids and chihuahuas are fine together if they are going to be taught how to treat eachother....

 

[goldie]

I don't have kids myself, but Tico has been around my 8 and 2 year old neices each week - and totally LOVES them. Oddly enough, the 2 year old is actually better with him. The 8 year old is always jumping away from him when she thinks he might "bite" her, which he just sees as a game. Which just makes her more leary. The 2 year old on the other hand, doesn't seem to care if he licks or play-nips at her - she just giggles wipes the doggy slobber off her nose or whatever he had just "got". He plays with her like he might another dog. It's kinda funny to watch them. And she loves having him "sit" or "down" and thinks it's the biggest accomplishment when he does what she says.

We also go to the park pretty often & it always has little kids, and even the kids that run right up to him (without asking, might I add) and all have been very gentle with him.

BUT, Tico is also a pretty 'sturdy' chihuahua though (even when he was 3mo old)... I often joke that he has some bulldog in him!

He's never hesitated or shyed away from children, but most every adult he's now anxious around (hopefully that's a phase - but that's for another topic!)

 

[goldie]

Yoda is only 6 months old. He HATES Children. I dont know why, he growls and nips when children come around. Adults are fine.

Cooper hates kids too... the younger they are, the more apt he is to bite them. I have to be very careful since most kids come running to him. He's already chomped down on 2 kids that I can remember... maybe 3 or 4 though.

I almost wish Tico was this way instead of wonderful with kids and not liking adults!! there are alot more adults we come across than kids - and it seems most people expect a small dog not to be good with kids, but fine with adults.

 

[LadyBelle1]

I would really hate if if my dogs tried to bite kids because just think I wouldn't be able to take them anywhere with me. There are always kids running around in the park and I totally agree with Gadgets Mom if the dog has been well socialized and taught how to interact with children then they should be fine.
When I was younger I was always taught that dogs should obey and be trained to do as the owner says. Not to offend anyone but the people who's chi's bite do they get taken out in public and are they trained. Not to be mean but I would really hate to have a dog that had a bad temperment.

 

[Cooper]

Cooper is the sweetest dog in the whole world - he's well socialized (some here would say he's over socialized :lol: ) he goes everywhere with me, his knowledge of his training is perfect and he loves everyone with the exception of small children.

He is never around kids since I don't have any children. I personally don't like kids and avoid being around them, so it's possible that other than his lack of socialization with children, he's picking up on my "vibe" when kids come around. It's no coincidence that the younger a child is, the less willing I am to be near them.

I will also throw this in ... if a parent or child approaches me before they approach Cooper and asks if they can pet my dog, I will say "yes, but let me turn him around first" and make sure the child pets Cooper from the rear where I have control of his snapper. The only children he has chomped down on were kids that just ran over to us, were loud and stuck their hands in his face. If I were him, I would have snapped at them too.

 

[chimommy]

I, too, have read many articles and opinions from many sources that say you should not have a chi if you have small children but I can honestly say that it totally depends on how the chi is socialized with children. I have a 17 year old and a very rowdy 8 year old, both of which Angel is great with.

Angel was handled by kids since she was born and because of that, she is very comfortable around kids and seeks them out to give kissies to. She is very tolerant of them (but of course every dog has their limits.)

Honestly it has nothing to do with chis at all. Any breed can be good or bad with kids. It all depends on how the individual dog is raised and socialized.

Cooper, I can totally understand what you are saying. My personal opinion, and something I have always taught my kids, is when people come across an owner and their dog on the street, they need to ASK before approaching the dog. Never just go up and try to pet it. #1, the stranger has no idea how the dog is going to react to them and #2, I find it rude to just assume it is ok to pet the dog without asking.