# How Bonded Is Your Dog With Your Kids?



## Gharrissc

Do they hang out together or are the dogs 'just there' to your kids? I don't have kids, but do remember that I was always close to the animals we had when I was at home.


----------



## ken k

my 3 and i have a close very close bond


----------



## Courtney

My girls are teens. I really wish we had a dog when they were smaller but with my husbands job and not knowing where we would end up we always held off on getting a dog. Rusty is our first dog but the timing was perfect.

Both girls have their own special bond with him. He watches over them like a hawk and makes his rounds to check on them when we are spread out over the house. My youngest acts like she's annoyed with him sometimes and doesn't like him to be in her room, she keeps her bedroom door closed to keep his dog hair out. lol But I catch her a lot letting him in and laying on the bed with him. He gets so excited when he's invited into her room, it's like Disney World to him. My oldest adores him and wasn't too excited about getting a GSD but she went with me when we picked him up and held him on the long car ride home...which was perfect because she fell in love with him fast. My youngest thinks of him as a annoying little brother. If she has friends over he wants to be in the mix and will scratch at her door to let him in. But they both are really good with him and share in the responsibility of taking care of him.


----------



## OUbrat79

Ammo is very clingy to me, but he gets really upset when the kids are out of sight especially the littlest. He is usually pretty upset when my husband or I get onto our kids or if one of them cries. 

One time my husband grabbed our middle child, she is 8, and made her scream. They were playing but it really upset Ammo. He jumped up and lunged at my husband and was barking at him. 

The kids don't usually play with Ammo to much in the house but when we go outside they play fetch and run around the yard together. The kids also play with him with the flirt pole. He loves it. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## GSDolch

Buddy, my little mix dog, is very attached to myself and my oldest daughter (16) he tolerates everyone else, but he is starting to bond with my youngest daughter (4) a lot quicker than my youngest son (5). He is a rescue and was abused by the two teen boys and their father in the family he was with prior to us. Now he tolerates men and isn't terrified of them anymore, but any man he comes across on walks or while out, he wont take treats from them or go to them or anything. He'll sit and let them pet him, and thats about it.

Bailey, my GSD is the all around kid dog. While she is my dog and bonded to me, she LOVES kids. Shes the dog that LOVES the hugging and the petting and the pats from little kids. If she's had enough, she would always let me know by going to my bedroom door and nudging the knob. (My bedroom door is off limits to children unless allowed and the door is always closed). When we lived on St. Croix and would go to the beach, she was always very alert when they were in the water. She'd not a big water fan and would pace the shore line while they were swimming.


----------



## sitstay

Addie, our Aussie, is devoted to my 14 year old son. She adores him. She will literally just sit there looking at him, grinning that Aussie grin. If she could fling heart shaped notes at him, she would. 

My GSD loves my son, and when we are out off leash in the open range, he will spend his time trotting between us if we get separated. You can almost hear this dog muttering, "Must keep the flock together" as he does it, too.

But Tanner is my dog and his devotion is mine alone. To the point where when my husband gives him a command (even something simple, like "sit"), Tanner will look at me first. 
Sheilah


----------



## RocketDog

Very close. He absolutely can not STAND it if they are outside without him. When he was smaller, he would stare at them then stare at me then stare at them again, when I dropped them off at school or somewhere as if to say "WHAT THE **** ARE YOU DOING. THEY'RE GETTING AWAY". I dare say, he would react if someone were to cause upset to my kids. 

When we're all together in the house, he mostly follows me. But if the kids are around and we're outside, he must try to keep.them.all.together.


----------



## FoxyMom

My daughter is very close with our dogs. She is an animal lover through and through, though. Our GSD pup absolutely adores her. He can hear her step out of the bed in the morning and bounds up the stairs before she even reaches the door. He can't wait for her to get up.  


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Jess

Both mine are very bonded to me, but Miss Jess (6year old GSD Rescue) sleeps with my daughter at night while my boy Loki (8months) sleeps in my room. She is also very involved with rescue as I am, so I think she takes after her mother!!
They will follow her around a lot if she is upstairs with us, but not usually too far from me.


----------



## Shaolin

We were 'fostering' four boys when Finn came home and they were completely and totally bonded. It was a great thing. The boys were 14, 12, 10, and 4 When their mother came to take them back (very long and sad story), the littlest one started crying and Finn started barking, yelping, and basically losing his mind. After they left, he was mopey and sad. The oldest boy came to visit us a few months ago (it's been over three years since they've seen each other) and Finn did his 'ohmigod! my boy my boy my boy! ohmigod!"


----------



## rgrey

When we brought Munchkin home the Ol Man thought she was interesting for about 5 minutes. Then he spent the next 8 months watching her from a distance. She, of course, thought he was the coolest thing around, (I think the first time she rolled over was because he came and laid next to me and she wanted to be closer.) Once she started crawling she would go after him and he'd hide in his crate so we kept them separate (I had no idea if he'd nip but he made it plain he did not want to be drooled on by the baby). Same with when she started walking, but then she fell on him a couple times and he was starting to get arthritic and ouchy.

It wasn't till this past year that they became close. She learned how to pet gently and brush him and he learned she wouldn't pull his hair or fall on him. They'd cruise the yard together, cuddle up and watch TV, ect. She'd get him to chase a stick or two though the arthritis really slowed him down. She became extremely attached. 

We had to put our old cat to sleep in May due to age issues and Munchkin hardly noticed he was gone. When we had to let the Ol Man go two weeks ago she was crying and kept asking for him to come back. She still asks for her "doggie puppie". (She's only 3.)

We are getting a new pup next week. I hadn't planned on it, thinking it would be a few months to a year before we'd even find a pup available but a friend heard we'd lost the Ol Man and sent me info on this litter, there was a pup available, we met him and he's a perfect fit so.... I'm hoping Munchkin will bond with him as closely as she did the Ol Man.


----------



## Josie/Zeus

My son and Koda are connected at the hip, Koda has be with him at all times. Koda is definitely my son's dog, no doubt about it. I love seeing them play and communicate with each other.


----------



## BellaLuna

All Three of my kids are close with both dogs and the puppy just adores the kids he kisses them every morning just to wake them up lol..

My kids are all animal lovers and all the furry critters in our house just love our kids to bits and they are 3-5-8.. Heck even my cats love them and always sleep with them and we all know how cats can be 

My dogs will respect and listen to them b/c my kids take an active role into their care they help walk and feed and train them.. 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## ODINsFREKI

Freki and Odin have a very tight bond that came natural. They share toys and Freki will never chew on Odin. He will play with my daughter and was mouthing and nipping with her for a few days but he never once did anything more than sniff Odin. I believe he smelled the testosterone coming off of me when I watched him play with Odin. 

We still watch them like hawks but Freki continues to lay at Odin's side and makes sure he always has a toy to play with. It's really cool. A natural link. They both have no clue what is going on but they know they are buddies.


----------



## barbas929

Although we don't have children but 23 nieces and nephews and Quince likes them all but theres one from her side that he adores the most and will follow her every place she goes.....He'll go as far to bark at her if he feels she's to far out in the lake and if she dont turn around he'll swim out there and give her @#$#$ and escort her back


----------



## mehpenn

I have two children (11 and 4) and five dogs (2 GSD's, 2 toy poodles and 1 labrador). 
My oldest daughter "claims" our female poodle as "hers". She sleeps with her and hangs out with her during the day. 
My youngest daughter has decided she wants a dog to sleep with her as well, so I've started allowing our male toy poodle to stay in her room at night. She doesn't necessarily claim him as hers, and he's not overly excited about seeing her, but it works out. 
As for the kids and the three big dogs, they're there, and that's about it. They will play and pet and such, but they're not going the extra mile to be with each other... unless my oldest daughter has friends over, then it's super cool to show off the GSD's skills.


----------



## Lilie

When my daughter was a youngster, she had a special bond with specific dogs. All the dogs respected her and never took advantage of her as a child. But as a parent, we taught her to respect the dogs. There was never any ear pulling or riding (etc.) the dogs. She showed dogs through her 4-H years and those dogs were more bonded to her then the adult humans. 

Now that she is grown and moved to another state, EVERY dog I currently have adore her. They'll scream and holler when her car pulls in. It doesn't matter if she's been gone for one month or four. The reaction is the same. They all lose their minds. I'd consider each one bonded to her.


----------



## Nigel

Tuke is our kid dog, she sees it as her job to watch over them. She doesn't play too much with them, just tags along and lays near to wherever they are (8 & 10 yr old). She welcomes the grand kid into her flock when he comes to visit as well. When the Dish guy came out to install the new dish, she greeted him politely, but made sure she was always positioned between the him and the kids, as he moved his ladder she would reposition herself accordingly.


----------



## Tina D.

Wow! I am reading all of these replies with amazement! Our Mia, 17 month old GSD, does so many of the same exact things I am reading here! I thought they were quirks of hers, but it seems to be programmed in the breed. 

- She also greets strangers politely, maybe a bit of barking. But she is not immediately best friends with everyone, the way our lab mix is. I joke that with Scooter, he's thinking, "YAY! We will now be the best of friends forever!" And Mia thinks, "I won't bite you. You can pet me a little bit. But we are not friends yet." LOL

- If the kids are playing outside, Mia will wail and pace around until we let her out with them. Then she lies down in the grass and watches them play. She also will not come into the house if the kids stay outside and play, when the rest of us go inside. Our Scooter will follow us inside, but Mia will not, until both kids are inside as well. 

- Whenever one of my kids screams or cries, Mia runs to them, immediately. She does not like any rough play with the kids. Even if my husband is the one playing, and making the kids scream, Mia gets upset. She will bark and squeeze herself between them. If Mia feels like Scooter is starting to play too rough, she does the same thing.

- We recently renovated our kitchen, so there were a lot of workers in the house. Mia watched them all like a hawk. Whenever I had to speak with one of the workers, Mia placed herself between us.

- Every night, my husband and I can count of Mia checking on us, with a big slobber to the face! The kids sleep upstairs with a gate in the way, other wise she'd surely include them in her "rounds"!

She is such a good girl. She is so protective, but she is very in control of herself. Yay for GSD! :wub:


----------



## David Winners

Not a GSD, but...

Best buddies! My granddaughter and Cane Corso go everywhere together when she is at the house. He sleeps in her room and they regularly go to her room for play time. Outside, they take turns playing keep away with sticks and toys. 

Let's just say that I don't worry about somebody messing with Emma while Lucian is there  He is calmly very protective of her, and places himself between her and any strangers. He is a very imposing dog when he has his "you wouldn't like me when I'm angry" face on.



















David Winners


----------



## Rbeckett

All of my girls have been bonded to me thicker than blood. My children are all grown and gone and starting families of their own. So we are not concerned with whether they are bonding with them. But bonding with us is another issue and big thing completely. All of our pack members including the most recent adoption literally hang on every word or motion we make. We constantly reward and praise them as well as correct them when needed. The need to make corrections is becoming fewer and farther between over time and the only ones who need any reinforcement is the latest two additions to the family and that is only because they have not been in our pack long enough to see how it works over time. They will get there sooner or later, it just takes a little patience and the bond will be unbreakable and as deep as you care for it to be. The little princess has only been here two months and she is getting the hang of this pack already. Her newest sister will come home on Wed the 18th and start learning the house rules immediately. Thank God she is already obedience and house trained as well as spayed and public access trained already too. So we will only have one or two issues to work on and they will be perfect in the long run.

Bob


----------

