Not every dog is right for children and not every child is right for a dog. Most dog or child problems I meet involve children under six years old. If your children are under six, you should invest a great deal of time and thoughts before choosing a new dog. Large guard dogs or dogs which have a history of being aggressive(好斗的) or biting should be avoided. Large and high-energy dogs that can knock children over would not be good choices either. Instead, parents should consider the little gentle dogs.

    Parents with little children are usually very busy. They often do not have free time or desire to spend hours cleaning or walking a dog. In fact, a dog requires almost as much time as a child does. So ask yourself if you are ready to keep a dog when you are already very busy. As a veterinarian, many of the problems I meet are caused by the excuses like "the dog would be good for the kids" or "the children begged for one", but the parents do not really want a dog. If the parents cannot completely care for or train the dog, then I usually stop them from keeping a dog, otherwise it is not fair to the dog.