Baby-Friendly Dog Breeds

If your young family is looking to bring a pet dog into the home, it is a good idea to choose a breed that has a good track record with children. Introductions between the dog and baby or child should be made as early as possible and in calm and neutral setting. Some breeds of dogs are too large or excitable to make them suitable for living with children. The ideal dog or puppy for your family is one that has an even-temper and can be trained easily. He or she should love attention and respond well to the occasional tight hug or roughhousing that children are prone to. The four breeds listed below are great choices to consider for your family.

Beagles

Beagles are the small, happy dogs that the Snoopy Dog cartoon character is modeled after. They are cute, active, and mild-mannered. The short hair is great around children because it is hard to pull or get snagged by a small hand while playing. Beagles remain small in size, even as adults, so you don't have to worry about them outgrowing or overpowering your children. They have a resilient temperament and essentially never get annoyed or frustrated, so they rarely nip at people. Beagles are playful but they calm easily when playtime is over, and they don't act out or misbehave. You will find that Beagles love to dig, so it is wise to keep an eye on them outdoors to ensure that they don't dig escape tunnels or holes that might be dangerous for a child or baby.

Pomeranians

Another small breed of even-tempered dog is the Pomeranian. These dogs are incredibly intelligent and are great at learning tricks. They are high-energy and may bark a bit when excited, but they love to please their owners. Pomeranians have long hair that a baby might like to pull, but with time most Pomeranians will grown accustomed to some gentle tugs.

Labradors

If you are interested in a larger dog, consider a Labrador retriever for your family. Labs are loved for their large heads and paws that they never seem to fully grow into. Despite the larger size, Labradors make gentle and loyal pets that tend to be especially protective of their owners and children. Their easy-going personalities are ideal for interacting with children and make Labradors a long-time favorite family pet. Keep in mind that Labs are curious and a little mischievous, so they may move or hide toys around your home.

Basset Hounds

Basset Hounds are another baby-friendly breed of dog due to their gentle nature and sweet disposition. Their short legs make them approachable rather than imposing to small kids. Bassets are great at adapting to change, so they will be on board with any surprises family life may bring. These hounds tend to be great listeners with great behavior, but they will try to push the boundaries from time to time. These dogs are traditionally hunting dogs and love to run around outdoors. You will want a large yard for a Basset Hound to give them an outlet for some of their energy. Bassets also make great guard dogs and will keep an eye on the children for you.

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Does Your Baby Really Need a Crib?

This is an article on the usefulness and practicality of a baby crib. This is a "thinking outside the box" type of article, challenging the normal thought on baby cribs. Most people expect that when a baby is born, they need a crib and that is that. There are; however, some caveats to cribs and their usefulness/practicality. In this article, I will go over some of the ultimate pros and cons, the dangers of baby cribs (believe it or not there are dangers), and some other options outside of a crib for a baby.

The Pros:

There are some obvious pros to a baby crib of course. It is a standalone bed for your baby to have in its first 2-3 years of infancy. A baby crib is meant to nurture a baby and keep it comfortable/safe while sleeping. A crib generally doesn't have to cost too much money and is usually relatively easy to set up.The general Idea behind a crib is to have a safe place for an infant to sleep. Most all cribs have bars that keep toddlers from moving around too much and/or falling off the bed.

Most cribs nowadays are built to very strict standards. Most cribs are also built to withstand the weight of any toddler and are very sturdy. Most mattresses are also very comfortable and a lot of babies have no trouble sleeping on these mattresses.

The Cons:

Over the years, there have been some very bad crib producers. Some cribs have caused death and others have cause strangulation/suffocation resulting in permanent brain damage. Just look at all of the stories out there about toddlers suffering from the "safety" bars falling on them and suffocating them.

There are also some issues with mattresses. Some soft mattresses have been linked to SIDS. This is a very severe problem and this is a very hard thing to grasp. Most people recommend buying harder mattresses for a new baby; however, harder mattresses could mean more discomfort to a new baby, thus resultingin in poor sleep and crying fits.

Some alternatives:

There are some alternatives to cribs and many people advocate them. The baby co-sleeper is a great alternative to a baby crib. A co-sleeper allows the parents to have the baby in the bed safe with them every night. Of course, when a baby gets larger, you would have to buy a bed eventually; however, a co-sleeper will help avoid any worries of SIDS or suffocation froma crib.

Some parents actually believe in just having the baby sleep in the bed without a co-sleeper. I generally would not recommend this; whose to say you wont rollover on to your baby at night? This is; however, a pretty popular option for most people.

Overall Conclusion:

Most people don't think about whether or not they need a baby crib. Most people just assume that a baby crib is a part of their lives and that they need one in order to have a healthy baby. If you weigh the options, you may actually find that a baby crib doesn't necessarily support your lifestyle or habits.

In my humble opinion, I feel that a baby crib is a very important part of a baby's life. It is there to comfort, and in some cases entertain a baby throughout its first few years. As a new parent, you must make sure that what you are buying is something of very high quality. Do your homework and look at reviews before you make your baby crib purchase, it is a very important decision.

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