If I was a breeder and had a puppy that was obviously going to be on the tiny side I would feel uncomfortable placing it in a family with small children. Not because I am a snob or because I think no young child should be around small dogs. But because as a breeder I would not be able to tell who had a good home life and good parenting skills and who did not. It is a big responsibility placing a puppy in the right home and yet no one can know for sure what a stranger's home life is really like.
When I first got married I had a small Maltese. As I had children they were taught to be kind and respectful of everyone.....people and animals. I was a stay at home mom. The kids were used to Sasha and did not really play with her as she was not a puppy anymore. But I did have to be careful when things got busy around the house because with little kids running and playing she could easily get under foot and get hurt.
People are entitled to their opinion and should be able to express that opinion without being attacked for it. There is no one right answer to this matter. People and families differ. There are all kinds out there. Some responsible and thoughtful and those who are irresponsible and seemingly without a hint of common sense. I can see how it would be very difficult to evaluate the parenting skills of all the people who want to purchase a puppy. It's not that no one with young kids should ever have a tiny dog, it's just a matter of not knowing what the person's home life is really like. In an effort to error on the side of caution breeders have had to make the decision not to sell to people with small children. There are no guarantees either way but I would think a person would try to do the best they can by their puppies and have to make such decisions. |