children and yorkies - YorkieTalk.com Forums

ssguzzy828 · 03-08-2005, 08:58 PM

I in no way what-so-ever mean to offend anyone with this thread. In searching for a breeder I ran across many that state will not sell to anyone with children under a certian age

. I have to say I can understand to a point why they would do this but: I feel every child is different. I take offense everytime I see that because I do have children under the age of 5 and they have been exposed to animals all thier lives. from lizards to fish to guinnee pigs. I have seen adults that purchase toy dogs and treat them worse then any child would. Heck I've seen and been to breeders when I bought my shepherd that treated thier dogs worse then any child would. Now in my case my yorkie would be with me pretty much all of the time when not with me would be in my room in a playpen. I guess I'm just aggravated because I think its a lil discriminating to not sell to people with children.(under a certian age). I was just wondering if anyone else felt this way.
sue

CC's · 03-08-2005, 10:28 PM

I don't think its about your children being good with animals. Its about Yorkies not having any fear of falling, and leaping from even adults hands.

Young children are just not equipped to handle the squirmy, leaping, very fast Yorkie. That doesn't mean any children are bad, just not a good combination for a tiny Yorkie pup.

aimee · 03-09-2005, 12:36 AM

I can see the breeder point of view on this, but obviously, mine made an exception for me. My kids have also been around animals all of their lives. I also do go a step further with my dogs which has gotten me a lot of flack, but it's what works for me. My kids are never allowed to be alone with either of my dogs nor are they allowed to hold them.

This is not from any trust issue I have with my chilren, more because I do not want any surprises or accidents that I can possibly prevent. I have been told that I'm too strict and being cruel to the kids for withholding the dogs' "affection" from them - but I can say that the four of them all get along great and this is what works for me.

I think the reasoning behind the rule is just to prevent accidents. While you and I may have great kids who wouldn't hurt a fly, they may be more likely to have an accident with a dog than an adult --

But I do think you are right, I wish it could be seen on a case to case basis. I can tell you that my son has some friends that I don't even allow my dogs in the same room as! They are scary!

Sorry for the long winded post!

debi_s · 03-09-2005, 05:33 AM

Ditto aimee

I agree with aimee.....I do not have any small children living with me...but I do have 2 grandchildren (occasionally3 when 'step'-Beth visits) .
I KNOW I am being strict but the smallest g-child is 22 months and prone to getting WAY TOO EXCITED about things and Adam ("the love of my life") is 4 1/2...just beginning to understand the concept of 'little things ' need special care.
I also do not allow the kids to be with Lil Bit unless I am with them. My first and biggest rule is to take off shoes when playing with Lil Bit. One of their favorite games I have taught them is to lay in the floor..face down....and cover their head/face with their arms and call...."Lil Bit....Lil Bit". and of course Lil Bit LOVES that game...she races around trying to dig under their arms and playing in their hair...the kids giggle like crazy!!!!
Lil Bit has been with us for a month now and I have already noticed she has learned to get under the table when things get a bit too loud or any running occurs. Normally I can let everybody wear themselves out and Lil Bit is more than happy to get in her pen and take a long nap! Safe at last!!

If I go to the bathroom or leave the room for something I call Lil Bit to follow me.....
I was the same way when I got my chihuahua, Apple...now that Apple is older and alot quicker she knows who to dogde and who to avoid when her voice gets into that 'HIGH-PITCHED-SHREAK'.....and the kids know to leave Apple alone when she is eating....or on the couch (under the heating pad) sleeping.

bettyeanne · 03-09-2005, 05:41 AM

I totally agree! Although most of us set down rules concerning our babies there are those who don't! Our kids are grown but we have grandchildren and our rules still apply ... noone under 15 can hold Toto and they can only hold her after being instructed! My 6 year old grandson, Austin, asked me one day ... "Nonnie, am I big enough to hold Toto now?" ... my answer ... "Yes, Austin, you are big enough but Toto is not!" He totally understands and is just as happy to play with her on the floor and she climbs all over him and they have great fun ... and while they are all very good with her, I still cannot allow them to hold her! Some people teach their small children and some simply treat the puppy as a toy and entertainment for the child and unfortunately in some cases the puppy pays the price! I guess I can kinda see both sides of the coin and it really doesn't seem to be fair. Aimee is right ... it should be handled on a case by case basis.
P.S. Just read debi's post ... when Toto has "had enough" playing she runs to her X-pen ... her safe place ... and until she wants to come out of there she is strictly "off limits"!! Sometimes she just wants her own space!!

chachi · 03-09-2005, 09:46 AM

I respect the breeders decision on this issue. I wanted a yorkie so bad but waited untill my daughter was going on 5 to try to get one. My daughter is calm and the breeder met her and watched her intereact with her puppies. I think these dogs can be injured too easily and so they should not be with small children especially if there is multiple children in the house. I know that sounds wrong since I have a daughter but if the breeder would have told me no I just would have waited and understood her position.

ssguzzy828 · 03-09-2005, 01:57 PM

I do understand the breeders point of view. In fact I make sure that when any kids are around they dont rough house with my shepherd because I am careful about his hips. Especially since my breeder wants to breed him with one of hers. I guess I understand a lil bit better, but I do agree it would be better to be judged on an individual basis. I know how clumsy children can be, that is why my yorkie's bed would be in my room(kids know my room is off limits). We also have our own loan office and soon to be real estate office so my puppy would be with me with pretty much at all times. Heck I dont even take my kids to the office lol. I guess I was just letting off some steam cause some of the breeders I would like go through have that in thier contract. I am sorry if i offended anyone that was not my intention. I actually had one breeder say they didnt mind the bigger dog but because of the younger kids she was not comfortable. I am always honest with any breeder I have spoken to about myself and my family. I dont think I need to lie to show that I am a responsible pet owner especially when I have vet and trainer references. sorry for the long post.

aimee · 03-09-2005, 02:27 PM

I just want to clear up that in my post, I wasn't disagreeing with you - I really hope I in no way made you feel bad, that was NOT my intent. I was just trying to say (and I'm really passionate about this because I've recieved some bad e-mails about a couple of different points here...) that there are people with young children (mine are 4 and 5) who are responsible enough to have a small dog. The fact that you respect the breeder's decision is a good thing, but unfortunate that they just make a blanket statement regarding kids. And again, unfortunate that not everyone will take the time to make and enforce strong rules regarding small dogs with their children, which leads to the breeder having to make blanket statements like "no children, etc. I did have one breeder turn me down for a puppy regardless of my experience with small dogs and the rules I already had in place with my older dog. (this was awhile ago) and the reason it upset me was because she didn't take the time to meet my children and older dog to see how they interact. I know for a fact that my dogs have a better life than many...(they are lounging on their own bed with their own blanket as I type) - and my local shelter thinks my home is good enough to foster small dogs in as well, they did a home interview, met my children and watched them play with Sandy.

Anyway, keep looking. The fact that you are willing to keep your Yorkie with you at all times says a lot (to me anyway) -- I know that with simple supervision a lot of accidents and surprises could have been prevented! Let us know if you find out anything about a new puppy!

chachi · 03-10-2005, 07:21 AM

I wasnt disagreeing with you also. I guess what I was trying to say was I was surprised when my breeder allowed me to get a yorkie when I had a 4 year old. Everything I had read about Yorkies prior to getting one stated they were not a good dog to have with children. I really thought my breeder was the exception. When I joined this forum I realized there are alot of people with children who have yorkies. Anyway I know there are alot of breeders who will sell to people with children so hopefully you will find one.

RockyDog · 03-10-2005, 07:38 AM

My daughter ws 4 when we got Rocky. It all depends on yuor rule setting. Maybe I am too strict with my kids. Linsey understood NO picking up puppy just fine. Lukas who was 8 was shown how to handle the puppy. I made them wait till Rocky was older and could speak for himself.

Linseys way of holding Rocky as a puppy was to place a pillow, blanket and a toy in the laundry basket, ask me to pick him up and put him in. That way he was in one place and she could pet, talk and then pull him behind her ride on toy - - in the house - -. Such a cute picture. The breeder hand us all out before we got Rocky and actually studied the kids and how they reactedto my rules. Good Luck

feminvstr · 03-10-2005, 08:15 AM

My niece has 4 year old twin boys, I encourage her to bring them over so my puppies would become accustom to the "small child" before I put them up for adoption. Socializing the little babies is a great thing to do if one can when rasing a litter.

The biggest reaction from the puppies to the children is ...fright because a child moves so fast it intimadates the puppy.

I have my grand nephew's sit on the floor in the confined room and supervise...but for the most part the puppies will be puppies and lick them to death

The biggest fear is when a puppy is sold to a family that thinks their child will be responsible and gentle with the puppy and if not taught how to hold or care for it they can easily hurt or even break something...

holding them by the neck

dropping them on the floor

stepping on them

sitting them on a sofa or their bed and leaving the room (leaving the puppy to jumping down by himself)

its what kids do and if not taught properly

another quick story...my 92 year old neighbor came over to visit the puppies very excited she sat in a chair and held one...she was so busy talking she forgot about the puppy, the poor little thing at 3 weeks old fell onto the floor from the chair.....Poor baby was screeming like she was dying I ran to pick her up (actually I really pissed off) thank god she was fine and merely scared from the drop.

bottomline when placing your babies make sure you trust the buyer will do everything possible to keep your babies safe no matter what the age, cause a toy is not a TOY!

orinskye · 03-10-2005, 11:18 AM

this might sound kinda bad....... but you know what your children are like and the breeders dont...... so have you considered just lieing???? some people might take offense to this too, i understand that you want to be careful, but not even meeting the child and saying NO before any dialogue on the subject has been initiated is kinda not right.... again the breeder has teh right to choose who goes home with a puppy, but you will have a better chance if you just say "no i dont have children"

ssguzzy828 · 03-10-2005, 12:09 PM

Lol my husband said the same thing. No I cant lie because I want to be able to have a good realtionship with any breeder I adopt a yorkie from especially because it is a small dog. We all know how many times questions or concerns come about and you call your breeder for advice. So lieing is not an option for me. I guess I just have to be patient and see how it goes. Thank you all for your thoughts and views it was interesting to see evryones opinions. It seems some of you have children and I just wondered if you encountered the same problem I did. I will let you know how my search ends. I just hope my search ends soon

.

YorkieRose · 03-10-2005, 02:15 PM

I find very few ask me for a puppy with young children. I like to meet the children, have them visit a few times and go from there..I can not recall letting a puppy go to anyone with a child under 8 yrs..and they were wonderfully smart kids..came to me and told me how to care for the puppy..."you must sit on the floor and no running in the house". Some came with a list of rules...and the pups did well. The few I have had killed or seriously injured were by the adult owners. I raised my girls with Yorkies, but they were taught how to be careful from a very early age.
My daughter was thinking about getting Yorkie, but she decided on a Westie. I refused to let her get one of my pups. My grandson is 3 1/2 and he is too rough. The Westie pounces on him and drags him around by the pants leg..it is a strong, sturdy Terrier..a Yorkie would not work.

lovefor3yorkies · 03-10-2005, 05:16 PM

I feel the same way. In my search I found a few breeders that wouldn't sell to me because I have 2 boys. I ALREADY have a 4 pound york and told her I would be glad to provide references including vet and last breeder and others but both said young children were a deal breaker for them. And leaping dogs has nothing to do with kids. I can understand the concern and respect it but when a small dog is already in place, I do not see the reasoning.

03-08-2005, 08:58 PM	#1
ssguzzy828 YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: south suburbs of illinois Posts: 734	children and yorkies I in no way what-so-ever mean to offend anyone with this thread. In searching for a breeder I ran across many that state will not sell to anyone with children under a certian age . I have to say I can understand to a point why they would do this but: I feel every child is different. I take offense everytime I see that because I do have children under the age of 5 and they have been exposed to animals all thier lives. from lizards to fish to guinnee pigs. I have seen adults that purchase toy dogs and treat them worse then any child would. Heck I've seen and been to breeders when I bought my shepherd that treated thier dogs worse then any child would. Now in my case my yorkie would be with me pretty much all of the time when not with me would be in my room in a playpen. I guess I'm just aggravated because I think its a lil discriminating to not sell to people with children.(under a certian age). I was just wondering if anyone else felt this way. sue

03-09-2005, 12:36 AM	#3
aimee The Royal Mommy Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: California Posts: 2,010	I can see the breeder point of view on this, but obviously, mine made an exception for me. My kids have also been around animals all of their lives. I also do go a step further with my dogs which has gotten me a lot of flack, but it's what works for me. My kids are never allowed to be alone with either of my dogs nor are they allowed to hold them. This is not from any trust issue I have with my chilren, more because I do not want any surprises or accidents that I can possibly prevent. I have been told that I'm too strict and being cruel to the kids for withholding the dogs' "affection" from them - but I can say that the four of them all get along great and this is what works for me. I think the reasoning behind the rule is just to prevent accidents. While you and I may have great kids who wouldn't hurt a fly, they may be more likely to have an accident with a dog than an adult -- But I do think you are right, I wish it could be seen on a case to case basis. I can tell you that my son has some friends that I don't even allow my dogs in the same room as! They are scary! Sorry for the long winded post! __________________ (`'·.¸(`'·.¸ ¸.·'´)¸.·'´) «´¨ `·.¸¸.Aimée, Sandy, and Tia.¸¸.·´¨`» (¸.·'´(¸.·'´ `'·.¸)`'·.¸)

03-09-2005, 05:41 AM	#5
bettyeanne Donating YT 7000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Alabama, etc. Posts: 9,031	I totally agree! Although most of us set down rules concerning our babies there are those who don't! Our kids are grown but we have grandchildren and our rules still apply ... noone under 15 can hold Toto and they can only hold her after being instructed! My 6 year old grandson, Austin, asked me one day ... "Nonnie, am I big enough to hold Toto now?" ... my answer ... "Yes, Austin, you are big enough but Toto is not!" He totally understands and is just as happy to play with her on the floor and she climbs all over him and they have great fun ... and while they are all very good with her, I still cannot allow them to hold her! Some people teach their small children and some simply treat the puppy as a toy and entertainment for the child and unfortunately in some cases the puppy pays the price! I guess I can kinda see both sides of the coin and it really doesn't seem to be fair. Aimee is right ... it should be handled on a case by case basis. P.S. Just read debi's post ... when Toto has "had enough" playing she runs to her X-pen ... her safe place ... and until she wants to come out of there she is strictly "off limits"!! Sometimes she just wants her own space!! __________________ Toto's Mom - http://www.dogster.com/?206581 Yorkie Rescue Colorado - http://www.yorkierescuecolorado.com/ "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has limits." -- Albert Einstein Last edited by bettyeanne; 03-09-2005 at 05:54 AM.

03-09-2005, 09:46 AM	#6
chachi I Love My Yorkies Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 37,147	I respect the breeders decision on this issue. I wanted a yorkie so bad but waited untill my daughter was going on 5 to try to get one. My daughter is calm and the breeder met her and watched her intereact with her puppies. I think these dogs can be injured too easily and so they should not be with small children especially if there is multiple children in the house. I know that sounds wrong since I have a daughter but if the breeder would have told me no I just would have waited and understood her position. __________________ Chachi's & Jewels Mom Jewels http://www.dogster.com/?132431 Chachi http://www.dogster.com/?132427

03-09-2005, 02:27 PM	#8
aimee The Royal Mommy Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: California Posts: 2,010	I just want to clear up that in my post, I wasn't disagreeing with you - I really hope I in no way made you feel bad, that was NOT my intent. I was just trying to say (and I'm really passionate about this because I've recieved some bad e-mails about a couple of different points here...) that there are people with young children (mine are 4 and 5) who are responsible enough to have a small dog. The fact that you respect the breeder's decision is a good thing, but unfortunate that they just make a blanket statement regarding kids. And again, unfortunate that not everyone will take the time to make and enforce strong rules regarding small dogs with their children, which leads to the breeder having to make blanket statements like "no children, etc. I did have one breeder turn me down for a puppy regardless of my experience with small dogs and the rules I already had in place with my older dog. (this was awhile ago) and the reason it upset me was because she didn't take the time to meet my children and older dog to see how they interact. I know for a fact that my dogs have a better life than many...(they are lounging on their own bed with their own blanket as I type) - and my local shelter thinks my home is good enough to foster small dogs in as well, they did a home interview, met my children and watched them play with Sandy. Anyway, keep looking. The fact that you are willing to keep your Yorkie with you at all times says a lot (to me anyway) -- I know that with simple supervision a lot of accidents and surprises could have been prevented! Let us know if you find out anything about a new puppy! __________________ (`'·.¸(`'·.¸ ¸.·'´)¸.·'´) «´¨ `·.¸¸.Aimée, Sandy, and Tia.¸¸.·´¨`» (¸.·'´(¸.·'´ `'·.¸)`'·.¸)

03-08-2005, 10:28 PM	#2
CC's YT Addict Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 402	I don't think its about your children being good with animals. Its about Yorkies not having any fear of falling, and leaping from even adults hands. Young children are just not equipped to handle the squirmy, leaping, very fast Yorkie. That doesn't mean any children are bad, just not a good combination for a tiny Yorkie pup.

03-09-2005, 05:33 AM	#4
debi_s YT Addict Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Upstate S.C. Posts: 309	Ditto aimee I agree with aimee.....I do not have any small children living with me...but I do have 2 grandchildren (occasionally3 when 'step'-Beth visits) . I KNOW I am being strict but the smallest g-child is 22 months and prone to getting WAY TOO EXCITED about things and Adam ("the love of my life") is 4 1/2...just beginning to understand the concept of 'little things ' need special care. I also do not allow the kids to be with Lil Bit unless I am with them. My first and biggest rule is to take off shoes when playing with Lil Bit. One of their favorite games I have taught them is to lay in the floor..face down....and cover their head/face with their arms and call...."Lil Bit....Lil Bit". and of course Lil Bit LOVES that game...she races around trying to dig under their arms and playing in their hair...the kids giggle like crazy!!!! Lil Bit has been with us for a month now and I have already noticed she has learned to get under the table when things get a bit too loud or any running occurs. Normally I can let everybody wear themselves out and Lil Bit is more than happy to get in her pen and take a long nap! Safe at last!! If I go to the bathroom or leave the room for something I call Lil Bit to follow me..... I was the same way when I got my chihuahua, Apple...now that Apple is older and alot quicker she knows who to dogde and who to avoid when her voice gets into that 'HIGH-PITCHED-SHREAK'.....and the kids know to leave Apple alone when she is eating....or on the couch (under the heating pad) sleeping.

03-09-2005, 01:57 PM	#7
ssguzzy828 YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: south suburbs of illinois Posts: 734	I do understand the breeders point of view. In fact I make sure that when any kids are around they dont rough house with my shepherd because I am careful about his hips. Especially since my breeder wants to breed him with one of hers. I guess I understand a lil bit better, but I do agree it would be better to be judged on an individual basis. I know how clumsy children can be, that is why my yorkie's bed would be in my room(kids know my room is off limits). We also have our own loan office and soon to be real estate office so my puppy would be with me with pretty much at all times. Heck I dont even take my kids to the office lol. I guess I was just letting off some steam cause some of the breeders I would like go through have that in thier contract. I am sorry if i offended anyone that was not my intention. I actually had one breeder say they didnt mind the bigger dog but because of the younger kids she was not comfortable. I am always honest with any breeder I have spoken to about myself and my family. I dont think I need to lie to show that I am a responsible pet owner especially when I have vet and trainer references. sorry for the long post.

03-10-2005, 07:21 AM	#9
chachi I Love My Yorkies Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 37,147	I wasnt disagreeing with you also. I guess what I was trying to say was I was surprised when my breeder allowed me to get a yorkie when I had a 4 year old. Everything I had read about Yorkies prior to getting one stated they were not a good dog to have with children. I really thought my breeder was the exception. When I joined this forum I realized there are alot of people with children who have yorkies. Anyway I know there are alot of breeders who will sell to people with children so hopefully you will find one. __________________ Chachi's & Jewels Mom Jewels http://www.dogster.com/?132431 Chachi http://www.dogster.com/?132427

03-10-2005, 07:38 AM	#10
RockyDog Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Victoria mn Posts: 31	Yorkies and Kids My daughter ws 4 when we got Rocky. It all depends on yuor rule setting. Maybe I am too strict with my kids. Linsey understood NO picking up puppy just fine. Lukas who was 8 was shown how to handle the puppy. I made them wait till Rocky was older and could speak for himself. Linseys way of holding Rocky as a puppy was to place a pillow, blanket and a toy in the laundry basket, ask me to pick him up and put him in. That way he was in one place and she could pet, talk and then pull him behind her ride on toy - - in the house - -. Such a cute picture. The breeder hand us all out before we got Rocky and actually studied the kids and how they reactedto my rules. Good Luck

03-10-2005, 08:15 AM	#11
feminvstr Donating YT 4000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Portland Oregon Posts: 4,405	A toy is not a TOY My niece has 4 year old twin boys, I encourage her to bring them over so my puppies would become accustom to the "small child" before I put them up for adoption. Socializing the little babies is a great thing to do if one can when rasing a litter. The biggest reaction from the puppies to the children is ...fright because a child moves so fast it intimadates the puppy. I have my grand nephew's sit on the floor in the confined room and supervise...but for the most part the puppies will be puppies and lick them to death The biggest fear is when a puppy is sold to a family that thinks their child will be responsible and gentle with the puppy and if not taught how to hold or care for it they can easily hurt or even break something... holding them by the neck dropping them on the floor stepping on them sitting them on a sofa or their bed and leaving the room (leaving the puppy to jumping down by himself) its what kids do and if not taught properly another quick story...my 92 year old neighbor came over to visit the puppies very excited she sat in a chair and held one...she was so busy talking she forgot about the puppy, the poor little thing at 3 weeks old fell onto the floor from the chair.....Poor baby was screeming like she was dying I ran to pick her up (actually I really pissed off) thank god she was fine and merely scared from the drop. bottomline when placing your babies make sure you trust the buyer will do everything possible to keep your babies safe no matter what the age, cause a toy is not a TOY! __________________ Kimberly

03-10-2005, 11:18 AM	#12
orinskye YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: California Posts: 2,990	this might sound kinda bad....... but you know what your children are like and the breeders dont...... so have you considered just lieing???? some people might take offense to this too, i understand that you want to be careful, but not even meeting the child and saying NO before any dialogue on the subject has been initiated is kinda not right.... again the breeder has teh right to choose who goes home with a puppy, but you will have a better chance if you just say "no i dont have children"

03-10-2005, 12:09 PM	#13
ssguzzy828 YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: south suburbs of illinois Posts: 734	Lol my husband said the same thing. No I cant lie because I want to be able to have a good realtionship with any breeder I adopt a yorkie from especially because it is a small dog. We all know how many times questions or concerns come about and you call your breeder for advice. So lieing is not an option for me. I guess I just have to be patient and see how it goes. Thank you all for your thoughts and views it was interesting to see evryones opinions. It seems some of you have children and I just wondered if you encountered the same problem I did. I will let you know how my search ends. I just hope my search ends soon .

03-10-2005, 02:15 PM	#14
YorkieRose No Longer a Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: South Florida Posts: 8,577	children I find very few ask me for a puppy with young children. I like to meet the children, have them visit a few times and go from there..I can not recall letting a puppy go to anyone with a child under 8 yrs..and they were wonderfully smart kids..came to me and told me how to care for the puppy..."you must sit on the floor and no running in the house". Some came with a list of rules...and the pups did well. The few I have had killed or seriously injured were by the adult owners. I raised my girls with Yorkies, but they were taught how to be careful from a very early age. My daughter was thinking about getting Yorkie, but she decided on a Westie. I refused to let her get one of my pups. My grandson is 3 1/2 and he is too rough. The Westie pounces on him and drags him around by the pants leg..it is a strong, sturdy Terrier..a Yorkie would not work.

03-10-2005, 05:16 PM	#15
lovefor3yorkies Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Graniteville, SC Posts: 206	I feel the same way. In my search I found a few breeders that wouldn't sell to me because I have 2 boys. I ALREADY have a 4 pound york and told her I would be glad to provide references including vet and last breeder and others but both said young children were a deal breaker for them. And leaping dogs has nothing to do with kids. I can understand the concern and respect it but when a small dog is already in place, I do not see the reasoning.