Kids and dogs, your opinions please??

My number 1 bit of advice - learn about canine body language and behaviour (language first)!

Just about every story in the papers can be explained through a lack of understanding of the basics of both; all those 'he/she attacked with no warning' are almost always total rubbish, what has happened is the owners have not seen the signs of problems the dog is giving off or worse, have punished behaviour such as growling (simply the dog's way of saying they aren't comfortable) so the dog no longer shows it and goes on to attack 'without warning'.

Such horror stories are completely avoidable with just a little bit of knowledge and care. LIttle things like making sure dog and child can both get away from each other if they need to; not leaving dog and child unattended together; knowing the dog's basic signals that say 'I am not comfortable' such as growling, but also things lip lip-licking; turning away from the child; recognising an anxious expression and so on (not at all difficult if you take the time to learn a little bit - Turid Rugaas has written many excellent things on canine body language and signals that would be worth a look).

That said, I agree with what others have said - a puppy is just like having another baby and will require just as much work. An older dog can work and a lot of rescues will use foster homes which allows for a much better assessment of the dog's temperament (because it can be seen in the sort of environment it'll end up in - can't see a lot of interaction with people/kids out and about if the dog's in a kennel!). And a reputable rescue will be honest and help you find a good match. Rescue doesn't necessarily mean the dog has problems - my own lab came to me at 6yrs old after a relationship breakup, I can't fault her, she's spot on with everyone and everything, just fabulous and a very steady dog.

And do try and persuade your friend to get the mother spayed - no idea where you are but the rescue situation here is at breaking point, thousands upon thousands of dogs needing homes and the same again being PTS for lack of homes because they shouldn't have been bred to start with