What is the best dog breed for families with young children?

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Not to bad mouth labradors, but aren’t these the dogs that bit that french lady’s face off? You know, the lady who had the first ever face transplant.

If I remember correctly from what I read, her two labradors, out of nowhere, while she was sleeping attacked her face and basically chewed it off:bigyikes:.

I don’t remember much else about the story, does anyone else? I would look into why a gentle dog would do something like this…you know, what would trigger this type of incident.

I’ve always liked that dog breed, but after reading that I thought twice about having one, I don’t know I may be wrong.
 
I’d stay away from the designer dogs… the “puggles”, “shiggles”, etc. for awhile. They are growing with rampant popularity and the puppy-mills are jumping on it. Lots of potential in-breeding and genetics problems. If you go this way, ask the breeder for names & numbers of owners. Talk to them about their dogs. If the breeder refuses, walk away.

Stay away from the “purse-rat” breeds. If it’s not bigger than a football, it’s not a dog for kids. They’re just not big enough to fend for themselves with kids, and are yappy/snappy and usually have personality issues.

With smaller kids around I’d go with a dog between 50 & 80 pounds. They’re big enough to take a few knocks, climb on, and run around with the kids.

Look for a dog in the “hound” or “working” classifications.
As mentioned labs or goldens are great dogs… not the sharpest tool in the shed, but are loyal, protective, and will play all day long. They love the water, and love to fetch. If you’ve got a pond/lake nearby watch out… they’ll be in it.
Border Collie - Extremely intelligent, and very active. They can become destructive when they get bored… kinda like kids (It’s been claimed they have the equivalent intelligence of a 5 year old human). At age 3 or 4 they calm down a bit, but still have to run/exercise daily. Happy to be outdoors all day - bred for herding - and very protective.
Beagle - another intelligent dog… but as mentioned they have a set of pipes! You’d never imagine noise of that timbre coming out a dog that size. One beware… if they get wind of a rabbit/squirrel and go on the chase they will be fixated on this for hours and pursue (fenced yard a must).
Humane Society Mutt - Look for a good-sized dog, bright eyes, and wags it’s butt off around kids. (be warned - most of 'em will do this, but you’ll be able to tell which dogs are interested in kids) Ask the attendants if there’s info or a record on the dog… many loving families are forced to give up their dog due to a move or other family situation. Good thing here is they will be up to date on vacc’s, and in generally good health.

My current pooch is a Border Collie/Malamute mix.
i73.photobucket.com/albums/i217/JD12585/Saratoga%20North/Lake%20Dog%20Siko/th_LakeDog1.jpg
i73.photobucket.com/albums/i217/JD12585/Saratoga%20North/Lake%20Dog%20Siko/th_LakeDog4.jpg
She loves the water, snow, and is great with kids. She finally stopped “herding” them into the corner of the yard 😃 when a mob of them were over to play!
 
The only dog that ever bit me was a cockapoo, a 7 pounder.

Most of my friends were bitten by labs. Chows are another breed that all of the representatives of the breed I know have bitten someone.

Any dog can and will bite if provoked. Even if it is for reasons only they know.

Get a purebred from a reliable breeder, invest in quality training and good socialization.

Get a dog big enough that it won’t feel like it needs to defend itself all the time.

Herding breeds are good, but can knock over little kids and old folks when “herding” them.

Watch for dogs with a strong prey drive. An alpha breed like a rottweiler, is good, talk to the breeder and get a 'beta" dog. A female will be more protective over kids than a male and less dominant.
 
Go to your local animal shelter and check out the dogs there. They are many and in need of good home. They get all types of dogs including purebreds. Check out petfinder.com.

With a purebred, you have to worry about genetic problems due to inbreeding.
 
margya said:
Go to your local animal shelter and check out the dogs there. They are many and in need of good home. They get all types of dogs including purebreds. Check out petfinder.com.

With a purebred, you have to worry about genetic problems due to inbreeding.
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I agree, even though I think newfoundlands are one of the best, they can have serious and expensive medical problems(we had vet bills of about 8-10,000 for a torn acl, we had our dog go through a lot of test which was the most expensive part) about the only purebred dogs that currently lack many genetic problems is either the american foxhound or treeing walker coonhound.
 
How about an Irish Terrier? They are a medium sized dog, good with people and children (not always that good with other dogs) and an excellent watch dog. They don’t yap all day and really need a reason to bark. They are quite active and need good training early on. They have few genetic problems. In Ireland they are know as, “the poor man’s sentinel, the farmer’s friend, and the gentleman’s favorite”.
My mum has one (Rua) and he is very good with my two-year-old nephew. Last year when some teeenagers tried to take a short cut over my mother wall in the middle of the night, he went crazy barking. Scared them away completly. One dropped his wallet which my mother handed into the police. The boys were convinced that my mother owned some huge dog from the loudness of his barking and growling.

The Irish Terrier club of America:
itca.info/

Wikipedia also has a god page on them.

Gearoidin
 
Bichon Frise - A few years ago our son (28} decided he wanted a dog. So he researched all breeds, with his main criteria being that he wanted a dog that would be good around his little sisters. He found that not only that the Bichon Frise was great with little kids, but they rarely bark, they don’t shed, and they are hypo-alergenic!! Who could say no to a face like this? http://www.heikes-bichon-frise.de/bichon/charmin15-10-04.jpg Click here to learn more about Bichon Frise Our Bichon is our 11yo daughter’s best friend.
 
cockatoo said:
For young children and other pets, newfoundlands are by far the best. If you want a puppy you need to get them from a breeder who has parents and puppies tested for hip dysplasia and torn acl’s since it is genetic. Also it is best to get them as adults if you can, they are messy little monsters as pups, but they calm down a lot when they grow up. They are high maitnence, they need to be brushed weekly and they drool a lot, I can pull my newfs tail and ears without her doing anything, many are therapy dogs for hospitals and nursing homes, some are water rescue dogs, adults need a lot of food to eat despite their size.

If you are from the US they are not a problem in that whole house insurance thing like with huskies(including saymoyeds), pitbulls, german shepards, great danes and others.
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I was going to mention Newfoundlands, too. 👍 Never had one, but have wanted one for years.
 
You didn’t say what ages your children are, but we have an English Mastiff that we bought specifically because of their excellent reputation with children. They are gentle, affectionate, intelligent, patient, rarely bark, I’ve never heard of one being aggressive (though any dog can be aggressive given poor breeding/upbringing), have a low energy level, and love children. Having said that, they are also huge. They are considered a giant breed. Ours is on the small side and is currently 160 lbs. at 1 1/2 yrs. She will fill out more as she gets older and will likely end up around 170. In retrospect, I wish we had waited until Katie was a little older before we got the dog (Katie is 5 now), because Ginger (dog) has accidentally knocked her over a few times, and frequently smacks her with her tail, which is always wagging.

In general, smaller dogs are going to be yappier and more likely to “nip,.” as they tend to be high energy and nervous. Larger dogs are usually calmer and bark and nip less, though there are always exceptions. I would stay away from herding breeds, as they tend to nip anything small (How do you think they herd those sheep? By nipping their heels) and terriers, which tend to be somewhat agressive and may nip, also. (Though both herders and terriers are much loved by many and have many great qualities. I’m just saying that my experience with dogs and my research when I was looking for one was that they are poor choices for small children, though probably fine for older children.)

The best thing to do is go to a dog show (infodog.com will tell you when there are shows in your area) and see which breeds you and your children like and ask the owners a lot of questions. Most will be quite honest about their breed’s faults as well as positives, as they love their breed and don’t want anyone to get one who isn’t suited to it. Also, you might go to a shelter, where you can interact with the dogs and see if one individual appeals to you. I used to work at the shelter, and I can tell you, there are lots of great dogs (and cats) there. Older dogs are also an option,as they tend to be calmer and are often already trained.

Whatever you do, train your dog to have good manners (there are lots of good classes and books around) so it has a better chance of being a happy family member, and have it spayed or neutered. Leave the breeding to professionals.

AKC (American Kennel Club) has links to breed clubs which will give you a lot of info. about specific breeds, also. www.akc.com
 
Just to clarify, what I meant by “Puggle” is go down to your local animal shelter to look or a Pug/Beagle mix. 👍 They get ditched, and that’s where they go. 😦

But, yes. Beagles are loud when the want to be. Usually, this is when they spot another animal. They are bred to bay in that situation. It’s deep, not yappy, of course.
 
Oh – I forgot Newfoundlands. They are very similar to Mastiffs in size and temperment (and drool), but have long hair, whereas Mastiff hair is short. We looked into them before getting Ginger, and liked them, but I wasn’t sure I could deal with all that hair. You will have the same size issue with small children, though.
 
I want to second the poster that any breed can turn if the kids abuse it too much. Pets are also a great way to learn responsibility and how to handle kids when they grow up.

I’ve had two cocker spaniels recently. The first one was a “hand me down”, since it bit the original owners’ grandchild after being treated too roughly by it, and was tempermental with kids until he was about 10 (and after I had him neutered). The one I have now is so gentle with kids that if she stands still long enough she will let small kids hug her.

Another thing that will help is to neuter any male dog, unless you specifically plan on breeding him.
 
cockatoo said:
I agree, even though I think newfoundlands are one of the best, they can have serious and expensive medical problems(we had vet bills of about 8-10,000 for a torn acl, we had our dog go through a lot of test which was the most expensive part) about the only purebred dogs that currently lack many genetic problems is either the american foxhound or treeing walker coonhound.
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I agree with that, dogs which are bred too far from their wolf ancestors (i.e. they are a very different size or shape to a wolf) are especially prone to these problems (God got it right when he created dogs but humans don’t always think about what’s best for the dog :)) but I had a friend who bred German Shepherds (which you’d think looked pretty close to their wolf ancestors) and she said that even in the 50 years since World War II breeders have changed the shape of their backside so it slopes down more, which is actually bad for their hips. Giant breeds very often have joint and heart problems and small dogs often have temperament problems because they use attack and surprise as a form of defence.
You might want to have a look at the Canine Inherited Disorders Database to help your decision.
For temperament I think Labradors and Golden Retrievers are pretty good, in Australia Labradors are used as Guide dogs for the blind but as only a small percentage can be trusted to concentrate and behave 100% of the time so the guide dogs association has a lot of dogs who didn’t quite make the grade that they need to sell each year. If you have something similar in the USA it might be worth buying from them knowing that your money is going to a good cause and you may also end up with a well trained dog (especially if you’ve got an older puppy that has gone part way through the guide dog training process before being rejected).
 
Norseman82 said:
I’ve had two cocker spaniels recently. The first one was a “hand me down”, since it bit the original owners’ grandchild after being treated too roughly by it, and was tempermental with kids until he was about 10 (and after I had him neutered).
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I know that being neutered would calm me down. :rotfl:

Sorry, but someone had to say it.
 
My family chose the ShihTzu. My cousin also chose the ShihTzu and he has young children (ages 1-8). They’re cute dogs and are in the Toy category. Mine was easy to potty train (she has her own litterbox), but takes patience as they are a strong willed breed. ShihTzu’s love children and love attention (they can get pretty jealous when other’s are taking from their attention). They do mellow out when they’re older like most dogs and turn into sweet lap dogs. I highly recommend this breed. My dog is very loving and is right for all ages. But what it comes down to is training, patience and love.

I suggest tons of research and avoid making quick decisions and here’s a few websites to help in your search:
dogbreedinfo.com/search.htm

mydogsbreed.com/

akc.org/breeds/index.cfm?nav_area=breeds

Also, Remember if you get a purebred it is going to have very distint personality traits whereas if you get a hybrid or just a mixed breed the temperments and personality traits will blend and be less visible.
 
Wow! Thanks everyone! I have enjoyed reading all your suggestions and following up the links.

The breed that is in the lead at the moment is…

Golden Retriever. 🙂

Will keep you posted on which canine family member we end up bringing home. We are strongly considering adopting an older dog rather than buying a puppy. Thanks for all your tips - they have been very helpful. 👍
 
holly_potter said:
Poodles are gentle, laid back, and don’t have an overadbundance of energy, 🙂
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Cran said:
Oh poodles! Neerly forgot about them 🙂 They are indeed very friendly, sensible, easy to train and no shedding at all…
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iamscifimike said:
…I think the winner of the family dog argument is head and shoulders above the rest. It has to be a YELLOW Lab. (Old Yeller, ya’ know) They are very good at loving the entire family. I’ve heard of Black and esp. chocolates with attitude probs…
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OK…so I guess we lucked into the best of both breeds–a** LABRADOODLE**–mix of Standard Poodle and yellow Lab–which we chose because of allergy issues in our family. The two of us with dog allergies (myself and 13 y.o. dd) have had no problems since her arrival last July. She is an absolutely beautiful animal–long legs, sleek body and golden/apricot coat and a very docile personality. She loves to nap as much as she loves to play and is very gentle and affectionate with our 3 kids–even our 9 y.o. ds who views her as his personal wrestling partner. We have had only two expectations that have remained unfillfilled–that she wouldn’t shed (she does and requires some regular grooming) and that she’d be very smart (no evidence of that yet and she has more than earned the title of the family’s token ‘dumb blonde’)
 
its not so much what breed but the breeder you go to. once you pick the dog that works best…there are search engines out there where you put in family size, age, yard, likes dislikes and it will tell you what dogs are best for you…so once you pick the type of dog research breeders. Do not get a puppy mill dog from a pet store. You will get dogs that were in bread, may look healthy but could die at a young age or have major health problems. Or the nicest thing is to have a few breeds that you are looking at and go to the pound till you find a dog that fits your family. I have found so many wonderful dogs at the pound, sometimes they make the best pets because they love you so much for rescuing them!

We have a brittney “spaniel” its actually a pointer. And an English pointer. They are WONDERFUL dogs with kids, but they are natuarally hunting dogs and my husband hunts so they have a “purpose” in life and I think that makes them overall much happier dogs. Plus they are trained so they are well behaved and that makes my life a lot easier.
 
As for medical troubles. Both my beagles have, and here I am getting very scientific here, “Sleep hunts.” Max and Natalie will be snoring along, then they start breathing very quietly. If you watch them, you can see their eyes twitch, their legs move, and their voices go. Not their mouths, though. It’s quite entertaining listening to quiet barks when their mouths are tightly closed. I suspect the process of breeding the sense differences and mannerisms weakened the portion of the brain that prevents people and animals from acting out their dreams.

They won’t appreciate being touched when they are doing that, just a warning. If you need to wake them, hold your hand an inch from their nose. A scent they recognize is something that penetrates deep into the beagle brain.
 
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