What is a good dog breed for families with young children?

Question

I have a 5 year old daughter and a 3 year old son. Any dog breeds good arould children that age? I grew up with a jumpy Golden, but i think a calmer breed might be best for my family. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Any of the retriever breeds, such as lab or golden, tend to do well with children. The key is good training for the dog. Also remember ANY animal can bite, so watch your young children with the animal.
Also some other factors that might play into your pet choice........ do you have a large fenced yard? maybe a larger dog might work for you, if you live in a small apartment, a large breed would probably be a bad choice. How much time can you devote to grooming the animal? if it is not much a wirey short haired breed might be best.
Try petfinder.com to adopt a great animal who needs a loving home, or if you are seeking a specific breed, try one of the rescue groups for that breed. All you have to do is type in the breed, rescue and your state in to your search engine, and you will get results.

Answer 2

With proper training, many breeds can be good with children really. Acutally, Golden Retrievers and Labs are at the top of the list for family dogs. But there are so many more.

You really have to evaluate your family and activity level too. A greyhound loves to run them races, but they're actually quite gentle giants and you can adopt a retired racer that's already got some basic training.

Our children are also 5 and 3, boys, and they have a HIGH energy level, so we wanted a breed that could keep up with that. We now have a 4 month old Border Collie. But the BC isn't for everyone. They're very smart and get bored really easily, so they have to be mentally challenged to avoid the boredom which can bring on destructive behavior. We are persuing agility with ours, simply on a fun level. Fun for us and her and great excercise. Also gives her a good amount of training, too.

A smaller breed might suit you well too, assuming your children aren't as high energy as mine, but remember that sometimes small dogs and children can be of issue if the children have a hard time being gentle and learning how to properly treat and handle the dog (like not carrying the pup around the house all the time). I prefer at least a medium size dog, as the full grown size enables the dog to be able to "escape" an uncomfy situation if need be. Harder for a child to corner.

Good questions to ask yourself are... How active is your family? If you're not very active, then something like a BC isn't for you. How much time will you need to be away from your dog on a daily basis (like for work/school)? Some breeds are more likely to suffer from separation anxiety than others. How will your children be with a new pup? Will they easily learn how to properly treat a dog? What kind of space do you have? Is there a large yard what a larger dog can have a good run, or do you live in a small place, like an apartment where a smaller dog would be more reasonable?

I definitely suggest researching the breeds you are thinking about, compare them and talk to breeders of any breed you are considering. They can really be helpful in helping you decide if a particular breed is right for you.

Whatever breed you choose to go with, getting some obedience training is a great way to teach your dog some basic manners, such as learning not to jump on your family or visitors. I wouldn't have a dog without persuing it!

Answer 3

Firstly, kudos to you and your family for doing some research before bringing home your new pet. And kudos for choosing to adopt! There really isn't any one breed or group of breeds who are compatible with young children. It really matters what the individual dog's personality is like. But, if you're looking for broad generalizations, gun dogs, scent hounds, and retrievers all have a reputation for being good with kids. herding and working breeds also have a reputation for being good with kids as long as they are taught that nipping is unacceptable and the kids are taught not to run and scream around the dog. Terriers and toy breeds have a reputation for being nippy and/or bad with kids. Since you are not opposed to mixed breeds figuring out which breed is more "compatible" with kids isn't really going to be all that helpful since there is no way to tell how much the puppies will inherit from one parent and how much from the other. Also because often there is no way to tell what breeds are in a mixed breed dog. Your best bet is to go with an older dog who is known to be good with kids. Puppies, especially mixed breed puppies, are a crap-shot when it comes to adult health and temperament. An adult dog will already have an established temperament and will be less likely to surprise you with health issues (allergies, epilepsy, and many joint problems often present when a dog reaches maturity although if you adopt a healthy two or three year old there is still no guarantee that the dog will still be healthy at 5 or 11 years old). Also, older dogs are calmer and can be easier to train than puppies and adolescent dogs, which means they may be less likely to accidentally knock a toddler down or hurt them by running into them.

Answer 4

I would never recommend a large or giant breed as the pet of choice for small children unless the children were big for their age, the parent were experienced in handling and training, and it was an adult dog. Hard for small kids to cuddle a dog that is bigger than they are.

A herding breed is excellent with young children.

Go here to see the breeds http://www.akc.org/breeds/index.cfm?nav_area=breeds

Look under "Breed by Group" on the left and find the herding group.

Shelties, Aussies, Corgis.....(Herding Group)

I grew up with Boston Terriers (Non-sporting group). They were GREAT!!!

When you are on the page for that specific breed, there are links on the left to the "Breed Club" and "Breed Rescue" .

Check out breed rescues. The Breed Rescue for a breed akes a great deal of time to get to know the dog,its temperment, behavior and level of training. They go to great pains to match the right dog with the right person.

(By the way you say "jumpy" Golden. I'm guessing it was a field bred Golden - high energy, independent minded, ... Field bred Goldens and show/obedience bred Goldens are the same breed but their temperments are different by miles and miles.)

Answer 5

Don't assume by simply choosing a breed that you will get the right puppy. Temperament and personality can still vary. There are exceptions to the rule. There are aggressive Goldens, there are sweet pitbulls. Then, how you raise it will have a lot to do with the "molding" process.....just like kids.

When you go to look at a puppy, look at the entire litter. Particularly with young children, you do not want the shy one that sits in the corner and acts afraid. Neither do you want the wild, wooly, jumping up and down pup. Pick the more quiet, but curious puppy. The one that willingly comes forward. The one that does not struggle when you pick it up, the one that will calmy lay on its back when you roll it on the floor, or hold him in your arms as a baby. The one that doesn't startle when you clap your hands. The one that will follow you when you walk with encouragement from your voice. These are cues that the pup naturally sees you as its leader. Do not feel you must choose a pup from just one litter. Shop.....this is a life long choice!

Most Goldens are happy fellows, so the jumpy one you had was one of those exceptions. Goldens and Labs (btw there is no "breed" called the Golden Lab. A Lab is a Lab. They come in yellow, blac and chocolate) have been breed for decades as service dogs, so care has been taken to focus on easy going temperament. But that does not mean every Golden or Lab will be this way. The kennels still breeding them for hunting (their original purpose) have more high drive dogs....as my daughter's very high power, very active one. (Have you read "Marley and Me")

If you go with a purebreed, find a REPUTABLE breeder!!!! Make a list of questions and if they can not answer them, go elsewhere. Have the parents been checked for such as hip dyspasia, eye problems, von Willebrands...etc (do your research of what breeds are more prone to particular health problems). Any dogs in the pedigree have obedience titles? What is health guarantee? Get all in writing.

You might want to contact a local guide dog program, or CCI (is it Canine Companions for Independence?) There are dogs that for minor reasons do not "graduate" to the next level, but have been trained and are wonderful dogs.

Breeds: I would not get a very small breed for young children. Often they can be very nervous and nippy and just their small size can be fragile for young children. Nor would I necessarily get a giant breed; though often very gentle, as a rambunctious pup their sheer size can easily knock a toddler over.

Breeds: Collie (particularly look into "smooth coated" collies..they are gentle and sweet with children), Golden, Lab (though I don't have them and would not get one for me). Shetland Sheepdogs (Shelties) are extemely smart, (have shown and raised them for about 25 years, along with my 2 kids) easily trained, do not pick the shy or nervous one! Also Australian Shepherds...smart dogs, but be sure not to pick the most active puppy.

I would not get a Border Collie (I have one and LOVE her). If you do not have time to play and play and go jogging and do herding or agility, they will drive you bonkers!

Answer 6

I would get a small dog, so that if a bite incident occured, it would be negligible. Also, you have to be really diligent about teaching your children utmost respect for the dog- it will decrease the chances of them getting bitten if they see the dog as it's own being rather than a toy, and is a great life lesson in empathy for others. The breed of dog isn't so important, it's whether or not the dog itself will fit into your life and meet your needs. Visiting shelters is a great place to get friendly mutts- usually much more mentally stable than pure breds, and it's just a nice thing to do.

Answer 7

I have 2 bernese mountaindogs and they're great with children also with the smaller ones. In summer they've been a lot around 2-year-old children, 4-year-old children and some children who were older than 6. And they loved the dogs they went playing with them, hugged them and everything and it all went smooth. Even when they're pups, they're comparatively calm. Of course you need to raise them well, but you will have a great dog then :)

Answer 8

As most people have said I'd say a Golden Lab.

I actually have a Jack Russell cross and she is amazing with children and very, very playful. Plus she is good enough at keeping herself amused when we are either working/doing other things. There's always somebody in the house with her at all times due to the schedules of everyone in my house however.

Her size means that she isn't intimidating to friend's of my brother who are unsure around dogs and was a total dream to train. I have friends with pure breed dogs who are a nightmare with children because they require so much attention/amusement etc. I'd definetly say a crossbreed are more family friendly.

Answer 9

I have a golden retriever and he is great with the kids. I have never had any problems with him jumping on the kids. He is very gentle with the kids. Any breed would be good as long as you have the time to work with them and teach them the do's and dont's. But I have had many different breeds including pit, golden retriever, border collie etc. I would have to say that my golden retriever has been the best dog that i have ever had and is the easiest to teach.

Answer 10

Old English Sheepdog. I have had them in my house since I was little. My cousin would grab food out of his bowl and he would just look at her. I mean we never encouraged her to do that but she did. She pulled up on him. they don't shed and are very lovable. They do have a tendency to "herd" little ones into cupboards and walls. They do require grooming but if you keep them kind of short "puppy cut" then they aren't too bad. Sheepdogs love the cold and snow. Sheepies are a calm breed that love to cuddle. We always adopted adult sheepies so I couldn't tell you about the pups. They aren't water loving dogs although they are exceptions. They are very protective of their families.

Hope you find a breed that fits you best.