What are the best dogs to be around children?

Answer 1

German Shepards. German Shepards have been proven to be very protective of small children. Many of the times the GS will consider the child as its own after a while.

Answer 2

It depends how old the children are, and how well behaved. I wouldn't inflict a spiteful child on any dog.

In my experience, hunting and sporting breeds that were bred to work alongside man are great companions. I had a Black and Tan Coonhound that had the sweetest nature around children. She was afraid of most adults until introduced due to abuse, but she adored children. Her ears would prick up, like she had seen another dog, and she would howl until she could go and say hello. Then she would just sit calmly by them and lick their faces. My Bloodhound also adores children, and is very calm around them. My Black Lab/Golden loves kids but would be way too much to handle around them full time until she outgrows her lively puppy stage. She would never bite aggressively, and has never growled, but she loves to run and jump and may knock down little people. Some kids are afraid of dogs, so a calmer temperament rather than an overly friendly one is an advantage. Newfoundlands are exceptional with children, but too much for most families to handle due to their size, shedding and slobber.

My vote would be for an adult (3 or 4yr old) retriever, whether it be a lab, golden or flat coated. Hounds are the most loving dogs I have come across, but their tendency to roam outside coupled with kids' tendency to leave gates or doors open could spell disaster. I would recommend avoiding herding breeds as they have an instinct to nip at anything that runs. Some guarding breeds can be protective with children, but occasionally they can be too protective. If you consider a guardian breed, I would recommend against getting a rescue dog, as socialisation is vital.

Answer 3

Lots of dogs do well around children. But I think golden retrievers are just great all around with anyone. For smaller dogs I like pugs cause they're more hardy than other little dogs. Mid-size dogs, I have a keeshond and she loves people and is adorable.

I am biased to all these breeds cause at one time or another I had/have a golden, a pug, and a keeshond, and can vouch that they are terrific pets. A pug though is a bit more hyper but if you're looking at smaller dogs is great w/ kids.

Answer 4

Every one here is going to tell the breed of dog they have is the best dog for kids, well a lot of them are wrong. You need to research the many different breeds and make an educated decision on what you think is the best breed for you and your families lifesyle. AKC has a web site with descriptions of all recognized breeds of dog. AKC.org You could also read a few books like Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds, or Idiots Guide to Chosing, Buying and Raising a Dog.

If properly trained and embraced as a beloved member of the family, any breed can make a great pet. With that said, some dogs are seen as more “kid-friendly” than others and, as a result, have become extremely popular among families. According to the AKC, the five most popular breeds in the United States are:

Labrador Retrievers are by far America’s most popular dog—more than 140,000 Lab puppies were registered last year with the AKC—and have a reputation for being playful, hardworking and affectionate toward children. The Lab is easily trained and is highly respected for his prowess at many jobs: as a guide dog for the disabled, a search-and-rescue dog, and for narcotics detection.

Golden Retrievers are sporty, easy to train and strong, but their most outstanding trait is character. They are outgoing and devoted companions to people of all ages, happy and trusting. They make great hunting companions, too.

German Shepherd are noble in appearence and character. This breed's courage, steadfast heart, and keen senses have endeared him to families for generations. Active and outdoorsy, German Shepherds are very fond of children and make wonderful companions.

Beagles love being around people and other animals. They are gentle, happy companions who thrive on affection and attention. They are also clever, quick, and, most of all curious. They need plenty of active exercise.

Dachshund has a lively, upbeat personality—spunky, curious and friendly. Originally bred to hunt badgers, Dachshund’s love to dig, romp and run. They are affectionate, especially with children, and enjoy going for walks and other forms of exercise

You should do your research before you bring any animal into your home. A dog your is a responsiblity for the rest of its life and should not be bought on impulse.

Answer 5

Labs are not calm, a young lab has extreme amounts of energy and needs a lot of work to be calm. Most all dogs need to be worked with and exercised at least 5 times a week. Once you got that covered, most dogs will do great. Labs are loving, German Sheppard's are loving and protective - be careful they do not get aggressive protective, snow dogs are loving and love to play, small dogs will not harm the children but can be harmed by the children, beagles are fun with kids, jack russels are fun with kids too they love to play with kids and are big enough to get around.

Answer 6

Contrary to what a lot of people have suggested, there are no statistics or scientific proofs that any particular breed is "the best" around children. Dogs are dogs first and formost, and all have their own uinique personalities. For example, in a study on dog-bite fatalities between 1979-1998 while pit bulls top the list for number of death-related dog bits, the German Shephard is close behind in the #3 spot. Perhaps more surprising is that lovable Goldern Retriver, who many people seem to assume are all 100% "kid proof" comes in at number 12 on the list.

My point is not to target any particular breed, but to point out that given the right circumstances, ANY dog can bite and be potentially dangerous. It is up to us as human to breed responsibly, buy responsibly, and train our dogs responsible. It is the humans who produce dangers, or wonderful dogs, NOT the breed. You can very easily have a pit bull who is an absolute peach and a Labrador Retriver who is out of control and dangerous, it all just depends on what humans have done to these dogs.

That said, there are certian kinds of dog breeds that were bred for different things and have different temperments. For example, Retrivers and Labs are known to be very complacent, tolerant animals. they were bred to retrive birds without damaging the fragil creatures, and usually are genetically soft mouthed. Bernese Mountain dogs are also generally soft tempered, tolerant, and willing to please. Do your research on your potential dog breed, and make sure that it has the kind of characteristic that fit your family. Dalmatians are fabulous dogs, but they have far too much energy to be the average family pet. It's not that they are genetically "bad with chidlren" its just that their energetic naturaled makes them unsuitable for the average family lifestyle.

As long as you are honest about the kind of people you and your family are, as long as you take your time and research your potential pet, and as long as you are prepared to spend long hours training your dog and socializing him with kids, your chosen breed will likely be wonderful with your kids, regardess of the breed.

Answer 7

Just remember that even if you chose a stabil dog that learn the kids to treat the dog with respect. It's not a living toy. I see way too many cases where the dogs get blamed for biting the kids when it never should have happend if the kids didnt use the dogs as toys. Its up for the parents to teach their kids to respect animals.

Answer 8

A well trained dog is the best.

Many breeds are good with kids--- it is the individual dog, how it is trained,and how much it is exposed to children which makes the difference.

That being said, I have a theory about dogs which do well with kids based on what they were developed to do. Dogs developed to kill/hunt things BIGGER than they are (like terriers) tend to be more feisty with kids.

Answer 9

Keeshond!
Read up on 'em and you'll find that they are absolitely the best breed for having around children... bar none!
And don't just take my word for it, (and don't listen to those other suggestions above 'cause they're wrong!), go get a book on Keeshonds, or read about 'em on the internet, because one of their attributes IS that they are good for children because they'll take a lot of rowdy abuse without ever getting mad or biting! They love children and are also protective of them!

Answer 10

WHY DOES EVERYONE SAY GOLDENS AND LABS!!!!

Goldens and Labs are both so rammy and they bite, chew, shove, their tail is deadly. Sure, they may take crap from children, but if you get a lab puppy or a golden puppy then they are just terrible. They jump on kids and knock them down, they chew up their shoes. They are not a family dog. If you have kids I would get a smaller breed. My favorite around kids is a Bichon.

Please, unless you have tons of time and energy, do not get a Lab or Golden. They are so uncontrollable and need tons of training and with kids you never have the time or money to do that.