What breed?

Question

medium to large, good with kids, low to medium energy, ok with a weekly romp in the country and have a medium back yard to play in. I stay at home and will continue to with my daughter (19 m/o)for the next two years and then work part time. We are looking for a good family dog we will most likely go to our local shelter so I am just trying to get some ideas of breed traits. I would like it to be a decent watch dog as we are home alone a lot. I know each dog varies, but would like some opionions on what would be a good fit. Thanks

Answer 1

I'm going to join Sammie in voting for Boxers. They are great with kids and are just big, sloppy lovable family members who look rough and tough enough to scare away the nastiest of folks.

Only thing is-they remain in puppy stage for a long time! So if you get a puppy, expect alot of fun! If you are getting an older one, make sure it's a kid friendly dog! Some people buy Boxers thinking they are going to be tough dogs or fighting dogs only to find that they are more likely to drown you with kisses than kill some one with violence!

Answer 2

A german shepherd or a golden retriever would be good dogs for you. I used to have two shepherds and they were very friendly but also protective over their family. They were pretty calm as well and followed their master around. Right now I have a golden retriever and a bernese mountain dog. Goldens are such sweet dogs. If you were thinking about getting a retriever, you should get a male, though, because females are more hyper. They love to be around people and will just lay down right by you so you can pet them. I don't know if you've heard of bernese mountain dogs, but they are excellent family dog's too. But because they are bigger, they seem to have hip problems more than other dogs. I hope you can find the right dog. =)

Answer 3

I Would Recomend an Old English Sheep Dog, The Are Awsome with kids and they are LAZY. Like the need a walk but while you are at work i would say they would be fine you see old english sheep dog are not the smartest dogs so by the time you get home they will figure out your gone. The only downfall is you MUST take them to a groomer every month and brush them weekly

Answer 4

it is going to be difficult to find a large breed dog that is low energy. despite the other recommendations, i say stay AWAY from labs and goldens, they are wonderful, sweet family dogs, but they need a LOT of exercise, especially when they are young. one romp a week and a medium yard for a lab will leave you with a dog that is impossible to manage from what i have seen! with a young child, you'll have a handful! my recommendation to you is to go for a smaller breed. you might want to go with something smaller that will do fine with that kind of exercise schedule. also, it's great that you plan to adopt and are doing research on breeds first!! it sounds like you have a great home to offer a dog that needs one!

Answer 5

greyhound or whippet perhaps, as they do not need to exercise every day contrary to popular belief, but wil run when they do! I would avoid gundogs (such as springer spaniels, retrievers,) as they are lively, need much exercise and training, and are very quick and intelligent and will need much attention, a cocker spaniel would be OK, crazy as a puppy but happy to be home with you, not looking for miles of walk every day, but hates being alone and will pine if you are at work too much. Maybe a labrador. No German shepherds as they will need exercise and go for miles, and will need mental stimulation. terriers are lively but cope with being alone better. Probably a smaller, companion dog wouild suit your needs more - any of the toy breeds will be great and not too demanding of you, but you want a bigger dog. a chow? good for letting you know when people are about without being too energetic. or........and older dobermann, shepherd, rottie - so you know what their personality is like and they are not young silly puppies.

Answer 6

A Keeshond is a great breed with kids & very loyal. They get to be around 50 pounds & love to go on walks. Also shepherd/ lab mixes are good dogs.

Answer 7

german shepard/lab mixes are always easy to find at shelters and they are great dogs but they do need a little behavior training, sometimes i've noticed they like to be playful at the wrong times. On the other hand I have never seen one that wasn't great with kids. If you decide to go purebred, I know it's cliche but you can't go wrong with a golden retriever.

Answer 8

How about a beagle or lab mix? Both are good with kids and beagles mixes can always be found at a shelter. Neither are typical "watch dogs", but both will bark and and alert you if someone they don't know is near!

Answer 9

German Shepherds, Boxers, Golden Retrievers, Labs anything that is dosile. DO NOT get a Dobie or a Sheep dog such as Border Collies. They get very agressive with kids and they have a tendency to bite.

Answer 10

An English Springer Spaniel ... they are very smart, loving, gentle and a good watchdog/protector. Adult females weigh around 45 lbs. We have had two .. the first one lived to be 14 and our second one is now 11.

Whatever breed you get, get a female and have her spayed. Females do not wonder off like males do, and they don't lift their leg when the go to the bathroom.