What are some breeds of dog that is really good with children?

Question

I don't care if it's good with other dogs - just kids. I know of some, I just want to see what other people think. I'm available on Yahoo msgr is anyone wants to talk.

Answer 1

Many if not most dogs are good with children when supervised. No animal should be left alone with children unsupervised, as one or the other is likely to get hurt no matter how good the breed is with children. The woman in our area who rescues dogs has to put a number of the dogs down on a regular basis because the dogs have been too damaged by children trying to ride them like horses and other childlike behaviors.

Answer 2

Any breed of dog can be good with kids if BOTH the kids and the dogs are trained on how to interact. But as long as you ensure that any dominant behavior seen in the dog is immediately corrected, then you could pretty much choose whatever breed you want. However I would stay away from smaller toy breeds. They are more fragile and get hurt by kids a lot easier...when the kids hurt them they are more likely to snap back.

We have a 90lb German Shepherd and a 7lb Yorkie. The GS is way better with kids hands down. But the Yorkie was chased by a couple of little girls when she was a puppy and has never really liked anyone under the 3ft mark since. so...take it for what its worth. You know what kind of dog you want, just make sure that the entire house (kids and dogs) included know the rules and boundaries.

Answer 3

Rather than looking at particular breeds, I'd find a puppy which has been well socialised before you get it. Research your breeder carefully, if they have children that would be ideal - but make sure they haven't been tormenting all the puppies! A good breeder should (within reason) try to make sure the puppies are exposed to different noises and a few people before they are sent to their new homes. Go to see the puppy a few times before you take it home, and make sure you see the puppies with mum - if mum is not good with people the puppies are likely to be the same.

A note on choosing the puppy - try to choose one of even temperament. This can be difficult in very young dogs, but generally the puppy that bounds up to you and demands attention is likely to be boisterous and possibly demanding in the future. A puppy which hides away from you is likely to be nervous and may not be suited to being with active children. Choose one in the middle if possible - one that doesn't approach you immediately but does come to say hello after a short period of time without being too nervous.

The most important factor to making sure your puppy is good with children is by training children to be good with dogs as well as the other way around! Do introductions gradually, never leave your children alone with the puppy. Try to make sure the children allow the puppy to approach them rather than the children chasing it around. Make sure they put their hand out for the puppy to sniff before touching it - it is threatening to a puppy if a hand suddenly appears over the top of them. You should make sure the children know that a dog is not a toy! A puppy which is constantly picked up, harrassed and annoyed is much more likely to be snappy with children.

There are some things which seem to apply to certain breeds regarding children. Collies may have a tendency to round children up by nipping their ankles, particularly if they are from a working stock. Be careful playing tug games with breeds like staffies which will be very strong - they will be a lot stronger than a child before too long. Unless you are experienced with the breeds, I really would avoid anything like a cane corso, husky, akita, shar pei or even rottweiler around children - not that they aren't nice dogs but they do tend to be a little more demanding than other breeds in terms of training.

Hope that helps!

Answer 4

Additional info would help. How old are the kids? Are they just kids in your family, or with kids in general?

The dog that is probably, with good cause, most often said to be a great kids dog is the cocker spaniel. They are very friendly and non-aggressive, and they remain unusually playful to a very advanced age. I, however, went another route for my kids.

I chose a German Shepherd, which is not the best choice to turn loose in a neighborhood full of kids. I did this for two reasons: I do not intend to let any dog run loose, and I wanted the best possible dog to protect my kids. My kids frequently walk around my neighborhood, but they were previously sometimes bothered by both bullying children or by loose dogs. We now have neither or these problems. When the shepherd was only four months old, while on a walk with my daughter, a neighbor's grown boxer started toward my daughter. The shepherd was immediately between the boxer and my daughter, and the boxer decided it wasn't all that interested after all. My shepherd checks to make sure where everyone is before going to sleep at night, and he checks to see where everyone is first thing each morning. He guards his flock, which is my family.

There are stories that German Shepherds will even use their natural herding abilities to herd a family's small childen to one side of the yard when a snake is in the other side of the yard.

My shepherd is extremely smart and was easy to train. If I issue a "come" command, he will break off a full run as he chases a cat and come to me. He will first stand as if deciding to obey, but he will come to me. My skinny, short 10-year-old daughter can control him on a leash even though he has about 20 or 30 pounds on her and is easily 2 or 3 times as strong.

My Shepherd is very gentle with every member of my household. My 6 lb Toy Fox Terrier thinks he can whip my shepherd even though his head easily fits in the shepherd's mouth.

Age does matter with mixing shepherds with children. I have grandchildren in addition to children. My shepherd does not understand kids are not bowling pins. He won't intentionally knock one down, but my two-year old grand-daughter is frequently knocked down as he passes just a little too closely. She responds by giving him her best pow-pow (which he doesn't seem to notice).

For my purposes, I could not ask for a better dog -- and my primary purpose was a great kids' dog.

If you don't go with a shepherd, I would suggest almost any of the herding breeds. I think the GSD is the best of the bunch, but they all share many of the same virtues.

Toys are the least likely to inflict any damage to a kid, they simply don't have much potential for damage.

Terriers are normally always ready to play, but they are headstrong, often difficult to train, and they leave the biggest number of holes in a yard and under a fence.

All dogs have their virtues. When you decide which virtues best fit your family, the most important thing is to buy from a reputable breeder that breeds for both show and temperament. Show success ensures that your breeder is breeding dogs that show the shape and character the breed is known for. If a breeder enjoys show success, you can be certain they produce pups that properly represent the breed. Other breeders produce dogs that may look the same to the untrained eye, but will they act the same as adults? To me taking the chance was not worth the price difference.

Take care making your choice. You will live with it a very long time.

Good luck.

Answer 5

The Poodle. Any of the 3 sizes; toy, mini or my personal preference the Standard. If you don't mind the shedding the Labrador retriever is a great dog for kids so long as they are not toddlers or younger since the Lab is a little rough when playing & that tail can clean off a coffee table quicker than anything!

Answer 6

Labrador Retrievers.

We had several labradors while we were growing up, and they were ALL good with children. As an adult, I have a black Lab, (Duke). He stays in the house with us. Labradors tend to be friendly, loyal, and they would do anything to please you. They can sometimes get annoying because they want to please you so bad...mine follows me around the house all day, and he follows me upstairs even if I just run up for a second. We have a 1 year old, and after the initial "newness" wore off and he was used to the baby, we haven't had any problems. (the only problem we had is that he is too friendly...likes to lick people). Our son climbs all over him and he just lets him. He's only ever growled at him once when he went by his food bowl. But I know he would NEVER bite anyone.

I think males tend to be a little more rambuncious, so if you prefer a more mild-mannered dog, get a female. However, females tend to be harder to potty-train (if you want it in the house). Labs are really good at fetch! They are available in yellow, black, and chocolate. I don't know anything about any other dogs.

Answer 7

Any dog breed is good with kids under these condtions:
1. The dog is regularly exercised.
2. The child learns to respect the dog. ( ex. pets only on the back)
3. The dog learns the boundries with the child. (no jumping, play biting)
4. The child is taught how to be an alpha.

Answer 8

Everyone is going to say the breed they own of course, Any dog could be good with children when raised with them and taught their manners. I have a boston terrier and he is great with my 2 young children. If you have young children under the age of 5 larger dogs like the boxer, labrador etc.... do knock over your children when they are puppies cause they do get excited. I had an American Bulldog and my children got so scared of him cause he would always knock them over, but he was so great with them. With any dog it all depends on what type of socialization and training you put into your dog. For me personally I like the Boxer, American Bulldog, French Bulldog, Boston Terrier, Labrador, Bullmastiff, Pug, Golden Retriever, Vizsla, Springer Spaniel These breeds are good with children. This website lits some dogs that are good with children and which aren't if you want to take a look: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/children.htm

Answer 9

St Banards are a wonderful playmate for children. They also make great babysitters. Mine spent the biggest part of his day bring my toddler back to the porch away from the road . It was really cute. he would let her crawl all the way across the yard till she got to the ditch the he would run out and gently pick her up by her diaper.(Cloth OF Course) and bring her back to the porch. They spent hours playing this game and both were ready to sack out after supper. No trouble getting her to bed. Another dog that is really great with children is a beagle hound.

Answer 10

We have a greyhound. They are one of the most laid-back dogs I have had. My granddaughter was only three when we got our pet and right from the start she could cuddle him. They do not need a great deal of exercise and they don't shed much hair either. For a great family pet you couldn't go far wrong with this animal. However, the children have to be taught not to pull or poke or generally annoy the dog as he/she isn't there to be mistreated.