what's the best breed of dog for a family with 3 kids?

Question

we live in the suburbs with a big fenced year, lots of grass for it. I had dogs growing up, so did my husband but we never had one as a married couple because our first came along only a year after being married. Our sons are ages 9, 5 & 3. In your opinion what is a good dog to fit our family?

Some considerations we have are-
Bernese Mountain Dog (large)
Cavelier King Charles (small)
Australian Shephard (large)

Answer 1

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/children.htm

There is a list of dogs that are great with children.
I'll list some good ones too!

*American Bulldog
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/americanbulldog.htm
(beautiful dog, I would deffinatly recommend)

*Mastiff
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/americanmastiff.htm
(big dog, very gentle)

*Great Dane
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/greatdane.htm
(there is one down the street from me that LOVES kids. the only downside is they only live 8 years.)

*Bernese Mountain Dog (on the list also!)
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/bernesemountain.htm
(i fostered a Bernese a long time ago, great dog.)

*Bloodhound
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/bloodhound.htm

*Pug (if you want a smaller dog)
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/pug.htm
(alot of people say they are GREAT with kids)

*Saint Bernard
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/saintbernard.htm

*Treeing Walker Coonhound
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/treeingwalkercoonhound.htm


--- I suggest getting a bigger dog because they have a high tolerance for kids. Alot of people I know have either a purebred or mixbreed dog that is huge, and they are very good with kids.


Good luck on adding to your family!

Answer 2

Golden retrievers are wonderful dogs for anybody but especially a family with kids. They love to play but are also fine entertaining themselves. These dogs are great and gentle with small children and very active to play with the oder kids. unlike some dogs do settle down easily as long as they are trained properly (and sometimes even when they're not). They are very loyal and pretty intelligent as well. A nice sized yard is perfect because they don't mind being a solely outdoor dog (though of course they do enjoy being a part of the family in the house)

They are not prone to health problems like some other breeds but if you do get a golden make sure that its parents had their hips checked because that is the one hereditary problem that goldens sometimes face. They have a nice long life span and are not difficult to take care of. They are also normally very reasonably priced, though of course, any animal is a time and monetary commitment.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

Answer 3

Just wanted to let you know that if you go to the American Kennel Club and look for this answer they will tell you that one of the best family dogs out there is a Labrador Retriever. They do make great family pets. They can also live inside or outside or both. I know this because I love labs. I have 5 adults and have a litter of pups from time to time. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

A really great dog to consider is the Golden Retriever, or the Lab because they are both calm dogs that get along with kids very well. If you want to find the "BestDog!" for you lifestyle, consider going to BestDog! and take the quiz. It is located at http://www.glowdog.com/bestdog/ . This gives you the oppritunity to take all factors of consideration. I would reccomend joining a 4-H club with your new dog to train it for obedience and to give you kids a roll in raising your new family member. Plus it's dirt cheap compared to those lessons that PetSmart conducts.

Answer 5

I'd go with a compact medium-sized dog, actually. :3

And don't restrict yourself to purebreds; mixed breeds have many good qualities of purebred dogs, without the genetic problems.

However, from your choice, I think the Bernese would be best. A friend of mine bought a puppy last year; he's huge now, and the friendliest monster I ever did see. But they need grooming, they have lots of hair :)

Answer 6

That's not a whole lot of information to go on. But I've dug up some breeds I think are good family dogs and the breeds you're considering as well, and some links going to some compiled information about those breeds.

English Springer Spaniel (for the active, I-enjoy-running-around-crazy-like-with-my-dog-yet-like-a-lap-dog family) - http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/englishspringerspaniel.htm

Boxer (need to be creative, and prepared for another kid for this one.) - http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/boxer.htm

Bernese Mt - http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/bernesemountain.htm

Austalian Shepard - http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/australianshepherd.htm

Cavelier Spaniel - http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/cavalierkingcharlesspaniel.htm

English Bulldog (most are really more lazy like, but have a good tolerance with children, very loving) - http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/bulldog.htm

Also, I think most spaniels are great family dogs provided you give them plenty of exercise and maybe a job to do. Australian Cattledogs are also good dogs for families too. Hope this information helps you a bit! And good luck.

Answer 7

Check out your local rescue groups/shelters. A lot of people foster dogs until they are adopted. You can usually find out about what the dog is like from them. I recently adopted a dog this way. The "foster mom" was able to tell me that this dog was housebroken. very gentle and patient with her small children. how much shedding she did.....etc. I adopted the dog with more knowledge of her personal traits than any other puppy previously purchased, plus I saved a life and gained a muched loved family member.

Answer 8

Golden retrievers and labs are also considered great with kids--especially little ones who might not know to be as gentle as an older child. My brother has a yellow lab and she was so mellow when the nieces were little and didn't always pet her so gracefully.

There are lots of good natured breeds out there though.

Answer 9

I have to tell you, since I have three children too, that you should still wait with your decision, since your children are still relatively young. It will be almost impossible to train your dog with the youngsters, and you will be exhausted and sick of the dog pretty soon. The dog will be also unhappy because you will not have enough energy for play and training. I'd say two more years if you can. Is you husband excited about the idea or it's just ok with him? They are not so stress-resistant. Well, GOOD LUCK!

Answer 10

Best bet is to stay away from purebreds. They tend to be more high-strung and neurotic and may get agitated and bite the kids.

Labs are pretty good with kids, though one seriously bit a kid in Denver a week or so ago.