What's the best dog to get when you have young children?

Question

I was looking at getting a Labrador but what do you suggest

Answer 1

What it really boils down to is the individual dog. Ideally you want a dog that's been raised with kids and has proven himself/herself to be good with them. You could also get a puppy to raise with your kids but it'll be a lot of work and you'd need to be prepared for training classes for basic obedience, working on training at home, housebreaking, crate training, teaching the dog what's appropriate to chew on and what's not, etc. Be prepared to have your workload around the house increase doublefold if you get a puppy.

Medium sized dogs tend to be a better choice than other sized dogs. Small dogs (chihuahuas, papillions, etc.) can frequently become overwhelmed with the activity level of children to the point they feel threatened and think they need to defend themselves. Giant breeds (saint bernard, mastiff, etc.) can be great with kids but problems may arise simply because of the massive size of the dog and the small size of the child - giant dogs can inadvertantly harm children. However, there are always exceptions to rules. I think your best bet would be to check out your local humane society or www.petfinder.com and look for some dogs available for adoption. Responsible humane societies perform behavior assessments of their dogs and would require that the dog meet your children before bringing it home to ensure that everyone gets along. You may also be able to find a dog through an owner who needs to rehome theirs, however, it's important to be aware that not every owner will be completely truthful and there's always the possibility of an owner fibbing about their dog's behavior so they can get rid of it easier (i.e. you ask, "Has the dog ever shown aggression towards a child?" and they respond, "No" even though their dog has growled or nipped at a kid.)

Don't forget that it's important to teach your kids how to treat dogs with respect. Children should not be allowed to tease or provoke the dog.

Answer 2

It depends on the age of the children! Too young and they might hurt any puppy accidently and get bitten!
Labradors are a good choice with older children but as they are gun dogs they can be very boisterous and destructive, They can literally chew you out of house and home. When young they need lots of toys to both chew and carry, they can and do grab at anything waved around in front of them including a childs arm. They don't mean to hurt the child but they also don't know how hard to hold onto things or how soft a childs skin is! They also need a lot of exercise, which with a young family isn't always possible. If you have children under five I'd reconsider! I'd certainly stay clear of most toy breeds too! They can easily be hurt by childish maulings and are often snappy as a result. Try the Staffie, if brought up with your children they are a great companion (they didn't get the name nanny-dog for nothing) The Cavalier King Charles are very good with children too but Do plenty of research on various breeds and remember too that whatever you get if it's a puppy you are adding another BABY to the household. Have you time to look after a baby?
Notice I'm not recommending the breed of my avatar. The German Shepherd is a great breed and fantastic with children it's brought up with but you sound like a novice owner and Shepherds need experienced handling with or without children.

Answer 3

When I was a baby, my mum had a German Shepherd who was very protective of me. She also had a Border Collie she'd had since she was a teenager (long story about moving houses and the GS no longer being with us) which was distant to me. The next door neighbour had a friendly Lab who was very sweet and loved attention. Then as I got older I wanted a puppy so we got a German Shepherd again.

From my experience, German Shepherds are great dogs. Larger dogs are protective and caring, whereas smaller dogs are noisy and tend to nip and nibble a lot.

However, the German Shepherd is only advisable for those who know how to handle the breed, because they can be boisterous and difficult to control.

Labradors are great dogs as well because they're friendly and are great with children.

At the end of the day, no matter what dog you choose, it's the family that makes the personality, so just treat the dog right and with respect and the dog will love and respect you, too.

Answer 4

Having been raised round a mutlitude of different pets, dogs included, my personal experience is this. We had a boxer when I was young and my sisters were babies, they are very placid if trained correctly.
I currently have a 1yr old black lab and a 12yr old alsation/collie cross - both bitches - the collie/alsation cross was brought up from a pup around my 3 young chldren and I now have a 6mth old grand-daughter.
Neither have ever been aggressive towards her and as one person has already commented - it is mostly about respect. From yourself towards the dog and from the dog towards you and your family. You dont state how old/young your children are - if they are old enough to learn not to tease/pull at the dog/pup - then I would go with a labrador. There are plenty who need re-homing for one reason or another. Good luck with your search and introducing your new pet.

Answer 5

Labradors are fine but they are VERY destructive as puppies, this might cause more stress for you? They are known for chewing furniture, carpets, doors, door frames etc. fine with kids tho.

How about an Old English Sheepdog? They are amazing with children. I have one and have had one before too. They just seem to be tuned into kids. The bitches are best. Have you ever seen or read Peter Pan? there is one in that called NaNa and its because the breed is well known for their caring and protective nature with children.

How about checking out breed types on the web to make doubly sure?

Answer 6

A Labrador or any breed that has a easy going temperament. A mutt can be just as good. Also training is a big part of how a dog will behave around your kids too. You need to teach the pet to play with kids and vise versa.

Answer 7

Labrador sounds good, be aware that the yellows are a bit mad,the black ones are nuts and the chocolates are plain bonkers, all would fit in with the chaos of a young family

Answer 8

I would first teach your children about basic dog manners, ( eg dog don`t get between a dog and his food, or don`t grab his tail). Children need to be educated on how to respect a dog as though the dog is another family member. If you don`t do this, you`re just setting your child up for failure, not to mention Fido will have to take the final trip to your local shelter. Just educate your children and pick a breed that is LESS LIKELY to have tempermental issues..

Answer 9

Labradors are by nature very boisterous, they do calm down as they get older, and if this is your particular preference then go with it they are a good breed and normally very good with children, as is most breeds if they are brought up around children and trained with them.

Answer 10

I would totally agree with all that have said a Labrador .