Whats the best breed of dog is best for being around children??

Answer 1

With any dog you need to remember that you should always be careful.

I would say it really depends on the dog. Yes the breed is important too, but there are some really lazy labs and some really hyper labs.

My best advice is to go to a shelter and start looking for a dog. You may not find the right dog the first time you go looking. Look for a dog that is being very calm and does not look stressed out. The dog should not be jumping on the kennel door, and it should not be hiding out of sight. If you can, try to take a friend who is very knowledgeable with you when you go to look for a dog.

Good luck!

Answer 2

It depends on the age of the children. For older children who already know how to act around animals, any breed should be okay. For toddlers and young children, you need to have a larger breed, since small dogs can be easily hurt by a careless child. An adult dog that already loves kids is a better choice than a puppy, which is more fragile and can easily be hurt by accident.

I have actually heard that pit bulls are the "bomb proof" family dog and will put up with a lot more rough behavior than other breeds will. They have a bad rap because, as a popular breed, there are some bad examples of them, but most pit bulls are friendly and love kids. If you get an adult pit bull from a shelter, they'll probably already know how it does with kids.

Labradors are also a popular family breed. From my experience most labs are fairly patient and like kids, but again bad examples are out there because the breed is so popular. Again, I urge you to get an adult dog from a shelter so the personality is known.

Regardless of what breed you choose, treat your children to handle the dog correctly without hurting it or upsetting it. If your kids are young, make sure they are never unsupervised with the dog. Accidents can and often do happen while parents aren't watching, with disastrous results for the child and the dog.

Answer 3

To be honest, breed isn't too important. As long as the dog is socialised well and taught that it is the lowest member of the pack. I grew up with a Lakeland/Border terrier mix and he was my best pal as a kid. However, generally speaking, the bigger the dog, the more docile it is. It depends on other circumstances too though, like how much exercise are you prepared to give your dog?
Labs and Goldies are medium sized, even tempered dogs. Beagles are of a similar temperament, but smaller and very food orientated. Have you considered getting a rescue dog? It will have already had an assessment on it's temperament and there are thousands of dogs that need rehoming.

Answer 4

There are loads of dog breeds that are great with children. Not just retrievers and Labs. You need to get a comprehensive book. Look at what you like and then look up if it's agood breed for being around children. You will be surprised how many varieties you can go for with young childen around.

Answer 5

ANY dog breed can be a problem unless well trained and cared for.

Think of your circumstances and what you can offer a dog.
See if there are breeds with known characteristics to suit your life (high/low energy for instance).

Once you have a shortlist, check out all of them and see which one you prefer.


Remember.
A dog is not just for Christmas, with careful freezing and cutting it should last through the New Year!


PS. that last bit was a joke.
:~}

Answer 6

I'm going to go with my usual answer of Staffordshire Terrier. A well kept one is the best dog for children. My experiences are that they adore children of all ages, and are very, very protective towards them. The media portray Staffies as nasty and dangerous, but those dogs belong to idiots who make them that way. A well cared for Staffie is a loyal, valuable member of a family. A dog is only as good or bad as it's owner.

Answer 7

I have three most awesome dogs that cannot do enough to protect, love, and do things for children. They are so very good with children that two local teachers borrow them and take them to school.
-A Great Dane (we got him since he was a pup and since then he has grown with the children and saved them from mischief many times inside and outside the house).
-Two Greyhounds (the two of them were rescued and I cannot believe how lovable they are. It's a great shame that people "just kill them" when they are not good enough for racing. Check it out. Adopt one and you and the whole family will be so very happy with it. One of them is so very close to the baby that cries every time he cannot enter the baby's room, so he sleeps and watches him all night long...).
We love our dogs very much and even more when we see them constantly checking up on them, loving them and putting up so much and no matter how much the kids pull them and scratch them, they softly cry and do not do anything to them. We are the ones teaching the kids that they cannot do any harm to the dogs.

Answer 8

Please - do not listen to the people who advise you to get a Border Collie as a companion for children. These dogs are highly motion sensitive and will attempt to control your children's movements - up to and including nipping them or biting and hanging on. They don't do it to be aggressive; they do it because they have a pronounced herding drive and that is how they deal with sheep. And what do children do when they play? That's right, they scatter and run - like sheep.

Border Collies *can* make excellent companions for children. But you must be there to supervise every single second until your dog is old enough to be trusted, and has interacted with the children enough that he knows he is not to herd them. Please remember that a mouth grip that will only startle a sheep with its thick wool can easily rip the skin from a three-year-old child's face.

I love my Border Collie - and by extension, all Border Collies - and I have no wish to see one given up to a shelter or euthanized because it bit a child out of a misunderstood herding drive. Please be careful who you listen to on these forums; there are a number of uninformed people who freely give their opinions without any experience at all to back them up.

Best of luck in your decision.

Answer 9

Beyond a shadow of a doubt the one and only American Boxer!!

I have never been a real dog person until we rescued dawgfish from a home that was abandoned. I fell in love with this breed. They were originally bred to do rescues and running messages in times of war.

I now am on my second Boxer as Dawgfish is gone now, Her name is Chloe and she is my sweetie. She loves her family (any child within a 1 mile radius}. She takes very good care of her babies though she has never had any of her own. (She doesn't know that though.}:} I was amazed at how smart the breed is and how quickly we all became so attached.

Like I said,I have never really been around many dogs. This is the breed of dog for children and for the whole family as Boxers really don't bite unless you are threatened. The Boxer's whole life is dedicated to making you happy and safe.


I have even taught her tricks and it only took two days of 4-5 5-10 minute little sessions [with treats}! I am forever grateful for my girl.

Check them out, you won't be sorry. They like to play fetch and watch and play with the kids. The Boxer will not rest until the kids do. It is amazing.

Good luck with your search.

Answer 10

,Staffs & German Sheperds. Be careful, give equal attention to kids and dog when together. Avoid any jealousy between them and be sure one adult only, feeds and regularly walks/controls. Never let the dog take control. Other members of family can walk when convenient but only as an extra. There can only be one leader of the pack !