Best Family Dog?

[Anonymous]

I love Labs, but a Lab might be too big for our home/yard. We are looking for a great family dog, smaller than a Lab, but as playful, loyal, and good with small kids. Advice?

[Anonymous]

If you are a runner or can walk the dog a lot, Jack Russell Terriers are great. Loads of personality, very smart, loyal, wonderful dogs.

[Anonymous]

A pug. Pugs are great with kids, don't require a great deal of play space and are very loving and loyal.

We have a lab and she is wonderful with children and people in general - but they can be higher maintenance in terms of needing exercise and playtime.

Bulldogs - including French bulldogs - tend to be very sweet and good with children too. Plus they don't get too neurotic because they aren't terribly bright and so don't bore easily (unlike, say, border collies and even labs).

ITDA about terriers. Terriers have all been bred to be "ratters" (dogs that go after small game) and prone to nipping (especially small children). They also tend to be very yippy and territorial.

[Anonymous]

Not that you asked, but cocker spaniels aren't always good kid dogs. They are prone to ear infections and sometimes snap when people touch their ears.

[Anonymous]

What about a Labradoodle (cross between a poodle and a lab). They are extremely smart, loyal, don;t shed, are fabulous with kids and come in all sizes and coat types. If you Google the breed you will find lots of info.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about a Labradoodle (cross between a poodle and a lab). They are extremely smart, loyal, don;t shed, are fabulous with kids and come in all sizes and coat types. If you Google the breed you will find lots of info.

Labradoodles are great in terms of personality - but they are generally very smart. Too smart if you want a low maintenance dog. I am a pp above and referred to when dogs get "neurotic" if they are understimulated - Labradoodles are prone to this. Again, wonderful dogs but they need a "job" or lots of other stimulation.

[Anonymous]

Along the lines of a Labradoodle, I will suggest just a regular ol' poodle. A miniature poodle is a wonderful in-between size (probably 12-15 pounds). They are super smart (smarter than any breed except for maybe a border collie, which is not what you'd be looking for), do not shed, and are wonderful, friendly, loving companions for adults and for children. By nature they are loyal, sweet, and docile and contrary to popular belief, are not naturally yappy or high-strung (though they can become that way, if, for example, they have a particularly anxious owner). While being too smart can be challenging, like a PP suggested, the miniature size is a lot easier to handle in that way than a standard, and gets plenty of stimulation from a few romps outside and/or a daily walk, as long as they are getting plenty of companionship.

I come from a lifelong poodle family and really, I'm biased, but I think they are the perfect family dog. What can be better than a smart, sweet dog that doesn't shed? (The one drawback to not shedding is that they do require lots of grooming... but I will take that over a doggy-haired house any day.)

[Anonymous]

Oh -- and poodles are very playful, and lots of fun.

[Anonymous]

Lots (not all) of purebreds are highstrung and prone to health problems, as a result of a small gene pool. I'd recommend you spend a few Saturdays at the shelter hanging out with the mutts and see which one has the best demeanor for your family. Look for a dog that's calm and affectionate even in the stressful shelter environment. I know the shelters in this area have gotten a lot of press for being too selective, but it's no more than any breeder worth his/her salt should be.

If you do decide on a purebred, check out greyhounds. The hyper puppy years are behind them by the time their racing careers are over, and the rescue groups work really hard at making good matches. Plus, the groups generally re-home the dog if it's not a good fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Along the lines of a Labradoodle, I will suggest just a regular ol' poodle. A miniature poodle is a wonderful in-between size (probably 12-15 pounds). They are super smart (smarter than any breed except for maybe a border collie, which is not what you'd be looking for), do not shed, and are wonderful, friendly, loving companions for adults and for children. By nature they are loyal, sweet, and docile and contrary to popular belief, are not naturally yappy or high-strung (though they can become that way, if, for example, they have a particularly anxious owner). While being too smart can be challenging, like a PP suggested, the miniature size is a lot easier to handle in that way than a standard, and gets plenty of stimulation from a few romps outside and/or a daily walk, as long as they are getting plenty of companionship.

I come from a lifelong poodle family and really, I'm biased, but I think they are the perfect family dog. What can be better than a smart, sweet dog that doesn't shed? (The one drawback to not shedding is that they do require lots of grooming... but I will take that over a doggy-haired house any day.)

As the pp who keeps mentioning the possibility of understimulated dogs getting neurotic, I actually agree with this poster. Miniature poodles are great with kids - and, unlike full size standard poodles or labradoodles, don't need as much physical stimulation and seem to do well as long as there is plenty of social interaction for them.

The only caveat is that they are not dogs that should be left alone in the house for 8 hours a day - if that's what you need definitely get a bulldog. It will take a bulldog seven of the eight hours to figure out you're gone

[Anonymous]

Fox Terriers are great family dogs. Full grown-they're probably 15-20 lbs. My dog was in agility for quite awhile, a Yorkie, and the instructors would always talk about how great Fox Terriers were with children.

[Anonymous]

I agree that a miniature poodle would be a good fit, but be advised that they do bark. I find people don't like poodles unless they have had one. They are so amazingly loveable and clever. It's like a person in a dog body more so than other breeds even. Poodle mixes like a Goldendoodle are often a good way to get the loveableness and intelligence of a poodle but with a more toned down demeanor. You may also want to look into a Portuguese Water Dog (adorable!). I agree that the labradoodle isn't a good choice. They are as obedience-smart as a Lab and as clever as a Poodle and that adds up to one energetic puppy!

Try to go to www.dogbreedinfo.com and take the test for finding a breed. We had never heard of a Havanese, but we wanted a dog that was small, didn't need a ton of exercise, didn't bark a lot, didn't shed, got along with cats, would be good with a baby when we had one (our dog didn't even need an adjustment period to the baby and instantly loves her), and....my husband isn't a dog person....he wanted a regular snout instead of a pushed in nose and floppy ears (what's funny is my husband now knows a pug he's in love with also!).....we ended up getting the Havanese after finding it on that site and he's perfect (except hard to housebreak ) So, you can make a list and find what you want but it takes a lot of research. It is so great that you're asking about it here because so many people get dogs not realizing what they want and they end up taking them to shelters.

[Anonymous]

PP here, I wanted to agree that bulldogs are wonderful but they often have health issues that are very difficult to deal with both emotionally and financially.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: It is so great that you're asking about it here because so many people get dogs not realizing what they want and they end up taking them to shelters.

Ditto on this. Kudos to you. Makes me crazy when people get dogs without being fully informed and then blame the dogs for being the way they were bred to be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP here, I wanted to agree that bulldogs are wonderful but they often have health issues that are very difficult to deal with both emotionally and financially.

Are bulldogs playful? Will they run after balls, etc.?