Guys, stop posting. This is a 4 year old thread that someone revived just so she could post Bernese Mountain Dog. The OP has moved on.

Anonymous wrote:We just lost our 14 year old standard poodle and she was the best dog ever. I never would have considered one until we were around another family that had one and fell in love. They are smart, don't shed, and are good with kids. Look for a reputable breeder that health tests, whichever breed you choose.

I also recommend finding a website with pros and cons for each dog and see if you can live with the cons. Also go to dog parks and watch dogs and talk to owners about different breeds. My DD wants a small dog and so far whenever I ask owners about their small dog the only ones that have good things to say are the Havanese owners.

But the problem with relying on websites is that many advocate that pitbulls are wonderful with children, in spite of what the facts show.

NOt Pitbulls, in spite of what petfinder says.

https://www.petfinder.com/pet-adoption/dog-adoption/reasons-why-pit-bulls-rule/

This website should be shut down for spreading such false and dangerous information.

We just lost our 14 year old standard poodle and she was the best dog ever. I never would have considered one until we were around another family that had one and fell in love. They are smart, don't shed, and are good with kids. Look for a reputable breeder that health tests, whichever breed you choose.

I also recommend finding a website with pros and cons for each dog and see if you can live with the cons. Also go to dog parks and watch dogs and talk to owners about different breeds. My DD wants a small dog and so far whenever I ask owners about their small dog the only ones that have good things to say are the Havanese owners.

I have a mini poodle and I don’t know if he is typical or atypical for a mini poodle but he is the best family dog. He’s like an ambassador for mini poodles. He is extremely good natured and not intimidating He only weighs 11 pounds.

Bernese Mountain Dog! Best family dog ever!

My kids had a boston, loving and playful. Boxers are also good with children.

I'm going to third (fourth?) the coonhound recommendations. We rescued a 3-year-old redbone and had her until she died at 14 - now looking to adopt another. They are super smart, super loving dogs and are great with kids. Not prone to aggression at all, and most are great with other dogs b/c they're bred to hunt in packs. The only problem we ever had with ours was strong prey drive for small animals - meaning that we had to be careful with her around cats. Also, as a PP pointed out, shelters in the South are FULL of them b/c people dump them if they're not good hunting dogs.

Anonymous wrote:


Retrievers are extremely dumb.

Why are labs and goldens quite often Guide Dogs? They are trained to do pretty complicated tasks, like help a blind person cross a busy street and open a fridge and get the owner a snack.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rescue + kids = risky. These dogs have been hurt. I would only recommend rescue with more mature kids. My 4 year old would get bitten.

My husband and I have volunteered with a rescue league for the last 10 years and this is simply not true. Rescue leagues will also tell you which dogs are appropriate for young kid and which are not. Comments like the one above are so sad to me. That type of ignorance keeps a lot of great dogs from getting good homes. And you know who those great dogs often are? Pure breds from breeders who were purchased as puppies by people who were anti-rescue league. Ironic.

I have a rescue who is so submissive.

You know who needs protection? THE DOG. My 3yr old is so rough with her whenever I turn my back for a second, the dog puts up with so much shit, I now realize why rescue groups avoid families with small kids, they are dangerous to the dog, not the other way around! I got my rescue when my kids were barely 2 and 5. She was very hard to potty train, due to being kept in a cage. She also was hard to teach her house manners. She is now a model doggie citizen.
I suspect some idiot purchased her (yes she is a pure lab) and had not bothered to learn that these dogs need an owner who can train them. I follow Ceasar Millan and if you have the patience, you can have Ceasar results.

I do feel like labs are great family dogs, but I only think they are suited for people who commit to daily exercise and training. My dog runs about 20 miles a week with me and this keeps her very happy and well behaved.

Toy poodle.