[Bluesky1116]

21 Best Dog Breeds To Get Along With Kids | Dog Reference

I just read this, do you guys agree?

Which breeds are your dogs? And their personality?

 

[traciek88]

I agree with most of these. However the person who wrote this knows nothing about dogs! There's no such thing as an "American Boxer", they mean American Bulldog if they're referencing Chance from Homeward Bound, and then they list Boxer info. They also have wrong photos going along with some breeds. The "American Boxer" is just a bully breed mutt and the "Collie" again, just a mutt!

However I find some to be questionable choices. Bull Terriers are like canine bulldozers. They're not..."dangerous" in the traditional sense, but an excited Bull Terrier could easily injure a child with his enthusiasm. Unless the dog was very well trained and/or the kids were over 8, I would be careful with kids and Bull Terriers. Vizslas struck me as an odd and rarer breed to list. Most I've encountered are somewhat nervous animals, but I've never heard of them being particularly good or bad with kids. And listing "mutts" in any trait category is foolish to me because they are everything with no genetically engineered personality traits like purebreds. But I would say I do agree with most of the dogs on the list being generally good with kids!

My dog Stella is a Cattle Dog mix, which is usually supposed to be dodgy with kids but Stella is great. She LOVES children more than stolen socks and cheese. It's just that she gets so excited and needs to learn that while it's acceptable to love children, it's not acceptable to tackle them and smother them in kisses. We're working on it! I'm hoping she can become a therapy dog and visit children in hospitals and schools. I'm sure she would love the idea.

Tyrion is a Maltese/Yorkie and he also loves children. His first family had kids and he gets very excited when he sees some. He's also very jumpy and kissy with them but a 10 lb dog leaping on a child is much less concerning than a 40 lb dog doing it!

 

[mathilda]

they're citing CM the whole time and I hate that they talk about small dogs like they're bound to become aggressive. small dogs can be nice and terrible as family dogs, like every other breed. it depends in the family and the individual dog after all. :/

the collie doesn't look like a collie at all.
They say "Mutts" are great fit, which is very irresponsible in my opinion, since it very much depends on the mix. A Lifestock guard dog mix may not be the best fit for most a family but may be great for another. Schäfi and Dobi mixes are medium sized dogs, but they need a lot of training and exercise and can be not best fit for some families.

Vizsla are alroud hunting dogs and it is very possible that they will show preydrive, which can be difficult for some families, when they want the children to walk the dog...hunters are allowed to shoot dogs if they paoch.
beagle also can be too much for a family with small children.

the boxer can be a great family dog if the people can deal with protection drive and the energetic side of a Boxer... if the family can't it is a nightmare. but dude that photo doesn't even show a boxer, doesn'T even look like much of a boxermix... and what do they mean with american. the Boxer is and stays German. :/


most dog breeds can be great with families, but it depends on the family and the children and finding a good fit and not necessarily on the breed too much.
there's no one-breed-fits-all.

 

[traciek88]

@mathilda Whoever wrote that article was combining information and names of the American Bulldog and the Boxer. They referenced an American Bulldog in a Disney film and then all the other information was about Boxers taken from the AKC! They didn't even picture a Boxer or American Bulldog either, it was just some bully breed/molosser mutt. And yeah, all the CM info is further evidence of lack of information. I see so many breed articles online that look like they were written by someone who never even watched a dog show on TV.

 

[squidwanda]

I think this is a fundamentally flawed article. Anything that cites Ceasar Millan as much this one does can't be reliable. Honestly, it completely depends on the individual dog. I don't think you can chose a "family friendly" dog based on the breed, especially since most breeds that are considered to be good with children are from some of the most popular types in the US- meaning you get a huge variation in temperament, activity level, and prey drive.

I agree with their inclusion of dogs such as the Newfoundland, BMD, Bichon Frise, Bull Terrier, and Labradoodle. However, I don't think the GSD or Labrador Retriever should be included. While a GSD can be a great family dog, they also need an increased amount of exercise and training that may not be able to be allotted by owners with children. I wouldn't rule them out, but I also wouldn't recommend them. Similarly, labs have the reputation of being an all-around, easy dog, but I don't agree with that portrait either. The adult labs that I have worked at have either filled the stereotype or been incredibly reactive, protective, and not suitable for the average household. One in particular, who's owner I helped teach some basic obedience work, has run multiple yard workers/delivery people off the property, and must be walked in a muzzle because he would lunge at any man who approached within a certain radius. In addition, labrador puppies are very high energy and nippy. They are stirred to play by small, active children, but take longer to understand the rules of interaction with people- especially bite inhibition.

 

[traciek88]

Similarly, labs have the reputation of being an all-around, easy dog, but I don't agree with that portrait either. The adult labs that I have worked at have either filled the stereotype or been incredibly reactive, protective, and not suitable for the average household. One in particular, who's owner I helped teach some basic obedience work, has run multiple yard workers/delivery people off the property, and must be walked in a muzzle because he would lunge at any man who approached within a certain radius. In addition, labrador puppies are very high energy and nippy. They are stirred to play by small, active children, but take longer to understand the rules of interaction with people- especially bite inhibition.

I agree to a point. I think the biggest issue with Labs lately (like many popular breeds) is really sh*tty breeding that screws up their personalities. Cocker Spaniels used to be the ultimate family dogs. Now you're just as likely to find a canine headcase as you are a sweet family dog if you get a Cocker. Normal crazy Lab puppy/teen personality aside, I do think that a lot still have sound temperaments, (as they are meant to) but I agree it's disheartening to see so many a mess from the start. I've also seen some Goldens with similarly shot temperaments from poor breeding at well.

 

[ChessaQ]

I really think it just mostly depends on the dog's personality and training. I've seen many different breeds great with kids, and many bad. Labs and Goldens are often highly praised as good family dogs, but I've seen some that are pretty awful with kids. The majority of the bad ones are small dogs(chi's, maltese, yorkie's etc) and herding dogs from what I've seen.

I have 3 dogs, beagle/rott, beagle/JRT and a mixed breed terrier, and they are all great with kids. They were raised with my much younger siblings and learned all the rules of smaller human beings, and got very used to sudden movements, awkward petting and such. But of course I was careful that they were never teased or pulled and yanked.

 

[Bluesky1116]

Thank you all for suggestions & opinions.
Anything recommend to learn more about dog breeds? It seems i need more information.

And hope you guy a happy new year!

 

[traciek88]

Generally published books will give you better information than the internet. Anyone can write anything on the internet and it's very likely you'll end up with conflicting or downright incorrect information. If there's a specific breed you want to learn more about you can get breed specific books, and then there are a number of dog encyclopedias on the market as well. Was there something specific you were looking for?

 

[StormyPeak]

If most golden retrievers have a similar temperament as my dog HaHa, then I would recommend that breed to folks who have children. Until I adopted HaHa I had always admired the looks of golden retrievers but never really been around any for any amount of time....but all of the ones I was around seemed pretty friendly and mellow in their interactions with people...but also high energy when it came time to play.

HaHa has learning difficulties and he's sub-standard as far as conformation...his head being too small and his jaw is also stunted a bit, plus he has some wonkie looking eyes...but he has a very gentle personality that I kind of saw with other encounters with golden retrievers.

This though, I think needs clarified, Quote from the slideshow:
"....a low-maintenance coat that only requires brushing twice a week, as noted by PetMD, makes this an easy dog for a child to help care for"

They forgot to mention that these dogs blow their coats twice a year...and it's jaw dropping shocking how...much...hair...is...shed! OMGosh! I'm use to hairy dogs...and in looking at HaHa when he's in one of those shedding stages, I have No idea where all that hair is coming from...it just doesn't look like a dog with that kind of coat could hide that much hair in it...lol. It's a daily thing to keep up wiht the shedding during that week and a half or so that they blow their coats. I literally fill up a plastic shopping back with hair almost every day for a while.

So these dogs are not as maintenance free as the article/slideshow suggests.

Stormy

 

[Ems]

Our mutt is great with kids of all ages, to the point where she can happily and safely sit next to the playground with a crowd of kids around her.
I am 100% sure that this is because she has been exposed to children since she was a puppy and is a confident well trained dog.
Also we cc'd her to things kids might do, like tail pulls and touching all over, plus whenever her tail was trodden on etc, big treats.

I would avoid most small dogs around most children, not for personality reasons, but because a child, especially a younger one can accidentally hurt a small dog.

There is no reason why most breeds and mixes who are frequently exposed to children in a positive way at a young age can be good family dogs. I think the most important quality for a family dog is confidence, as most issues with children stem from fear.

 

[agility collie mom]

Depending on the age of the kids and time constraints on your part. Sometimes an older dog who is house trained and has basic manners is better to start with small children. Our first collie was a year old dog who the breeder kept as a show prospect. She grew too tall to show in confirmation so he placed her in a pet home. Our children were young 3, 5, and 9. She was house trained had been well socialized, and had basic manners. She was wonderful with the kids because she was past the biting, jumping stage. Our children grew up with memories of a wonderful friend and companion, who played ball with them, ran in the creek and generally watched over them. We were so fortunate to have found her!