Michele?

Hi!
Any thoughts on great dogs for children? I have always had a dog (or dogs!) in my family and we had to put our lab mix to sleep before moving here 6 months ago. It's so lonely here without a dog. We have 2 wonderful girls and a cat but something is missing, you know? I want a small dog. . .very, very good with small children (smallest will be one next month). . .relatively easy to train. . .

My parents had a poodle when I was a kid and she was most of what I am looking for in a dog (minus the neurotic factor!) but I was wondering if there are other breeds?

THANKS!

[Stella]

SO says Golden Retrievers, I say German Shepherds, but that's what we each had growing up. Beagles are good, Whippets, Spaniels, and SOME terriers.

[migirl]

We have a springer spaniel and she is wonderful with Jack. He climbs on her, pulls her ears, punches her in the face, kicks her (none of this with malintent, of course) and she either lays there or if she doesn't feel like taking it she just gets up and walks away. She has never, EVER shown any kind of aggression toward him.

Female springers tend to be smaller than the males, ours is about 40 pounds. We adopted her when she was about 2 so she was already housebroken and well-behaved, but I understand that they're not the smartest breed around and may be somewhat difficult to train.

[SuzySunshine]

I second the beagles. We don't have kids but the friends that watch Molly when we're out of town have an almost three year old and he loves Molly. He can sleep on her, pull her tail, take away her toys/treats, follow her around the house and she could care less. She has never growled or snipped at him. Her only problem is sometimes she gets overly excited with new kids, but once she's used to them if they annoy her she just finds her crate and lays down.

[spotty_dog]

I bet you could find a great poodle mix in a foster situation. You'd know something about the critter's personality, it would have some training, and you'd be saving a life! Check out http://www.petfinder.com for listings.

[DCJenn]

Get Sally's input on their dog- he wasn't cheap but he's supposed to be a great mix.

Jenn

[Michele]

http://animal.discovery.com/breedselect ... elector.do

There are other dog breed selector things out there on the web...it might give you some ideas....most use AKC breeds...so the designer mixes aren't in there.

I think the best dog for a family depends on a lot of factors. And I don't necessarily think size is a big factor. Energy level? Absolutely! There are a lot of small dogs that need a TON of exercise and space (ex Jack Russell, or other terrier)...and lots of large dogs that don't (ex. Great Dane). Of course the cost to feed and medicate large dogs is more....and that might be a legitimate factor.

I'd recommend taking a trip to the local shelter and playing with a few dogs....sans kids if you can....to get an idea of what you have locally....then you can take the kids once you have a bit of an idea about personality....so you don't let them play with a dog before you've had a chance to see how rough it is.

You can also call the local breed specific rescue groups in petfinder.

The designer mixes can be hit or miss. I've met some great labradoodles and some CRA-ZY ones! There are good and bad dogs within every breed.

Be realistic in your ability to exercise and train a dog.

I know that I didn't give much in the way of specifics....but that's cause I really believe you should evaluate dogs more than breeds...but it's fair to narrow down the breeds before you look at dogs if you want a purebred.

I think there was a thread or two about this in the past. You might be able to find them with a search.

[madeintaiwan]

Boxer all the way. Our Boxer is great with kids. DH grew up with boxer mixes from rescues. I had a Cocker Spaniel, he was a spaz and he ended up biting DS in the face when he was 9 months old, unprovoked. My parents have a Jack Russel and he is a spaz too, pees everywhere. I am sure everyone has their favorite breed and we love the Boxer. Bull Mastiffs are nice too but are quite large.

[MissCrabette]

English Cocker Spaniel!

I hear the American ones have been bred like crazy and have some behavioral problems.

Boxers are also great wih kids.

[Flynn]

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (I think that's the name) are awesome.

They are smart, good with kids and love people but they are small....I'd check the AKC site for the specifics...

We had an American Cocker Spaniel for 9 years and he just died last April from Cancer. He was the best dog I have ever encountered. Granted I treated him like my own child (we were just dating and childless when we bought him). He was the most lovable, respectful dog I have ever had. He was very energetic but we loved that about him. When my son was born in 2005 he stayed up with us the first night b/c he was concerned about this new person we had brought home. He welcomed my son like I never imagined he would. He would even drop his precious ball right in front of my son's swing to play. He always sat with my son and I when I nursed him and would stand at attention when my son would cry. He loved him very much and accepted him as a loving part of our family, despite his baby status being taken away. Sorry to blab on! However, we are looking to get another cocker for our family because we too feel our house is missing something. We just have to find some green grass in this city first! Anyway, my husband grew up with several american cockers and all had great dispositions. They are hyper enought to keep children entertained yet loving and gentle enough for kids to cuddle. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the AMERICAN COCKER SPANIEL!