Dogs That Are Good with Kids

I've trained dogs for as long as I can remember. I handle a search and rescue dog that I rescued from a local shelter. He is a therapy dog as well. I'm saying this just so you know I do know what I'm talking about (at least I think I do). :)

Please keep in mind that any dog of any breed can bite with little to no warning. If you have little ones at home, you should think about if a dog does snap suddenly, where will his bite land? Most med to big dogs are face-level with toddlers. Never ever leave a dog alone in a room with a small child.

My SAR/Therapy dog is a golden retriever. He is a wonderful family dog. I adopted him at about 11-months. He was already obedience trained and very gentle. You can find great dogs at the shelters if you are willing to wait for the right one to come along. Older dogs are usually better. They are calmer and often come already housetrained. Even goldens are often very active as puppies.

Here is a short one for you to read,
Labs, Golden Retrievers, Germand Shepards, Australian Shepards, Border Collies
My all time favorites are German SHepards and Border Collies

We do have a 4 year old little girl and a 1 year old Chocolate Lab and we couldn't ask for a better dog. We got Josie when she was 10 weeks old (or our little girl would have smushed her too) and have been so happy with our decision every since. She is soooo good with our little girl. She jumps on her and pulls her tail and Josie just takes it. NOT EVER has she tried to hurt anyone!!! Good luck!!! I know we did alot of research when my husband finally said I could get her a puppy. It's not so easy!! Don't hesitate to email me if you have any questions.

Now my two cents! We did a lot of research before we decided to get a Pembroke Welsh Corgi last November. We found that they are great with kids and are a very 'sturdy' dog that can handle a child's touch, or whack, or tug, or whatever! The breeder who raised him is ABSOLUTELY an angel and she assures that her puppies are nothing but the best and only go to the best homes. They pretty much arrived crate-trained and housebroken. She only has two litters a year and requires that they get fixed if they are not going to be show dogs. Anyway, back to Corgis. My daughter is 4 and he's VERY gentle with her and is very attentive. He's also a compact dog, so he doesn't require a huge backyard (like a lab, retriever, or shepherd) and he doesn't need a whole lot of activity (like a jack russel or heeler) either. He's a pretty low maintenance dog, not a barker either, and we get SO many compliments on him and his behavior. He can even fetch like a retriever! The breeder actually has three pups now she is selling. Her site is www.lonestarcorgis.com if you are interested! I HIGHLY recommend her and her pups. I'm also fond of shelties, but they do require a lot of grooming due to their longer coat. I would advise against them here in TX though. Too hot for them. Good luck!!

We love our beagle. We had her about a year before our son was born and she has been great. She is great with all the neighborhood kids and never barks. She does "talk" with the other dogs in the neighborhood a little in the afternoon, but other than that...no barking or whining, ever. She does have a backyard to play in and I would recommend that for a beagle and we also take her for a daily walk. We have the smaller size (13 inch) but she has held her own against all sizes of dogs and kids. Once our son was born she was a little annoyed at the crying, but has adjusted well. She lets the baby pet her, pull at her, and she has learned what toys are hers and which ones are his. We have had no problems with her, except for the puppy problems...but all puppies chew and need to be potty trained. I highly recommend a beagle. They are great family dogs.

Golden retrievers are AWESOME family dogs. I have had many breeds in the past and this is my favorite.

I asked our vet about this several years ago. He said mixed breeds are good, but look at the characteristics of the dominate breed. He said poodles, golden retrievers, and shelties are good. My mom has a sheltie mix and she is WONDERFUL with my boys. She has the energy to play with them, but tolerates them pulling on her and laying on her. My Golden did the same (watch out they shed A LOT).

Ask a local vet their opinion. They have good inside knowlege and may also know of local breeders or someone who has puppies to give away!!

As others have mentioned Golden Retreivers are good kid dogs, but they are also very big and take a lot of care and exercise. I would highly suggest you look at http://www.petfinder.com/ You can probably find a good rescued dog that really needs a loving home. A great thing about those dogs too is that they often are in foster homes and may be "kid tested." Some people think that rescue dogs have issues, but that isn't always the case. I have three very wonderful rescues who all get along wonderfully with my child. As far as breeds, there are several that are good ones, and several to be wary of; but it does depend on the dogs individually. I grew up with a pit bull mix and he was the sweetest dog ever. Anything with spaniel in is typically good. Chihuahuas, Jack Russels, and other small dogs tend to be harder to train, yappy, and as you mentioned much more delicate. (To be fair, two of mine are Chihuahuas, but I still wouldn't recommend the breed to a home with kids.) I own a kennel and have experience with most breeds, feel free to message me if you have specific questions. Good luck.

I grew up with 2 Golden Retreiver's and they are definitely wonderful family dogs but require "alot" of time as pups.
They truely love to be with their family and in the water!
There was many times my Mom would start our bath water and as we'd walk in the bathroom (Sadie my golden) was already in the bath! It was soo funny.

Like another Mom said, shelter's are also great to find dogs.
Now that I am grown and on my own, that's the only place we get our pets and their all so wonderful. I adopted a Border Collie/ Golden mix about a year ago and she could not be a better dog! Mix breed's are great since they seem to have less medical problems's as the pure bred's do and their a mix of different great dogs all in one! : )

My shelter doggie was already completely housebroken and knew lots of tricks.
We adopted her when my daughter was 5 and my son was 1 and she adapted to them perfectly.
We even got a pure bred Siamese cat for only $25 since he was already neutered.
Same with my dog, she was already fixed so only $25.
At the Garland Shelter they provide you with a 6 mth supply of Heartgard and all of the animals are completely vaccinated and seen by a vet before being adopted out.
It's a great place to get a pet.....

Well, good luck to you in finding the perfect dog!

We have a Vizsla, which most people have never heard of. People over and over again comment on how AWESOME she is at being patient with our 2 year old daughter. Our daughter seems to think the dog is her personal horsey, saying "giddy-up" over and again as she climbs on her back. Not one single time has Laney (our 5 year old furry puppy) even batted an eye. Laney is about 55 pounds, and loves to play in the backyard and go for walks. I HIGHLY recommend a Vizsla. They also have very short hair, which is awesome at the clean-up thing, because we all know that as busy moms we don't ever have enough time for that. Vizslas look a lot like a Wiemereiner (sp?), but are smaller and red in color. Good luck and enjoy your furry child. Even with our 2 angels, Laney still gets lots of love because she was our first child.

S.

Boston Terriers are great with kids. They are fairly small but very muscular and sturdy. I doubt your son could hurt one. Minimal shedding.

labs and boxers are both great with kids. don't get a Lab that's younger than 3 years old; they are puppies until he was around 3 years old.

Golden Retrievers are VERY GREAT with children -- especially small ones.

I did some research several years ago because we wanted a dog. I eventually got one... and will get another one again.

The research said the #1 family dogs is golden retrievers. They are SMART, protective, and VERY PATIENT with small children who like to pull on their ears, sit on them, climb on them, etc., etc.

They are super easy to train... however, they do like to chew when they are puppies -- but that is normal with all puppies.

They are NOT naturally aggressive so they won't just attack the children because they are moody. You can even bother them while they are eating... they still don't mind.

They are GREAT dogs.

Goldens are great, of course (I grew up with one), but rather large for inside the house. I have some friends with a German Pointer. I don't think they get as big as the labs/retrievers. Your best bet, however, might be the local Humane Society. They often work with foster homes (I know Lewisville does this) for the pets they manage, so the foster "parents" could give you a good idea of a dog's temperament, etc. Also, the dog will have been living in someone's home rather than a kennel, so it would be healthier. There are often puppies available if you want to get a young one.

Golden Retrievers are the best dogs ever! They are GREAT with kids and they are very smart to train and easy to house train (mine were n-e wayz). They are protective of theyre surrounding and family but not aggresive at all. Very loving and caring animal.

Good Luck, please let us know what you end up with =) Im an avid dog lover.

B.

I hear that golden retrievers are GREAT with kids! My girlfriend had one they put down last month and they have two new puppies along with their four year old daughter. They all get along great! I hear that chocolate labs are VERY hyper and I know that from experience as well. My other girlfriend has one and even the professionals couldn't train that dog!

-Char

L.-

You got a lot of responses but none mentioned Beagles. They are known for being wonderful family dogs. They come in two sizes 13 & 15 inch. They don't shed a lot and have a very sweet temperment. I have a 2 year old Beagle that we rescued from Lone Star Beagle Rescue and she is the BEST dog we have ever had. She tolerated my 20 month old pulling on her ears, sitting on her, and taking her food bowl away etc.. I would not suggest a puppy of any kind because of the work involved but highly suggest a rescue dog...most are already trained like our dog and so much easier. Good luck!

Hi L.,

Personally, I think mixed breeds are the way to go - something from the Humane society is a great idea. There are way too many dogs and cats around full of love and affection without homes that would be great with children. The "foster" parent suggestion someone brought up earlier is a great idea. I had three dogs growing up - my favorite was my first who was a "Mutt" - bless him he had emotional issues (clingy and a little scared of loud noises), but was so affectionate and protective of me - he thought he was a Great Dane although he was small dog.

But if you are go pure breed, I am a huge Boston Terrier fan - they were my other two. They are smart with wonderful personalities, very friendly and affectionate, and great with kids. Also, very short hair and limited shedding.

Good luck! What a wonderful decision to get to make!

You probably will thinks this is crazy but I have a 2.5 year old and we let her get a doberman. THey are so funny together ofcourse with any dog you will have problems but you just have to train them right. German Shepards are good also. Good Luck

in my experience Labs and Golden Retrievers are the best with kiddos. I have a black lab mix doggy I am giving away. We are unable to spend enough time with her. She is up to date on her shots, I have a kennel I could give you, she is 30lbs. and her name is Roxy. If you give me your email address I can send a pic your way. Let me know! :)
p.s. I live in the DFW area so if you are outside of that area I probably wouldn't be able to get her to you

I have a Golden Retriever and a German Shepherd and they are both great with my 2 1/2 year old daughter. We had them before she was born and they transitioned very well when we brought our daughter home. I would say that Golden Retrievers are probably the best choice for kids. They are excellent with most people and particularly love children. They do shed a LOT so if you don't like that, then don't get one. They also don't do well as outside only dogs. In fact, most dogs don't do well as outside-only dogs because they are pack animals and need to be near their pack(ie. family). Goldens do well if you let them live with the family inside but they can go outside some, too. They just want to be near you.

Labs are great dogs, too, but I've found that they are major chewers when they are puppies and will chew everything(walls, shoes, fences, etc!) they can. My brother has 3 of them and they are great now, but could be destructive when they were puppies. Dogs are kind of like toddlers, you can't just throw them out in the backyard all day and expect them to not get into trouble.

There are 2 Golden Retriever rescue organizations(DFW Metro Golden Retriever REscue and Golden Retriever Rescue of North Texas) and a Lab Rescue(DFW Labrador Retriever Rescue) in town. You can do a search for the websites. THis is a great place to get information on these breeds as well as adopt a dog in need. Plus, with small children, it might be better that you got a dog who was 2 or so...past the puppy stage and you would already know their personality at that age.

HOpe this helps!
N.

As someone mentioned, boxers ARE great family dogs. However, they are meant to be in-house dogs, not outside. Also boxer pups are notorious for tearing a house apart, LOL. They require alot of training as pups, and will usually outgrow their naughtiness by 18 months to 2 yrs. If you're not ready for another toddler in the house, then a boxer pup probably isn't for you.
I really recommend breed rescue organizations as well. Most of the dogs are in foster homes, and their "moms and dads" know their traits and habits very well. They can help you find the perfect fit for your family. Good luck in your search!

we have a choc lab (age 2), and she's awesome with kids. She loves our baby (8mths) too. She can be a little rambunctious at times so I would watch your dog as it gets older, and puppy teeth are like needles so don't let your baby play with the puppy unoccupied. we've had our dog since she was 6 wks old and she is crate trained and an indoor dog; we relied heavily on a book by The Monks of New Skete for most of training. They have a couple of different books in print now, one on puppies specifically, but they're all good. they have all kinds of good tips on taking care of a dog and general care of a dog. puppies are so cute, but just know that it is a lot of work. we love our dog, and I'm sure we'd go thru the madness again. Good luck!