Good Dog Breeds for Active Boys

I don't know anything about bull dogs.... but LABS are wonderful!!!!!! They need a lot of exercise, but they give so much love and are so gentle and smart.

Hey, if you are talking about English Bulldogs, we have two. They are super great dogs with the kids. They do have heat issues. They cannot be left in the heat for very long. If they get to hot they can die (Because of how short their noses are). Also, they can be pretty costly. Our older dog has had to have surgery on both of his knees($800.00 both times). He also has issues with his tail. It is a corkscrew tail with most of it inside. This causes infection if not cleaned daily. Our younger one has had to have surgery on his eyelid($500.00). His lashes were rubbing on his eye. We have had them for 7 and 5 years and each year there has been a health issue with one or the other costing at least $300.00 on top of their normal shots and stuff. They can be pretty lazy. Our dogs have very different personalities. The older one has always been an old soul. Very lazy and laid back. The younger one is nuts. He is super hyper when HE feels like it. Over all they are the greatest dogs we have ever owned. I know there is a rescue for bulldogs www.rescuebulldogs.org. Or you can try petfinder. Hope this helps. Good luck!!

Hi V.,

Getting a pet for your boys is a wonderful idea. Particulary if you and family have discussed and agreed. Also be mindful that while you are getting the dog for your boys that you will want to keep in mind that the dog will be still at home with you when the boys are grown up and off to college. If this is the time of your life that you plan to make time to do the things you could not do while the boys were at home such as travelling or whatever it may be, remember, the dog will not be going off to college he/she will still have to be taken care by you. I say this because I did not take this into consideration when my daughter was the age of your boys. She is away at college and now I want "me" time but still have a child at home (my dog). So much for the me time!!!
To answer your question, Retrievers make excellent pets and companions for boys. They are good with kids and love the rough stuff most boys like. Talk with owners of pet stores in your area they too may have some suggestions and can put you in touch with breeders. This way you can see the dog's lineage and learn more about that particular breed of dog.
I apologize for going on so long with answering your question, I hope that I have helped. Good luck in your quest.
-R.

If you are open to considering other breeds, we have a miniature Australian Shepherd. He is fantastic with our kids! Our breeder breeds them more to be family dogs and he is so very good with our children aged 9 thru 7 months. He loves to play and has a great deal of energy but is also very well behaved in the house. They are btwn 35 to 40 lbs so a great size for our family. The girls love that he can catch frisbees and do all sorts of tricks.. they are very intelligent and friendly dogs.

We have a Portuguese Water dog. Our dog is the best ! He is GREAT with children. He doesn't shed and has very soft fur. He weighs 44 lbs and won't get bigger - there are two types of PWD big and normal size. We have a normal size dog. Bigger ones can be about 75 lbs.
He is also a very very smart dog. PWDs are related to the poodle ( but look very different).

I would also recommend a Wheaten Terrier.

If you have your heart set on a bull dog - you should know they snore and fart up a storm !

Good Luck.

-H