Boston Terriers are great with kids. Golden Retriever, Labrador, Australian Shepherd, Cocker Spaniel, Poodle, Bulldog, Boxer, Bichon Frise, Norfolk Terrier are also listed as good dogs for children. I did a google search "which dog is best" & they have many websites to point you in the right direction. . . will the dog need lots of exercise, etc.? Hope this helps.
If your son is really hyper I recommend a Boxer. A female boxer is usually smaller than a male by 10 - 15lbs. They are excellent family dogs and great with children. They sometimes have a lot of energy, but they are smart.
As far as the Australian terrier - i'm not sure what that means. Is it a mix? My nephews have Blue Heelers. They can be agressive to people that are not in their family.
I have heard of Australlian cattle dogs and I'm pretty sure they are good dogs.
I would recommend doing a little bit of research on the internet about the dog breeds you are most interested in. If it's a smaller dog you would like just type in "small breed dogs" in your search engine.
Happy Hound Hunting!
Michelle
Rescue a mixed breed from the pound- Talk to the folks at the pound about size of the dog and likely attributes. Mutts are the best with kids!
I have a english bulldog named chubbies. She is the sweetest thing in the world & great with both my kids. My oldest plays tag with her all the time & chubbies knows not to play with the baby she watches him but doesnt touch him (baby is 7 months). English bulldogs are stubborn but are great family dogs. Mine is very lazy spends most her time sleeping if someone isn't playing with her. They however can not be an outside dog due to their bodies inability to regulate body temp so the high temps in summer down here can give them heat stroke. When i was little my mom always got pound puppies they were great & you save one I would highly recommend both.
I would look towards an older german shepard that has been around children and female. We got so lucky when we adopted our Annie, she was 4 yrs at the time and we've had her for almost 3 yrs. She's loving, alert, great with kids and a fabulous family dog. Good luck.
With my expierience with pets and kids, the Best that I would ever get would be a lab, They are a little big, luckily the black lab we adopted didn't turn out to be too big she is great. We also recently adopted a beagle which is very good so far. plays a little rough but love the boys. we also have a blue heeler and a mixed hound dog. But to make it easier on you. the best pups to get that are not to big would be a brittany spanial. they are wonderful. just stay away from terriers, chiuahuahs. cockers are ok they are more protective than playful with kids that i noticed. little weenie dogs are fun for them. dautshuns, Im not sure how to spell them. good luck if you have anymore questions i would be glad to help. I work at the east side animal shelter and before that i worked awhile in a private practice so I kinda study how the behavior in animals are.
We have a Jack Russel Terrier/Rat Terrier mix. We call her a JackRat. This dog is the most amazing dog with children. She is brilliant, happy & athletic - loves to swim, run, fetch. All the kids in the neighborhood love her.
She is the perfect combination - the Rat Terrier brings out her love of the family, & plays down some of the hyper qualities you'd find in a Jack Russel, on the flip side - the she has the fun & outgoing qualities of a Jack Russel. Both breeds are known for being smart - so she is highly trainable! I can't say enough good things about this mix. (It was a purposeful mix.)
Each family has to decide what they are looking for in a dog. There are websites with short surveys that you take and they can tell you the best kind of dog for your family. There are also books that have the same info.
We wanted a dog that would be a part of the family - not a lap dog. We like to run, swim & are very active. On the other hand - like you - we didn't want a big dog like the lab or retriever - which also fits into description.
Good luck.
We have a chocolate lab/chocolate cocker spaniel mix ("cockador" or "labraspaniel"), Megan, she is incredibily gentle and not nearly a big as a lab. My 10 year old daughter just had a sleep over with 4 girls and Megan let those girls do anything to her. Most importantly is my daughter and Megan are 6 months apart and have been together since my daughter was about a year old. Get a puppy so the boys can train it and have the pleasure of watching it grow.
Cyndy
We have had a West Highland Terrier for years now. They are very calm good natured dogs and the kids love them and they love the kids. They are not too big and some barely shed, but they do need alot of grooming upkeep. They are also very easy to train. I have not seen this dog be bad around any kids (unless they are very rough with her, but even then, she runs away scared.
We bought the two we had for $450.00 & $500.00. We love them and recommend them to anyone looking for a good kid dog.
FYI...I have an 8 year old girl, and 4 grandchildren from 8-4 and Dolly and Nikko are loved by them.
Gloria
Albuq., NM
We of course, paid for these dogs
Hi--just saw this, don't know if you have already found a dog or not...but here is my opinion: We have 2 kids, age 10 and 15. When my 10 year old was about 2 or so we bought a black lab. I was concerned with having a small dog with rowdy kids...but not too sure about a large dog either, except for they could be left outside better than small dogs. Our lab has been the best dog we have ever had. She has never snapped or growled at our kids or any...she is the most protective dog even though you'll hear labs are not good guard dogs. My kids and their friends have crawled on, rolled over on, rode, you name it they have done it to our dog...she is the best ever. She is now 8 and weighs about 70 lbs or so. I would never have another dog other than a lab. our kids adore her and so do all their friends. Hope this helps! Good luck!
I have a hyper 3 1/2yr old and a 7mth old and my dog is great with both of them, he has never nipped or growled or anything to my 3 yr old and my boy has done just about anything to him. You can read up on my dog they are so great as family dogs all around, I have a Papillion. Papillion's are small dogs and they are smart. I love this dog, I don't think I would as happy with a bigger dog right now, maybe when they both get bigger, but right now my son can carry this dog around and the dog just acts like a bay and lets him. And the biggest thing for me is this dog is not a hyper or nervous dog like some small breeds are. I do know that a few of my friends have gone to the pound and rescued a few, my dog was a rescue of a different kind- the owner went to Iraq and left him behind.Anyhow, good luck on your search, I am sure whatever dog you decide on getting will be great for you and your family.
Shelly, When my girls were small, I had a beagle, and he became very hig-strung. His hair would go up when someone came near our yard, and on the first day of school, he bit one of the girls when they got off the school bus. He also allowed no one but me to be near him when he was eating.
We also had ver bad experiences with german shepards, St. Bernards. Right now I only trust a poodle, a yorkie-poo, or a yorkie. Charlene
Hi Shelly,
I have been around quite a few dogs all my life, and I can assure you that the Lab is the best way to go for your kids. They are protective, playful, and very tolerant dogs. The best way to go with them, if you can find one, is to start with a puppy and let it grow with the kids. Throughout my younger years, my family has owned 3 labs. Two of which were black, and one golden. They have all been very good with the kids, but the golden lab is very suseptable to seizures and can scare the kids at times when they have have them. My recommendation for you is the Black Lab. You won't be sorry, and the kids will love them and be loved by them.
Try the website www.dogbreedinfo.com
there is a quiz that you can take that matches good breeds with your situation. Also, there is a ton of info about each breed of dog.
Good Luck
I would recommend checking the website www.petfinders.com, they have icons that show the dogs that they know are not good with kids. I just met a lab mix (very "medium" sized) at a Humane Society event, and she absolutely loves kids. The workers there will know which ones are looking for little ones to love. Please consider rescuing a dog-- they know you saved them, and you will feel so good about your choice.
I don't know about the Australian Terrier but I do know that my 2 kids are "busy" and my mom had a Shitzu and that dog is sooo good with kids, they love to be held all the time and love to have attention all the time. I had 2 of them growing up also and I have to say that they all had the same temperment. Good luck! Dayna D.
What ever dog you decide to go with, just remember adopting a pet is a lifetime commitment. Making a lifetime commitment to a pet is not an easy choice. It means paying for a vet when the dog is sick, paying for training if needed, walking, attention, etc. Also, adopting a pet is bringing in a family member. Whenever you decide to move, take all your family members with you. :) Giving up a pet because of moving is the No. 1 reason pets end up in shelters and rescues. I'm a busy mom with 3 kids and I have 3 dogs. It takes a lot of dedication and commitment to take care of them all. I would also recommend buying the book by Cesar Milan "Cesar's Way". Also invest in an ipod for those walks. Every dog needs a walk weather you have a yard or not.
We have a border collie. By far the best dog I have ever had. He is so wonderful with my daughter. He even sleeps next to her bed at night to watch over her like she is one of his sheep. They have grown up together he is 6years old and my daughter is 8years old now. He is loving and very very smart.
Hey I am Liz, I had a black lab. She was great with my kids. I got her when she was a puppy 6weeks old and my baby was 6months old. They grew up together. I aslo had a 6 and 3 year old. My youngest grew up and has adhd. But I tell you that lab was the best with kids. It was a girl dog.
Hi shelly,
i have a large family 4 girls ranging in age from three to nine. We have a chocolate lab who is five and is the best dog you could possibly want. My girls can ride her pull her tail and just play with HER. They love her. We recently got another lab a black one. He is very active but the girls love her and he loves them. They can carry him around and he also sleeps on their laps(not for long however they get big fast). The only Drawback i have seen with our two are they are chewers as i'm sure most puppies are, even our 5 year old will still chew on stuff if she finds something. These are the absolute best dogs you could get for kids. Hope this helps. Dawn