The best dog breed for a child?

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  • shawn1112
    shawn1112 Posts: 94 Member
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    I'm 38yrs old and grew up with dogs my whole life so I speak from exp. Personally I wouldnt get a rescue with any child unless the rescue is very young, like under 6 months and even then you might be taking a chance. You never really know the back round of a rescue. I'm not saying I'm against rescues, but dont recommend it with a child. My kids 19yrs old and 15yrs old have grown up with 2 rottweilers, boxer, and now we have a pit bull. Rotties and pits are frowned upon by people who know nothing about dogs, and I can say my dogs have never bit anyone its all how you raise them.
  • biorach
    biorach Posts: 60 Member
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    stuffed.

    THIS.

    In all seriousness, breed plays a minimal role in how a dog and its child will interact. 7 year old boys are usually pretty rambunctious but there is definitely a dog in a shelter that would be able to keep up!
    Instead of going for a breed of dog, try to judge the dog on its disposition.
    Here's a simple checklist I use and recommend when choosing a new family pet:
    1. Is the dog in good health? - get a professional to help you on this if you don't already know
    2. When in the cage/crate, is the dog calm and curious? - both very important.
    Calm - Not excessively barking, growling, jumping. Calm and timid are NOT to be confused with one another.
    Curious - Using his/her nose to check you out, ears to hear you speak/hum, eyes to follow you move
    3. When out of cage/crate, is the dog responsive to YOU?
    Responsive - NOT running like crazy to get away from you. Curious about the outside world is great, but not bolting away.
    Seems to enjoy human company
    4. The dog shouldn't be food aggressive, period. That being said, I don't think kids should ever be in charge of feeding the family dog.

    Keep in mind:
    Age doesn't matter when choosing a dog, all ages have pros and cons and every dog deserves a second (or third, or fourth) chance :)
    the bigger the dog, the more potential damage it can do (to humans and furniture)
    the smaller the dog, the more likely it is to "get away with" missteps which may cause future behavioral issues.
    Training a dog is not for 6 weeks, it is for the dog's life (if you want a happy home)
    This list is for choosing a dog that you don't have to actively rehabilitate, if that is what you're going for, forget this list. lol

    With all that, remember that having a dog is supposed to be fun. Turning it into a job is where a lot of people go downhill.

    My "credentials":
    Rehabilitated 2 dozen dogs and re-homed them with their ideal human/home
    Gone on many adventures to help friends/family/clients find their new four-legged family member
    Currently have 2 German Shepherds (75 and 85 pounds) that live with my 2 year old son

    Good luck to your friend on their new adventure! :bigsmile:


    Edit- As an alternative to rescuing from a shelter, you may consider rescuing from a local rescue that utilizes foster parents. That way, you can learn more about a dog from its foster parents and see how the dog interacts in a home environment.
  • HarleyFatboyFan
    HarleyFatboyFan Posts: 344 Member
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    IMO a Lab is the best breed all around.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Any suggestions from you dog loving MFP people?

    Lots of Bull Terriers in rescue, and subject to their history they're wonderful with kids. Incredibly friendly and loving dogs.

    That said I'd echo the above about integration
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    I've been involved in dog rescue for over 20 years and it's really about the temperament of the individual dog more than anything. The most bites were from dogs who were made anxious by the loudness and high activity level of children. Look for a dog that loves to be right in the middle of the fray, not one that shies away from it. Breeds from the retrieving and herding groups are usually the best bet, but again - it's the individual that matters. The worst dogs with kids I've seen are the sight hound and toy groups.

    And I know people will jump on me for this, but I wouldn't put a mastiff/molosser type with little kids and small dog. You always have to acknowledge and respect what a dog was bred to do. Generally speaking dogs will express their gene characteristics whether you teach them to or not. Pointers are going to point, herders are going to herd, and fighters are gonna fight.

    LOL I am going to disagree at least in my house.... I have raised Large breeds, Huskey's and German Shepards and my personal favorite breed Rottweilers and my Male Rottie (God rest his soul, just had to put him down in June) at 140 lbs. was a whipping boy to the Alpha dog of the household, a 12 lb. Female Bichon Frise.... She put him in his place the first day we brought him in the house and he NEVER contested his spot in the pack his entire 11 years he was on this earth.... OP we belong to a breed specific rescue called Small Paws (you can google them) that rescue Bichon Frise in over 23 countries and they have over 7000 members... We personally foster and have rescued 3 of our own... They are absolutely great with kids and very affectionate and ours have always gotten along with other (friends and strangers) dogs....... This is Abby, our Alpha dog of the house who as 2 siblings (Bichons) left (she as outlived all of our other fur kids the last 13 years with the exception of her 2 sibling Bichons) and has led a pack that included 2 Rottweilers, a German Shepard, a Huskey ,and a Lab... This breed has a long lifespan (most living into there late teens and even early 20's....

    DSCN0435_zps260d3679.jpg
  • TurtleRunnerNC
    TurtleRunnerNC Posts: 768 Member
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    Boxers are awesome with kids and great dogs.
  • spicykgal
    spicykgal Posts: 4
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    I have a labradoodle that I adore. He is great with children and hypoallergenic too! The sweetest most gentle temperament ever!
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    Dogs aren't Christmas presents.
  • SailorKnightWing
    SailorKnightWing Posts: 875 Member
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    Dogs aren't Christmas presents.
    They already have a dog and are presumably responsible dog owners. Little chance of "getting bored" of the pet.

    See if your local shelter will let you bring your dog to the shelter and let him meet some of the dogs. See which ones get along with your dog before you adopt. My shelter has an outside area where you can meet individuals away from the others.

    ETA: Conversely, give the child a card that says "Surprise! We're getting another dog!" and take the child with you to pick one out and adopt. Some shelters won't adopt out animals around the holidays.
  • Ed98043
    Ed98043 Posts: 1,333 Member
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    LOL I am going to disagree at least in my house....

    Yeah, I know someone would disagree. Individual results vary, but I was told by the Rottweiler rescue rep in my area that there's a critical period between the ages of 7 to 10 months where their training and socialization (or lack thereof) will basically set in stone whether they'll be predictable and trustworthy or not for the rest of their lives, so it's always a gamble with a rescue from an unknown situation. You obviously did a nice job with your boy, and please accept my condolences on his passing.

    Come to think of it, I have heard that Bichons are good with kids! Thanks for reminding me.
  • AlissaFL
    AlissaFL Posts: 80 Member
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    Lots of great suggestions on here, but I have to agree with the posts about the individual dog, especially coming for a shelter. You really have to get a dog that is obedient and tolerant of multiple family members. Your friend should be choosy and take her time. Good luck!
  • thereallucylastix
    thereallucylastix Posts: 20 Member
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    I have a labradoodle that I adore. He is great with children and hypoallergenic too! The sweetest most gentle temperament ever!

    This ^^

    Labador/Retriever/Labradoodle - so gentle and loving

    Best temperaments ever and seriously intelligent dogs
  • pamperedhen
    pamperedhen Posts: 446 Member
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    Please make sure she takes the other dog to meet with the rescue. Just in case there is a "feud". Also the "weiner dog" could get aggressive and territorial of his/her space. Best wishes!:flowerforyou:
  • ladyredeemed4
    ladyredeemed4 Posts: 72 Member
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    I have a Boykin, He loves children. This breed was suggested for families. Boykins are also hunters, they have a soft bite. Kobe finds turtles in the back wood all the time - I never see any. Very highly intelligible breed. Eager to please.
  • biorach
    biorach Posts: 60 Member
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    Yeah, I know someone would disagree. Individual results vary, but I was told by the Rottweiler rescue rep in my area that there's a critical period between the ages of 7 to 10 months where their training and socialization (or lack thereof) will basically set in stone whether they'll be predictable and trustworthy or not for the rest of their lives, so it's always a gamble with a rescue from an unknown situation.

    Ehh, inaccurate. But I can totally see why people feel this way. (I'm sooo not trying to bash you, just want you to see a different opinion). I have yet to come across any dog that was "set in stone" as you say. Every dog has the potential to be balanced but every human does NOT have the capability to guide a dog to balance. Of course, dogs with behavioral issues take loads more work than that of a balanced (or nearly balanced) dog but it's totally possible to help a difficult dog turn over a new leaf.
    I definitely wouldn't recommend adopting a dog-in-progress if you have limited time or experience with rehabilitating, OR if you have small children in the house (which is why the list in my previous post is trying to help the OP find a more balanced dog)
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,406 Member
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    If going with a rescue, it is best for the 7 year old to have an opportunity to go "meet" some of the dogs first to see which ones are good with kids. You could have a nice looking golden retriever - known to be loyal and sweet. No one knows where these dogs have come from, so it is best not to go based on breed, but by temperment of each individual dog.

    :D It is awesome to hear someone going to a rescue to save a dog.
  • MaryJane_8810002
    MaryJane_8810002 Posts: 2,082 Member
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    Labradors, they have lots of energy
  • Renegade706
    Renegade706 Posts: 209
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    Can't go wrong with a Golden retriever . Very patient with kids
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
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    Congrats on your decision to get a dog. I found my wonderful collie (see profile photo) on www.petfinder.com That's a website that lists most of the dogs in animal shelters and rescue groups in the United States. Just type in your zip code and the type of dog you are looking for, and it will pull up the dogs closest to your house and then go farther out.

    Puppies are really cute, but take a lot of work and training. I don't have time for that, so I adopted an older dog that had settled down (2-3 years old). She was already housebroken and didn't need to be trained for anything.

    If you get a dog from a rescue group, they usually live with a foster family who will know about the dog's personality. When you adopt from them, you make space for them to save another dog from an animal shelter. I wanted a collie, so I told the rescue group what kind of dog I wanted: gentle, low key, housebroken, no separation anxiety, liked cats and other dogs, didn't pull on the leash, and didn't jump on people -- and that's the dog I adopted.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
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    Dogs aren't Christmas presents.

    As others said they already have a dog, so they understand the choice they are making. They are bringing the dog into their own family, not giving to another person/family that did not know.

    And that aside, many families put a lot of thought, waiting, research, discussion, education into bringing a pet (in this case a dog) into the family, but they still set a time frame for when they are going to do it such as Christmas, birthday, springtime, after the kids demonstrate that they will follow responsibilities for a set amount of time, etc.

    Christmas is not that big of an event in all families. In our home we have a small tree, a wooden frame we made with stockings, some decorations that we place in one corner of our dining area (that is up all month). We don't have people over. We just have a yummy dinner, set out the milk and cookies for Santa. Then wake up to look through the stockings. Open the small amount of presents, have breakfast. Eat candy. Have dinner together later.

    But, I agree that Christmas may not be the best day for integrating the rescue dog into the family.

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