Best Dog Breeds for Families with Kids: Pugs, Labs, Beagles, and More!

[KellyTheChef]

We have three kids: 15 DD, 12 DS, 2 DS.

I am looking into pounds and rescue shelters for a dog for us. I want something that will be GOOD with our 2 year old, that doesn't shed a ton, that does NOT require "grooming" (as in clipping hair, etc.) and that isn't larger than 50#.

Researching online, I have continually come up with these dogs that would be a good fit for us: Pugs or Puggles, (pug/beagle) labs, beagles, (not really drawn to these myself) Dashounds, and other mixed breeds. Anyone have a boxer mix or a Shar Pei mix?

 

[janetupnorth]

I have Samoyed/Border Collie mix currently (2)...used to have German Shephard/Husky and before that German Shephard/Collie. My current ones are the BIGGEST babies with the kids, but will protect the house, but shed like crazy and are about 70 lbs.

I do have 2 friends who always had boxers growing up...the shedding didn't seem too bad and they were ery good dogs. I think 1 got over 50 lbs. though.

My brother has a black lab and I've always liked the temperment of labs...

...good luck looking!

 

[overthyme]

I don't have either of the mixes that you are talking about, but just wanted to put in my 2 cents about two of the breeds that you mentioned...Every dachshund that I have ever seen is extremely snippy and temperamental. Having a 2yo that wants to be in the face of the dog is not a good mix. As far as a lab is concerned, since you are looking for a 50# dog, that would probably be the BLACK lab. Nice dogs, but high strung. I have known about 5 different people that have had a black lab and they all say the same thing. My brother-in-law's has ripped the molding off of the wall and shredded blinds. Yellow & Chocolate labs have great dispositions, but they are your larger labs.

 

[lacychef]

I don't have the two you're asking about, but we have a lab. (a chocolate one named Hershey!) My dad always had labs when I was growning up. They are awesome dogs! It would probably overwhelm your 2 yr old right now with licks! My 3 yr old isn't scared of ours anymore. Definately not in your under 50 pounds category though! Ours is 95 lbs; of course he's a male & males are generally bigger than females. They are such sweeties though; very good temperments with families--they just require a walk every day! Some shed more than others.

 

[quiverfull7]

We had a Weimeriner (sp?) for several years and she was in the house with our children and our day care kids... we loved her and she us. While she was very playful and could zoom around like wildfire outside, she was VERY careful around the children. They are very short haired and very trainable and obedient. We loved her dearly... enough said... sigh ....

 

[pampermeplease]

Sounds like maybe you should try a Bichon Frise. They have hypo allergenic fur and don't require a whole lot. They are also small and can travel easily with you in your car. I don't have one of these, but I did have a westie and those require a ton of grooming or they look like overgrown weeds. We have a lab currently and he's huge and eats a ton. I had a boxer/lab mix and the thing was so hyper, he jumped up on a guest and bloodied her nose (as well as always got off his chain to run) so that he eventually had to go. He was way too big and kept knocking down the kids. It's going to depend alot on the personality of the puppy and the way you raise them. I've also had a rott that was the biggest baby in the world.

 

[crystalscookingnow]

We have 5 (yes, 5) yellow labs. They are outside. They are absolutely wonderful with our kids. We have Grandpa Bo (he's 10), his pups Sami (female) & Matty (male) and his grandsons Teddy & Rollie. The grandkids are pups still, just 9 weeks old. They are all so good with the kids. Even Bo lets the kids pull on him & climb all over him.

Again, not in your 50# range, but we really love our labs!

 

[Chef_2_Four]

we had a jack russell/rat terrier mix and have a beagle. we had to get rid of the jack rat because she was mean to the kids and the beagle. she snapped at the kids and would eat the other dogs food. since we got rid of her the beagle plays with the kids all the time and lays in their laps. i don't remember the website but there is one you can find that lists all sorts of dogs and tells you if they are good with kids or not.

 

[lnicole77]

We rescued two puppies from rescue leagues through PetFinder.com last summer. There is usually an adoption fee included but for us it covered the dogs being micro chipped and spayed/neutered. Our black lab is definitly high strung as described by overthyme. Chewes everything from rockings chairs, stairs, shoes, anything he can get his mouth around, except for the $200 in chew toys we bought! The other pup is a husky yellow lab, and she is perfect, but lots of shedding.

Getting a dog is like having another child, a large commitment of time, energy, and money. If you have all three to spare they make a wonderful addition to your family. Good Luck!!!!

 

[Kathytnt]

http://www.puppyfinder.com/breedselector_size.php

This is a great resource - Even short hair breeds will shed but if you bath and brush them on a regular basis it will cut down on the shedding

I have two Eskies so I know about shedding - See pictures of some of our dogs in the damily and friends section of CS.

You want to also consider energy levels of the dog if it will be an indoor dog - If it will be outdoors you need to consider getting two dogs or your pup will feel very lonely The are very sociable animals and need a companion.

 

[jwpamp]

We have a dachshund and although we don't have any small children in the house, when my nieces and nephews visit with their children he is always good with them.

I think the trick to any dog being good with kids is to get them when they are puppies, and to NEVER hit them or mistreat them in any way. That is when they become defensive.

Our dachshund is a little wuss. He barks at people but then runs and hides when they come close....and when you tell him to "lay down", he roll onto his back and waves his paws at you until you rub his tummy....he's so silly!

 

[DebbieSAChef]

WE have a maltipooWe have a maltipoo puppy named Muffin (mixture of a toy poodle and a maltese poodle). He is so cute and playful. Great with kids and other animals. He never sheds and we get him groomed once every three months. HE's very energetic and gentle with our babies. He is all white and weighs about 6-8 pounds. I think that's as big as he's gonna get. He will be one in August. Does anyone know how big these dogs get? I'm assuming he'll be small forever!! I hope!

We are also getting a German Shepherd because I love them. That is my favorite breed of large dog. They are very smart, protective and great with kids. Of course we plan to get him as a puppy to get him used to the kids, and other pets (Muffin, Cat).

Debbie

 

[KellyRedHead]

Hi Kelly!

We have two wonderful and family friendly Boxers we got from a boxer rescue group here in New York State (there are several through out the nation).
We were looking for a good family dog our kids could play with and lay on the floor with to play etc.. My Mom actually mentioned the boxer she had when my sisters were younger (I wasn't in the picture yet) and what a good dog she was.
We started looking and we were very impressed with the work the rescue groups do. We adopted our first, a female in March of last year (my daughters now best friend). Then they called us in November saying they had a male they wondered if we would be interested in fostering. Well we took him in and feel in love and he has never left!!!
We are so happy with our choice. If you would like more info on the breed let me know and I will have someone from the group email you.

This is the web address for the group we went through
www.boxerangelsrescue.com

HTH-Kelly

 

[Lisa/ChefBear]

We don't have a dog yet, but I'm looking too, and I've got a scared of big dogs almost 8 year old, a 7 yr. old and a 3 1/2 yr. old.

I've got 2 different friends who breed different dogs and I can tell you if you're looking for pure breed, what and see how they handle the pups, etc.

I've got a friend who does mini daschund (sp) (long and short haired) and she's very cautious of who touches and how much activity they get etc. Nie dogs, but can be snippy as someone mentioned. One thing, if you've got little ones who like to pick them up, not the best, as they have fragile backs and are easily broke.

I've got another friend Joy, who does bicon's, poodles (who are VERY smart), and pekinese (sp) and I know I'd for sure get one from her, as she's got kids with serious special needs and all the kids are allowed to pet and take care of the pups, and she's got them piddle pad trained and even sometimes out door trained before they leave her home. She's got the best disposition animals I've ever seen, and as I've said, she's got children with very serious needs, but especially those bicon's they are almost little therapy dogs for her kiddoes.

I'm just not sure what we'll get when we get, but I know if I'm going to go pure breed route, who I'll go to. Ask friends and family and get recommendations. Or even go with rescue places, my friend Joy also takes in hurt and abondoned dogs and trains them so they can go back out with "real" families again.

Good Luck with your search and let us know what you decide on.

Lisa

 

[overthyme]

We are also getting a German Shepherd because I love them. That is my favorite breed of large dog. They are very smart, protective and great with kids. Of course we plan to get him as a puppy to get him used to the kids, and other pets (Muffin, Cat).

Debbie

We used to have a German Shepherd and a Golden Retriever. They were both great dogs, but our Shepherd was my baby. He was almost 3yo when my son was born and I have pix of him laying on the bed beside him "watching over" my son. They are just naturally protective and should be great with your kids. There is definitely A LOT of hair, though.

 

[KellyTheChef]

I think German Shepherds are wonderful with kids...I just don't want THAT much hair all over my house! We are driving about 40 minutes away this afternoon to go look at some puppies that are at a rescue home. They are part lab part boxer part ??? Thank you ALL so much for the response here! I have been praying that God would lead us to the right dog. I took my 12 yr. DSS and 2 yr DS yesterday to the dog pound and then to the humane society. The one's that I liked, were already spoken for. My 12 yr. old was very bummed out that we didn't get one, but he just really wants a dog NOW!! He's not thinking along the same lines I am: as in, what would be the best for our family. 12 yr. olds don't really think long term, huh?!?!

These are the ones we will be seeing today:
http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=8108996
Wish me luck!

 

[chefmary]

We have two dogs. One is a lab/doberman mix and although he runs around 75-80 lbs., he thinks he is a lap dog! We adopted him from a shelter 6 years ago when he was rescued from an abusive home. Best decision we ever made. This past September, we decided to adopt a Pembroke Corgi (full-breed) to keep him company and that was the 2nd best decision we everf made! She's adorable and small (about 20 lbs) and she loves love! The two dogs are now inseparable! Both dogs shed, although the little much less than the big guy, but aside from that, there is very little other grooming necessary for either dog.

Let us know what you end up choosing!

Mary

 

[Jilleysue]

I have 2 dachshunds and a great dane. The Dachshunds are awesome with kids. I absolutely love them. They are stubborn and take care of the house too. HEHE. I love that. Noone is getting in with out you knowing . They are cuddly and loveing. They are the cutest puppies in the world. The funnier part is that my 165lb Great Dane thinks he is one....LOL Let me find a pic.

 

[PCJen]

I love, love, love my Golden Retriever. They are great with kids, very smart, easy to train, and wants to please us. They do get a bit bigger than what you were looking for, defiantly needs to be groomed, and must be with the family inside the house, they do not like to be alone outside all the time.
Just remember it's all how the owner deals with their pet and how they will turn out. We stated training our Golden the day we got her at 6 weeks. She is now 8 months and behaves so well that we forget she is still a pup. Also, if you are going to have pets there will always be some sort of mess, but it is so rewarding to have them. Sorry, I am a big animal lover and I get so upset at those people out there that think the can get a pet and do nothing about working with them. Then they get upset because the pet doesn't behave and turn them into a shelter or dump them. If you don't have time to love and work with them then don't get any. Not that you would do that. Just felt I needed to say that since I don't usually get to. Anyway...Here is a website that has some good info. on Goldens . There is a lot of info on Goldens just by searching the web. And of course, other breeds too.
I have had many dogs and other pets every since I was born. I do have to say out of the dogs I have had the Golden Retriever breed if my favorite.
It sounds like you are doing your research and I congraulate you on doing that before you get a dog. Good Luck on finding the perfect match for your family and have fun to.

 

[KellyTheChef]

We have two dogs. One is a lab/doberman mix and although he runs around 75-80 lbs., he thinks he is a lap dog! We adopted him from a shelter 6 years ago when he was rescued from an abusive home. Best decision we ever made. This past September, we decided to adopt a Pembroke Corgi (full-breed) to keep him company and that was the 2nd best decision we everf made! She's adorable and small (about 20 lbs) and she loves love! The two dogs are now inseparable! Both dogs shed, although the little much less than the big guy, but aside from that, there is very little other grooming necessary for either dog.

Let us know what you end up choosing!

Mary

Mary~

Our last dog was a lab/doberman mix (we think! She was abandoned and we picked her up when she was about 3 months old) and she was sooooooo good with our oldest two! (They were about 3 and 6 at the time.) But, about 4 years ago, she started having hip problems. We got her on glucosomene (sp??) tablets daily and boy did they help! But, I think she was still worried when our little one came along that he was going to hurt her. By the time he started walking, she would growl at him if he even came within 3 feet of her! (and he never did anything to her...) She even tried to nip at him a couple of times. So, she is now at a family friend's and is doing very well...she even has a "sister" (dog) to play with!

I felt so bad giving her away, but she is with someone I trust and who loves her just as much as we do! Plus, I would have been devistated if she would have ever bitten my little one!

 

[Miss Cori]

The first dog I had was a golden retriever. BEST DOG in the whole world. We have a picture of me asleep on her outside in the mud. She used to lay there while I made mud cakes on her. And even jumped between me and another dog when I was riding my bike. I was so upset when she ran away. So i suggest a Godlen Retriever. Good luck with the search.

 

[debswork]

We have 2, black lab 7 years and golden retriever 1 1/2 years . So I have hair both ways. black and white.... The golden sheds way more... But is very soft... I truly love both of my dogs. Both so gentle, and kid friendly. I believe if you start dogs out with lots of kids they tend to be aware of them pulling,tugging and etc... Good luck on deciding.

 

[Ginger428]

4 of my last 5 dogs were/are Beagles. I think raised with children ( mine werent) they will be fine. Yes Beagles are dopey & they want to follow their nose, but if they are in a large fenced in area, running around with children I bet the kids will poop[ out first!
Love My Beagles....

Just posted a pic & Kacy & I in the photos section

 

[apriljc]

We have a beagle mix. I have two boys ages 6 & 4 and she is wonderful with them. She doesn't shed much, only a little. and she weighes about 20 lbs or so.. When I was little we had an Irish Setter and I loved her so much. She was the calmest dog and she was great with us kids. I wish we could get another one but I can't ever seem to find one. We live next door to my DH grandparents and they has an Australian Huskie. I do not like the that dog. It weighes about 50 or more lbs and he barks at everything and everybody. He does ok with the boys but he is always in their face.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Growing up - we had a border collie - she was the most amazing dog! Smart, and VERY protective of us kids.....one time during the winter my dad was outside playing with us in the snow, and we were all screaming and running from him - well when he tried to chase us, she grabbed hold of his snow pants, growling at him, and actually ripped a hole in his pants!!! But with us kids, she was always extremely gentle. I remember looking outside one day to see my baby brother banging on her tail w/ a rubber mallet - she laid right there next to him, took his hand in her mouth, and moved it away from her tail, all while he just kept on hammering away!

As an Adult - last March we had to put our 17 yr old Shih Tzu to sleep.....one of the hardest things we've ever had to do. She was so good, loved children - even before we had our son, whenever kids would come over she would run and get her toys to give to them. Shih Tzu's don't shed and are pretty hypo-allergenic (DH has an allergy to most dogs) When we would walk her, we had to stop anyplace that there were kids because she had to say hello! She was also very quiet - the only time she barked was when she was playing, or when another dog or cat would wander into our backyard - she didn't bark at them out in public - just when they came into "her" yard.
Even when she got really old, she NEVER tried to snip at anyone or bite them -even children who got in her face. I could go on and on about how smart she was, we really miss her. When we get another dog it will be a Shih Tzu again.

 

[gratergirl]

We have a Boxer, female. She's been with our 4 kids for 9 years and we wouldn't ever buy another breed. I read books on them before I bought her. She's only 63 pounds....med sized and has short hair and doesn't need a lot of grooming. I bathe her and take her to the vet to get her nails trimmed and shots. She's very healthy and great with ANY kid! My youngest fell off the couch about 2 years ago onto her and all she did was get up and lick my baby (because she was crying) to see if she was okay. The baby has pulle dher boobs and she never even growled! She's been a blessing with all of the kids. I can't imagine life without her. Even when my son had a friend over, the friend got sick and we called home to have someone pick him up. His grandpa came to get him and walked in the house....my dog got between the kid and grandpa and barked. She had adopted my son's friend! She has never bitten anyone and is so lovable. She's 9 and thinks she's still 3! She looks mean (some people get them mixed up with Pit Bulls which makes me laugh because they are soooooo loving!) but would knock anyone down to lick them to death! Everyone is terrified when she comes to the door but I like for strangers to think that! She's almost maintenance free and that makes me love her even more! With 4 kids, I think I'd go crazy with a high maintenance dog! It'd be like having one more kid!

 

[speedychef]

I have a Siberian Husky, and though I love her to bits, I think I'd avoid one if I were you! She sheds, and she's a wild child! Open the door a crack, and she's a goner if you're not paying attention! She wants to greet EVERYONE with a kiss in the face, which actually works out better for kids because she doesn't jump up to get to their face! I think I got the nutcase of the litter, though! The things we love about her? She's SO SO smart, always ready to go out for a jog, doesn't ever bark (unless she's playing), and very entertaining!

 

[pamperedharriet]

I have a ****er spaniel. She's about 18 pounds and we get her groomed every 6-8 weeks (keep her coat short). She's great with kids, babies, other dogs and loves people too! She doesn't shed.

 

[KellyTheChef]

UpdateWell, our family has one new member!

She is one of the brown (actually reddish brown) dogs pictured in these pictures. http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/...?petid=8108996

Her Mom was there...it's a rescue place for pregnant dogs. Her Mom was hours away from being put down (and all the puppies, too, since she was pregant) when this lady and her group saved her! They think the dad was a black lab (who actually got put down...even though they tried to save him too...long story she didn't get into with me) and the Mom is about 35-40 pounds and looks like the brown puppies. She is shorter and thinner than a Doberman, and her hair is short like a Doberman's. The vet told her that the mother is probably a little mix of everything! The lady at the rescue place that has been taking care of them said the mother is very laid back and good with kids! Now to training her!

We are all excited to have her in the family, even our 13# cat Oreo likes her!

Thanks for all of the advice!!

 

[overthyme]

Congratulations!!!