First thing’s first. I have 40 years experience being a dog owner and rescuer.

I will tell you my all time favorite breed for children at the end of this article.

Before you get any breed of dog, you need to ask yourself, and anyone else involved in the adoption: “Why are we getting a dog?”, and ,”Do we have the time and patience it takes to properly care for a dog.” If your life is hectic now, it will most certainly be more hectic with a dog.

Take into consideration; how many hours and during what hours you are home. If you adopt a puppy you need to feed her three times a day and be home to make sure he has plenty of opportunity to relieve himself in an appropriate location.

Are you ready to devote the time to house train a puppy (or an adult dog) to relieve herself where you want her to? You also want to train your dog to respond to some basic commands. In addition, you want your dog to behave well around other people and dogs. This means you need to take him or her to training classes where your dog is exposed to other dogs and their owners.

Are you ready to take all of this time that I'm describing? Are you able to take the time to make sure that your dog has lots of exercise, proper food, and rest?

Do you have the room for the breed you choose to get enough exercise?

What about financial considerations?

Do you have the money to take care of your dog’s physical needs? That includes neutering , a high quality dog food, a crate, collar, leash, immunizations, registration, identification, grooming, visits to the veterinarian, and care when he is ill. Just taking your pet to the vet can cost you anywhere from $200 to $1,000 or even more depending on what he needs.

How old are your children? Do you have a baby? Will an adult be responsible for this dog, or are you going to try to get a child to take responsibility? (Some folks think that getting a pet for their child will teach that child responsibility.) In my humble opinion, children do not learn responsibility by owning a dog. Dogs have more needs than a child could possibly meet. Owning a dog is similar to having a perpetual baby!!

Some of the criteria for choosing a proper dog for your family:

Small dogs, and toy dogs tend to yappy and nervous. Nervous dogs may not be the best choice around small children.

They could easily nip at your children (but would not cause significant damage). Large dogs are generally calmer.

Whatever size or breed, dogs can cause trouble around children. For

Example; your toddler might accidentally poke your dog in the eyes or nose. Large dogs have been known to lay down on babies. This is not usually an act of aggression. Sometimes it is a protective gesture. It can still be dangerous. There is also the issue of territoriality. Almost every kind of dog will protect his bone, and could bite trying to retrieve it.

In choosing my favorite breeds for families with children, I took into consideration some of the negative factors that might be associated with some breeds.

Here are my favorite dogs for children.

*Retrievers**

*Samoyed**

*Dalmation**

*Standard Poodle**

*Visla

*Weimaraner

*Beagle

*Greyhound

*Blood Hound

*Irish Wolfhound

*Saint Bernard

*Newfoundland

*Boxer

*Giant Schnauzer

*Australian Terrier

*Norwich Terrier

*Bichon Frise

*Collie

*Briard

and the best of all breeds….drum roll please…the Bulldog! The bulldog is kind, gentle, and sweet. I write this out of personal experience. I did my research to make sure that it wasn’t just my dog that behaved this way.

Bulldogs may look less than glamorous at first, but once you get to know them they grow on you. I personally think they are beautiful animals.

The first dog that I had in my life was an English Bulldog. I was terrified of dogs. My father’s experience with dogs led him to buy a Bulldog for us. He meant to introduce me to dogs, and eliminate my fear. It worked.

There are some negatives about bulldogs to consider.

Bulldogs have trouble breathing, and drool somewhat. They have a short life span. However, all in all, they are an excellent breed for children. If you would like to find out how to keep your bulldog healthy click here.

Good luck in choosing your pet!

Want A Well Behaved And Well Trained Dog?

Disclaimer:

This article was written by the author with good intentions. This hub is should not be considered exhaustive of the subject. In rare instances a dog’s disposition can change (sometimes dramatically). There are always exceptions to the rule. Please use common sense when adopting a dog, and make sure you do your own research. There are many books on the subject of dog breeds. Once you narrow your choice down, get a thorough book about that breed and make sure you can handle it. Ask a local veterinarian which dog breed might be right for you.