Best "family" dog...in your opinion or experience

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Rebekah1021

We have an english cocker spaniel and she's the best family dog. I do think that my dog is in-bred though and has a boatload of health issues.

MotherBucker

We got our yellow lab when she was a puppy. She's about 6 years old now and has been the greatest dog ever. Loves the kids, and is VERY protective of them. If Dh is wrestling with them, and she thinks he's getting too rough, she will get in the middle of them and stop him.

 

My husband and I both had labs or a lab mixes growing up and had very good experiences. I would choose a lab again if we ever get another dog.  

KrisBriMcBunny

a mutt is THE best dog ever...I've had both pure breds and mutts and hands down my mutts were the best.  RIght now I have a border collie mix and a purebred cane corso mastiff.

Great Danes are awesome BUT they get seious health problems as they get older.  Mastiffs are great too but need a very strong pack leader as they are very dominate and stubborn breed.

Do your research on breeds that you are interested in and then try to find a mixed breed that has some of the breed you are looking for.

august06mom

We've always had labs or lab mixes, and they're wonderful. I would never get a puppy again, though. They're cute but not exactly little-kid friendly -- they nip constantly, sratch wtih their claws while you're training not to jump, and house training them is like having a baby with having to get up in the middle of the night. Never again!

We got our current dog (lab mix) at a shelter and he's the sweetest dog in the world. I admit I was skeptical of shelters because I worried about getting an abused dog with a bad temperment, but we're a shelter family from now on.

ashleyaugust7

I really think dogs (beyond breeds that are specified as NOT being good with families) are a toss-up. 

We have a lab/pit bull mix (came to us as a stray back when DH and I were dating) that is wonderful in our family.  My sister has a pit (adopted) that is the most gentle dog you would ever meet.  My mom has a full-bred yellow lab they got as a puppy from a breeder and it is crazy and bites all strangers.

 

shouldbworkin

I agree re: labs and lab mixes.  We had one when I was a kid.  He was a black lab/shepard/dolmation mix and the sweetest dog ever.  Lots of energy, but that was fine for a young family.  He was very protective too.  We never needed a baby gate for my little sister b/c the dog wouldn't let her crawl down the stairs (not something I would ever do, but it was the 80s...). 

Yodajo

We had a yellow lab when DS1 was born and he was great with him.  It took him 8 years to settle down though and he shed a lot.  He was a great family dog though and we miss him.

Now we have a dog that is part coonhound and part beagle or basset hound.  She is the ideal dog for our boys.  They have led her around the house by her jowls, had her hop behind them on three legs while they hold her paw, she sleeps with DS1 at the foot of her bed, etc.  She just loves being around them and she doesn't have an aggressive bone in her body.  The shedding is minimal too and I like that!

ridesbuttons

I love Great Danes.  I think the general wisdom on Great Danes is that if your place is big enough for a couch, it is big enough for a Great Dane (because you will find them lounging on the couch).

I love mutts especially boarder collie mixes.   We've had a few fantastic dogs from shelters.

My biggest fear about a Great Dane would be how short their life span is and how quickly their bodies tend to break down.

hikerbeth

Mutt.  We have gotten the best mixes (older dogs, not puppies) from the Humane Society.

German Shepherd/lab mix and a pit bull/who knows what mix.

Wonderful dogs.

Also, I think great danes are known for being pretty mellow despite their size if you want to go with that.

MotherBucker

ITA with everyone about Great Danes and their health issues. I have known several people who have had them, and they were full of health issues. My SIL just had to put hers down, and she was only about 5 years old. 

monkeyqueen

We're getting a black lab puppy in 2 weeks!   I'm so excited to train a puppy again!

Anyway.......We used to have 2 Springer Spaniels....they were awesome dogs.   They were not too big, but not small so they did pretty well on our farm.   They were both really great with our kids.    One was much  more submissive than the other, so he was a bit better for the kids.

 

Mominator

I have a Pug and he is seriously the best dog ever. Not gonna lie, he isn't too bright LOL but he is loyal and loving and great with other dogs and even my kids. The kids just love him to pieces and he loves them. They do shed a lot, but I'll take the shedding over VW Bug size piles of poop in my lawn like you'd get with a Dane Haha

amy05-04

MotherBucker:

We got our yellow lab when she was a puppy. She's about 6 years old now and has been the greatest dog ever. Loves the kids, and is VERY protective of them. If Dh is wrestling with them, and she thinks he's getting too rough, she will get in the middle of them and stop him.

 

My husband and I both had labs or a lab mixes growing up and had very good experiences. I would choose a lab again if we ever get another dog.  

This, except our boy is 9 now.  He has been wonderful with all 3 boys.  

caitlinsmom

We have 2 boxers who are currently asleep at my feet.  They are amazing family dogs and are protective of the kids and the house but are fine with company as long as they are introduced. 

 

I grew up with labs and like them also

winomom22

We had labs and collies growing up. Both were great dogs. Gentle, loves kids and wouldn't hurt a fly.

lildevil968

We have 2 mini schnauzers, and they are great family dogs. They are small, and they don't shed their furr. We have also had black labs, and they are great dogs also, but they shed a ton.

AZ_Erica

Our Yellow Lab is the best dog ever!  Even my sister who hates dogs thinks he is the best thing around kids.

jlw2505

We had a lab until he passed last winter and he was amazing with the girls.  We are getting a Golden Doodle next month and they are also known for being amazing family pets.

shopgirl_07

It definitely depends on the dog. I like mutts too, and I am very partial to adopting from a shelter rather than buying a puppy.

I have a wheaton terrier and she's the kindest dog I've ever met. She's 14 and near senile and on her last legs but she's still kind. But I know not all wheatons are like that.

I also have a poodle mix who is the little love of my life. He would not be a good family dog, as he really can't stand children. 

DandelionMom

I love terriers for kids.  They're full of energy and aren't so big that a wagging tail can knock someone over. 

I highly recommend adopting a dog from a foster home that has kids.  That way you can get a pretty good idea of the dog's personality and how they react to kids.

CleoKitty

We have a 12 yr old lab mix and a 13 yr old Irish Setter mix (both mutts, basically.) They are both amazing with the kids but I think that's largely a factor of their age. We've only had the Irish Setter a little over a year so I don't know what she was like as a younger dog, but the lab mix might have been a bit too hyper around very small children back in his puppy days. He's always been a sweet dog, but it took several years before he stopped wanting to jump on people. By the time the kids were born though he was a mature dog and well past that stage. 

Both dogs will let kids do virtually anything to them and have never even once shown a hint of aggression. They're just old, mellow, content to lie around, and groan every now and then if the kids are being annoying to them.

My only complaint is that they're both very heavy shedders. The hair situation is out of control at times!

So, my vote goes to adopting an older, semi-elderly retriever mix.