Need advise on choosing a dog breed

[peyjax]

We thought long and hard about the breed we chose and he is a great fit for our family (bernese mountain dog). My whole family (mom and both my sisters) all have labs and shi tzus. The shi tzu is an adorable dog and my family has had great success with this breed. I could never handle the energy of a lab. My family comes over and is amazed at how calm our bernese is. The shi tzus are pretty good and don't yap too much.

 

[Mamadis]

Another vote for shelties! We have had 3 over the years and love them! They are smart, easy to train and very kid friendly.They are extremely tolerant. They also play well with others. The only down side is they shed.

 

[riley2008]

Oh, and honestly I wouldn't go with a beagle. They're loud and have a huge tendency to roam. All the beagles I've met were escape artists, barked/bayed almost constantly, and were not too bright.

I don't know what beagles you met, but they are SMART

If they barked constantly, they weren't getting enough attention (and they don't take much). They do have a tendency to roam - they are hunters and typically bred for that. The ones that aren't good hunters are the ones that typically get sold off. If you can find one that hasn't been trained for hunting, you'd likely have a good one.

Beagles are GREAT kid dogs and dog dogs. Here's a website that kind of describes in depth the different types of beagles; however, it's also a professional dog breeder.

http://www.sunshinebeaglepups.com/

Also, I'd second a dog rescue dog.

 

[locolala]

I don't know what beagles you met, but they are SMART

If they barked constantly, they weren't getting enough attention (and they don't take much). They do have a tendency to roam - they are hunters and typically bred for that. The ones that aren't good hunters are the ones that typically get sold off. If you can find one that hasn't been trained for hunting, you'd likely have a good one.

Beagles are GREAT kid dogs and dog dogs. Here's a website that kind of describes in depth the different types of beagles; however, it's also a professional dog breeder.

http://www.sunshinebeaglepups.com/

Also, I'd second a dog rescue dog.

It is entirely possible that the ones I knew were just dumb. I've never been a big fan of hound dogs, dunno why. I'm sorry if I insulted your pup! The few beagles I've known just were.. I dunno, weird. Maybe it was more stubborness than stupidity, because they refused to be potty trained or even basic commands. *hug* to your pooch!

 

[RMulieri]

Hi,
Due to allergies, we have a very loving/loveable Bichon Frise. I'm really more of a lab kind of girl (especially being from Newfoundland and Labrador!) but our kids' sinuses couldn't take it! Anyway she's a little delight! VERY friendly, Loves to play with the big guys at the dog park. Very easy to train. However, with her curly hair and no shedding, it's a trip to the groomer every 6-8 weeks...that adds up.

Have fun adding to your crew! Kim

Sorry to hijack! Is the Bichon good with Kids? I am finally looking for a new member of the family .I had a cocker spaniel, and while she was good with my kid, she was unpredictable with others.Plus she had nightmare health issues .

 

[lindsmom]

I second the pug or the english bulldog (french bulldog too) for kids! We wanted to get a pug, but were looking for a non-shedder, so we got a shihtzu. NOT good with kids. We love her dearly, but she's definitely not bred to be around fast - moving / unpredictable children.

I agree with PP who said to bring your dog and family to interact with ANY candidate you narrow it down to.

 

[pixiewings71]

I would not suggest a doxie with young childern. I second the shelter dog suggestion and the beagle.

Beagle are great dogs, they can be trained but that requires food motivation to override the other "smells". I grew up with and now have a beagle, they are great family dogs. They can handle other pets and small childern with no issue if worked with.

Another option is breed rescues, they often have a list of dogs in foster home that need perminent homes.

Other breed suggestions depend on the dynamics of your house hold. Age of other pets, childern, work schedule ect.

If you have small childern I would not suggest a terrior breed, I would go with a hunting breed or working dog breed, or even some non working dog breeds.

If you PM me I'll answer more questions

OP did not specify the ages of her children, we got our Doxie when DD9 was turning 8, Autumn was DD's bday/Christmas gift, we've had her for almost 2 years now....in fact Autumn's bday is this month. My DSis has one too, both dogs have been around small kids from day 1 and they are GREAT with the little girls who love them. We do tell the kids they have to be very careful as Doxie's have back issues due to the elongated spine so that's something to keep in mind OP. Our Doxie is a mini, but she's big for a mini, she's just under 9 lbs, my DSis's Doxie (Ruby Tuesday) is much smaller. I will say that if your kids aren't used to smaller dogs to be careful with ANY breed you're getting that's small as they can be injured by small children who don't know how fragile the dogs are.

Sheltie! Shetland Sheepdogs are incredible with kids, very easy to train because they're very bright, and they're small, about 25 lbs or so. They look like little collies, but they're actually an older breed! I love my sheltie, dunno what I'd do without him!

My ex's Mom has Sheltie's, they nip at the kid's heels constantly. Sheltie's are herding dogs so this is something to keep in mind. They are good dogs and when raised with small kids they are amazing, but they do like to herd/nip at heels.

Oh, and honestly I wouldn't go with a beagle. They're loud and have a huge tendency to roam. All the beagles I've met were escape artists, barked/bayed almost constantly, and were not too bright.

My other sister has a beagle, Annie is a GREAT dog and we considered a beagle of our own, but DD wanted a smaller dog then Annie is so we went with the Doxie. We also have a medium size Shepherd mix at home.

We thought long and hard about the breed we chose and he is a great fit for our family (bernese mountain dog). My whole family (mom and both my sisters) all have labs and shi tzus. The shi tzu is an adorable dog and my family has had great success with this breed. I could never handle the energy of a lab. My family comes over and is amazed at how calm our bernese is. The shi tzus are pretty good and don't yap too much.

DBF wants a Bernese Mtn Dog sooooooooooo bad.......he talks about it all the time. I tell him when we don't have 2 dogs and 2 cats currently we can talk about it.

 

[woodkins]

We have a Cavalier and he is GREAT with my now 7 year old dd. We got him when my dd turned 5 & he is amazing with her. She is on the autism spectrum and he is patient and tolerant. He is cuddly and quiet. My friends always joke that they are going to kidnap him because he is such a great family dog. I highly recommend the breed!

 

[BigEeyore]

Cavaliers are one of the best family dogs around. We used to have one. The only downsides to the breed that you should be aware of are that they are prone to a heart condition (mitral valve disease), and also that they are quite expensive (most pups cost around $1000).
I don't think Lhasas or Shih Tzus are good family dogs - both breeds can be nippy w/ young kids and require a lot of grooming.
People have mentioned Bichons and Havanese - both great breeds as well.
Or go with a rescue group - there are breed specific rescues, or you could always find an adorable mutt. Check out Petfinder.

 

[solar]

A Beagle makes a great family pet!

I've had a lab in the past...great family dogs.

Now we have a Jack Russell, a Beagle and a Sheppard mix.

Our beagle is such a loving, sweet-natured dog, and reminds me of a lab's great temperament. He makes a great family pet and is just a fabulous all around family dog.

Pros: sweet natured, gentle, medium size, good family dog

Cons: VERY food motivated - so be prepared! Also a barker...he barks much more that our other two. He alerts us of things often, and "patrols" our yard almost each and every time he goes outside. Follows the perimeter and "announces" if he sees something different.

 

[ktlm]

I would add another breed to your list, Havense. We have a lab and a Havanese. They get along great together. The Havanese is part of the Bichon Frise family. Here is a link to more information, http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/havanese.htm. Our Havanese, while still an inside dog, loves to go out and play with our lab.



Good luck.

Havanese are wonderful dogs and great with kids. They have very friendly, happy go lucky, dispositions. They don't shed and are great if you have allergies. They are very smart and easy to train (unlike Lhasa's and Shih Tzu's, which are cute, but sometimes aren't the smartest dogs). They are more sturdy and slightly bigger than a Maltese, so not as delicate. They are little caretakers and good snugglers. When we sneeze our dog comes to check on us. When I was pregnant she did not let me out of her sight. When the baby was born, if the baby cried the dog would come running to get us, then run circles around the bassinet or back and forth in front of the crib. If the baby was anywhere where she could get to her when she was crying, she would go kiss her and snuggle up to her. DD is now 3 1/2 and occasionally torments the poor dog, and the dog just sits and takes it. Although they love to lay around and snuggle they also love to play and do tricks and can keep the kids entertained. We love our Havanese. (However, we did not love her so much last night when she kept trying to wake us up and jumping on and off the bed because our DD was coughing all night and the dog was worried about her and wanted us to do something).

 

[natenapril]

I am really surprised no one mentioned a golden retriever. We have had ours for 12 years and love him to pieces. He is the best dog we have ever been around. He loves our kids and is very protective of me.

 

[solar]

I am really surprised no one mentioned a golden retriever

great family dogs, but i believe they're looking for a smaller dog

 

[Jasperann]

We just got a beagle puppy in January of this year. He was potty trained very quickly. He listens...most of the time, but he is motivated by his nose. He is loyal and very good with our kids. He is still a puppy, but we don't have any problems with him. He does like to cuddle though and thinks that he is a lap dog. He loves to play catch and long walks (he gets plenty of use of his nose)

A couple cons for a beagle... (which depending on you they might not be) They roll around in ANY smell that they find appealing, and need baths often. The second thing is they howl, (not so much bark) but it is just to alert you to any changes that they see in the back yard. Our beagle didn't howl or bark for the first six months we had him. Then we took in my moms dog (who is a huge barker) and that is when he learned it.

Good luck!

 

[solar]

They roll around in ANY smell that they find appealing

Oh my gosh, YES!!! WE have a roller too!

 

[crysplefty]

THIS WEBSITE HAS INFORMATION ON THE RELIABILITY OF DIFFERENT BREEDS WITH CHILDREN, OTHER ANIMALS, STRANGERS, ETC.

www.dogbreedinfo.com/children.htm www.dogbreedinfo.com/children.htm

 

[chabs]

Thanks to everyone who's responded so far. I have been researching this for months and am so undecided! I want to make the best choice for my family, since it will be our friend for life. I thought about the Havanese too, but didn't know much about the breed. I like to hear the pros and cons from everyone.

 

[JUJU814]

Our family has always had labradors (we have one now). We would like to add a "sister" to our family and are looking into a smaller breed, but I am unsure what to pick. We were thinking a shih tzu or lhasa apso or maybe even a king charles cavalier spaniel but I don't have a lot of experience with these breeds. I want to make sure that the breed is kid friendly (my kids are older) and are relatively easy to train. Does anyone have any recommendations?

I haven't had good luck with smaller breeds. I find them difficult to train. I personally think the best friend/mate for a lab is another lab. I tried three times to get a "little" friend for our black lab and none of them worked out. I finally got him another lab and they were instantly soul mates..literally love at first sight. LOL Sadly, the lab that we got the other one for passed away last month from cancer.

I struck gold with this breeder of our current lab so I think if I decide to take the plunge and buy her a friend, I'll get her another lab from the same breeder.

I know you said smaller breed, but I just was relaying my experience because I wanted a smaller one too, and none of the smaller ones worked with our lab.

 

[JUJU814]

Thanks to everyone who's responded so far. I have been researching this for months and am so undecided! I want to make the best choice for my family, since it will be our friend for life. I thought about the Havanese too, but didn't know much about the breed. I like to hear the pros and cons from everyone.

The three breeds we tried for a friend for our lab:

Havanese: it was a nightmare. Very difficult to train, and got sick a lot. Could have been the breeder though..she truly was a nutcase. I should have known the minute I met her but I couldn't leave the little bugger behind. He nearly drove me to drink and is in a happy home somewhere in the next town.
Beagle: very loyal but independent. She bit my three year old over the eye requiring stitches. So so to train. Had to put her down. NO shelter or rescue league would take her due to the biting.
Puggle: 1/2 pug; 1/2 beagle. Not a dog to be with other dogs. He wanted to be the only dog. Finally gave him to sister in law and he's an *awesome* dog being an only dog..was a horrible companion for our lab. Also difficult to train.

My labs have been, while active, easy to train with consistency, and they are just amazing with children, as you probably know. Can you tell I'm bias towards this breed?

 

[sillyjodes]

We love our Maltese and he's great with our girls. You have to regularly groom them, but we have fun pampering him. The breed is prone to allergies, teeth problems, and a weird hicup thing. Parker has allergies, but not too bad. We have his teeth cleaned annually. We all love our Maltese! They are $$$ if from a reputable breeder, which I hope you would understand.
Jodie