Best dog breed with young children

[Helenj1977]

Wasn't sure where to post this but thought here I'd get better advice??

We're looking to add a puppy to our family next year and have started looking at breeds now. We have an 11 yo, 9yo and nearly 1yo. We want to wait until 1yo is a bit older. I'm a sahm so am home all the time.

We were looking at Cavapoos but I'm aware cross breeds aren't always the best option.

In a nut shell, we'd love a medium size dog, great with children, easy to train and low Shedding.

Any advice from dog /children owners would be fab 😃

I was asking this a year ago, did a ton of research

We settled on a female springer. I'm a big walker and hoping to do some V long distance with her in the Lakes/Dales starting next year.

She adores my kids, but to the point of trying to be all over them all the time, however she's only a pup at the moment, 3 months! ... very intelligent, crate trained within a week - slept all night with no fuss after a couple of weeks, toilet trained around the same time (whines at the back door now)....playing fetch & tricks within days of getting her, which the kids LOVE! she's non stop fun .

I see border terriers are on the list of family-friendly dogs, and I think they would definitely tick all your boxes: medium-sized, good with children, like walks but don't need huge walks every day, intelligent and trainable (some people say they have recall issues, but ours is fine) and much more laid-back temperamentally than most terriers. Ours does shed, but as a breed they normally don't shed much, just need their coats stripping a couple of times a year.

A Labrador. The BEST!

"
In a nut shell, we'd love a medium size dog, great with children, easy to train and low Shedding."

Miniature poodle.

soubriquet is spot on.

We have a whippet and a staffy. Both great with our kids. I think it's more down to training rather than the breed!!

If you'd look into slightly larger than medium o have cane corso and although large breed, they are fantastic, my girl dotes on my 4yo and 10 week old, so gentle and loving too! Only 8 months herself but so easy to train i can't praise the breed enough

Lhasa apso- perfect family dog

My sister's miniature poodle was crazy! He used to nip everyone despite lots of physical and mental exercise.
DM had a JRT, he was an absolute sweetheart. Such a softy.
We have a bearded collie - he's great with children, smart, funny, gorgeous 😍
However, very high grooming requirements and he moults a lot.

How about a retriever? They're lovely and would meet your needs. Or a spaniel?

Whippet!!!

Cockapoo!

We have one with our 1 year old (cockapoo is now 3years old) and he is the best, so friendly and gentle. Mostly stays out of his way or will lick him when he's happy. My son adores him! To whoever said you get the worst of both with a cross breed, that is 100% not true. You ultimately get a mix obviously. Our cockapoo was not a pure breed, his mum was cockapoo so he's a mix again. But I've never met a cockapoo who wasn't friendly and kind. They're so sweet. Although I also advocate for a rescue if you can get one, they often get a bad rap but they've often such had had starts to life and are full of love.

STAFFIES!

I know they get a bad rep but they are fantastic with kids.

Wonderful, funny, cuddly dogs

Cavaliers or Cavapoos - But honestly I would wait until the 1-year old is at least 3-years old. Toddlers are unsteady and accidents happen.

Our shih tzus are the dogs bollocks

We have a 5 month old miniature poodle ( 3 DC's age 9,3,1). She's been great so far, clever easy to train and sweet natured. We also have a 6 year old labradoodle. She's also very devoted and loves the kids.

Have any of those saying definitely not had a boxer ever had one? DS grew up with boxers. My boxer was a typical, silly - high energy - girl, but knew from them moment that DS arrived that she had to be gentle with him. (And I had been concerned about how it would go) He adored her, and vice versa. The first time he laughed was when he was in his baby walker and the boxer was sprinting towards him and swerving at the last minute.... Even when DS was older she wouldn't play rough with him, much to his frustration. Have a look at Linus the boxer on Youtube. I cannot rave about boxers and babies enough!!!! (I have only ever had girls - not sure how boys are, but the YouTube boxer is a boy!)

All the poodle crosses people are mentioning may be low shedding but need A LOT of grooming, everyday & professional grooming every 6-8 weeks so keep that in mind. Also Labs are lovely, yellows tend to be the calmest followed by black, chocolate are usually bonkers but they all shed tons!

cocker spaniels are amazing with kids!

Cant recomend the Miniature Schnauzer enough .. - truly fabulous dogs, fantastic with children, manageable size , hypo allergenic and do not shed... they are like little teddy bears oozing with personality.. pls do include them in your research

Lhasa apso - ours is great with kids, doesn't shed and is just perfect!! ( not biased at all lol)

I've got a staffordshire bull terrier (who's nearly 7yrs old) and 2 small children, a 3yr old and 18 mth old & I honestly couldn't wish for a better dog... Hence their nickname "nanny dogs"

I've never met a dog I didn't like (or quite like) ! and I adore big bouncy dogs, but I heartily echo the poster who suggested getting a dog the children can walk. Obviously it's training, training, training and any size dog will walk nicely (and come back) if you make the effort (well, ok, not beagles.... never consider a beagle!) but a smaller dog is easier for children to manage. You don't want a boring couch potato of a dog who doesn't much fancy playing. Nor do you want a maniac who is lapping the house and knocking everyone down.

A spaniel can have the right combination of size and exuberant personality.

I would 100% recommend a Wirehaired Vizsla. We are on our second.
Our first was 6 months old when my first child was born and he was amazing - died last year at 13.
Our second is 9.5 months and is a livewire but the kids adore him.

They are perfect family dogs. Easy to train and don't shed. They can be high energy which makes for perfect family walks, but as with any dog get the training right and you're okay. They are a gun dog breed so very intelligent. The Wirehaired version is less bouncy than the smooth.

They are clingy but love being with family and really are the perfect dog in my eyes. They do like to lie on your sofa however - I don't know a Vizsla that doesn't.

Here's our old Boy and our our new one. You can see how the coats vary in the same breed but neither shed - at all. But they can grow large so you need to see the parents!

We had staffies when I was growing up and they are brilliant dogs with kids, despite their bad press. We recently took on a rescue French bulldog and she is fab! So soft and cuddly, very sturdy but quite small so would probably be manageable for children. I have had terriers all my life but she has converted me!

Old one.