Best dog breed for…

[beans1992]

A family of first time dog owners with sensible/well behaved but young children, and two bunnies (these are kept in the garden but I don’t want a dog with a strong prey drive).

Willing to wait for the right breed, advice appreciated! TIA x

How young are your children? What is your lifestyle like in terms of how much walking/exercise you can provide?

Do you have a preference over size of dog?

@Stellaris22 they are 4 and 5. We are fairly active, certainly able to take a dog out for a daily walk and longer at weekends. Preference is small to medium size. Thanks!

One thing I hadn’t really thought about before getting a dog is that there are times when you are on your own with the kids and they don’t want to walk or can’t (maybe they are unwell or weather really bad) but dog needs a walk. Just something to consider. It’s easier once they are old enough and can stay at home while you take dog round the block quickly. I don’t really have any advice about the breed but most people on here advise Labrador or golden retriever. If you can possibly get a rescue and miss the puppy phase this would be easier for you.

Whippet?
One decent walk a day plus a couple of toilet breaks seems to keep my neighbour’s dog happy - while I am out 3 times a day in all weathers with my Labradors 😃

Labs & Goldens are awesome dogs, it they are big, hairy, and clumsy which might be an issue with smaller children.

Don't get a Golden Retriever or Labrador - they won't leave those bunnies alone! And they need lots of walking. People think they don't but that's the reason you see so many fat labs and GRs around.

For info: I have a GR and adore her but her prey drive is strong and it takes a LOT of time training her to leave small animals alone which is in short supply with small children to look after.

I can't think of any breed of dog with a low prey drive so I will watch with interest!

How long each day?
All dogs should get a daily walk, but it's important to be realistic about how long you can manage daily as some breeds are ok with an hour or less, while some need several hours.

We have a cocker spaniel, I wouldn't let him free range with our rabbits as if they ran he'd probably thinking chasing was fun (although he ignores them in their enclosure & is more interested in eating their poop). They have a large secure enclosure anyway as we get regular fox visits, but I personally avoided terriers and sight hounds as they have stronger prey drives for small furries.

Our dog is ok with an hour a day (I'm pregnant so not doing as much as usual) as long as there is plenty of mental stimulation, lots of sniffing, & he's fed from a kong or puzzle feeder rather than a bowl. He's part working, part show; a full working spaniel (like his mum) would need more exercise & stimulation.

They are fun dogs but v bitey puppies (all puppies bite, but gun dog breeds can be particularly mouthy). Think carefully about how you'd manage this with young children; they grow out of it but it can be quite full on especially when overtired. Easier if you can use baby gates / room dividers, harder if you have a v open-plan layout.

Also, they can be a bit prone to guarding - it's important not take things out of their mouths by force. It'll be easier to manage if kids are old enough to understand that toys/shoes/gloves etc need to be kept out of reach or risk being chewed!

We have a basset hound who has been around our guinea pigs since she was a puppy, she shows very little interest in them and sleeps next to their cage.

Also fantastic with small children and doesn't need a huge amount of walking.

Whippets are great, but not sure how they would be around small children. I know people who have two and they also have a cat and chickens, never been any issues.

I agree Basset Hounds are great family dogs (have one) but they are notoriously hard to house train and alow to train in general i woild not recommend aa a first dog with young children
Absolutely amazing though

They can be a challenge to house train, but training isn't impossible. They just have a 'what's in it for me' attitude, ours has recall and basic commands sorted.

I would say that the being amazing with small children makes it worth it, but depends on how much effort is put into training.

I also think staffies can be great with small children, the ones we know are very gentle and lovely. Can't say what they'd be like around rabbits though.

Staffy? Great with kids. Likely to be fine with bunnies especially if you get a puppy. They're the best dogs. They don't need crazy amounts of exercise but they do enjoy a walk. I've had three (one of which I got when ds was under 2yo) and I would never get another breed now.

All dogs could potentially have a prey drive - it's down to lots of socialisation and careful training, and a sprinkling of luck, that you get dogs who are well behaved around small furries. There will always be a chance that no matter how hard you try, the small furries will always be too exciting and the dog will be obsessed no matter what you do. That's how I found my first pair of rescue rabbits - the dog in the house constantly wanted to play with them so they were got rid of in favour of the dog :( I had them for many years (lost them at 12 and 13 years old) and they never lost their fear of the sound of a dog doing a play growl.

Remember puppies bite, no matter the breed, and are like having another toddler in the house - one that can't be left alone even for a second with the human children. That can be very difficult to manage if you're alone with kids plus puppy, even turning your back to make a cup of tea or popping to the loo can mean a child gets nipped by over excited puppy, or snacks get stolen, or snacks are fed to the dog deliberately, or poop is spread across the floor, or a million other things. And yes, you also have to take into account initially that puppy won't be able to go for walks, then won't be able to go for very long walks, won't be able to go with you when you go to the park if you're lone-parenting it because the pup can't go into the children's play area. Etc etc etc.

You're probably best looking at a companion breed but I do think you'll really struggle with two rabbits living in the garden.

Our staffy would go wild over a rabbit - probably wouldn’t know what to do with one if she caught up with it, but seeing how she reacts to cats and squirrels I wouldn’t trust her with a small furry. You may be better off planning to keep rabbits very secure from a dog instead of hoping they’ll happily cohabit

We have a cocker spaniel and a rabbit. Doesn't bother with the rabbit at all. He's very affectionate, lovely with the children

My recommendation is boxer dog. Not naturally inclined to high prey drive and great with kids. Boxers are as happy running themselves daft in a garden as out a "real" walk, so it's handy for days you can't get out of the house.

Not great if you're very house proud due to slobbery. Training takes patience but they are generally pretty placid dogs.

I have had Boxers, mastiffs and German shephards in my life. Boxers are best family dog in my opinion.

My golden retriever is like a best friend and nanny rolled into one. She demonstrated recall and obedience around road safety, helpfully takes care of all unwanted items off trays and gravitates to sit solemnly beside toddlers. I could walk her anywhere without a lead and she is settled which is settling to children. However I deliberately spent two years training her for this role before baby number one arrived and I don't think I could have done it without that time. That said, she is perfect.

I recommend a shih tzu, absolutely fantastic little dogs. Such fun personalities, enjoy going for decent walks and very loving. Grooming isn’t a hassle if you have them clipped every 6 to 8 weeks either.

Also just to add I have rabbits both indoors and outdoors, none of my dogs are bothered by them. Occasionally I’ll have a foster dog that might want to bark at them but it’s not hard to correct and then they ignore them.

I know a couple of people with spaniels and rabbits - they’ve put a lot of work in though, it’s not so much prey drive that’s the issue as most puppies will see other pets as household members not prey (not all, but most) it’s that rabbits are not exactly hardy so you need to go for training the puppy to completely avoid them. Because a puppy just being friendly will stress rabbits out.

You ideally want to be looking for a trainer as soon as you’ve found a breeder so you can do one to one sessions straight away.

I have a golden retriever and a lab - I think they are pretty easy as dogs go, but big and hairy. We got the golden when my dc were 3, 5 and 6 and have had no problems. They would both probably chase a rabbit though - I think most dogs would tbh.

@Blackbutler86

I recommend a shih tzu, absolutely fantastic little dogs. Such fun personalities, enjoy going for decent walks and very loving. Grooming isn’t a hassle if you have them clipped every 6 to 8 weeks either.

Agree, fabulous little dogs and very family friendly.

I second any companion breed. If you want something a bit different, go for a Chinese Crested Powdepuff... lovely little dogs, playful and fun. But I found the 2 I owned a bit dim. On the upside they were very easy dogs all round.

Pug.

It's honestly the best breed in the world in terms of temperament. Ours is the friendliest little boy, absolutely adores children and all animals (we have loads - including a rabbit, guinea pigs, a tortoise, birds and a pony). He loves everyone and just wants to be friends with all people and pets. I have never met a more loving dog. He loves it when kids fuss over him and he sleeps about 20 hours a day when at home (usually on the electric blanket or on someone's lap). 🥰

He was super easy to train as a puppy, can be left alone for several hours, loves car rides etc etc. Simply the best! ♥️

A boxer? For a first time dog owner with small kids? Just a thousand no's. You'll give op a lifetime of regret with advice like that.