Best dog breed for a family

[Greeksummerholiday]

We lost our Labrador 18 months ago and are looking for a new puppy next spring. We live on a small holding with our 3 children aged 8, 5 and 3. What dog breeds would you recommend? Our lab was lovely but quite a boisterous puppy and just interested in others’ opinions on great family dogs.

I think you just have to accept that actually puppies and kids aren't great together, but with good management (room dividers etc) they can coexist until everyone is old enough and sensible enough to get along well. With that in mind, I'd look at which breed suits your family as an adult. I'd lean towards a lab or golden retriever if you don't mind a large dog. I've got a springer X lab and she's a brilliant family dog and smaller, but higher energy and exercise needs than the other two breeds.

All puppies are boisterous.

This. Although my brother has a whippet and a lurcher and they were quite sedate compared to most other puppies. Still had their moments though, and I'm not sure if they're actually that great for a family with young kids (but perfect for older knackered people).

All puppies are awful.

Some are worse than others - and good breeding and a good breeder (two very different things) are essential to ensure that you get a dog you are equipped to handle. Having an older dog with young children is very different to raising a puppy alongside young children.

That being said, and I mean this gently, a good breeder won't sell to you with two children so young - even if you have had a dog before.

Puppies are puppies, sorry.

I'd recommend poodles. So clever and playful. Good natured too.
Ours is quite clingy, which I understand is normal for the breed. But for a family dog, its actually working out OK as there's usually someone at home.

Miniature schnauzer

I’ve had a Labrador and a toy poodle.

I love labs as they are “real” dogs but a toy poodle is the best for me and my family now. Easily trained, sweet with kids, happy to just be around us.

Plus I don’t think I can ever go back to Labrador size poo after having a toy poodle!

I will never not have a greyhound or 3! They’re brilliant family dogs. Gentle and low maintenance.

Depends on your tolerance for fur, vet bills and exercise. Ibhave bernese mountain dogs, which are generally regarded as good with children, but the fur is off the scale and as for the vet bills......

Italian Spinone is the only breed I've ever had that was chilled as a puppy. Lovely family dogs, can walk forever, can laze around.

Languorous is the word that comes to mind when I think about the two I had. But the trade off was drooling from the boy and hair shedding for both.

There are lots of lovely breeds for families but not many lovely puppies of any breed when young children are in the mix.

I’m totally biased but my Border Terrier is the absolute best companion. Yes, puppy stage was hard, especially the landshark phase but he’s been a quick learner throughout. He’s just over 18 months and he’s pretty chilled now, for a terrier 😬
He loves a snuggle, loves a play fight, loves a ball, and especially loves chasing squirrels. Where I live all the kids love him, and he loves them.
He’s sitting at my feet right now gazing at me, I adore him.

What’s already been said, all puppies are a**holes 🤣

labradors are the no.1 family breed for a reason. Get another one

What about a mini poodle, or a cairn terrier?

Also got a Border Terrier too, he’s coming up 2. Got him when my children were 4 and 6 (now 6 and 8) and, sure, he did annoying puppy things but he has always been good with the children. He’s reasonably trainable too and quite versatile- will walk/ run all day if that’s what’s going on, or make do with a couple of short walks and a bit of roaming around the garden. Most of his worst puppy behaviour was over by the time he was 6 months old. Very affectionate personality. My kids really love him!

We have a ‘show’ type Labrador, not a working, he’s amazing and we have a 2 year old, he’s never put a paw wrong with her.

My miniature poodle was so easy as a puppy. She housetrained very quickly, settled at night and never chewed anything. Poodles are lovely dogs, very intelligent and easy to train. They don’t shed, so you have to get them cut. We had a golden retriever, who we loved but our poodle is a much easier dog.

We’re a spaniel family and loved our working cocker but lost him a few weeks ago to leukaemia. We now have our 7 month old sprocker and she’s super chilled and always has been. Not like puppies usually are so maybe she’s unusual. So lovely with our dc but they are 13-17. I’m not sure under 7s are ideal with many puppies.

I too had a Labrador before DC but when we lost her wanted something smaller and I remembered the boisterous Lab puppy days too. I've always had dogs and know all puppies are nobheads but the lab was in a league of her own, bless her heart, and not something I would want to repeat with small children in the mix.

We got a Cairn Terrier pup when DC was 5 and I wouldn’t hesitate to get another. She was just the best with DC and all their boisterous mates. Never a hint of impatience, let alone aggression. She had the sweetest, kindest nature combined with just loving being involved in everything we were doing and made us laugh every day. If tou’re on a small holding I’m guessing there are animals around. Terriers have a reputation for chasing small furries and ours was fascinated by the hamsters/gerbils, but she could only be anywhere near them if she sat quietly and watched, any worrying ‘over-enthusiasm’ and she was banished from the room and she very quickly learned.

I’d have another Cairn in a heartbeat if I had to choose a family dog again. I didn’t miss the lab’s hair everywhere either!

My cocker spaniel has been chilled from day one. Partly nature of course but also training. However it’s me and my dog. Twenty years ago when I had my last puppy I also had 3 young children and it was a very different story!

The only dogs I’ve ever been bitten by, unexpectedly and without provocation, are poodles. Although my parents adopted one who was lovely, my boss has one who is totally unpredictable and has bitten a few people ( while different story and not my problem).
We are on our 3 Labrador and probably wouldn’t chose any other breed. I keep thinking this one will be our last but I know that I will be lost without my little shadow.