Top 5 Best Dog Breeds For Families

When a family decides to get a dog as a pet, they usually take into consideration a number of factors, but perhaps the most important factor is how well the dog will adjust and handle kids. Kids have a tendency to be more rough on dogs than adults will be and because of this a more stable, even tempered, and patient dog is necessary to ensure that your children have the best possible experience with their new pet and, hopefully, soon-to-be best friend.

Even if you don't have children, these breeds can become great pets. Especially if you live an active lifestyle, and want a companion that will be there with you when your hiking, swimming, running or anything else like that.

The biggest consideration that people take into account when choosing a dog, from what I can tell, is how well the dog acts around other people. Generally speaking, if a dog acts well around everyone then they will act good around your children too. Many things go into how a dog behaves and breed is a huge part of it. Among some of the other reasons a dog behaves the way it does are: Environment, genetics, training, amount of care, diet, and exercise. So these are just some things to consider. If nothing else just realize that breed isn't the only factor contributing to a dog's temperament.

And now for the dog breeds themselves!

The golden retriever is probably the most famous family dog there is. They are know for being great with children. They are playful and gentle when it comes to their family. Originally, as with many dog breeds, the golden retriever was bred to be a bird hunting dog and as a result it has some impressive athletic ability, such as being good runners and excellent swimmers. The golden retriever is also very intelligient, making them great guide dogs for the blind or elderly.

In general, the breed is a great choice for:

• Outdoor oriented families.
• Families with small children.
• Active families.
• Families with a backyard or a large house where the dog can run around, otherwise the dog should be taken for walks 1-2 times a day, this holds true for many dogs but the golden retriever is larger so they will need more room to roam.
• Families that can give the dog affection on a regular basis (kids usually do well to show affection often).

Collies are known for being a highly intelligient dog breed. They are very gentle dogs as well as very loyal. Their combination of intelligience, docile nature, and loyalty make them very good with families and children. Of course, they aren't like Lassie in that they can't sense danger, but I'd be willing to bet they would let you know pretty quick if anything was going wrong.

Who are Collies good for?

Collies are highly energetic dogs, so make sure you will be able to let them run around up to an hour or two a day! They need room to run and let off some steam. Kids often do a good job of helping pets burn off some energy, so if you have kids you may not even have to let the dog outside, but having a backyard for the dog and your kids to play in is a good idea when considering this breed.

So the bottom line is that Collies are:

• Great with kids.
• Reliable and loyal.
• Highly intelligient.
• Good dogs for the active person.

Pugs are a small breed, small enough to make great lap-dogs, and they are probably well known for having unique scrunched faces. The breed was originally a royalty pet. Queen Victoria owned many pugs, as did wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, Joséphine. The breed, although proud and strong-willed, is an awesome family pet and behaves very well around children.

You should get a pug if you:

• Want a lap-dog.
• Have a smaller house, apartment, or no backyard.
• Don't want a dog that is overly energetic.
• Have a newborn child, or one that can't walk yet.
• Want a loyal companion.
• Love pugs!

The Siberian Husky is my personal favorite dog, only because my favorite animal is wolves. Originally bred to be sled dogs, Siberian Huskies are very energetic animals that love playing and running around. They howl rather than bark, and resemble their ancestors, wolves, very closely in appearance. Siberian Huskies, with proper care, can live to be 12 to 15 years old. That's equivalent to a human living to be 84 to 105! With proper training, this breed can be great with children and they can also be great watchdogs.

So, why should I get one?

• They live for a long time, so your kids may grow up to be adults and your dog will still be there.
• They are a very playful and energetic breed which is always good for families with children.
• If you live in a cold environment, you couldn't pick a better breed.
• This breed has a lot of endurance, so they'll be able to keep up with you whether your hiking for days or running for hours.

Weimaraners, aside from having a very difficult to spell and pronounce name, were bred to be hunting dogs like many other dog breeds. This breed was also bred to be true family dogs, which means they are one of the best breeds there is for a family, but they also can get too attached. This doesn't happen often, but if you get this dog breed be sure to train it to where it won't get anxiety when you leave the house for work or anything.

Things to keep in mind about the Weimaraner:

• They are great dogs for families, one of the best.
• They need lots of exercise and physical activity.
• They are extremely loyal companions.
• The Weimaraner needs good training, and can't be neglected in any way when being raised.
• If you don't want a lot of shedding, then the short-haired Weimaraner is the way to go, but if you don't mind then the long-haired Weimaraner is nice too.

Choosing a dog breed can be difficult, so hopefully this list has helped point you in the right direction when deciding what dog breed to get for your family. Below are some more resources I hope you check out that can give you even more ideas on what dog to get.

P.S. I may eventually extend the list to include more dog breeds, because there's no way I got every single best dog breed in a 5 breed list. Suggestions would be appreciated, I always love to hear other people's opinions and it would help me improve the list.