People love adorable photos and stories of kids and dogs together. And when they like what they see, they’re going to share it on their own social media accounts. Cute photos of dogs cuddling babies or heroic stories of the family dog saving a kid from being hit by a car often have the potential to become viral hits.
If you want to adopt a dog for your own kids to grow up with, you’re going to want to find a dog that blends well with your family. Cute photos are a bonus, but don’t let that be your primary reason for adopting a dog. Instead, consider the personality of the dog and how it will get along with your kids.
Certain breeds are known for being great for families. If you want a new furry family member, consider adopting one of the following breeds from your location shelter.
Labrador Retrievers
The good-natured temperament of labs makes them ideal for families. These dogs are cheerful, enjoy spending time with their owners, and are good with other animals. They’re also easily trained.
Labs are known for having plenty of energy, especially in their puppy years, which makes them perfect for families with young children. Labs need daily exercise or they might get rambunctious. They usually don’t calm down until they are adults. Send the puppy and your child out in the yard together so that they wear each other out!
Golden Retrievers
Golden retrievers have a similar temperament to labs, but are usually even more rambunctious and affectionate! Golden retrievers are friendly towards everyone, enjoy spending time with other animals, are loyal, and extremely active. They’re great for young children that have plenty of energy and need a friend.
Golden retrievers retain a puppy-like temperament for years. They need lots of daily exercise and like to chew on items. They’re also extremely distractible and have short attention spans. Going to obedience training as a puppy can help golden retrievers settle down more easily.
Beagles
Beagles are medium-sized dogs that are friendly and energetic. These dogs need plenty of time outside but they’re also likely to be calm once they’re indoors. This makes them an ideal dog for families that enjoy spending time outside but don’t want to deal with a rambunctious dog.
Something to keep in mind is that beagles are hunting hounds. This means that they need plenty of room to wander around. They’re also prone to howling when something catches their interest, which means they are noisy at times.
Bichon Frises
Bichon Frises are a small breed, which makes them perfect for families living in apartments. They’re gentle but also active enough that they can keep up with young children. Unlike other breeds of small dogs, Bichon Frises are not known for constantly barking.
Bichon Frises are also hypoallergenic, making them one of the few dog breeds that are good for people with allergies. They do require quite a bit of grooming. Their coats should be brushed daily and they should be bathed weekly.
Newfoundlands
Newfoundlands are massive, but they’re also sweet-tempered. They’re referred to as “nanny dogs” because of how gentle and affectionate they are towards children. They’re also extremely patient. These dogs do need regular exercise and plenty of room both inside and outside, but they aren’t as active as labs or golden retrievers.
Newfoundlands like spending time with people, are eager to please, and easy to train. They sometimes suffer from separation anxiety. As gentle as they are, sometimes Newfoundlands forget their size and unintentionally knock people over.
Mixed-Breeds
Not technically a breed, certain types of mixed-breeds (or mutts) can make the perfect family dog. Mixed-breeds are a combination of multiple breeds. Usually, they’re bred without any human intervention.
They’re usually found at a lower cost than a purebred but still have good dispositions. Their personalities range based upon their genes. Some mixed-breed dogs are calm, some are silly, and some are extremely active. Mixed-breeds sometimes have trouble getting adopted because people don’t want to deal with the uncertainty of their genetics.
Final thoughts
No matter what breed you’re considering, make sure you do your research so that you fully understand their temperament. You should also do research to make sure you’re prepared to take care of a dog; check out www.woofbarkgrowl.co.uk for dog care tips.
Ideally, you’ll be able to locate a dog at your local shelter and spend time with them before committing to adopting them. This will give you a chance to see how they interact with your kids.
