Having a pet with children can be fantastic for the kids as a learning experience and even as a companion. A dog can end up as your child’s best friend and provide loyalty and even a sense of responsibility in your child. They learn to care for another being and this is a lesson they take with them for life.
It should be said, however, that not every dog is going to provide this type of scenario. Some breeds are just not meant to be owned when you have kids or if the dog will be around other kids. It could be because they have a history of aggression even towards their own family. The last thing you want is to get a call from a dog bite attorney because your dog bit your child’s friend.
The key is to find the right breed that is going to be a gentle companion and not be high maintenance so you can balance your time between the dog and you kids. In this article, I will go over several breeds that are ideal for when you have little children and still want a dog.
1 – Beagle
This breed is adorable and makes the ideal companion for your child. They are working dogs by breed meaning that they were bred to be used for hunting. They have an amazing sense of smell and can track down things like rabbits and pheasants to flush them out and be hunted.
These days, they aren’t used for that so much but instead are just great pets that can be part of the family. But, it is because of the fact that they were used to hunt that they are good dogs to have with kids. This is because they are easily trained. They don’t mind following orders and are very willing to be trained.
They straddle the border between active and passive as they are quite content to lounge around but at the same time they do need some outdoors activity. About an hour a day of walking or running in the back yard is usually enough. Keep in mind that they do love to follow scents so the yard needs to be securely fenced so they don’t wander off in search of a particular scent.
They are very gentle with kids and are willing to go with the flow when it comes to how the kids want to play with them. They don’t require any special care aside from what you would need to do for any other type of dog. Meaning that they are not predisposed to any kind of ailment that some other specialty breeds can experience.
2 – Basset hound
Though they have big, sad eyes, basset hounds are actually very happy go lucky dogs. They have such an even temper that they are the perfect best friend for your kids. They are affectionate and love to snuggle. If you want a laid back type of dog that just loves being around you and your kids no matter what you are doing then this is a great breed.
They really love to lounge so they are not going to be hyper and cause problems from being overactive. In fact, they are on the opposite end of the spectrum and you will have to force them into some exercise to avoid them gaining too much weight.Otherwise they are fairly low maintenance. There are some issues that can come up with regards to eye disease, however so you may need to be aware of that.
3 – Standard poodle
Notice that I say standard poodle and not any other kind. This is because it is this one specific type of poodle that is good with kids as some others are simply too high strung and high maintenance.
Standard poodles are active, but if your kids are slightly older then this shouldn’t be a problem. A big benefit, however, is that their fur is usually hypoallergenic so if your child has allergies then this breed is ideal.
They are almost always playful and ready for any kind of game that your child may come up with. At the same time, they are very gentle and understand when they need to pull back so as to not hurt the child. In other words, they have a lot of patience with kids so they won’t snap at them if the game is too intense. And, yet, they are always ready for a good snuggle.
