For many people, their family simply isn’t complete without a furry loved one (or two, or three, or more). But not all dog breeds do well with children or other dogs, which means that you can’t just bring home the first pup you see and start spoiling it with treats for dogs. You need to carefully select the breed if you’re looking to expand your family pack. Read on to discover tips for choosing a dog breed for families, plus eight of the top dog breeds for families that you should definitely consider.
How to Choose a Dog Breed for Families
Multiple factors go into choosing the perfect family dog for your unique situation. Here are six important criteria to consider as you try to select a family dog breed:
Age
Choosing whether to adopt a puppy or an adult dog will have a big impact on how you integrate the dog into your family. Puppies are adorable and small (for a time, anyway), but they require a lot of training to socialize properly and they will pee inside and chew on things until they are mature. Training a puppy while also trying to raise children can prove too much for some families, so if you’re set on adopting a puppy, make a plan for who will train it and when so that you know you’re ready to take on the challenge.
Adult dogs are more of a known quantity since they have already matured into their personalities and (presumably) been trained. Adopting an older dog who has already been trained in basic commands and has been well socialized with dogs and children can take a lot of the work out of it for your family. However, an adult dog that has not been trained or that was mistreated by a former owner means that your work will be cut out for you. In those scenarios, adopting a puppy without such a prior history might be a better fit for your family.
Size
If you live in a smaller apartment, then you’ll probably want a small dog that will fit into the space instead of a huge dog that’s bigger than your children. When thinking about what size of dog you want, keep in mind that female dogs tend to be smaller on average than male dogs from the same breed. Also, know that a larger dog does not necessarily equal a more active dog. There are plenty of huge dog breeds that are couch potatoes, and plenty of tiny dog breeds that will absolutely bounce off the walls with energy. Be sure that you are considering activity level in addition to breed size when narrowing down your options.
Activity Level
A bored dog is a destructive dog, so don’t get a very active breed if you are only prepared to take them on one walk a day. Active dog breeds need exercise every day, not just on weekends, and they tend to do better in larger homes with yards where they can run around if possible. Don’t get an active breed if your lifestyle isn’t already very active. Incorporating a new dog into your family will already be enough of a change in your routine. There are plenty of dog breeds of all sizes who will be happy to lie around watching TV with your family all weekend if that’s more your speed.
