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Best Dogs for Kids

Submitted by Michael Adams on March 26, 2010

Dogs are the most popular domestic pets in the world and are usually comfortable with families and with children in the family. If you are concerned about your dog and its behavior with your children you should take a few precautions which should ensure that everything is fine in your house. Most breeds of dogs are ok with children.

Dogs tend to be protective of their masters or of their pack and will almost always be gentle with young children. Generally speaking, a smaller dog is easier to handle and would be less of a hassle with small children in the house. However, having puppies with children in the house may prove to be a hazardous combination as children might hurt the puppies intentionally or unintentionally.

The same applies when you have a toddler with a larger dog. If the dog is still developing it may be over enthusiastic or unaware of its strength. This can easily be a matter of concern for you as your toddler may be hurt by your dog. Younger dogs tend to expect extra affection and attention and they may be difficult to deal with when you have a toddler in the house.

When you have a dog in your house, it is necessary that you dog is properly trained to behave with human beings. Make sure that your dog is not aggressive and follows your instructions when you tell it to be calm or to sit or stay. An over aggressive dog may treat a child roughly and may not get along with the child. This has been known to happen when children, in their playfulness, hit or slap the dog. Dogs do not react well to this and may get aggressive in response to such an action.

Two of the popular dog breeds with pet owners are Labradors and Golden retrievers. These dogs are generally the easiest and most relaxed at home. However, both these breeds, aged 2 thru 5 are extremely playful and some individuals may jump or playfully run at you. This is both scary and dangerous for children and it may be a good idea not to leave such a dog unsupervised around your child. Generally, older dogs are more mature. It is sensible to avoid aggressive dog breeds like Dobermans. In any case, such dogs are predatory in nature and should ideally not be kept as pets in an urban environment.

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