10 Myths About Pit Bulls

A few weeks ago I attended the Pet Days at the Orange County Marketplace. I had the chance to talk to several different dog rescues and even met several loving dogs who were up for adoption. Not surprisingly (to me) some of the friendliest dogs I met were Pit Bulls. Many of you now might be thinking: What are you talking about? Aren’t Pit Bulls mean vicious dogs bred solely for dog fighting. That’s hardly the case.

10 Myths About Pit Bulls

One of the rescues (I’m not too sure which one or I’d add a link here) had some great information on 10 Myths About Pit Bulls. Here’s the list I received from the rescue:

1. Pit bulls have locking jaws. They can’t let go even if they want to.
2. Once they bite down, a pit bull will not let go. You can’t even pry its jaws apart if you kill it.
3. Pit bulls are genetically bred to kill people.
4. Pit bulls are not good for anything except dogfighting.
5. Pit bulls are very aggressive.
6. Pit bulls can not be trained or controlled.
7. Pit bulls are unpredictable; they can turn on anyone, even their owner, at any time.
8. Pit bulls do not feel pain.
9. If a pit bull bites down and tastes blood, they will become aggressive and unstoppable.
10. Pit bulls have jaw muscles that can clamp down with (insert high number here) PSI of pressure.

All of the above rumors/myths are completely absurd and untrue of a Pit bull.

Fatal Dog Attack Statistics

Here are a few interesting facts about fatal dog attacks:

• 2000-2001 there were 41 fatal dog attacks. Of these, 28 were attacks by a single dog (the other 13 were caused by multiple dogs).
• Of the 28 single dog attack fatalities: 26 were male, 2 were female. Of the 26 males, 21 were found to be intact (the reproductive status of the remaining 5 male dogs could not be determined).
• Of the 448 cases of fatal dog attacks from 1965 - 2002, there is NO documented case where a single, neutered, American Pit bull terrier was teh cause of a human fatality.

Source: Karen Delise, Fatal Dog Attacks (www.fataldogattacks.com)

Those are some pretty amazing statistics.

My Experience With Pit bulls

A couple of our best friends are a Pit bulls. Bubba and Finn are friends with Derby, Linus, and Stetson and all of them get along really well. Bubba and Finn are two of the sweetest kindest dogs we know and also very well trained.

As I mentioned earlier some of the nicest dogs we met at the Pet Days were Pit bulls and if we were in the dog adoptions market we wouldn’t hesitate to adopt a Pit bull.

Do you own a Pit bull? Would you consider adopting a Pit bull a your next dog?

What is Big Black Dog Syndrome?

Have you ever heard of big black dog syndrome? Until just recently I never thought twice about the color of my dogs fur then I heard about big black dog syndrome. I was amazed when I heard that big black dogs were euthanized at a much higher rate then other dogs.

What Is Big Black Dog Syndrome?

As mentioned earlier Big Black Dog Syndrome is basically the fact that big black dogs get euthanized at a much higher rate then other dogs.

There are many ideas and theories as to why black dogs don’t get adopted as easily:

1. They don’t show in kennels as well - features on a black dog can often times not be seen very well when shown in a kennel.
2. Grey hairs show more easily on their coat making them appear older then they actually are
3. Superstitions and bad press - stories, poems, movies have often portrayed black dogs as fearsome and evil.
4. Teeth on a black dog can look whiter and more menacing
5. Black dogs aren’t photogenic - we even mentioned this one in a post about Stetson: 4 Steps To Avoid In A Puppy Group Photo

Which Labrador Retriever would you choose?

Stetson and his siblings - from left to right Stetson, Stuart, Salem, and Sukie.

Linus the Big Black Dog

Linus is more of a medium sized dog at 55 pounds, but he’s tall and lean and therefore looks a little bigger then he really is.

I wasn’t sure what kind of dog I was going to get when I picked up Linus from the shelter, but the color of his fur was just one minor detail amongst the different criteria I planned on using to choose my next pet. Before choosing Linus I visited several breeders and had my eye on one particular chunky little yellow Labrador Retriever we visited out in Riverside, CA.

However, a few days after putting a deposit down on the little yellow lab I saw pictures of a couple puppies at animal shelter in Carson, CA. The puppies were mixed Australian Shepherds and in the picture one had a the tri-color look (black, tan, and white) and the other was solid black with a small white spot on his chest.

When we saw the two puppies I remember commenting on how beautiful the tri-color puppy was and was instantly taken by her beautiful coat. However, I still was intent on testing personality over looks (isn’t that what we always do when starting a relationship). After putting both puppies through several personality tests I thought both dogs passed with flying colors, but I was leaning towards the solid black puppy versus the tri-color. In the end I ended up taking home the solid black puppy and named him Linus. While I was much more attracted to the tri-color coat I ultimately (and now happily) went with the dog I thought matched my personality best.

I guess Linus wasn’t a big puppy, but I knew he was going to be a medium to large dog. If you plan on getting a dog take a good look at the black dogs as well as the other colored dogs. A black dog can be just as good a pet as a golden, white, tri-color, blue merle, and any other color you can think of.

Have you heard of black dog syndrome? Do you have a black dog and why did you choose him or her?

Who Would My Dog Vote For: Obama or McCain?

Happy Election Day! With all the hoopla surrounding the election today I decided to get a political post up on the puppy in training site and try and find out who my dogs would vote for.

I’m not a very political person and while I do keep my ears open to the election, candidates, and coming propositions for the most part I try not to get into those heated political debates. However, my dogs on the other hand may argue otherwise. After doing a little online research I came across some striking differences between Senator Obama, Senataor McCain, and their pet ownership.

Senator Barrack Obama Has No Dogs Or Any Pets

After researching with Google I found out that the Obama’s don’t have any pets! This could be disastrous for the candidate if they were trying to pull the pet lover vote (looks like they obviously are not). However, possibly to try and sway the dog/pet lover vote Obama win-or-lose has promised his two daughters a dog after the election.

Following the report the AKC launched a poll to choose a breed of dog for the Obama’s. From the AKC website:

The Poodle clinched the nomination after the breed battled it out with the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier in a race almost as tight as Clinton and Obama’s run for the Democratic nomination for president. The Poodle won by a (dog) hair, with just a few hundred votes separating the top two contenders.

Might I suggest adopting any breed of dog mixed or pure-bred from one of the many impacted shelters across the nation as we talked about in Tough Times For Cat And Dog Adoptions.

Is the promise of a dog after the election enough to sway the pet lovers vote…

Senator John McCain Owns A Whopping 24 Pets

After reading about McCain’s stable of 24 pets I’d have to say that he’s on the complete opposite side of the spectrum compared to Senator Obama’s pet ownership policy. A report from the Times Online website:

He (McCain) has four dogs, including Lucy and Desi, named after the black-and-white television sitcom I Love Lucy, which rather dates the 71-year-old candidate. He also has a cat, a parakeet and a shoal of fish, including one called Lucky, and once owned a ferret and an iguana named Henry, who turned out to be Henrietta and laid an egg.

Okay, now we may be going a little over board with 24 pets. Being the dog lover that I am I dug a little deeper to find out exactly what breeds of dogs live in the McCain household. From WikiAnswers:

1. An English Springer Spaniel named Sam
2. A Yorkshire Terrier named Lucy
3. A Yorkshire Terrier named Desi
4. A Mixed breed named Coco

Linus, Stetson, and Derby’s Choice For President Is…

My dogs liked this bit from the Times Online on the importance of a dog in the White House:

A dog is an essential tool of government. There is nothing like a furry friend to feature in a distracting publicity photo during a domestic or international crisis and to provide private consolation when times are hard.

As my dogs pointed out to me their choice for President was clear. John McCain is the pet lovers choice in this election. While the number of pets a candidate has seems like a very insignificant and silly way to choose a candidate…if you’re on the fence on which candidate is the correct choice then this may be the one reason that pushes your vote in one direction or the other.

What do you think? Did you vote today?

Top 10 Dog Breeds

Today I was thinking about the top 10 dog breeds and if you do a search in Google you’ll see tens even hundreds of articles about the top 10 dog breeds. The most commons lists you’ll find are hard numbers done by the American Kennel Club (AKC). The AKC produces a list each year wit the top breeds registered to the AKC.

Top 10 Dog Breeds As Voted By The Internet

I wanted my top 10 list to be slightly different than your average list. So, I came up with my own way to calculate the top 10 dog breeds. I’m somewhat of an analytical person and like to use numbers when calculating most of my lists. Here’s what I did to find my top 10 dog breeds list:

1. I went to the AKC website and found this list: http://www.akc.org/reg/dogreg_stats.cfm
2. I took the top 50 and typed the breed into Google search using the following formula: “Breed Name” + Dog. An example of what I would type into Google is “Labrador Retriever” + Dog
3. I used the singular for each dog breed and used quotation marks around the breed name (this does an exact match in Google)
4. After clicking search, Google returns a number in the top right corner indicating the number of web pages returned for your search.
   

   

Disclaimer: Let me just say that this is a very inexact science. The Google search engine is constantly re-indexing pages and the results from my search changed within minutes. Basically this is just a snapshot and if you conducted a similar experiment your results would vary drastically from the results you see here.

Top 10 Dog Breeds

Number	Breed	Google Search	AKC 2007 Ranking	Notes
1	Yorkshire Terrier	5,610,000	2	“Individual dogs will differ, but they are generally intelligent, independent and courageous” - Wikipedia
2	German Shepherd	5,080,000	3	“German Shepherds are highly active dogs, fearless, but not hostile and often are described in breed standards as self-assured and never shy” - Wikipedia
3	Boston Terrier	5,080,000	16	“Boston Terriers have friendly, very strong, lovable, unforgettable personalities” - Wikipedia
4	Shih Tzu	5,070,000	9	“The Shih Tzu is characterized by its long, flowing double coat; sturdy build; intelligence; and a friendly, energetic, lively attitude” - Wikipedia
5	Golden Retriever	4,900,000	4	“The temperament of the Golden Retriever is a hallmark of the breed and is described in the standard as ‘kindly, friendly and confident’” - Wikipedia
6	Cocker Spaniel	4,050,000	17	“Cockers are renowned for their demon like behavior, but they are easily trained and make a good medium-sized family pet.” - Wikipedia
7	Beagle	3,780,000	5	“The Beagle has an even temper and gentle disposition. Described in several breed standards as “merry”, they are amiable and generally neither aggressive nor timid” - Wikipedia
8	Dachshund	2,950,000	7	“Dachshunds are playful, fun dogs, known for their propensity to chase small animals, birds and tennis balls with great determination and ferocity.” - Wikipedia
9	Pomeranian	2,830,000	13	“Pomeranians are typically very friendly, playful and active. They are very intelligent as toy breeds go and are easily housebroken and trained.” - Wikipedia
10	French Bulldog	2,800,000	34	“The French Bulldog is a gentle breed that typically has a happy-go-lucky attitude.” - Wikipedia

Other Notable Breeds

11. Labrador Retriever - #1 on the AKC list for 2007
22. Boxer - #6 on the AKC list for 2007
36. Poodle - #8 on the AKC list for 2007

A couple things that surprised me after creating this list. First, was that the Labrador Retriever did not make the top 10. I might be biased, but this is such a popular breed not just as a pet, but also as a working dog.

The Beagle was another breed I expected to contend for the number 1 position. Beagles have received a lot of attention over the past year with Uno (a beagle) winning the Westminster Dog Show Best In Show. The Beagle did finish seventh on our list, but that is below his 2007 AKC ranking of fifth.

What do you think do you own a dog that’s on this list? Do you think your dog breed should have been in the top 10?

Brindle Labrador Retrievers

Have you ever seen a Brindle Labrador Retriever? As far as I know I have not seen one in person. Although, I’m not too sure I’d recognize a purebred brindle Labrador retriever even if I saw one.

Just about everyone has heard of the Labrador Retriever breed. And I’d probably say that most people know the common colors of a lab: yellow, black, and chocolate (brown). Of course, there’s a lot of variation in the yellow coloring from a very light white color to as deep as red/copper color.

However, have you heard of or ever seen the other Labrador Retriever coat colors? A few months back I wrote an article about Black and Tan Labrador Retrievers. The coloring is very similar to a Rottweiler or a Doberman Pinscher. One of our guide dog puppy’s in training, Egan was black and tan lab. If you want to see a picture of Egan take a look at the article on Black and Tan Labrador Retrievers.

Brindle Labrador Retriever

The second unusual color variation in the Labrador coat color is brindle. As I mentioned in my previous article the brindle coloring is seen less often. Labs with brindling have tan speckling on their forelegs, muzzles, and chest.

Here at Puppy In Training we were lucky enough to receive some pictures from one of our readers who has a couple brindle Labrador Retrievers. Here are the photos I received:

Waiting For Her Treat

Good Down-Stay!

Learning To Retrieve

Here’s what Maia and Tora’s handler had to say about his two brindle Labrador Retrievers:

“Maia’s reddish/brown on black is more dramatic. Each leg has a different pattern. Her inner thighs have yellow hair as does her butt area. At 8 months I began training her to hunt pheasant, quail and chukar. Often times she will hold a strong point and I have hunted her with some professionals and she holds her own. Tora’s a chocolate with yellow markings on he muzzle, across her chest and on each leg. Her brindling is more uniform than Maia’s. At nearly six months she swims like a fish and retrieves very well. Soon we’ll go to the fields with a couple of birds and begin training in earnest.”

It’s interesting to see pictures and hear about the unusual color variations in Labs.

As you all know I’m working with my current puppy, Derby in hopes that he will someday be a guide dog. Raising a guide dog requires a specific training program as we prepare our puppies to lead their blind handlers in many different places and situations. One thing that caught my interest after reading the short snippet about Maia and Tora the Brindle labs is that they are being trained as hunting dogs. As with a guide dog I’m sure a hunting dog has a strict and specific training program. I would be interested to see exactly what kind of training a hunting dog goes through.

If anyone has any other pictures of brindle labs I’d love to see them. If you train hunting dogs I’d be interested to hear about how a hunting dog is trained. What do you think of these Purebred Brindle Labrador Retrievers?

Stetson Missed This Years Puppy Trials

…but I missed the Guide Dog Demonstration We were late for the Guide Dogs of America open house this year and we missed the Guide Dog demonstration. I felt even worse about missing the demo when I heard that our friend Dustin was one of the dogs in the demonstration. Everyone told me he did really well and lucky for me Joanna and Camry took a short video of Dustin and posted it to their blog.

Lucky for me we did get a chance to check out the other activities at the open house.

The Puppy Trials

The puppy trials are my favorite part of the open house and I was hoping to take Stetson through the event. Unfortunately, Stetson was in the kennels and I didn’t even get a chance to see him. I did get a chance to snap a few photos of the contestants and obstacles in the trials.

Puppy trials began at 11:30am. Here’s what you need to do when you arrive (a reference for next year…hopefully I’ll have a puppy I can enter):

1. Check in at the Entry Table when you arrive.
2. Listen for your number to be called to start the obstacle course (10 numbers will be called at a time).
3. Return your number to the Entry Table to receive your participants ribbon.
4. Announcement of Puppy Trials

First Place winners of each age group will have a permanent place on our Top Dog Plaque, which will be displayed in the kennel building. Stetson’s brother Stuart finished first in our age group last year.

In the picture below do you see the obstacle to the left? Those are hot dogs on a stick and marshmellows. This little yellow lab has his eye on the prize, but he successfully avoided those little wieners.

The first time I introduced Stetson to stairs he was horrible. He liked to pull and run up the stairs even when I told him to heel. However, after a lot of practice Stetson became a master at the stairs. This yellow lab looks as thought he’s mastered the stairs as well.

Last year Stetson successfully ignored the ducks and llamas. The duck is actually on the right side outside of the picture. Sorry for the lousy picture the shadows were not treating me well in this photo.

Some of the other obstacles the puppies have to navigate are basic commands in the grass, walk through a pile of wood chips, simulation of a dining room environment, vet check, and sitting quietly on the bus.

Other Stuff Happening At Open House

For small donations they have food available including a bake sale at the Girl Scouts booth. The regular silent auction has tons of great baskets and last year we bid on several coming home with a basket full of cat products (my mom loves cats). This year nothing caught our fancy and we didn’t bid on any of the baskets. There’s also a children’s auction.

We also went on the GDA campus tour this year (I was hoping to catch a glimpse of Stetson in the kennels). We toured the grounds and the dorms, but didn’t get to go in the kennels

There’s also a raffle that included some great prizes. I think the coolest prize would be to “Spend A Day With A Trainer”. Unfortunately I wasn’t paying attention and didn’t get a chance to buy any raffle tickets.

There’s also a puppy kissing booth and several booths with GDA and other merchandise.

If you missed the Guide Dogs of America Open House then hopefully you’ll visit next year. I plan on going and hopefully I’ll have a new puppy to take through the puppy trials.

What Do You Know About Vizsla’s?

Until just a couple days ago I had never seen a Vizsla. Actually I may have seen one in the past, but did not know what breed of dog it was. After doing research for my article Top 10 Dogs Good With Children Part II I learned about the Vizsla breed and ranked the breed number 5 in my Top 10 dogs good with children list.

The Vizsla

Here’s a little excerpt from my article Top 10 Dogs Good With Children Part II:

Vizslas are lively, gentle-mannered, loyal, caring and highly affectionate. They quickly form close bonds with their owners, including children. Often they are referred to as “velcro” dogs because of their loyalty and affection. They are quiet dogs, only barking if necessary or provoked.

Here’s an image of the Vizsla as an adult and puppy:

The Vizsla I met the other day was an average size dog probably about 50 pounds. I’m not sure if this is common of the breed, but the one I met the other day was very antsy as he sat waiting in the Veterinarian’s office. He was whining the entire time and much more vocal (barking from time to time) then I would have expected from a breed who’s said to be “…quiet dogs, only barking if necessary or provoked.”

Not all dogs in a breed conform to the norm and this is the first time I’ve met a Vizsla. The dog appeared obedient (his caretaker was able to keep him in a sit most of the time), but on the hyperactive time…this particular dog probably had too much energy for a small child.

Do you own or have you ever met a Vizsla before?

What’s The Life Expectancy Of Your Dog?

I know it’s kind of a morbid thing to think about, but honestly before you decide on a dog breed it’s probably a good idea to investigate the average life expectancy of the breed.

Just today I was talking to one of my friends about dogs and how long they usually live. I mentioned that usually smaller dog breeds live longer then larger dog breeds. While this is not always the case it seems to be a general rule of thumb. From what I understand the larger body has to work harder and is stressed more than a smaller body.

I decided to do a little online research to find out average life expectancies of different dog breeds.

Average Life Expectancy Of Dogs By Breed (in years)

Afghan Hound (12.0) Airedale Terrier (11.2) Basset Hound (12.8) Beagle (13.3) Bearded Collie (12.3) Bedlington Terrier (14.3) Bernese Mountain Dog (7.0) Border Collie (13.0) Border Terrier (13.8) Boxer (10.4) Bull Terrier (12.9) Bulldog (6.7) Bullmastiff (8.6) Cairn Terrier (13.2) Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (10.7) Chihuahua (13.0) Chow Chow (13.5) Cocker Spaniel (12.5) Corgi (11.3) Dachshund (12.2) Dalmatian (13.0) Doberman Pinscher (9.8) English Cocker Spaniel (11.8) English Setter (11.2) English Springer Spaniel (13.0) English Toy Spaniel (10.1) Flat-Coated Retriever (9.5) German Shepherd (10.3) German Shorthaired Pointer (12.3) Golden Retriever (12.0) Gordon Setter (11.3) Great Dane (8.4)

Greyhound (13.2) Irish Red and White Setter (12.9) Irish Setter (11.8) Irish Wolfhound (6.2) Jack Russell Terrier (13.6) Labrador Retriever (12.6) Lurcher (12.6) Miniature Dachshund (14.4) Miniature Poodle (14.8) Norfolk Terrier (10.0) Old English Sheepdog (11.8) Pekingese (13.3) Random-bred / Mongrel (13.2) Rhodesian Ridgeback (9.1) Rottweiler (9.8) Rough Collie (12.2) Samoyed (11.0) Scottish Deerhound (9.5) Scottish Terrier (12.0) Shetland Sheepdog (13.3) Shih Tzu (13.4) Staffordshire Bull Terrier (10.0) Standard Poodle (12.0) Tibetan Terrier (14.3) Toy Poodle (14.4) Viszla (12.5) Weimaraner (10.0) Welsh Springer Spaniel (11.5) West Highland White Terrier (12.8) Whippet (14.3) Wire Fox Terrier (13.0) Yorkshire Terrier (12.8)

*This list is from the Pets.ca website.

A Few Surprises

There were three dogs that really stood out on this list. The first one I already knew about and that is the Bernese Mountain Dog. My neighbor just got one and I’ve noticed that the puppies show up on many advertisements in print, on the internet, and on TV. I had heard the average life expectancy for this breed was 6 years…on this list it’s 7 years. Either way this is a short life expectancy for a dog and while on the larger side at 85-110 pounds it’s still not near the size of some of the other breeds on this list.

The second surprise was the life expectancy of the Irish Wolfhound. While you expect a dog that gets to be upwards of 150 pounds to have a shorter life expectancy it’s sad to hear that these guys on average only live to be 6.2 years old. My Aussie mix Linus is already 3 1/2 years old…I couldn’t imagine thinking he was already halfway through his life.

Finally, the biggest surprise to me was the Bulldog. The Bull Dog was on my list of Dogs Good With Children and also on the list of AKC’s Top Dog List. I would consider the Bull Dog a medium size breed at 50 - 55 pounds and you would expect a dog of that size to have a better than average life expectancy. Unfortuantely, according to the list above the Bulldog’s average life expectancy is only 6.7 years.

Life expectancy is something you should definitely consider before choosing a dog breed. As you can see from this list on average the shortest life expectancy is for the Irish Wolfhound at 6.2 years and the longest is the Miniature Dachshund at 14.4 years. That’s a big difference!

Of course any individual dog can definitely live longer or shorter then the numbers on this list.

Have your dogs lived longer or shorter than the numbers on this list? Did your dog surpass his or her average life expectancy?

Top 10 Dogs Good With Children Part II

This article is a continuation from Top Dogs Good With Children Part I. If you haven’t already read Part I of Top Dogs Good With Children then I highly recommend you go back and read through the article before starting this one.

Once again I’m going to post my little disclaimer:

***The Disclaimer - This is my personal opinion. Please do your own due diligence when searching for a breed of dog. The personality of a dog is often influenced by several factors including line, breeder, and owner more so than the actual breed of the dog. This list does not imply that all other dog breeds are unsuitable for children. Individual dogs may not show all or any of the traits associated with the breed. Training, socialization with children, education, line, breeder, and living conditions with the family will all heavily influence your dogs personality.

A quick recap of what Part I covered:

• The Top Dogs Good With Children Scoring System
• How I Chose The Breeds
• Dog Numbers 6-10

Now what you’ve all been waiting for…the Top 5 Dogs Good With Children:

Number 5 - Vizsla

The Vizsla sounds like a great dog for children. A very loyal dog who is also a quiet dog (they only bark when provoked). I guess this could be a negative if you’re looking for a watch dog. From Wikipedia:

Vizslas are lively, gentle-mannered, loyal, caring and highly affectionate. They quickly form close bonds with their owners, including children. Often they are referred to as “velcro” dogs because of their loyalty and affection. They are quiet dogs, only barking if necessary or provoked.

I know very little about the Vizsla and I’m pretty sure I’ve never run into one in person, but the sites I’ve visited rave about this dog. I go as far in my notes to say that “they have very little doggy smell and hypoallergenic coats”. Coupled with a nearly optimal size gave this dog a high score on my rating scale. If anyone owns or knows a Vizsla I’d love to hear some of your comments.

Energy Level: 3
Size: 8
Temperament: 8
Intelligence: 7
Intangibles: 10
TOTAL: 36

…

Number 4 - Pembrooke Welsh Corgi

Isn’t that picture of the Corgi puppy just adorable? A nice sturdy sized dog with really short legs. It’s hard to imagine, but the Corgi is an active, athletic, intelligent dog despite their short legs and stocky body. I guess there’s hope for my short legs and stocky body. From Wikipedia:

The Pembroke is very intelligent, quick, active, and exceedingly bold. It is thoroughly devoted and protective of its family, defending its home at any cost. It barks occasionally, but makes a good watchdog.

One of my neighbors owns a Pembroke Welsh Corgi and seems active. I don’t think my neighbor has him quite under control as I see the Corgi often pulling his handler in whichever direction he wants to go. He has also met both my dogs and is friendly with them, although the owner has told me that he will sometimes growl at strange dogs as a dominance thing.

Energy Level: 2
Size: 10
Temperament: 7
Intelligence: 9
Intangibles: 9
TOTAL: 37

…

Number 3 - Poodle

What do you think of that Poodle haircut? I’m really not a fan of the funky hair-dos (although I did have a mohawk for a short period of time). The Poodle comes in high on our list only getting average scores for energy (medium-high) and intangibles (I like the poodles coat because it does not shed, but on the other hand it is difficult to maintain and groom). From Wikipedia:

Proud, elegant, dignified, good-natured, highly intelligent, very trainable, pleasant, happy, sensitive, friendly.

Poodles are one of the most intelligent and trainable dogs. That being said there is a standard poodle in our neighborhood who I would consider highly intelligent. However, I have noticed that this poodle does bark a lot (everytime we walk past the house) and is aggressive towards my dogs. I have a feeling these are traits not common to the poodle. Throughout most of my readings the poodle almost always gets high marks.

Energy Level: 6
Size: 8
Temperament: 8
Intelligence: 10
Intangibles: 6
TOTAL: 38

…

Number 2 - Labrador Retriever

Coming in at number 2 is one of my favorite dogs and almost always shows up as great family dogs when researching on the internet. The Labrador Retriever is well-balanced and a very versatile breed. Labs are used extensively as Guide, Service, Search and Rescue, Therapy, and Assistance Dogs. From Wikipedia:

Friendly, reliable, loving, affectionate, lovable, patient, highly intelligent, loyal, willing, high-spirited, lively, good-natured,and protective.

As most readers of this blog know I’m currently raising a black lab named Stetson for Guide Dogs of America. I do have a decent background with Labrador Retrievers and have been training Stetson for the past year. The only drawback I’ve noticed with Stetson is his sometimes rough play. As he grows out of his puppy stage I think he will mature and be less rambunctious (he’s only a year old). Other than that he’s an excellent dog and he displays all of the great qualities people rave about when talking about labs.

Energy Level: 4
Size: 5
Temperament: 10
Intelligence: 10
Intangibles: 10
TOTAL: 39

…

And the number 1 dog who is good with children is…drum roll……..:

Number 1 - Golden Retriever

It was close, but the Golden Retriever edged out the Labrador Retriever by a single point. The two dogs are very similar however I had to give the nod to the Golden in Energy (Medium-High vs High for the Lab) and Size (The lab is slightly larger which I considered less favorable to the smaller Golden). The Golden received lower marks for it’s higher maintenance coat. From Wikipedia:

Friendly, confident, biddable. Never timid or aggressive. The Golden Retriever temperament is a hallmark of the breed and is described in the standard as “kindly, friendly and confident”

Growing up my parents chose the Golden Retriever as the family dog. They purchased our dog Kiko the year after I was born and he was with us until he was 10 years old. He was a wonderful dog and a shining example of the breed. Golden Retriever are used in many of the same service occupations as labs including Assistance, Search and Rescue, Guide, and Therapy.

Energy Level: 5
Size: 6
Temperament: 10
Intelligence: 10
Intangibles: 9
TOTAL: 40

…

Parents Responsibility

Often times children are unaware of their own strength and can be a little rough (the same can be said for many dogs). Parents should take the responsibility to teach their kids and dogs to be gentle with their interactions with each other.

There are many breeds out there that work well with children not just the breeds I mention on this list. Remember there are good dogs and bad dogs in every breed. No matter what breed you choose you should never leave your dog and children together unsupervised for the safety of not only your child, but the dog as well.

Conclusions

I’m happy to say I learned a lot while putting this list together. Before researching I knew nothing about the Vizsla. Now I’m very interested in this breed and would be interested in any information about them. Do you own or know a Vizsla?

I did my best to be as objective as possible in the compilation of this list. A lot of this information is my personal preference. I prefer a medium to large dog. However, others may prefer small or extremely large dogs for their children. I prefer low to medium energy level and higher intelligence in my dogs. Other people may think the exact opposite. Hopefully this list helps you choose your family dog.

Just in case you missed Part I of this series check it out at the following link: Top Dogs Good With Children Part I

Let me know what you think. Do you have a dog that is good with children?

Top 10 Dogs Good With Children Part I

Many people have asked “Are specific breeds of dogs good with children?” I have often heard that regardless of breed most dogs raised with children and with proper training can learn to be a wonderful childhood companion. However, that being said, some dog breeds are better with children then others.

Dog Scoring System

How did I compile my Top 10 Dogs Good With Children list. A good majority comes from the internet, but I wanted my list to be at least slightly different from everyone else’s top 10 list so I’m going to grade each dog in 5 child friendly categories:

1. Energy Level (excitability) - You don’t want a dog that is too excitable and knocks down your child.
2. Size - Small dogs may be too fragile while a large breed of dog may not know it’s own strength/size and injure a child.
3. Temperament - You don’t want your dog to be the dominant member of the family.
4. Intelligence (trainability) - Highly trainable is ideal.
5. Intangibles - Any special trait that either helps or hurts the dogs desirability.

Each dog will receive a subjective score between 1 and 10 in each category. The best overall score a dog can receive is a 50 and the lowest score is a 5.

Choosing The Breeds

You may be wondering how I chose this wonderful list of 10 dog breeds who are good with children. Well my first step was to research the many sites on the internet that already have lists of dogs who are good with children. Of course depending on which site you visit there is a lot of variation. I took all the breeds and narrowed it down to 50 by eliminating several hybrid breeds like Labradoodle and Goldendoodle. Next, I took out any dog that wasn’t in the AKC’s top 100 list (just a way to narrow the list so I wouldn’t have as many dogs to evaluate - also it’s more difficult to find information on the more rare breeds). That left me with 38 candidates and with those 38 remaining breeds I made my own subjective scores using the following information.

Dog Rating Categories
CATEGORY	1-3pts.	4-6pt.	7-10pts.
Energy Level	High	Medium-High	Low-Medium
Size	<10lbs or >100lbs	10-25lbs or 50-100lbs	25-50lbs
Temperament	Dominant	Balanced	Submissive
Intelligence	Low (<50)	Medium (25-50)	High (top 25)
Intangibles	Negative traits	Even	Positive traits

***The Disclaimer - This is my personal opinion. Please do your own due diligence when searching for a breed of dog. The personality of a dog is often influenced by several factors including line, breeder, and owner more so than the actual breed of the dog. This list does not imply that all other dog breeds are unsuitable for children. Individual dogs may not show all or any of the traits associated with the breed. Training, socialization with children, education, line, breeder, and living conditions with the family will all heavily influence your dogs personality.

Now, what you’ve all been waiting for…the list or Top 10 Dogs Good With Children:

Number 10 - Bulldog

The Bulldog is the first dog on our list coming in at number 10. The positives I saw in the Bulldog were it’s lower energy and sturdy size. Sturdy size is nice with kids who can often be a little rough when learning to interact with a dog. Some of the negatives with this dog were their trainability and common health issues with the breed. From Wikipedia:

The temperament of the Bulldog is generally docile, friendly and gregarious but are known to be fiercely loyal.

I’ve never personally known any Bulldogs. However, I have heard they are great dogs and tend not to leave the yard withouth their owners. The most exposure I’ve actually had to a Bulldog is on the MTV show Rob and Big and their dog Meaty.

Energy Level: 9
Size: 9
Temperament: 8
Intelligence: 3
Intangibles: 5.1
TOTAL: 34.1

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Number 9 - German Shepherd

The German Shepherd comes in at number 9. This is a very versatile dog and has been used as police, search and rescue, guide, and therapy dogs. From Wikipedia:

Direct, fearless, eager, alert, bold, cheerful, obedient, eager to learn, loyal, courageous, calmly confident, serious, protective

Of course I have a special place in my heart for the German Shepherd. I fostered GSD puppies and the GSD breed makes up 15% of the dogs bred at Guide Dogs of America.

Energy Level: 3
Size: 5
Temperament: 7
Intelligence: 10
Intangibles: 10
TOTAL: 35

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Number 8 - Brittany Spaniel

At number 8 we have the Brittany Spaniel. The Brittany is a nice sized dog at 30-40lbs big enough to rough house with the kids, but still not too large to be overbearing. This dog is also said to be very good with strangers and other animals. From Wikipedia:

The breed is noted for being easy to train, sensitive, and sweet-natured

Another breed I’ve had recent contact with. The Brittany Spaniel in our obedience training was a wonderful dog. One thing I did notice was how alert the Brittany was to the birds flying overhead.

Energy Level: 2
Size: 10
Temperament: 9
Intelligence: 8
Intangibles: 6.1
TOTAL: 35.1

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Number 7 - Miniature Schnauzer

At number 7 is the Miniature Schnauzer. This dog is said to recognize the need to be gentle with children, but does require a lot of attention. From Wikipedia:

Very perky, bright-eyed, loving, intelligent, energetic, affectionate, obedient, playful, happy, alert, feisty (Temperament can be quite variable)

A good friend of mine was taking care of a Miniature Schnauzer. The dog seemed very confident and easy going. He did like being dominant over my Aussie mix Linus. From what I could see the Miniature Schnauzer seemed like a great dog, but might be a little small and fragile for some children.

Energy Level: 8
Size: 4
Temperament: 7
Intelligence: 9
Intangibles: 7.2
TOTAL: 35.2

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Number 6 - Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel…what a regal name…comes in at number 6. The two drawbacks I saw from online research is the small size and only average intelligence. From Wikipedia:

The breed is highly affectionate, and some have called them”the ultimate lap dog” Most dogs of the breed are playful, extremely patient and eager to please. As such, dogs of the breed are usually good with children and other dogs.

Another dog I’ve been in close contact with recently. Another friend did extensive research looking for a good family dog and came up with the Cavaliar King Charles Spaniel. Their dog is very docile and easy going. The only time I saw him truly excited was when he got a chance to get on your lap. One funny thing I saw this dog do was try to catch the embers from a fire we were having in the backyard…probably not the best thing for the dogs mouth.

Energy Level: 10
Size: 4
Temperament: 9
Intelligence: 4
Intangibles: 8.3
TOTAL: 35.3

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To Be Continued…

Here’s a link to the second part of this series Top 10 Dogs Good With Children Part II.

What do you think about the first five dogs on our Top 10 Dogs Good With Children list?

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