Top 10 Dogs Good With Children Part II
Posted by Colby
This article is a continuation from 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: Dogs Good With Children
Let me know what you think. Do you have a dog that is good with children?
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YEss! My favorites are number one!! I love GOldens but have only had the chance of having one for a short period of time. Vizlas are great dogs but have lots of energy! I know someone who has raised them to be guide dogs; really great dogs.
Hi Erin, I love Golden’s too. I didn’t know they used Vizslas in the guide dog programs…very interesting. By the way, your puppy in training, Rei reminds me of my dog Stetson. Good luck to her in her formal training!
[...] 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 [...]
[...] I like the way the little bunny looks like he’s cuddling up against this Golden Retriever. If you look back through our archives the Golden Retriever was the number one dog good with children. [...]
I just lost my 11 year old Vizsla. He has been great. He has been gentle and nothing but sweet to everyone. He knew no strangers. When we got him we had 10 and 8 year old girls and a 6 month old son. He was raised with my kids. While he was a puppy I did keep a close eye on him while around my son as anyone should with any dog. 5 years later when my fourth child was born I had no fear about having him near the baby. I have recommended the breed to everyone I can. He never made a move in anger. I never heard a growl towards my children. My Vizsla was very demonstrative in his affection towards our family. He was smart and obedient. He was still learning new tricks. He loved being with people and playing Frisbee. He was a Velcro dog. Now that he is gone we know that we when we are ready for another dog it will have to be a Vizsla because we are now a Vizsla family. I love them.
@melanie, I’m sorry to hear about the passing of your Vizsla. Thanks for the great information on your dog. I just started raising a yellow lab puppy for guide dogs of america, but when it’s time for me to get another puppy of my own I’ll definitely consider the Vizsla.
[...] Raiser’s Blog To Raising Dogs And Puppies « Puppy Adoption – Mixed Breed Top 10 Dogs Good With Children Part II [...]
One of my parents neighbors owns a Vizsla. He’s on the large side for his breed at 60 pounds and as far as I can tell he represents the breed well. The owner described her Vizsla as a Hungarian hunting dog and told me that her husband took him hunting on weekends.
I noticed a few things at first glance. As mentioned above he had a short coat that looked easy to maintain. He didn’t seem shy, but was also not eager to be petted, unlike my lab who thinks he deserves pets from all strangers. He was off leash and exuded a calm, confident demeanor.
Overall he seemed like a great dog!
thx for the add colby as you know i already have a labrador and i also like golden retrievers.I’ll try to give more information to you another time.
Thanks for the add colby i’ll try to get back with more info later.
@Bailey, sounds good…I’d love to hear stories about your dogs. Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers are definitely two of my favorites!
cheese
Not a lot of people come on this internet do they colby Ifind it really interesting.
@Bailey, I noticed a lot more people go to page 1 – Top Dogs Good With Children Part I then to this page. I think it has to do with the fact that page 1 is indexed better and they don’t follow the link to page 2.
In the future I think I might just combine a long article like this into one post rather than split it into two articles.
By the way, thanks for reading and for the input.
I love golden retrivers they are amazinnggg!
Hows the beagle not up there?
i love the golden retriver. because i had one and i just loved him to death but now i miss tyson .because the lady called and wanted him back so that is the dog i like.
WELSH TERRIER WELSH TERRIER FOOLISH OLD MAN YOU SHOULD PUT WELSH TERRIER BUT YOU DIDNT BECAUSE YOUR FOOLISH IDIOT STUPID AND CANT DO ANYTHING RIGHT STUPID FOOLISH OLD MAN
I’m shocked that the Newfoundland was completely overlooked in this list! There is no better dog with children …period. They are called “gentle giants” for a reason. They tolerate a ridiculous amount from children, protect them …and even save them from drowning.
What a loads of crap this website is, its meant to be a good with kids guide not what dogs gays and wags have, complete waste of 10 minutes of my life. I’m gonna bad mark it, don’t anyone trust this websites source it inacurate and untrue and tols by someone who doesnt have a clue about dogs. Any comments greatly received
Best dog for children=staffordshire bull terrier, known as the nanny dog,
Dead right mike, the stafford is a truly amazing dog the guy who wrote this is a mug and a waste of space. No research just his own preferences
This list is very subjective and my personal preference does come into account. Part of the reason I put this list together was because I wanted to know for myself which dogs were considered good with children. I chose to publish on this website the information I researched when searching for my own dog. When I actually chose my own dog he was a mixed breed from the shelter. We think he’s part Australian Shepherd maybe some Chow.
Another reason why I put the list together was to hear feedback from others on the dogs they thought were good with kids.
Thank you everyone for your feedback and please if your favorite breed doesn’t appear on the list then add a comment and make a case for it.
I love goldens, but their coats are hard to maintain. For all terrier lovers, i love them too, but they tend to have tempers, i have a wheaten terrier and a yorkie. They sometimes have mean streaks so i can see why they are’nt up here. I am surprised Spitz aren’t up here, I have one named Jet, and they are a great choice of dogs because they are friendly and outgoing and have a nice furry appearence.
sorry i spelled my own name wrong!
Hi guys im 12 and ever since I was 4 years old I have been begging for a dog! The problem is that my landlord used to have a very bad experience with dogs but I think its stupid! I have a very big love for dogs and everyday I have been going on websites about how to take care of dogs. Another problem is that my mom is really afraid of dogs! Shes getting less and less scared now because I always show her my friends pets and dogs. I always like to go to petstores and a worker said that I should get a ferret if I cant get a dog but my mom hates ferrets! What should I do someone please help me! Everyone says to wait but I cant! I have been waiting for 8 years! My mom only wants a golden retreiver but its too expensive! And all the other dogs I see arent good for kids. Plz help me!
@Sofia, I really like your passion for dogs and I’m sure some day soon you will have one of your own. However, taking care of a dog is a huge responsibility and something you and your mother shouldn’t take lightly.
I’m sure your mother knows your interest in getting a dog, but you might show your commitment by talking to your mom about volunteering for a local dog rescue. You and your mother could help a dog rescue in many ways including fostering. As a dog foster you’d take in a shelter dog for a period of time until the rescue finds the dog a permanent home. This would give you and your mother a chance to see what it’s like to own a dog.
If your mother is hesitant about dog fostering there are other ways to help a dog rescue. You can find rescues in your area at http://www.petfinder.com/shelters.html
Also, there are breed specific rescues that work specifically with placing breeds like Golden Retrievers. The cost for a rescue dog is usually much cheaper then buying a pure bred dog from a breeder.
Hopefully this information helps and be sure to discuss everything with your mother and get her approval before acting.
I ha a Border Collie for 9 yrs, he was the best dog ever, so well behaved and fantastic with my children who came along after him, he passed away 1yr ago so this year i thought i would get another dog, and what better than to get another of the breed i had learned so much about… My new dog is crazy, in funny as well as frustrating way, but he is so tolerant with my children, smarter too, very energetic but i feel that is good exersize, i am aware of their breed traits ankle nipping and such, but i feel if trained properly border collies are loyal and patient and very good with kids.
@VaIR, our last family dog was a Border Collie mix. He was full of energy and probably one of the most intelligent dogs we had. If we left the screen door open a crack he’d sneak into the house and when our side gate didn’t shut all the way he’d open it with his nose and run to the school to play with the kids. Maffy was good with kids, but he was so energetic he’d sometimes knock them over (including me, my sister, and my dad). Thanks for sharing your story about your Border Collie.
Colby´s last blog ..Guide Dog Training And Hosting In The UK
That is true, i have to agree with you, energy they have in abundance, and i am going to contradict myself here by also agreeing that my kids have been tumbled by our new puppy a few times, but he’s learning how to play with the children very quickly as he is discovering that if he doesn’t play properly they just wont play with him. I think if he wasn’t so clever it would take him much longer to realise that, he’s only 7months old and has already learned how to slip the bolt on the back gate, althouh he only does it when the kids have gone out it, he hates it when they go elsewhere to play. I just adore the breed, i like all breeds but they are my favourites.
Corgi’s are great dogs for kids. I love the herding breeds and Shelties top the list for me. These dogs are great and will even “herd” your children to keep them in the yard!
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@ValR, thanks for sharing. We had a Border Collie mix that used to also unlatch the gate when we weren’t around to play with him. He was also very sneaky about opening screen doors. He was a very smart breed, but I’m not so sure I’d recommend his breed for children as he did like to nip and herd.
@Tina, I don’t mind the hearding so much as the nipping. One problem we had with our Border Collie mix was he used to run into people pretty hard which I believe was his herding instinct. We were just kids 7, 11, and 13 years old and he would knock us on our butts.