What is the right dog breed for our family?

My husband and I have been looking for the right kind of dog for our family. We plan on having kids in a few years and having a breed that is well known for being "kid friendly." I do not want a smaller dog, preferably a breed or mix of breeds 40lbs plus. Trainability is important, and I can be patient, but I am dominant when I have to be. I don't want a hyperactive breed, I have energy but no jobs to keep such busy minds occupied. I also prefer softer coats, and the shorter the hair the better as we live in a warm climate. Very important is health problems. I can't have my heart broke by a dog breed known to have many health problems, as I will more than likely adopt from a shelter or rescue and not have much knowledge on the parents/stock. If anyone has suggestions to what kind of breeds I should be looking for,

I would appreciate your comments.

What is the right dog breed for our family?

IT HAS TO BE A LABRADOR. YOU MUST BE VERY CAREFUL WITH DOGS AROUND CHILDREN AS I AM SURE YOU WELL KNOW. IT IS SO SCARY HEARING ON THE NEWS ABOUT CHILDREN BEING ATTACKED AND EVEN KILLED BY DOGS! I DO NOT KNOW OF ONE BAD LABRADOR AND I HAVE GROWN UP WITH THEM ALL MY LIFE. WE HAVE AN 18 MONTH OLD CHILD AND ONE ON THE WAY AND WE HAVE A LAB. THEY ARE SO FRIENDLY, INTELLIGENT, LOYAL, EASY TO TRAIN AND SOME ARE ALMOST HUMAN! AS FOR HEALTH, THEY CAN LIVE TO AS LONG AS 15-16 YRS OLD, AS ALL MY DOGS HAVE. THEY DO NEED TO BE ACTIVE AND LIKE CHALLENGES IN THEIR EARLIER YEARS AND THEN-LIKE US WHEN WE GET OLDER THEY LIKE THEIR CREATURE COMFORTS AND RETIRE GRACEFULLY. BE WARNED-THEY ARE VERY GOOD EATERS AND LOVE ALL KINDS OF FOOD! THEY CAN BE DESCRIBED AS VERY GREEDY! I WOULD NOT HAVE A CHOCOLATE LAB AS THEY CAN BE RATHER DOSILE AND TEND TO PUT ON LOTS OF WEIGHT AND HAVE MORE HEALTH ISSUES THAN THE GOLDEN AND BLACK.

RESCUE LABS ARE HARD TO COME BY. IN MY OPINION, LABS ARE THE SAFEST BET... I HOPE THIS HELPS AND GOOD LUCK FOR THE FUTURE.....

What is the right dog breed for our family?

I suggest a Labrador. They are very smart and can be easy to train, given that you train them well. Research the breed on the internet and see if you can find any breeders, or animal shelters.

What is the right dog breed for our family?

Labs are good dogs and great with kids but sometimes hyper if you want a smaller dog try a pug they are great especially with kids.

What is the right dog breed for our family?

Sheep herdings breeds are great family dogs but you want short hair. Weimeraner or German Short haired Pointer have nice short coats, are usually not over bred and have docked tails so no tail-pulling. They are bred to be cooperative with humans, too, not aggressive.

What is the right dog breed for our family?

Golden Retreivers are great with kids but they do not fit your hair request, that is where the mix part could help. Labs are good but sometimes difficult in the early years. I hope you rescue one from a pound, especially since you are open to a mixed breed dog. Good luck and I hope your family enjoys the new member.

What is the right dog breed for our family?

Any of the retriever breeds would suit. If you go for a pure bred, check that the parents have been certified free of hip-dysplasia.

The retriever cross is usually a good animal, but try to avoid a cross with one of the more hyper-active breeds. The retriever/collie cross is usually a good one, and eminently trainable.

The climate will not affect a long haired retriever too much as they will naturally shed down to the coat they require, and the long guard hairs insulate them from the sun. A golden lab would be more comfortable than a black lab in a hot climate.

What is the right dog breed for our family?

labs or lab mixes are the best, they are great family dogs, shorthaired, fairly easy to train (although by general rule of thumb, the larger the dog, the longer they take to mature and have shorter attention spans until they do mature) and are extremely loyal.

avoid border collies or collie mixes, along with most terrier mixes, as obviously they were bred to work, and can get very frustrated if their minds are not kept occupied.

What is the right dog breed for our family?

labs, retrievers, beagles. Honestly, the best nanny dog that LOVES kids are pit bull breeds. do some research dont listen to all that media stuff. seriously.

What is the right dog breed for our family?

The Akita is my dog of choice however some people say they can't be trusted unattended. Other than that they need little exercise. Labrador Retreivers are all the way around, Great dogs. Also a Boxer. My family raised them as i was a child and they ate great around childeren. The best suggestion I can give you is to go to petfinder.com It will help you narrow your search. By the way I would trust my Akita with childeren any day unless the child wants to waller on the dog!!~ GOOD LUCK!

What is the right dog breed for our family?

Boxer would be my choice

What is the right dog breed for our family?

a lab or golden retreiver try to stay away from pitbulls and other dogs that are now for atacking young children, also mabye a shitzu they are a great and friendly dog, but remember training is the key thing for having a good dog don't let your puppy get away with things like biting and stuff

What is the right dog breed for our family?

Golden Retreiver, but try www.selectapet.com or just google dog breeds and it should come up you can do a quiz and it'll tell you four breeds that'll suit your family.

What is the right dog breed for our family?

i would suggest a dalmatian, their the size your looking for, friendly and have the shorter hair, which is what your looking for.

What is the right dog breed for our family?

Labradors.Trust me I have one,they are one of the best dogs ever.They are big but they love children and are one of the most least aggressive dogs.My dog is 7 years old and we've had him sense his puppy days and he has never growled or bitten anyone even if you take food away from him or anything like that.The only thing is...when they teeth they chew on EVERYTHING!I suggest you get one that's about 4 years or 3 years old.Just get over the teething age.They are easy to house train to.Goodluck!

What is the right dog breed for our family?

Although all dogs can be trained.. Labrador or a Retriever are the breeds that you are looking for... they are well known for they good behavior..

http://www.dvdavenue.tv/`

What is the right dog breed for our family?

I prefer that you go to this link and find out the dog for you:

http://animal.discovery.com/breedselecto...

good luck.

What is the right dog breed for our family?

Smooth Collies are great family dogs, if you are looking for a short coated breed. Labradors are high energy but very loving (they calm down with age). Explore the different breeds and look for whats right for you.

Hope It Helps.

What is the right dog breed for our family?

i think u should get a shih tzu! they are very friendly ;)