Help me find a good family dog.

[sweetpeapumpkinbaby]

Not small, but my brother has an Old English Bulldog (he got her when she was already an adult), and she is probably the best dog with a baby that I've ever seen. She'll let a child play with the jowls on her face without even blinking. We have 2 dogs, both mutts. The one that is more patient with our LO is part greyhound.

I agree with the pp who said that they would reconsider getting a dog right now. Honestly, if we had family who would take our (elderly) dogs, I would give them to them. Dogs can be a pain in the neck. Puppies need a lot of training and attention, adult dogs need plenty of exercise, and our elderly ones have arthritis, which sometimes makes them snappy, and frequently have accidents to clean up.

Hope you find the dog that's best for you!

[Miss squish]

Originally Posted by dvansmom Thanks ladies. I have a lot to think about. I have 12 month twins and a four year old. I'm worried about how to keep the dogs food and water safe from new toddlers.

We rent a small condo and poorly laid out living space, no yard to out the dog out. The dog eats in the morning and after we eat dinner, as soon as she is done the food dish is picked up. We had no place to put the water where the dog could get it but the baby couldn't, so we got a buddy bowl. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/re.../dp/B0044M0FIM it's not completely spill proof, the two times ds got to it before me he managed to spill maybe a tablespoon or so of water when he knocked it around, but it is not a drowning hazard and I can deal with a damp baby.

[hpfgirl]

Huskies and Greyhounds are fabulous and can be found at breed-specific rescue groups. Everyone loves labs, but they are too big in my opinion (big dog = big poop). I also love Australian Shephards and I think there is a small variety of them out there. Any kind of poodle breed or mix would be good too.

I would avoid bull and terrier mixes. Even spaniels are a hassle because I've found them a little dim and hard to train.

[homebirthmom]

a lab. we have had 3 dogs now and 2 failed with kids. we had a bassett (best with kids) a daschund (barked all day long and ran away constantly) and a terrier mix (nipped at kids and chewed my furniture up, also bit at other bigger dogs) those all went to new homes.
my husband really wanted a dog (we had none) and I went to petsmart one weekend when they were half off and saw tons of great dogs coming in and out for days... but I saw a black lab mix, who had a sister who was terrible and growled at everyone. he however was shy and sweet. I feel in love and took him home.
he potty trained in a week. he was 4 months. he loves the kids, plays great in the yard and doesnt stay. loves other dogs and people.
we took him to stay in a dog board for a week and they said he was very good. in fact he came home calmer. hes about 6 months now. I know others with labs and ALL are amazing with other animals and kids. so check those out first

[KaleidoscopeEyes]

might be a tall order but we have a dachshund/pomeranian mix (8 lbs) and shes awesome with the kids and cats. she is a great guard dog without being too yappy, never nips at the kids, and is very smart and obedient

[bigmamakelsey]

If it were me, I'd get a mix. Purebred dogs tend to have some many health issues and problems. Dogs that I can think of off the top that are exceptional with kids (but are mostly big - maybe you could find a mix?) labs, golden retriever, newfoundland, boxers, standard poodles, aussie shepards.

[bigmamakelsey]

Originally Posted by KaleidoscopeEyes might be a tall order but we have a dachshund/pomeranian mix (8 lbs) and shes awesome with the kids and cats. she is a great guard dog without being too yappy, never nips at the kids, and is very smart and obedient

I don't usually like small dogs but oh my word that dog is adorable!!

[KaleidoscopeEyes]

i use to have a lab, that dog was the most disobedient dog i have ever had. barked all the time, escaped and ran, so hard to train. my grandparents lab was mean and bit me several times

we have huskies. they are super smart but they are little escape artists. we've had to bail them out a couple times. they need to have a fenced in yard (6 ft) we have a 4 ft fence and they cant be out in the backyard unsupervised. they have to be in their kennel. we also had to make it so they couldnt dig under the kennel. they are great with the kids but chase the cats, they also never bark which is nice but they howl sometimes.