How To Decide On The Perfect Dog Breed For Your Family

If you are a family especially with young children there will come a time when your children will start to ask to have a family pet. This is usually because many of their friends will have family pets and understandably they might feel left out and they will be asking can we have a family pet too.

There is no doubt one of the most popular family pets is dogs. This is not difficult to work out why. They are loving and loyal and a perfect addition to your family. Getting a dog is also a perfect way to teach your children from an early age about responsibilities. Yes they have a pet dog, but it needs to be looked after. Feeding it and taking it for walks on a regular basis etc. This is a great life lesson for children to learn at an early age.

So you have decided to get a puppy, but it’s very important what dog breed will suit you as a family and your home. I am going to detail some aspects to help in deciding what dog breed suits your family and the home. Meanwhile this article What Dog Breed Suits Me Best is very helpful and gives great tips when deciding.

1. Picking the dog breed that suits your family

If you are first time family dog owners, it is very important that you do plenty of research. This is particularly important if you have small children or children under the age of 12 years old. Some breeds of dogs are simply not suitable for small children. For example, chihuahuas. Everybody thinks that chihuahuas, because of their size, are cute and adorable but because of their size they react with a lot barking and occasionally biting and will lack patience with a small child. Other breeds to stay away from are larger dogs such as St Bernard’s or Huskies as they are synonymous with rough play and can get over excited which is not good if you have small children.

So when deciding on the dog breed that suits your family dynamics, it’s very important to pick a dog breed that is affectionate, laid backed and patient. This is important so your children, if they are having a moment of excitement, the dog doesn’t panic and get aggressive and snap at them.

2. Dog breeds that suit families with small children

Some of the dog breeds that are perfect for children are labradors. They are known for fondness for being around children. The labrador is a very playful, kind and affectionate dog that loves nothing more than being involved with family life.

Another dog breed that can be perfect for families is the Beagle. They are easily one of the best breeds for families. They are without question one of the friendliest in general. Their energy and cheeky personalities are perfect for small children as they get up to mischief with your small children. Even though they have an excitable nature, they are very tolerant and calm with small children.

3. Deciding on the size of the dog breed

Now this is a very important part of the decision when deciding on the dog breed to suit your family. For example if you live in a flat without any outdoor space getting a Great Dane would not be advisable. So whether you live in a house, flat, maisonette etc, it’s important to pick a breed that is the right size for your home. You can certainly look at many more dog breeds if for example you have a large garden where a dog can burn off a lot of their excess energy.

It’s also important that if you are getting a family dog that you have everything you need when they come to their new home so the settling in process goes as smoothly as possible.

So there are a few tips when deciding on dog breeds for your family. If you have any other tips I would love to hear in the comments below.