Top 9 Dog Breeds for Families
by Ashley Winder
Are you on the hunt for a great family dog? Choosing the right dog for your family is definitely an “if the shoe fits” situation. So your choice shouldn’t be made lightly. After all, two-thirds of families consider their furry household companions as a part of the family, so you want to make sure you are picking the best breed that works for yours.
Luckily, there are plenty of fantastic dog breeds for families out there. We’ve researched and gathered the top 9 dog breeds for families to help you make the right decision or at the very least, lead you in the right direction when it comes to adding a new furry member to the family.
What Makes A Great Family Dog?
When you have small children to think about, you might be wondering which dog breeds have the best temperament or reaction for those inevitable times when your kids decide to lay on it, pull its tail, or shove something in its face (it happens!). The last thing you want to worry about is whether your dog is too aggressive, too rough, or nips at the kids at the slightest provocation.
While a dog’s natural temperament does come into play, it’s critical to understand that the ultimate “family-friendly” dog doesn’t just happen. No dog will immediately love or successfully handle children, full stop. Owners still need to correctly train and socialize their dogs with kids (especially younger ones) as soon as possible.
If you want to rest assured that your dog’s interaction with your children has the highest success rate – there are two things you can do. 1) You need to train and socialize your dog with kids and, 2) you can choose a dog breed known to have positive interactions with children and families.
Why Should Your Family Have A Dog?
Owning a dog has been proven to be incredibly beneficial for your family’s mental and physical health, and this is especially true for children. Here are a few convincing reasons why families with children should have dogs:
- -Playing with dogs can lower blood pressure.
- -Children with dogs at home have less risk of developing common allergies and asthma
- -Kids (and the whole family) tend to get outside more when they have a dog to walk or play with.
- -Feeding and caring for a pet encourages childhood responsibility.
- -Children with pets display improved impulse control, social skills (like patience and compassion), and self-esteem.
Read on . . .
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About Ashley…After one year in corporate (that’s all I could take), driving an hour to and from work, mindlessly working on tasks that I didn’t give a rat’s ass about, I decided that this is not how my life is going to be.
So I changed it. I combined the skills I had, put in the effort of learning some new ones, and created a service that helps others to help others. Because helping each other is what the world needs more of. And I am all about the world. Read on . . .