Planning to gift a dog to your kid? Finding the right breed is so crucial. This post talks about best small, medium, and large dog breeds good with kids.
A dog can be your kid’s best friend. Owning a dog is the best way to teach your kid to be kind to animals. Someone truly said:
Teach them to be kind to animals and they will grow up to be kind to people too.
Selecting a dog is like choosing a new family member. With so many dog breeds out there, choosing the right one for your family & kids is very crucial.
Factors to Consider While Choosing A Family Friendly Dog Breed
You might be confused about which dog breed to select. Before I get into different family-friendly dog breeds, take a look at certain factors to consider while choosing a family-friendly dog.
1. Size
First of all, you need to have an idea about what dog size you want. Depending on your preferences, you can choose from small, medium, or large.
The size of the dog is connected with the temperament and energy of the dog. Different dog breeds will have different energy levels and temperaments.
2. Energy
How energetic dog you want for your kids? For some breeds, size and energy levels are not connected. Some large dog breeds are calm, while some small dog breeds are overly excitable.
So you need to also be clear about the energy level you want in your dog. It’s about whether you want a sleepy dog or an overly energetic dog.
3. Care requirements
As a responsible dog owner, you need to meet all the requirements of your dog, whether it is related to grooming or any other. The requirements will vary depending on the dog breed you select.
So before getting a dog for your children, consider the dog breed’s requirements and figure out whether or not you can meet them.
4. Temperament
Another important factor to consider while choosing a kid-friendly dog is the temperament. Different dog breeds have different temperament levels.
So before owning a particular breed of the dog, make sure you have a proper idea about the dog’s personality and behavior.
14 Best Kid-Friendly Dogs
Before checking the list of 14 best kid-friendly dogs, check out above listed factors.
To help you find the right-sized dog, we have categorized kid-friendly dog breeds by size: Small dogs, Medium-sized dogs, and Large dogs.
Here are the dog breeds that can be the perfect companion with your child:
Best Small Dogs for Kids
Wanna gift a small and cute dog to your little one? Here are the best small dog breeds for kids:
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
If you are looking for a cute and family-friendly pet dog, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel could be a nice choice. The calm and loving temperament makes it a perfect dog breed for kids.
Cavalier is a playful dog breed, your kids will love playing. The Cavalier will be very loving & peaceful towards you, your family, kids, and other dogs.
Unlike many other dog breeds, the Cavalier will not require extreme exercise. However, Cavaliers do love playing and exploring things outside.
Papillon
Papillon is a highly intelligent, fun-loving, and the best family-friendly dog breed. The papillon will love playing with your children.
If you have small children, it is not advisable to get a papillon. This is due to their personality. Papillons’ energetic personality type makes them more accident-prone for very young children.
French Bulldog
The French bulldog is another lovable and friendly small-sized dog breed. The personality of this dog breed is very similar to kids. This makes Frenchies a perfect dog breed for children of any age.
Unlike many other dog breeds, Frenchies don’t require exercising for long hours daily. A daily walk of around 15 minutes would be enough. And, by getting a french bulldog, the grooming requirements will be very less.
Dachshund
Dachshunds are playful, smart, independent, and loyal. Whether the dog is friendly with kids is majorly based on the individual dachshund.
It is advisable to get a dachshund as a puppy from the right breeder. Due to the body type and size, picking the dachshund in a wrong position may get him injured.
Pug
Pugs are lovable, intelligent, alert, and affectionate dogs. The personality type of pugs makes them perfect for families with children.
This dog breed is for someone who has enough time to provide love & care to their dog.
Pug is one of the harmless dog breeds. Their mouth shape avoids them from biting. Still, it is essential to supervise when a pug is playing with your kid.
Best Medium Dogs for Kids
Some medium dog breeds can also be perfect for your kids. Here are the best medium-sized dogs for kids:
Beagle
If you want to get a medium-sized dog breed for your kids & family, beagle can be the best option. Beagles are family-friendly, adorable, loving, and calm. This dog breed requires so much exercise. And, the beagle will also love to play games with your child.
Your beagle doggy will require you to focus on grooming. This dog breed sheds and it requires regular brushing and bathing. If you are allergic to shedding, choose from hypoallergenic dog breeds.
Poodle
Poodle dog breed is smart, intelligent, and gentle. Poodles are popular for their intelligence and their unique haircut. This dog breed could be a great choice for a family with kids.
They have separation anxiety, which means when they are left alone for long from their owners, they don’t do well.
Before getting this dog, be sure you are ready to spend enough time on grooming this cute doggy.
Vizsla
Vizslas are affectionate, loyal, smart, obedient, and adventurous. This dog breed requires a lot of exercises regularly, so vizslas are ideal for active families.
Their playful nature makes them one of the best kid-friendly dogs. Vizslas are very adventurous, they don’t like spending long hours at home.
Best Large Dogs for Kids
Wanna get a big dog for your little one? Here are the best large dogs for kids:
Golden Retriever
Golden retriever takes the first place when it comes to getting a large-sized kid-friendly dog. Goldens are strong, active, smart, loyal, confident, gentle, and enthusiastic.
There are several things to consider before getting a golden retriever. Golden is a very friendly dog breed, leaving him alone for long hours will result in separation anxiety and depression in him.
Labrador Retriever
Labrador retriever is one of the best family dog breeds out there. Labs are loyal, friendly, enthusiastic, protective, and playful. Apart from this, they are highly intelligent, which means training them would be a bit easy.
Labs require a lot of exercises and they love to swim. Due to their short coats, keeping them clean and healthy would be less stressful.
Their friendly and sociable nature makes them perfect family-friendly dogs. They get along with other pets or animals very well.
Check: Compare Labrador and Golden Retriever
Newfoundland
Newfoundlands get along with kids very well. Their dignified and calm nature makes them perfect with almost everyone.
This dog breed is for you if you can manage to spend most of your time with your dog. Newfoundlands are very sociable, they don’t do well when they are left alone.
Irish Setter
Beagles is another kid-friendly, large dog breed. They are enthusiastic, athletic, and friendly. Their positive nature makes them ideal for families with kids.
Before adopting an Irish Setter dog, you need to keep in mind that this dog breed will require so much exercise. This will ensure the right usage of excessive energy.
Collie
Collies are gentle, affectionate, and sensitive. The gentle and loving nature of collies makes them perfect for families with kids. This dog breed is very affectionate towards children.
For the right use of energy, Collies do require some exercise daily. Unlike many other dog breeds, their exercise requirements are not intensive.
Boxer
Boxer is another kid-friendly dog breed. This will be the best protective & sociable dog breed for families with kids. The energetic and active behavior of boxers makes them ideal for kids who love to play.
To utilize the energy correctly, it is essential to focus on regular exercise. This will make sure your dog does not unleash its energy with destructive behavior (like destroying furniture, barking so long, chewing excessively, etc.)
Final Thoughts
To help you select the right dog breed for your child, we have categorized them as per their size. The behavior and personality will differ from one dog breed to another. Make sure to get a gentle, calm, loving, and sociable dog for your family and kids.
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