I'm not sure that this is the right place for this thread, or if it should go under the 'general' heading...but since living with children is the biggest part of choosing a dog, I figure I'd put it here, so apologies if I'm wrong, lol!

In my other thread, I mentioned we'd been considering either a Lab or Golden for a future family member. A few other breed suggestions were made, and I was wondering if perhaps there is a breed I may be overlooking in our consideration and planning? I can give an idea of what we're looking for in terms of temperment, etc.

First and foremost, we have children. Young children. So, a dog that is of a more...determined...personality likely wouldn't be a good fit.

Not looking for a 'working' dog. A family companion, absolutely. Go with me to work at a long term care residence and visit for pet therapy once a week or so, absolutely. Hunting, guard, etc, nope.

Size matters. We had a pug that we adored, but looking at around the Lab/Golden size, give or take a wee bit. I love the Newfoundland breed, but just way too huge for us right now.

We do have some breeds that are off our list. As much as *I* love GSD, I doubt that I am able to handle the high drive that the breed tends to exhibit, and coupled with my husband's distrust (he was attacked by one) neither of us feels it would be a good choice. We both love Huskies, but realize that since we're not joggers or cyclists, chances are we wouldn't be able to give a Husky the excerise it needs to be happy. Beagles are out, because we have rabbits that romp through our front lawn on a daily basis, and chances are a Beagle would lose its mind or scale the fence with the tasty scent of rabbit that near.

So, all that said...any suggestions other than the Lab/Golden that we haven't thought of that we could research?

Thanks!

Dont know what breed to recommend, but as far as rabbits go, that certainly isnt limited to beagles. Breed generalization can only take you so far. If you want a lazy dopey GSD that prefers sleeping on the sofa than walking in the yard, I can find you one. If you want a golden retriever that chases rabbits and exhibits aggressive behaviors, I'm sure I could probably find you one of those too.

Once you decide on the breed you are most interested in, the bigger challenge is to find a reputable breeder that produces the type of dog you are looking for. On top of that, regardless of the breed, the dog can cause you problems if the training and foundation work isnt there. Regardless of breed, at the end of the day alot of the issues are owner-related.

Understandably you dont want a Malinois with unlimited energy, an aggressive way of playing and loves to bite people in the ass for fun. But even within the breeds you mentioned I would watch out. Most labs I've seen are incredibly hyper and will knock a small child into the wall or knock them over into the coffee table etc.

Good luck!

Have you considered a collie? The first dog I had as a kid (and arguably my favorite) was an extremely beautiful, sedate, rough, sable collie. She was completely trustworthy, though certainly not a working dog.

They are almost exclusively a "show" breed, and in my experience temperaments and energy level vary considerably, as with any breed that has been milled a lot, so it would be wise to either do your homework or get an older dog. Fortunately they aren't quite as popular anymore, but they are smart, do tend to be really good with kids and you can't beat their charisma (who can dislike Lassie?).

Oh, and if the coat seems daunting (though if you were considering a newfie or a husky, I doubt it) you could go with the smooth variety.

I just wanted to add that my parents got her as a very well-bred, but unsocialized, puppy when I was 3 (I was the oldest) and she was left alone with us kids a lot (my parents knew next to nothing about dogs). Despite what I'm sure was pretty close to abuse from us, she absolutely adored kids to the day she died, 13 years later.

Just as you say Mike, you can find a lot of different temperaments within breeds.

For instance I have the laziest Lab I've ever seen. Other than chase a ball for 20 minutes a day she rests at the top of the stairs and watches the Dutchies bounce off the walls on the lower level.

I grew up with Boxers. They are said to be the ultimate family dog. We rehomed a friends boxer when I was 4. I am from a family of 6 kids.
The dog lost his life saving my younger brother and I from two vicious great danes. My father was hooked with the breed from that day.
My warning would be their high energy so if you are not an active family I would look elsewhere.

I personally never see myself without at least 1 boxer.

Hi Melissa, You may want to read this thread also...

http://www.leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/182427/page/0/fpart/1

Personally, for a family dog, I think Cocker Spaniels are great!

When considering a Boxer you must also consider the extremely high rate of cancer in the breed. In fact now the breed is commonly known as a "cancer factory". It's not nice to fool mother nature.

Melissa,
Have you considered a standard poodle? Calm, gentle, very smart and trainable, sadly underrated breed because of their ridiculous show ring image. The coat does require attention, but they don't have to be clipped like topiary. I agree with Mike, though - the problem as with so many other breeds will be finding a reputable breeder.

Thanks for the responses! Yes, I certainly do realize that within a breed there is a variety of drive and personality, but I also know that some breeds are considered 'good with kids' or 'not recommended' for children as a general place to start. We hadn't considered poodles...probably because of the image you mentioned, and the taking to the groomers issue. While we have no hesitation brushing a dog daily, or dealing with piles of shedded hair, the dog getting more professional haircuts than I do might cause some jealousy, lmao!

Hmmm...hadn't considered a collie or boxer...definately going to have to look more closely at them, although the 'cancer factory' that was suggested is enough to have me stay away from boxers. I've gone to those 'what breed is for you' questionaires on different sites to see what comes up, but I'd rather hear from experienced ppl! Thanks again!