Check on Craigslist, rescues, or your humane society too. People often give up perfectly good family pets due to reasons like moving or allergies which have nothing to do with the dog. Sometimes entire litters of pups come in too.

Melissa, we got an English Setter for our daughter. They are one of those breeds listed as a good fit for kids. She as well as all the other ones we saw while looking were about as gentle a dog as you will ever find. Needs a lot of brushing, and I have clippers to keep her trimmed myself. They're not bred in anywhere near the numbers Labs&Goldens are. If you want I'll PM you where we got her.

 Quote: steve strom

Melissa, we got an English Setter for our daughter. They are one of those breeds listed as a good fit for kids. She as well as all the other ones we saw while looking were about as gentle a dog as you will ever find. Needs a lot of brushing, and I have clippers to keep her trimmed myself. They're not bred in anywhere near the numbers Labs&Goldens are. If you want I'll PM you where we got her.

I love English Setters. That will be the breed I get win I get a non-herding group dog :-) I have a friend who has bench ones that she also hunts with and does agility and obedience with. Right now she has one working in utility. A wonderful breed be it bench or field. This is Yankee the group placing, hunting, and obedience dog :-) I took this shot at an obedience trial that we were at:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2101/2109770162_389b9a668c_o.jpg

Nice, my wife would like a blue, our's is orange.

Golden Retrievers make great family dogs. There are exceptions to every breed of course, but a Golden with a laid-back personality that you can get from a reputable breeder is an ideal companion for young kids. I had one for many years and he truly was a dog that any novice could handle and he was very gentle with kids, other dogs and cats. Labs can be much more active and may be a bit too much dog with very small kids. I don't think that you could go wrong with a laid-back Golden. Stay away from field trial bred Goldens for your purpose because they will have much more drive and activity needs than the typical show-bred Golden.

Golden retrievers are popular family dogs, but sadly are also very prone to cancer. So many of them come to the oncology clinic at the vet hospital here that the vet students I teach refer to them as "golden tumor dogs". If I were to get one I'd want to know the longevity and medical history of the dogs as far back in the pedigree as possible.

Don't know if this was already mentioned, but APBTs are really good with kids.

ETA that you should be able to find a calm one that is gentle with the young children. Though I've seen some downright hyper APBTs act like the gentlest sweetest dogs around kids.

 Quote: kristin mortensen

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?).

Well, I for one want to mention that even "lassie" has some aggression issues, and bit people on the set. When they were coming up with a dog for the "little rascals" they decided on a pit bull because the collies in the "lassie" show were so difficult to manage and, at times aggressive.
Every breed has good and bad examples. I think the more important question is: which breed do you LIKE? Once you narrow that down it's a matter of finding the right pup or adult for you. Every breed will have every example of temperment, dominance, submission, and aggression. A collie can be a great dog, if you find one with a good temperment and train it. The same goes for every other breed out there. I have had a Rot that was wonderful with everyone and wanted to sleep all day. I have a Boxer now that loves nearly everyone she is introduced to. But I have also seen a Boxer that was so aggressive it ended up being put to sleep. My sister was attacked by a Rot when she was 8 that nearly killed her, but my neighbor has one that sleeps on the porch all day and will love on anyone that comes near it. Golden retrievers are the same as any other breed as well. When I was still working for the ambulance I had to transport a person who was severely attacked by a golden retriever, ending up with staples and over 100 stitches.
Basically, what I am saying is don't let the breed hold you back. A good breeder will be able to help you find the right pup, no matter what breed you go with. You know your situation better than anyone, so figure out what breed you LIKE, then find a good breeder.

Thanks everyone! I'm guessing that APBT is a pit bull? If so, I couldn't get one. I live in Edmonton, AB, and its a restricted breed in the city, and my condo assoc wouldn't allow it. My husband's cousin has one, and he's the biggest loving suck butt I've ever met, but just not a possibility.

Honestly, I'm fairly open to looking at different breeds, as long as the temperment, energy, etc is 'normally' that which would fit well with us. I say normally, because of course, there can be differences in the individual dogs. I wouldn't get a dog that the breed standard mentions that its not recommended for children and hope that that particular puppy was an exception. I'd rather go with a breed that is noted for being good with children, and with the assistance of a good breeder, good advice and training (why I'm here, lol!) end up with a fantastic new family member. When thinking of 'larger' dogs (ie bigger than a Basset or a pug) Labs and Goldens are what came to mind, and yes, I have heard that of the 2, a golden would likely be a better choice as Labs tend to be 'puppy' for quite a while longer, complete with energy and lack of spacial awareness (aka knocking people and things flying)