Humans have been letting their young run off with wolves since the dawn of time. Pairing a hyperactive toddler with an equally hyperactive puppy can be a good recipe for sleep. So how do we choose the best dogs for our kids to play with?
A child’s best friend should always be in the mood to play. Ready at any time to run mile after mile alongside the bike. And of course, a simple cure for loneliness.
It is important to understand that from a good dog, your child can learn some very valuable life and moral lessons. They immediately learn responsibility, by taking care of an animal, but they also learn kindness, devotion and respect.
As parents, it’s important to find that “good” dog to make a member of the family. For example, a dog that might jump out and scratch a child unexpectedly probably just needs a little training. However, a dog that growls and bites children will likely be a very unsuitable addition to the family.
I know that searching for the perfect dog can be time-consuming and worrying, even if this is your child’s first dog and you personally don’t have a long history of pets during your childhood. So I’ve compiled a list of dogs based on size and breed that I’ve labeled “good,” “excellent,” or “Older Kids Only” so you don’t get confused.
The best dogs for children under 10 pounds.
Excellent:
- Havana
- american eskimo dog
Okay:
- MinPin (miniature pinscher)
- bichon
- norwich terrier
Only for older children:
- Pomeranian
- chihuahua
- Dachshund (toy and mini)
- japanese chin
- Maltese
- italian greyhound
- Pekingese
- toy poodle
- yorkshire terrier
Dogs weighing between 11 and 20 pounds
Excellent:
- cairn terrier
- norwich terrier
- norfolk terrier
- Schipperke
- tibetan spaniel
Okay:
- boston terrier
- jack russell
- miniature schnauzer
- miniature poodle
Only for older children:
- king charles spaniel
- standard dachshund
- scottish terrier
- westies
Dogs weighing between 21 and 50 pounds
Excellent:
- Cocker
- Australian pastor
- Beagle
- bearded collie
- brittany spaniel
- english springer spaniel
- Keeshond
- shetland sheepdog
Okay:
- Basset hound
- border collie
- Ibizan
- wheaten terrier
- Remnant
- welsh corgi
Only older children:
- airedale
- basenji
- french bulldog
- scottish terrier
- standard schnauzer
Dogs weighing between 51 and 80 pounds
Excellent:
- Boxer
- Bulldog
- collie
- english setter
- foxhound
- giant schnauzer
- golden retriever
- hound
- labrador retrievers
- Old english shepherd
- Spot
- standard poodle
- red bone coonhound
- wirehaired griffon
Okay:
- Chesapeake Bay Retriever
- chow chow
- Water dog
- doberman pinscher
- German shepherd dog
- Greyhound
- irish setter
Only older children:
- Afghan
- Dalmatian
- samoyed
- Weimerner
Dogs weighing 81 lbs or more
Excellent:
- Hound
- Flanders Mountain Dog
- irish wolfhound
- bernese mountain dog
- Newfoundland
Okay:
- doberman pinscher
- Mastiff
- rottweiler
- Saint Bernard
Only older children:
- alaskan malamutes
- Great Pyrenees
- american bulldog
- swiss mountain dog
- hound
