Bringing a new dog home can be an exciting and life-changing experience for the whole family. Whether you’re a seasoned dog owner or a first-timer, adopting a new canine companion requires commitment, patience, and care. To ensure you’re getting the right dog for a family with kids, check out the tips below.

Assessing a Good Family Dog

Finding the best dog for your kids involves more than just seeing how cute and playful they are. Like anything, you’ll want to match the needs of your family with the type of dog that you want.

To determine the best dog for your family, it’s also worth considering the following:

• Size: Just as you should never judge a book by its cover, so should you never judge a dog by its size. For instance, many large dogs are calm and docile, while some small canines are overly excitable and vice versa.
• Temperament: When it comes to kids, experts suggest going with a calmer dog with an easy-going temperament. Kids can be hyperactive, which means the dog should be able to tolerate their behavior. You’ll also want to accommodate your kids’ needs, especially if they’re shy around dogs.
• Energy level: It’s important to assess how well your family can manage a dog’s energy. For example, don’t adopt a dog with high energy needs if you can’t meet them. It’s not fair to leave a hyperactive dog locked inside when they could be with an owner who keeps them stimulated.

Best Family Dogs

While there are many breeds that are suitable for kids, below are some of the most common.

Beagles

Not only are beagles an adorable breed, but they are also loyal and easy-going. Beagles make great family pets because of their laidback nature, and they’re also a good size, at just 13 to 15 inches tall. If you want a loving family pet that doesn’t take up too much space, a Beagle is a great option.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Cavaliers are an adorable and lively breed that are known for getting along with anyone they come across — including kids and other dogs. The silky-soft fur of this breed makes them a joy to stroke, and they’re also patient and loving to be around. However, Cavaliers can also be prone to significant health issues: check with Mesa vets to learn more about this breed.

Labrador Retriever

Labs are one of the most popular dog breeds around. Not only are they playful, patient, and loving, but they are also highly intelligent and easy to train. However, Labs also require a lot of exercise (they especially love swimming), so it’s something to consider before you adopt one. This special breed also comes in three distinct colors: yellow, black, or chocolate.

Poodle

Another gentle and fun-loving breed is the poodle. Not only are poodles incredibly smart, but they are also loyal, obedient, and patient, especially when it comes to kids. These elegant pooches also come in a range of sizes, from an adorable 10-inch toy poodle to a large 24-inch standard poodle. The other benefit of this breed is that they hardly shed and are great for people with pet allergies.

Bulldog

One of the cutest family pooches is the almighty bulldog. While they can be tough when they need to be, these bundles of muscle are docile, gentle, friendly, and loyal. Bulldogs are also a lower energy canine, which is excellent if you want a pup that loves lazing around rather than jumping all over the furniture!