The Best Family Dogs, Matched to Your Household

What makes a good family dog?

A family dog has to cope with noise, mess, visitors, changing routines and children who do not always read its signals. The traits that matter most are tolerance, a steady temperament, an eagerness to learn and an energy level the family can match. The AKC rates every breed from 1 to 5 for how it does with young children, and that score is a useful first filter.

Breed is only part of the story. An individual dog's temperament, early socialization and training count just as much, and a calm adult rescue can be a better family dog than a puppy of a famous family breed. Before choosing, be honest about how many hours a day someone will be home, how much exercise you will give, and how much hair, and time with a dog brush, you can live with.

Labrador and Golden Retrievers

The Labrador Retriever weighs 55 to 80 pounds and lives 11 to 13 years; the Golden Retriever weighs 55 to 75 pounds and lives 10 to 12 years. Both score 5 out of 5 with young children, for affection with family and for trainability, which is why they appear on nearly every family dog list. Labs are rated 5 for energy and Goldens 3, and both are friendly with strangers.

The trade-offs are real. Both shed heavily, so expect hair on everything and weekly brushing at minimum; a deshedding tool such as a self-cleaning deshedding comb helps with a retriever's dense undercoat. Both are big, strong and exuberant as young dogs, so early leash and manners training matter, and a no-pull harness makes those first walks easier to manage. VCA notes that Labs are prone to weight gain and that many will carry, chew or swallow things they should not, so keep socks and toys picked up.

Smaller family dogs

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel weighs 13 to 18 pounds and lives 12 to 15 years. VCA describes it as gentle, adaptable to apartments or houses and generally excellent with children, though it does not like being left alone for long. The Bichon Frise (12 to 18 pounds, 14 to 15 years) and Havanese (7 to 13 pounds, 14 to 16 years) are cheerful, sociable and low shedding, with coats that need regular grooming.

The Boston Terrier (12 to 25 pounds, 11 to 13 years) and Pug (14 to 18 pounds, 13 to 15 years) have easy short coats and score 5 with young children. Both are flat-faced, so they struggle in heat and hard exercise. Very small toy breeds are a poorer fit for homes with toddlers, simply because a dog under 10 pounds is easy to hurt by accident.

Large, gentle family dogs

The Newfoundland, at 100 to 150 pounds, is famous for its patience with children and scores 5 with kids and 5 with strangers. It also drools heavily and sheds, and its life expectancy is 9 to 10 years. The Bernese Mountain Dog is affectionate and good with children, at 70 to 115 pounds, but it sheds more than almost any breed and lives 7 to 10 years.

The Boxer (about 50 to 80 pounds, 10 to 12 years) is playful, loyal and great with kids, but stays boisterous well into adulthood. The Irish Setter (60 to 70 pounds, 12 to 15 years) is sweet-natured and outgoing, with top energy that suits a family who hikes and runs. Big dogs need training early, because a friendly jump from a 100-pound dog can still flatten a small child.

Matching a dog to your children's ages

With babies and toddlers, look for a calm, sturdy, adult dog with a known temperament. Toy breeds can be injured, and young, bouncy large breeds can knock children over. Herding breeds such as Border Collies and Australian Shepherds may try to herd running children by nipping at heels, which needs careful management.

School-age children can take on real jobs: filling the water bowl, joining training sessions, helping on walks with an adult. Teenagers can match the energy of a sporty breed like a Lab, Boxer or Irish Setter. Whatever the ages, an adult must own the dog's care. Children grow busy and move on, and the dog will still need feeding, walking and vet care for a decade or more.

Making it work at home

Supervise every interaction between a dog and a young child, and give the dog a quiet place, such as a dog crate or dog bed, where the children leave it alone. Teach children not to hug a dog around the neck, approach it while it eats or wake it when it sleeps. Watch for a dog that turns away, licks its lips, yawns or freezes; those are signs it wants space.

Enroll in a reward-based training class in the first few months, and include the children. Book a vet visit soon after the dog arrives to set up vaccinations and parasite prevention and to discuss any breed health issues. Budget for food, grooming, routine care and emergencies before you choose, because cost is a common reason family dogs are given up.

This page is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your pet.