Which of these dogs is best with kids? (Just looking for some info and curious)?

Just looking for a little info and curious to see what people say on this:Which of these dogs is best with kids. As in patient and tolerant. And I'm not talking just any children. But well behaved, calm, well mannered kids that know how to act around a dog. That know how to approach a dog, how to gently pet a dog, and not be rough or mean. Ages between 5-10.These are all breeds that need tons of exercise, and many need a comitted and firm owner. That is familiar with the breed and understands the breed. So preferably the owner (parents of the children) should have some sort of background with the breed IMHO.Some of these in my opinion aren't good with kids but just curious to see what others thinkHere are the breeds:American Pit Bull TerrierAmerican Staffordshire TerrierAmerican BulldogStaffordshire Bull TerrierOld english BulldogJack Russell TerrierPatterdale TerrierAlapaha Blue Blood BulldogBorder CollieShetland SheepdogAustralian Cattle DogDalmatianCatahoula Leopard DogStandard PoodleNova Scotia Duck Tolling RetrieverFrench BulldogJust looking to see what the concensus is.Not asking for any particular reason other than that. I know most dogs can be good with kids if trained properly, but I'm looking at breed traits.I just threw some breeds in for the heck of it. some I don't even like. Just threw them in for the sake of arguement.My heart belongs to the Bully Breeds, always and forever

i have found that boxers and saint bernards have been great with children. They love them dearly and would lay down their lives in a heartbeat to protect their babies. And they pretty much will follow them where ever they go.

Golden Retrievers are excellent family dog's! We had a Golden who would lay down with our kids every night and would wait for them to fall asleep. Of course, as you mentioned, training is very important. but by nature Golden's are very caring, loyal and family oriented dogs. Not to mention they make adorable puppies! You could even expirience the life of a Golden at this blog, freakytiki.tumblr.com. Good luck!

I had a Dalmatian that grew up with my 2 kids. The boys were always supervised around the dog. The dog I have now is a Rat Terrier and all children are supervised around her too.

i have American Pit Bull Terriers, and they are great with all kids- i have a 7 year old, and our neighbors (we live in a duplex with a shared yard) have a 12 year old, there are always lots of children in our yard, and our dogs are very gentle with them.the only major caution there is that when they are young pups they can be boisterous, and their tails are like whips.... but they are great for bigger kids who aren't going to get knocked down.

Since when do frenchies need TONS of exercise?That aside there is no BEST. There is what works for your family and what you want in a dog and that's it. I've seen all these breeds in families with kids around that age range and for the fact they have competent parents it works. I have a four year old and will be getting a Catahoula before the end of the year."Good with kids" is nothing more than a training issue for the most part. A properly trained dog and children who have been taught what is and is not acceptable behavior with animals. Its also a matter of supervision depending on the age of the child(ren) involved.

Jack Russell TerrierAustralian Cattle DogBorder Collie(I really, really don't think you should get a bull dog of any kind. I know some people say, "oh this bull dog is really sweet, it wouldn't even hurt a fly. " I still wouldn't even put my hand near it, because I heard some news where a bull dog lived with a old lady, and one day attacked the lady for no reason.)P.S. I highly recommend a Border Collie or a Australian Cattle Dog for your kids, these are the kind of dogs who follow strict orders, as well as a German shepherd.

I know that APBTs, AmStaffs, and standard poodles can be good with kids.Some of the other breeds you mentioned are too high-energy or too small for a family with small children, and some I'm just not sure about.

akc.org.By the way, bully's, dalmations, and am.staffs are DEFINATELY for experianced owners.I would say right now: Rule out Border Collie. Take it off the list and forget about it. They're herding dogs, and will try to herd children. Mine nips at kids, so until we've trained her out of it she's not allowed around children any more.Poodles would be good. They're smart, easy to train.God, please don't listen to the people that are telling you to get a herding dog, like a Border Collie. I know HAVE one, so I can tell you that it's not a good idea. We take my Border Collie to the dog park every day and let her run around for two whole hours, and when she's back she's still got a ton of energy. I would not recommend one around kids, definately not. I can't tell you about the other dogs, because I haven't had them, but I know Golden's are good with kids.Being "good with kids" is really all about training.Add: Please trust me on this one. You do not want these teeth nipping at your childrens ankles:http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn276/TheWandChoseTheWizard/NellyandI2.jpgI'm glad you like the Bully breeds They're so sweet

Shelties (Shetland Sheepdog) are amazing with kids.There have a great attitude and are very sweet.

American Pit Bull Terrier - Can be great with kids if socalized around them at a young age and taught to be calm around them. Due to the size and strengh of this breed they could easily knock a small child down, if they get to playful. Overall with good training, great with kids. Used to own one.American Staffordshire Terrier - Same as APBT.Staffordshire Bull Terrier - Same as APBTJack Russell Terrier - Good with kids. However, can be a little yappy and to high strung with small children. Very excitable breed. Can be nippy and have little patence for small kids. IMO best for older 6+ childrenBorder Collie - Herding breed. Not the best around children as they have a tendancy to nip the heels of running kids in an attempt to herd them where the dog wants them to go, this can be trained out of them, with alot of time and patience. Shetland Sheepdog - Great with kids. I dont see any negatives around kids with this breed as long as socalized at young age.Australian Cattle Dog -Would not recommend for small kids. This breed is bred to bite and to be dominate. Nips heels of kids if not taught other wise, however the training to not "HEEL" is harder for this breed then the border collie. This is generaly a breed who will constanly challange athority. Verry high energy. However, if properly trained and excersized properly could make a good companion. I own 2 males.Catahoula Leopard Dog - I think would be along the same lines as a cattle dog.Standard Poodle. Would be great with kids in my opinion, if properly socalized.

Border Collie! i have one he super super super hyper! but really sweet he wouldn't hurt a fly they do shed A lott but their very social and haveA lott of energy so if you cant play with them a couple times a day then i don't think you should get one. but their very smart and my loves to play fetch.

Border Collies are actually OK with kids. Like everyone else saidLabs are great, but they are a bit rowdy until the are a little over 1.Most of the other breeds on your list are not so great with kids.Most little dogs and young kids are not a good mix

I have had experiences with the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, the American Bulldog, The Old English Bulldog, the Border collie, the Shetland Sheepdog, the Australian Cattle Dog, and the Poodle and ALL OF THEM were amazing with children.In my opinion EVERY dog is good with children if they are socialized well at an early age! Some dogs are given the stereotype that they are 'bad with children' because if the owner doesn't train them, they are naturally not good with children.I think ALL dogs are good with children if raised right, in my opinion.

I have a 4 month old Staffordshire Bull terrier and he is my first dog so I can only talk for him. I have a 2year old and a 6 year old son and my puppy is very patient, loving, OBEDIENT, loyal and perfect for my family. He really is an amazing dog and he wont leave my side unless my 2 year old decides hes going to be naughty and try and run away- he then follows my son. He is amazing with them and protective. He is also not dog aggressive and loves everybody he meets. He has yet to find his bark but apparently staffordshires dont tend to bark even as adults. He is not territorial so wouldn't protect my home lol useless if you wanted a guard dog as hes too stranger friendly but I dont want a guard dog so hes perfect for me xSorry for the rant but I really love my dog lol

The 2 breeds on your list, that I think would do well with kids is the French Bulldog and the Standard Poodle. So far, all the Frenchies I've met, have been very pleasant animals, plus their qutie sturdy. Also, if your up for the grooming requirements (money, time), Standard Poodles are very bright, active dogs. I haven't met a nasty SP either. I'm sure their out there, but that's where doing your homework and looking for a responsible breeder who breeds for temperment and health comes in.As for the rest of your list, I am in agreement, that they need a strong owner and may not be appropriate for kids, just due to their size and strength alone. An American Bulldog could easily knock over a 10 year old kid, just in play.JRT's & Patterdales, I would not recommend with kids. I have not yet met a mentally stable JRT. The Patterdale is pretty much used exclusively for hunting still and not as a pet, so their personality and drive is not toned down.I wouldn't recommend a Sheltie or BC either. The Sheltie likes the sound of it's own voice and get be excessive barkers. Sheltie and the BC both have herding instincts and may nip at the kids. As for the Australian Cattle Dog, their pretty domininate and bred to handle cattle. I'd skip this one also.I don't know enough about the Catahoula or NSDTR to make comment. I've never met either.edit: I really love my breed also (standard dachshunds), but I'm not in denial about the positivies and the negatives of the breed. I wouldn't recommend a dachshund either, simply because they will not tolerate rough handling by anyone and may not welcome the child's friends into the house.So, I guess my point is just because you own a particular breed and love it, you can't just recommend it to everyone.

I can't really recommend Dalmatians for people with small children. Dalmatians are the type of dog where you either get a really good one or a really bad one. They are prone to behavioral problems such as chewing, digging and jumping fences if not given tons of attention. They get bored and develop a stubborn streak when left to their own devices. We had a family that lived behind us. They owned a Dalmatian and they had a six year old son. The dog was wonderful...until the day the neighbors' nephew came to visit. He was the same age as their little boy and they were outside tossing a ball around in the yard when the Dalmatian attacked the nephew, unprovoked. He mauled the little boy and it took three grown men to pull the dog off the boy. They had to have the dog put to sleep. They discovered he had developed a brain tumor. "Bully" breeds are another one to watch out for. They don't respond well to conventional training and can be rather exuberant, thus making them prone to either fear aggression toward children who make them nervous or jumping on children and knocking them down. Any of your herding dogs, like the Catahoula and Australian Cattle Dog are also going to be prone to over excitement and are bad at nipping at the ankles of playing children. Herding dogs need a lot of room and time to exercise and run off their energy. This is why these dogs do well in agility trials. Jack Russel Terriers typically are not good with children, as with most small breeds, but there are always exceptions to the rule. Out of all the breeds you listed, the Standard Poodle is the most even tempered, easy to train and good with children.

I have a Catahoula and she is great with my kids but I would not recommend one to a family with very young children. These dogs have a very high energy level and are very strong. My dog is very sweet but when she gets excited she gets a little nuts and could easily hurt a small child without meaning to. She would never intentionally hurt a child but she has hurt me by knocking me down while we were playing. My dog is 4 and 1/2 and she has just as much energy as she did when we first got her when she was a baby. Daisy needs lots of exercise daily to keep her mellow. She is very protective over my girls and loves them very much but I can't let them walk her until she has all ready been walked by a grown up to drain some energy she loves to chase squirrels and other wild animals I think it is the hunting side of her.

I'd say absolutely NO on the Pit bulls or anything similar. The Catahoula is a good breed around children, the Standard Poodle is a wonderful choice! Even the French or English Bulldog or any retrievers. The Poodle is one of the smartest breeds (so they say) and highly trainable. That might be a good choice... not to mention the lack of shedding. GLPlease, do not go with a Pit bull. There are probably a few great ones out there (i've never met one) but you never know what you could end up with. These are dangerous dogs and NOT suited for families with children!!!