What are the Best Dog Breeds for Families?

Posted by Jeanne on August 4, 2009

There’s nothing quite like the family dog.  It’s almost a slice of Americana.  In ever cheesy fifties image of the Perfect American Family we see a nice little house with a white picket fence, Mom and Dad, two children (usually a boy and a girl), and a family pooch happily prancing around the yard.  As clichéd as that image may be, the fact remains that people love dogs and some families just don’t feel right without a family dog.

When choosing a dog for a family, there are important traits to keep in mind.  Some breeds of dog are wonderful for families while others simply don’t have the proper temperament to deal with family life.  They may be too rough with small children, to needy of their own space to deal with the incessant coming and going of a large family, or simply too naturally aggressive to respond well to a family setting.  Other breeds are just perfect fits for family life.  Here are some of the best dog breeds for families.

Golden Retrievers

Originally bred as a bird dog (like most retrievers), the Golden retriever is an amazingly loyal and very protective breed.  They are perfect for families that enjoy outdoor activities because they love to run, jump, and play.

Irish Setters

Irish Setters are known for their pleasant personalities and their eagerness to please humans.  They were also originally bred as hunting dogs and can serve well in this capacity, but it is their aptitude for companionship that makes them a beloved family breed.

Collies

The Collie may be one of the breeds most easily associated with the qualities of a family dog due to the popularity of the Lassie television programs.  Collies are characterized by a combination of intelligence and patience uncommon in other breeds.

Boxers

Boxers look large and scary and have a deep, resonating bark that makes intruders wary, but they are truly gentle, loving, and loyal dogs.  Their size may make families with small children want to wait a few years before owning one, but they are a perfect family pet once the kids are a little older.

Newfoundland

Remember the dog “Hooch” from the Tom Hanks movie Turner and Hooch?  This is Hooch, a big, friendly, loving pooch.  They tend to slobber and drool rather excessively, but the Newfoundland is a loving and protective pet.  Like the boxer, the dog’s size may be of some concern, but it will be hard to find a more loyal dog for a family than this breed.

What are the Best Hunting Dogs?

Posted by Jeanne on April 1, 2009

Any dog can be a hunting dog. Some do one kind of hunting better than others, and some will go after anything that moves including mailmen, cats, cars, boys on bicycles, salesmen, and even other dogs. But most trained hunting dogs go after birds and small animals like rabbits, fox, coons, and possum.

With their keen noses, bird dogs like the English and Irish Setters are taught mainly to locate game birds. When they find a bird, they stand a certain way – hunters call it pointing – showing their owners where the bird is. After the bird is brought down, the dog is then sent out to bring it back to his master. This is retrieving. It’s just like the game you play with your dog when you throw a stick in front of you and ask your Fido to fetch it.

Retrievers, like the Golden and the jet black Labrador are especially trained to bring back water fowl that have been shot down over a body of water. They do a good job of retrieving land birds, too. Some hunters like a dog that can find game and retrieve it from both land and water. The Spaniels and the Weimaraner with their webbed feet are such combination all-purpose dogs.

An entirely different group of hunting dogs are the hounds like the Beagle, Foxhound, Whippet, and Borzoi. Hounds are used primarily to hunt for four-legged game rather than birds. One of the best-known hunting dogs is the Bloodhound. This breed is frequently used by the police to track down fugitives from the law. And sometimes little fugitive children who get lost or who run away from home can thank the Bloodhound’s keen sense of smell for finding them.

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