Pros: Stay @ home mom with time to train, have GREAT vet, plenty of room, large yard, and can afford the costs associated with a extra-large dog (also have “fostered” homeless dogs so we are not completely clueless)
(Potential) Cons: Have small children, cats, and I am petite so the dog will grow to be larger than me…
5. December 2009 at 08:51
English Mastiffs are HUGE dogs who absolutely love children. Hope you don’t mind the drooling though.
5. December 2009 at 09:36
saint bernard(:
they’re really gentle, and they’re very tolerant of children.
and they don’t have that strong of a prey drive…so if you get a Saint Bernard as a puppy, your cats should be fine.
as for the petite thing, they’re very loyal and obedient…if you train them hard enough i’m sure you’ll have no problem.
after all, they used to save people who were caught in snowstorms.
they’re gentle giants(:
5. December 2009 at 09:48
i am not sure how large your talking but a german shepard are good heck i was practically baysat by ours when i was a kid i remember him keeping us 5 kids from the road and if we got tto rough with each other he would stop us his name was Hobo (rip)
5. December 2009 at 09:59
Saint Bernards are great and German Sheperds are too. All dogs are good with children they are the same as adults in the dogs eyes. Its usually the children that don’t know how to rub and play with the dog. Mastiffs are great too.
5. December 2009 at 10:46
What about a Great Dane – they’re really friendly and sweet natured, and probably the easiest giant dog breed to handle, even for someone petite, especially if you’re going to be putting in the time to train. I hear they’re good with kids too because they’re so gentle – they call them gentle giants. BONUS, they’re size makes them intimidating, so you’ll feel safe when walking him/her.
5. December 2009 at 11:01
If you really want an extra-large dog breed as a first-time owner, my recommendation would be a Great Dane, though extra-large dogs are not always a good mix with very small children since with rough play, kids can get hurt. So constant supervision and separating kids from puppy is a must. And I recommend early obedience training while the pup is still small and you can still handle it.
5. December 2009 at 11:36
YES! A Labrador retriever might be good. They LOVE kids, are really friendly, nice, slightly hard to train, but if you have patience, they can reward you a hundredfold. I absolutely love labs! My lab Prince Homer is great with my cat King Odysseus (since hes accepted the fact that Ody is king!) they are great friends and its fun to watch them play.
5. December 2009 at 12:13
why dont you and your family go too your local shelter and pick one out … they can even help you by telling you which one they think will be good for your family kittys too. and you will be giving him or her a good home and (saving a life) too- good luck!
5. December 2009 at 12:13
Golden Retrievers!
I’ve met plenty of them and they make amazing family pets. They are happy, friendly, easily trained and less likely to develop dominance problems, which is important with kids.
Downside is that they do shed…
5. December 2009 at 12:40
A Leonberger has a phenomenal reputation around children. It’s big, doesn’t require a lot of exercise, is good with people but outstanding with kids. Downsides: rare–difficult to get and like all big dogs, it has a short lifespan.
St. Bernard’s aren’t bad but they are sometimes a bull in a china shop with their size.
Some of the other breeds mentioned (Great Danes, Mastiffs) are indeed fine dogs but aren’t naturally good with kids like Leonbergers and St. Bernards are. And Labs and GSDs–well, the lab will require a lot more exercise than I think you can afford to give if you have small children (90-120 minutes a day for a puppy). And I think it takes a special GSD with really good training to be safe around young kids.
5. December 2009 at 13:38
i would say a great dane, doberman, golden retriver,lab,saint benard, grey hound, bernese mountain dog, collie, german sheperd, mastiff, new foundland are all very friendly,
5. December 2009 at 14:07
Bernese Mountain Dog, they are excellent, gentle family dogs. My neighbor with 6 children, 1 3yr. old and 1 toddler has one and they all love him. My stepson has 2 Entlebuchers (Mountain Dog breed), they are both wonderful dogs and love to be included in family activities. Good luck.
5. December 2009 at 14:45
german shepards are real good with children and are big dogs. very smart to.
5. December 2009 at 15:15
i think boxers because they are calm and gentle around children- when i was born, my mom put me on the ground and my boxer licked my face and slept by my crib over night. They need love and protection, and they will pay you back