Learn Which Are the Best Dogs For Children and Why

Some of the best relationships are formed between children and dogs. But not all dogs are appropriate for children. Some dogs are too aggressive or hyper while others are just too inactive to be much fun for a child. That’s why it’s important for a family to choose a kid-friendly canine, even if that choice is a dog that no one has even considered before. This article addresses some of the potential dangers for bringing home an inappropriate canine. It also provides an extensive list of the best dog breeds for children.

Why The Kid-Factor Is So Important

According to statistics, American children are the largest recipient of dog bites. It’s a fact that we don’t like to admit, but our failure to build safe pet-to-child liaisons takes most of the blame. Sometimes we let a dog’s protective nature or mere cuteness cloud our judgment when the reality is that a dog’s behavior is more important – especially when it comes to our children. Other times we simply forget that a dog is an animal, prone to violent behavior when provoked or threatened.

It would be great if our children respected the boundaries that limit what they should and should not do with dogs, but there are two problems with those boundaries. The first problem is that children have a curiosity that can’t be controlled at all times and at all places. The second problem is that being humans, we’re not always sure what those boundaries are. We have a pretty good idea and we’re learning more and more about canine behavior, but we’re not 100% sure – not yet. The potential for aggression or violence is therefore always present.

As a result, the safest choices are based on tolerance. That is, we must seek out kid-tolerant dogs in an attempt to reduce the risk of biting and other displays of aggression.

Some Basic Rules

If you can raise your children to respect a dog’s territory, you can avoid a lot of violent tendencies. A dog regards its body, face, food and water bowls, back yard, toys, and sleeping area as its territory. And depending on the breed, a dog may even regard its owner as its territory! Some behaviors that trigger aggression are

1) Hitting, slapping, biting, pushing, or pulling on the dog

2) Staring a dog in the eyes

3) Playing with a dog’s food, toys, or sleeping area

4) Running and screaming in fear from a dog

A child must not do any of these things and an adult must ensure that they never happen.

Finding The Best Dog For Children From Acceptable Breeds

The following lists the best dogs for children. They’re the best dog breeds for children because they’re more tolerant of child-like behavior than the dogs that we didn’t list. While you look through the collection, keep what we’ve written above in mind. All dogs must be carefully monitored around children.