Top 10 Dog Breeds for the Child Who Wants a Puppy this Christmas

With Christmas around the corner, you tell your kids to write a list to Santa telling him what you want. You see the obvious dolls, pretty ponies and video games,. But then, at the top of your youngest child's list, it says:

1) A puppy.

You think it over and decide that your kids are now old enough to care for and take the responsibility of having a dog.

However, what is the right dog for you? Where do you get one? What kind do you get? Do you get a puppy or an older dog? These are all questions that you SHOULD be asking yourself. Getting a dog is a huge responsibility, not only for your kids, but for you as well. So that's what should first be thought of- age? Breed? Will they get along where you live (house, apartment, etc? size? Amount of grooming? Kid-friendly or companion dog?

Picking out a dog with overall characteristics is very hard because each dog is special in their own way. I will, however, give my opinion of the top 10 breeds for families with kids to look into along with an analysis of how I view each breed. Again, this is primarily my opinion and anyone considering a dog should look into each individual breed before picking a specific one. I also compared my list to several over online sites and chose the ones that we had in common for a top list. Enjoy!

1) Pug
Pugs are extremely gentle and lovable creatures. Their smashed in face, stubby legs, and curly tail help to add to their overall great personality. They are friendly with strangers and become attached to their owners as well. Their short coat makes grooming simple. However, they may be injured being a small breed with smaller children. Supervision is a must. They need a lot of patience in training and can be very stubborn; also, due to their wrinkles, problems can occur with infections and cleaning.

2) Golden Retriever
The golden retriever is another very gentle breed with a great disposition. They are highly intelligent and great companion dogs. They enjoy the outdoors and tromping along with kids. They are outgoing and playful, getting along with almost everyone- including children and even other dogs. Golden retrievers tend to have a higher energy level and love exercise. With their long hair, however, they require daily brushings to ensure the freedom of knots. They also are known for hip dysphasia and cataracts.

3) Labrador Retrievers
Again, the Labrador Retriever is a sweet natured, gentle, sweet dog. They have a short coat, needing less grooming as those with longer hair. Bred for hunting, they have a double coat that's water- resistant. These labs can be chocolate, black or yellow. They are also excellent with kids and other dogs. Since the lab is becoming so popular, sometimes the wrong people breed them and cause their temperaments to be a little more hyper, needing extra training and exercise. They are social and even-tempered with a high activity level. Although, they are prone to arthritis and hip-dysphasia.

4) Boxer
The Boxer is fun-loving and gentle. It may be a little weary with strangers and may be hyper, but overall is an outstanding dog. They have a high intelligence level along with a high tolerance especially with children. They are playful, affectionate and extremely loyal dogs. They can pretty much get along wherever they are placed whether it be city, suburb or country. Working at the animal hospital I spent a lot of time with these dogs. They have a great personality with much drive to please. It's also common for the breed to have breathing problems due to their short snout, hip dysphasia, along with others.

5) Irish Setter
The Irish Setter is a beautiful animal with its long locks of hair, is another great overall dog. It's tolerance for children They get along great with other dogs and animals, along with strangers. One main problem that I do see with this breed is originally being bred as a hunting dog, they tend to shall I say "follow their nose." Meaning, if they smell something, they may continue on to find it; however, with proper training some dogs can get over this as I have seen many times from personal experience. It's just something to be aware of. These dogs are also very outgoing and active getting along great with a family of children. They have the tendency to get eye problems and hip dysphasia along with others.

These are the top five breeds I would recommend. I will put the last of my ten choices as list form, but without analysis. You can read more about them if you look online or a great resource book:

Mehus-Roe. The Original Dog Bible: The Definitive Source for All Things Dog. California: BowTie, Inc.

The rest of my list includes:

6) Newfoundland
7) Sheltie
8) Basset
9) Poodle
10) Mis breeds

Not only does this book talk about the different breeds of dog with analysis, but also talks about what it takes to have a dog, what to look for when choosing either a pure bred or mixed breed dog, etc. This is a book I would recommend anyone and everyone who has or is thinking about getting a dog to read and/or own.

Again, before you decide to bring any animal- dog, cat, reptile, etc- make sure you consider all options and responsibilities involved. Animals can be the absolute best thing for you and your kids with the proper care. Just knowing what is going to be going into it will help. Animals can help teach responsibility along with love. I wish you all the luck with your decisions.

Resources:
http://www.petplace.com/dogs/top-dog-breeds-for-families/page1.aspx
http://dogs.about.com/od/dogbreeds/tp/family_dogbreeds.htm
Mehus-Roe. The Original Dog Bible: The Definitive Source for All Things Dog. California: BowTie, Inc.