Is one breed a better family dog than the next? Does it matter if a dog is a large breed of dog or a small breed of dog? What is a good family dog?

Finding a Family Dog

Trying to find a dog that will fit in and get along with your family can sometimes be quite the challenge. It is best to find out what you and your family are REALLY looking for first. Otherwise, you might end up getting a dog you didn't really want or realize later just won't work out well with your family.

Why Does Your Family Want a Dog?

One of the biggest questions I would ask myself before going out to look at some puppies is "why?" Yes, puppies are sooo cute! Too cute and irresistible at least for me....maybe that's how we ended up with a total of five dogs! Thank goodness they have worked out just fine in our family though..but this may not always be the case.

So, a few good question to ask along with "why" are these:

Do you want a dog just for being a

• Companion? A dog that loves to do whatever you do...follows you everywhere no matter what....go for a walk, car ride, or just sitting around being a couch potato.
• A playmate for the kids? A dog that loves the excitement and energy of playing with children...has lots of energy to keep up with the kids, but also a very patient, gentle dog.
• A guard dog? A dog that is protective of your home and also of the kids maybe....I wouldn't go overboard with looking for a dog that is known to be very protective, aggressive, or territorial since it can lead to problems later...especially if you are not experienced in training or handling dogs.
• An exercise companion? This is a dog that loves its exercise and needs to be active..so, look for a breed that is more likely to need a lot of exercise and you'll be getting a great exercise buddy!

What To Look For

It's a great idea to look up and research as much as you can when looking for a new dog for your family. Although each and every dog has its own special personality, it is a good idea to look up the general characteristics of the breed.

A few things you should pay attention to whether you are getting a brand new puppy or adopting a dog from a local shelter:

• Breed-If you are looking at a specific breed of dog make sure to check out the general characteristics such as its size, energy level, training level (easy to train or not), common health issues, and average life span.
• Personality-Certain dog breeds are known to have more friendly personalities while others are known for being more aggressive in general. But, I believe that a lot of different factors contribute to a certain dog's personality such as how it is treated by its owners especially when it is a puppy, how well trained it is, whether it is in good health or not, etc.

When looking at a new puppy or dog that you are interested in welcoming into your home there are a few things that you may want to look for if you want to have it a bit easier on yourself and your family.

* What is its reaction to you? Does it come up to you wagging its tail or does it back away? Or, worse yet, its growling at you? Well, I can tell you now that growling is not a great sign unless you are up for a good challenge.

What Makes a Good Family Dog?

A good family dog is usually well trained, friendly, well socialized, playful, and pretty much loves to do whatever the family is doing whether it is going for a walk, playing frisbee or ball, or just sitting around relaxing.

So, go ahead and do your homework and then go get that puppy or adopt an older dog that needs a home! Although it may be hard to find that certain breed, you can also consider mixed breeds, which are great too. Just look up the different breeds that the dog is mixed with and you'll have some idea of its general characteristics...it could be any of those listed under either breed.