Family Dogs
Dogs are a great family pet though you need to make sure you know about the dog breed before you go ahead and get the dog as not all dogs can be great around children. On the whole most dogs are but you don’t want to risk them getting aggressive with young children, nor do you want a dog that will get jealous if your attention is split. Here the top 5 best breeds of dogs suitable for family life;
Newfoundland’s are known for being a large breed, their size is down to the fact they were originally bred as a working down in Newfoundland. They are particularly strong and have a reputation for their natural tendency of saving people when drowning. You shouldn’t however assume that due to their size they are aggressive dogs, even fact they are the complete opposite and are one of the most genuine, loving and loyal dogs you could have. They are naturally good in water due to their muscles and partly webbed feet, and also because of their great strength, they are thought to be one of the strongest breeds with some of their characteristics beating those of Great Danes.
Newfoundland males can weigh in between 130-150 pounds and females are normally between 100-120 pounds, which puts them in the giant weight group and the can grow between 22-28 inches tall. Newfoundland’s tend to be black, though some are brown, grey and some even have a black head with a black and white body. Newfoundland’s have a thick double layered coat that is also waterproof and oily, which is another feature about them that helps them when swimming.
Many people will refer to the Newfoundland breed as the ‘gentle giants’ because of their wonderfully kind and caring nature. They are great with other animals and children who they will act as a security to them as well as to the whole family, not just a loving pet they will also act as a watchdog for their family protecting them from any harm. They are a breed that is pretty easy to train, though like any dog they can sometimes act up, but no-one’s perfect!
Unfortunately Newfoundland’s can suffer from a few health problems, they are prone to an abnormal ball and socket in their hip joint. They can also suffer from genetic problems like Cystinuria, which is when they develop bladder stones; they can also suffer with problems in their elbows.
Obviously due to their size it is only advised that you get a Newfoundland if you have plenty of room for them, in both your house and your garden. Even as puppies Newfoundland’s only stay small for a small amount of time and the need plenty of room to grow and room to exercise. Due to having such a thick coat Newfoundland’s need breeding at least once a week, you will also find that their fur will shed quite heavily during the spring and summer months. They also drool, like most large dogs due to the fact they have droopy lips and jowls and they tend to live between the ages of 8 to 13 years old.
Staffordshire bull terriers, otherwise known as Staffies are one of the oldest English breeds of dogs and were originally bred for bull baiting. They are known for their stocky appearance, they have a muscular body which helps to give them a good athletic ability. They have a broad head and a strong jaw, their front legs are spaced widely apart from one another and they have a short smooth coat.
Staffies tend to weigh between 24-32 pounds and stand at about 14-16 inches tall, their coats can be a number of colours like, black, brown, red and fawn, as well as their coats can have white to them as well and the previously mentioned colours. Everything about Staffies is very pronounced; they have strong jaw lines, this means they are a dog that doesn’t drool, their back legs are build to get them the drive they need, which is what made them do useful in baiting.
Staffies are known for being very strong willed dogs; they are very intelligent and are known for their courage. However they are also very affectionate dogs as well, they are particularly loving towards children, which is what makes them ideally for a family pet, they are extremely trustworthy dogs that will do anything for their family.
However in recent year Staffordshire bull Terriers have been hit with negative stories of attacks by them towards adults and children. Although some people believe that the dogs involved in the attacks were actually pit bull terriers that have been re-named under the Staffordshire name due to the fact that the UK Dangerous Dogs Act made breeding pit bulls illegal.
Like all breeds of dogs Staffies can suffer from genetic diseases, the most common disease that Staffies are known for suffering from is Melanoma, this is a form of skin cancer, and this is main due to the Staffies love for lying in the sun on their backs. Staffies should also be wormed no later than 3 weeks after they are born, and should be wormed twice more after this before they are taken to their new home.
Labrador Retrievers are one of if not the most popular dog all around the world at the moment according to statistics from ownership registers; this is probably down to them being known for being great family dogs. Labrador retrievers are also popular for working dogs, with then used by the police as stiffer dogs, as well as this they are a popular dog to help those with disabilities. Labradors were originally called the Lesser Newfoundland and are very closely linked to the Newfoundland breed, and they were original breed like many dogs to be working animals.
Labradors are quite a large dog, female can reach up to the weight of 32kg and males can reach up to 41kg. They have short fur that sheds about twice every year, though this can vary for each individual dog as some can shed much more that just twice a year. Labradors have strong tails and slightly webbed feet; these are two of the features that help to make them particularly strong swimmers. On the whole Labradors have a fairly muscular appearance.
There are a number of ‘subtypes’ of Labrador retrievers, originally they were a butterscotch colour which was where they got the name of Golden Retriever from, however this was changed by the UK Kennel Club due to the fact that it wasn’t actually a gold colour. Over the years their fur colour has gotten to the lighter yellow/cream colour that we know of today. Chocolate Labradors have also become popular since the 20th century, before this time they weren’t accepted as being part of the Labrador breed, chocolate Labradors are said to the result of crossbreeding with Chesapeake Bay retrievers. Black Labradors are also registered under the breed, though when the pups are first born they can be all different colours.
They are a very friendly breed and can easily adapt to new jobs as well as living life as a pet. Their name ‘retriever’ comes from them being great retrievers, they also like holding things in their mouths, you might find they go for your hand or arm of hold in their mouths which they will do without hurting you. They are a dog that enjoys chewing things, which can be a bad habit for if they like to chew your shoes, but with training you can stop them from chewing things you don’t want them too. They are a mellow and calm dog and will only really bark at noise that scare them, you will find that until the age of three they can be hyperactive, but this is simply their puppy behaviour that they will grow out of with age. Due to their trusting nature they aren’t a dog that is really used as a guard dog, they will happy get on with strangers as well as other animals.
Labradors do have a large appetite and so it is important that you watch and monitor their food intake as they can easily become over weight which can result in illnesses. Ideally they should have a hourglass waist as well as being fit and light, if they become overweight they are at risk of suffering from joint areas as well as developing diabetes.
Labradors have recently been crossed with Poodles to make ‘Labradoodles’ which have become a popular fashion dog to have, this was originally done to make a breed for allergy suffers but due to their popularity as a fashionable pet they are now just bred as another cross breed.
Keeshond dogs are well known for always looking like they are smiling, and have picked up the nickname of the ‘Smiling Dutchman’. They are a medium sized dog that has a gorgeous think double layers coat that is normally silver and black, they look very similar to Pomeranian dogs.
They tend to reach about 18 inches tall and can weigh up to 45 pounds, and have a sturdy build about them. They are described as having a wedge shaped head with a medium length muzzle and tiny ears. Around their neck their fur forms a thick ruff, with males having a thicker ruff than females; their tails are short and shouldn’t be that easily noticeable from the rest of their body. They have a specific coloured fur, that’s often referred to as the wolf colour; it’s a mix of grey, cream and black, with the top coat being tipped with black and the undercoat being silver or cream. Another specific marking about the Keeshonden is the dark line from the outer corner of each eye towards their ear.
Keeshonds are very playful dogs that are also very quick with their reflexes and they are also very good jumpers. They are also extremely quick learners, which is an advantage when it comes to train, though you can find it a disadvantage when they pick up things that you didn’t actually mean to teach them. They are very loving dogs that like to be as close to their owners as possible and get on with other pets as well. They are often used as watch dogs as they have a very distinctive bark, and they are quick to alert their owner to new people, however they will be welcoming to guests once they see their owners do so.
In general the Keeshonden bred are very healthy, though some can suffer from common dog conditions such as hip dysplasia, epilepsy and crushing’s disease. Due to their thick double layered coat Keeshond’s do tend to need grooming fairly regularly, it’s recommended to brush them for an hour a week; this should keep them looking their best.
Poodles are one of the most intelligent dogs, and officially seen as miniature toy dogs. They were first bred as water dogs and have the ability to be very skilful in a number of dog sports. Poodles are very elegant dogs, which is why they are so popular in the show world. They were originally retrievers/guns dogs and some people still use them for these roles.
They are noticeable for their curly and dense coat that is normally just one colour and hardly sheds but does need regular grooming. Most of the poodles colour will either fade in colour as they get older or they will clear to a lighter shade. Due to their coat being so thin they are good dogs to have if you have allergies to normal dog fur and it normally only needs cutting every 8 weeks. To touch their fur can either be soft and wavy or coarse and woolly. Poodles are a breed of dogs that can come in a number of sizes from standard to miniature, medium and toy.
Poodles are very observant dogs, which are why they made particularly good hunting dogs; they are also an instinctive breed with lots of energy. Due to its high energy levels they do have a tenancy to get bored easily and so might seek a bit of mischief in order to entertain themselves. They relish attention and so enjoy being the centre of things; they are good dogs with children though and enjoy playing games like fetch. The Poodle breeds are people dogs that will be very affectionate to their family, they are eager to please their owners.
It is common for poodles to pick up a number of disease that are unfortunately linked with the breed one of these diseases is Addison’s disease; this is when their body doesn’t produce enough steroid hormones. This disease it often misdiagnosed for other illnesses as the symptoms are fairly vague, you can get your vets to take a blood test from your dog to see whether they have Addison’s disease. Another common illness is Gastric dilatation volvulus; this is when trapped gas gets stuck in their stomach which causes bloating, which can then twist their stomach. This is very dangerous for a dog and their survival really depends on you getting them to the vets on time.
There are many breeds that have developed from crossing other breeds with Poodles, some of these are; Cockapoo’s these are a Poodle crossed with Cocker Spaniels, there is also Goldendoodle these are poodles crossed with Golden Retrievers, and as mentioned above the cross with Labradors, to make a Labradoodle. Poodles are very popular dogs due to their coat being different from a lot of other dogs, as the hair takes much longer to grow, also due to the tight curls, which means they shed a lot less than other breeds, which means that people who normally have allergies towards dogs maybe find with poodles.