For a family pet, which breed of dog would you deem most trustworthy?

Golden Retriever

labs and golden retrievers. can’t go wrong. i had a black lab named “buck” back in the day and every time i see his picture i’m almost at tears. this breed is just loyal and you can never do them wrong.

You will find some good information here, they even have a quiz you can take to find a breed that will work for you. And despite what gimmedat might say, I love my pug, he is a fabulous dog and is ridiculously patient with my six year-old. If you can handle the constant snorting and the loud snoring, I would recommend a pug in a minute!

To help you make the decision, you need to think about a lot of things:

1. Do you have children (or will you in the next 15 years)?
2. How long will the dog be alone during the day?
3. Will you be happy to spend time exercising your pet with walks and outings?
4. How large a dog are you comfortable with?
5. Are you OK with grooming requirements of a long-haired pet?

There are many sites on the Web that offer decision grids so you can answer the questions and get breed suggestions. Here is just one article.

Wow! Thanks guys!
My mum had a black lab too when she was young, called Bess. Apparently they told her to ‘stay’ outside the supermarket whilst they shopped, and they accidentally forgot she was there and left her behind. By the time they realised it was almost an hour later, and when they went to pick her up, she was still there! ^_^

In answer to Marina:
1. I’d hope too. After about 10 years. (I’m only 14 at the moment XD)
2. Probably 2 hours max, but not all at once.
3. Yup, If I had the time
4. Anything really. Really small dogs tend to annoy me a bit, so probably average to large size.
5. Unless I really liked the dog in question, I probably wouldn’t have the motivation to groom a long haired dog.

Thanks again everyone. Keep your opinons coming please =)

supernutjob, i think you might have accidentally linked the wrong url. whenever i click on it, it just brings this page up again. could you re-post it?

Go for a mutt. Our dog Callie is a true “Heinz 57” – part shepherd, part collie, part doberman, part chow… and the sweetest thing ever.

Golden Retriever seems the one that comes to mind automatically, but I think Newfoundland mixes are a very good choice for a home with children. The breed is known to be “patient, playful, and loving with children; he is a born babysitter. Very sociable.” (from http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/newfoundland.htm)

I’ve never seen one bite, snarl, or act out any type of aggression toward a child. In fact, in the original Peter Pan “Nana”, the children’s “nurse” was a Newfoundland.

I used to have a mixed Newfie, and the only time I can remember anyone being afraid of her, was when a plumber was walking into the house (a fairly short man to begin with), and he bent over to take off his shoes in the doorway. My dog saw this as an invitation to play outside, and jumped over him, and ran outside. He was a little shook up, but she didn’t even touch him.

The reasons I recommend a mixed breed Newfie: for one thing, they are easier to find at rescue shelters, human associations, etc, than pure-breeds; mixed breed dogs tend to live longer and be healthier; and pure-bred newfoundlands can be up to 150 lbs, and shed a ton. It’s a little large for the average household. If you get a mixed breed they’re generally a little smaller (ours was 70 lbs) and don’t shed quite as much.

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com Sorry about the snafu!

This may sound crazy, but my Rotweiler is the mosy loving and affectionate dog I have ever had. He tries to be a lap dog, despite weighing over 100 lbs. Rotweilers have a bad rep, but actually make great dogs if trained right.

Supernutjob, that’s awesome—it turned out to be the same site that i posted. lol.

PUG!!!

Yellow Lab. Very friendly, but intimidating to intruders

Wait – wasn’t Nana a St Bernard?

i said in the original. I remember the disney version being a St. Bernard, but several newfoundland websites, and other dog info websites said the original was a newfoundland.

Go For a Mutt Lab/Shepherd Mix are a great mix; Good around people and kids and not prone to the illnesses a pure breed would.

R

I’ve had German Shepherds my whole life and they are ridiculously loyal and trustworthy. They also make excellent guard dogs.

Never trust a chihuahua

I agree that a lab or a golden would be your best bet. They are excellent family members.

a shihtzu is the best

Any dog is a great dog in mY book. Love it, nurture it and give it the attention it deserves and it will turn out to be a wonderful addition to your family kawaii_.

I do take a liking to Maltese’s, and my Maltese is 16 and has been the best dog in the world. He’s slowing down now, but can still act like a puppy once in a while! :)

May I also put in a plug for mixed breeds? I have had both, but some of the most wonderful dogs I have ever known have been mutts.

Adopt a homeless dog from a shelter. You will never find a more loyal friend.

Brittany spaniels are good with kids, (all kinds of spaniels, actually.) But I’d go for a mixed breed. They don’t get a lot of the health problems associated with some breeds either (like joint problems in golden retrievers. a golden retriever/ lab mix is likely to not get those problems).

It is really hard to go wrong with a lab.

A black lab-border collie mix if you can find one :0)
Here’s a picture of our Tilly

@Mcbealer: Tilly is adorable! :)

thanks! that pic is of here when she was quite sick. She pulled through though, and has recovered fully. Keep checking my photostream for new content, it’s my new summer project :0)

U should get a Jindo or a Korean Shepherd ! They r really loyal!!
If u look them up on google u will see stories of them! But the downside is that they cost a~loot of $!

Labradors. wonderful with children, easy to train, wonderful with other animals. Easy to feed, generally relatively healthy – but they do need decent amount of exercise, especially when they are young.