What is the best family dog?

I think the Boxer is the best all around family dog. the Collie is also great, but the Boxer would be better as a service dog then a Collie I think.
 
Little dogs are much harder to train and a very excitable and timid. Not all but I think certainly more then not.

My Mom owns a Shih Tzu (or more truthfully the Shih Tzu owns my Mom lol) and she's a hardy active but loves to be snuggled spoiled completely little mutt   She's never had any health ailments.  She was actually found in a shelter and we suspect she was orginally from a pet store because she does unfortunately have a lot of dental problems (bad gums/teeth overlapping, many of her teeth needed to be pulled despite vigorus dental care).  WHich is why I stress NO PET STORE DOGS!  They tend to be poorly bred and suffer a lot more problems than pups from responsible breeders. Shih tzus are long haired, but look cute shaved down.  If you want to keep them long, they need daily brushing...no two ways around that.

Some important questions to ask

What type of home do you have?  What is its size?
How active of a dog do you want?
How much effort are you willing to put into grooming?

Also not knowing the handicapp of your brother this is also a factor.  Dogs in general want to please their owners, poor training and mistreatment is what causes agression and biting.

Not all breeds are as good for a family as others, yet there can be individuals within any breed that are good or are bad. Size makes know difference except for preferences or space.
 
Everyone who mentions the need for training knows what they are talking about. Training. The more family members follow the same training program, the better.
 
Research. Research. Research. There are many places on  the net and many, many books that describe dog breeds. The best of these will talk about the negatives as well as positives. Do you want an active dog? Will you be active enough for it? Do you prefer a couch potato? Do you want a dog breed that notoriously barks a lot? One that learns well? One that is great in all regards but a bit slow to potty-train? What about shedding? Who will come it and clip it's nails? Do you want a dog that will get up and walk away from children that annoy it? (example, Leonberger) Do you have other pets like a cat that some breeds will torment or kill?
 
A good breeder should know their breed inside and out and should breed only the best genetic qualities onward - health, temperament, intelligence, confirmation. The reason some breeds have notorious health issues is because some eople who breed dogs don't pay attention to the family line and genetics. This is why getting a pet store puppy (usually) is a bad idea; not good bloodlines. On the other hand, you could get a pup or older dog from the shelter or a rescue agency who is healthy and is a wonderful dog. That might or might not be a purebred dog. Whether purebred or not, they deserve love and they give it too.
 
I love Cockers and Shepherds. Both can be great family dogs. Both can be lousy family dogs too. Cockers used to be called a family dog, but as much as I love them, I never recommend them for families without qualifying it. They are sensitive dogs and can easily be spooked and forever after be untrustworthy. Fortunately, the best breeders don't breed those personality traits onward; they breed pups that will be happier and easily trained, naturally and many get to raise them with children around - very helpful. Of course, even the best dog can go bad if the circumstances are not in it's favor or some awful event occurs. But just as I know Cockers enough to know what to be careful with, every other breed has the same issues and that's where training comes in. A good breeder makes a world of difference if buying a purebred. And yes, do expect to pay a pretty high price for the better dogs. A good trainer will point out many things that will help you raise your dog to be happy and always friendly.
 
Also note. People tend to be all agog when a breed lists that it's AKC. Understand that some of the rare breeds don't choose to be affiliated with AKC because they prefer to maintain a much closer eye on the breeding of their breed to maintain certain criteria - such as for health, temperament, intelligence, confirmation. I'm told the AKC is a bit different than it once used to be but can't speak for that myself. I do know that individual registries that refuse to be AKC want their breed to stay good and not wind up being so popular it is bred poorly by many people. For rare breeds, you might want to investigate ARBA (American Rare Breed Association) for information.
 
There is so much to decide upon. Eventually you will realize you don't want "x" breed because it is too slow-moving for you or you don't want "Y" because if it isn't kept busy enough, it will dig holes all over your yard. If you can, see some of the dogs at a dog show or two and talk with some of the owners about their breed. Eventually you will know what dog(s) fit your lifestyle best and then you need to see how the dog reacts to you. If it's a pup who won't calm down in your arms, it might always been a challenge. If it just sits passively, it might be a fearful dog that will grow up becoming aggressive out of fear. Again, do some reading and you will learn what to watch for in a pup or shelter dog.
 
There's so many breeds to choose from, even the mixed ones, that it's quite an adventure starting the search. Good luck with whatever dog you get.

I would absolutely agree that a standard poodle makes an exceptional family pet.
 
They are active, but don't have the SUPER huge exercise needs of some of the working dogs. Of course, all dogs need to stretch their legs regularly.
They don't really shed.
They are MUCH calmer than their miniature cousins.
They are large enough to take the bumps and bruises of living with humans, but small enough to be fairly easily lifted into a car or crate. My 15 -month old male weighs just under 50 lbs.
Exceptionally bright. Easily trained. Other than the grooming, they are a fairly low-maintenance dog. I find them pretty easy to take care of.
 
In general, I am much more concerned about my kids (b-8,b-6,g-2) being around smaller dogs than the larger. We also have a VERY large American white shep. He's great with them as was my GSD we lost last year.
 
Smaller dogs seem to be intimidated by even the smallest of children. They are much edgier, in general it seems, than bigger dogs. While obviously, the consequences of a larger dogs bite is greater, IME, smaller dog seem to bite more often. I don't know if it is because kids have a misguided confidence around a smaller dog, and they are more aggressive, or it is simply the dog. But, in my personal experience, I have seen children bitten far more often by smaller dogs.

Research is your best friend in choosing  right dog for you.  I would look at energy level vs. breed.  You have to be honest with yourself as to your family's activity level and lifestyle.  Seems like most dogs that are "owner surrendered" to shelters were dogs that didn't fit into the lifestyle of the family.  An active, high energy dog needs tons of exercise and structure.  Or, you will both be miserable.
 
Lower energy dogs won't be happy with a family that hikes, bikes all weekend and leaves him behind. 
 
And, any dog can become a good family pet that is well behaved with proper obedience training, exercise and structure.  Allowing your new dog to take over your house is a recipe for disaster IMO.  Being in control from the get-go will save you much headache down the road.    

I think corgis make great family dogs. They're small, but not so small they can be easily hurt. My corgi is a runt, but compared to other dogs her size, she's a tank. Very outgoing and friendly, very smart, easily trained and very cluey. My corgi probably understands about a third of the things I say to her and gets the gist of most of the rest of it. Quite a stable temperment, although she has snapped at a little kid who poked her in the eye accidentally. However, she wouldn't ever hurt anyone and if she snaps she never actually makes contact. The only problem is they have back troubles, but I hear the Cardigans have fewer back problems and a steadier temperament. This is a big dog in a small package and totally adaptable to any situation. My corgi can keep up with me on a 4 hour hike, but she can also go weeks without a decent walk before she starts acting up.

ORIGINAL: CaptainCobyFlash

I think the Boxer is the best all around family dog. the Collie is also great, but the Boxer would be better as a service dog then a Collie I think.

Why do you say this?  Collies have proven to be except service, guide, and medical alert dogs.


Regarding small breed dogs, I'd probably recommend a Papillon.  Solid little dogs for their size, and very responsive to training.

Try this quiz.  It might give you some good ideas.
 
[linkhttp://dogbreedadvice.com/wizard.html]http://dogbreedadvice.com/wizard.html[/link]

With my strong veterinary background I am 100% against getting a  toy breed (as in, those in the AKC's toy group and any other dog their size) because 1) they do tend to not have tolerant personalities--there are a few exceptions but most of our 'will bite' cases are little dogs 2) children are likely to hurt them

I would recommend a little larger dog like a smaller hound or pit/pit mix.  They tend to have good personalities and are active without being totally obnoxious.  Or the darkhorse candidate:  the Tibetan terrier.  I used to work for a woman who showed them, awesome dogs and do well in a standard sized yard.  Very intelligent. 

But if you'll take a larger dog, I would recommend a collie, one of the setters, or a samoyed.  I were raising a family and just wanted a good pet, they are what I'd look at.  I am not a lab/retriever fan, we see a lot of knee ligament tears and bad hips, goldens in particular are prone to cancers and tumors of the spleen that rupture and quickly become life and death conditions.  Plus nearly all patients we see of those two breeds are obnoxious because they desperately need exercise and most people don't take the time or don't have the space.

I of course have none of the above, LOL!

You seem to have your heart set on a small dog.  You had asked if anyone had knowledge about maltese or toy poodles.  I grew up with a maltese. I have always been around toy poodles and I currently have a yorkie. 

Maltese are very sweet and loving dogs.  They are smart, easy to train, and always ready for anything.  They don't need too much excercise and are good sm. house/apt pets.  However, they are very high maintenance.  Preppy, my maltese, went to the groomer once a week of his whole life. --and believe me, the day before taking him he was needing it!

Any dog website (including dog.com) arguably will state that any kind of poodle is the smartest breed out there.  That would make them easy to train.  Again, they are high maintenance, with their fur tangling easy.

You also mentioned you have a handicapped person in your household.  You didn't mention what kind of handicap, but I'd check in your area for small, already-handicapped-trained dogs you could apply for. ---just an idea[]---

As far as personalities, my highest recommendation is prayer!  I swear it works! [] 

I'm sure you've heard it and I cannot stress it enough, if your dog is properly socialized with people, kids, other dogs and strict rules and disipline, it will be a good dog.  While it's a puppy let it be around at family get-togethers and parties, don't console it too much, don't allow it to bite, take it to dog parks, schedule pupply play days with friends, etc. Manners can be learned and need to be constant. You can NEVER let a bad habit "slide" even once.  It slows the training process months, if not ruins the training completely.  And of course, ALWAYS praise habits you find good.

ORIGINAL: Beckl

Any dog website (including dog.com) arguably will state that any kind of poodle is the smartest breed out there.  That would make them easy to train. 

Don't confuse intelligence and trainability as being the same thing--you can have one without the other.  Escape artist dogs are the ones who come to mind--not the dig out/jump out dogs, I'm talking about the ones who test for the weakness and then take advantage of it, unlocking the locks.   Some breeds plop down on command, others (usually those who use their tremendous mental powers for evil, like the escape artists) ask 'why?' and 'what's in it for me?'....which is the smarter one? []

Collies are quite smart and easy to train, willing to please. BUT since you would like a smaller dog, I would recommend a Shih Tzu.
 
The Shih Tzu is a very hardy breed, if well bred. If you are interested in a Shih Tzu you must make sure the pup is from a reputable breeder. You hear so many things about allergies, sickness etc. in Shih Tzus and they are not supposed to be sickly, they are actually very healthy dogs, and most are the product of irresponsible breeding.
 
I had a Shih Tzu, very well bred and she was never sick a day in her life, and she never had any allergies, and very even tempered.

Why do you want a smaller dog? Is there a reason such as a small yard? I'm with the people who suggested a larger dog. If your brother is younger or pets the puppy roughly, a big dog is more likely to tolerate it. Our collie is a gem and she's very sensitive to the needs of others. I would second the adopt an adult dog personality. You'll know what the dog will be like as an adult. They bond as strongly to you as a puppy would. Many of them are so grateful for a home and love that they become "velcro dogs".

May I suggest a Havanese, aka Cuban Silk Haired Dog.  My Havanese, Winston, is almost 11 months old, but when I say EVERY single person who has met him, has fallen in love with him, I swear, it's absolute truth.  His breed is originally from Havana, Cuba, and I believe they are derived from the Bichon.  I know about 6 other Havanese dogs and their owners and my dog is not an exception when it comes to temperment, intelligence and typical behavior.  These dogs are amazing with children, we have our nieces and nephews over all the time and our neighbor's 1 year old son plays with Winston almost every day.  I honestly don't know how he "knew" to be gentle with the kids, but he is.  He's playful, picks up tricks and commands soooo quickly and is very well behaved.  They say that these dogs used to be in the circus because they could perform lots of tricks.  The grow to about 10 to 12lbs max, very playful and as far as maintenance goes, we keep our dog with a puppy cut year round and they don't shed, so they stay clean.  We brush him out every few days and he gets a bath once a week since we take him to doggie day camp, but he's a very good aparment dog.  We live in a townhouse with no backyard and he does just fine.  When you look at pics and research the dog, you will find out so much more, but he seems to fit your needs. They are sturdy little dogs and live pretty long lives, 12 to 14 years.  Just an FYI, you will find more long haired pictures, which is how most people keep their Havs, but you'll see our picture with the short hair, they are sooo cute!  If you have any questions or would like to see more pictures, feel free to PM me.  We are starting our own family soon and I don't worry for a moment about Winston with a new baby in the house.  Good luck!

I have a little Havanese pup named Winston too!  Do you have any thoughts about daycare -- when is too soon?  My little guy is 9 weeks and I want him to be able to play and socialize but he is so little!  Am I being paranoid?  I know you got your guy a bit older, but any thoughts (since you seem to know a lot of other Havanese owners)?