Most adult beagles are 13 to 15 inches tall, and they typically weigh between 18 and 30 pounds. They’re sturdily built, attractive and an ideal size for a family with children. Beagles have an engaging personality and they never get tired of playing so they’ll keep your kids well entertained. They’re also extremely easy for children to feed because generally they’re very avid eaters, and they almost always do well with any standard or vet-approved dog food. There’s one thing about feeding beagles that owners should be careful about, though. They tend to eat anything and everything you give them, and then immediately ask for even more. If you’re not careful they can tend to get chubby, so your entire family should learn how to resist those beautiful brown, sadly pleading eyes.

Despite their hunting history, beagles make very good family pets. They have short hair that’s easy to care for and they’re intelligent, affectionate, gentle with children, cheerful and outgoing. If they’re well cared for, a beagle is likely to be a happy, healthy member of the family for up to 13 to 15 years. And they’re pack animals by nature, so they’re motivated to fit well into family life. Beagles are extremely loyal to their family and they even make good companions for other pets if they’re exposed to them early.

Beagles are easy and fun for children to help train. All you need is the proper motivation, and that’s easy to identify because these little dogs are real foodies. They are, however, known for being escape artists in addition to being avid bunny and squirrel hunters, so if your yard’s not fenced, be careful and don’t let a beagle get outside if it’s not on a leash.

Beagles are protective and will definitely bark at strangers, but because they’re so food motivated they can easily be “bought off” with a treat. This trait, along with their small size, means that it’s probably best to think of beagles as alert dogs rather than guard dogs or watchdogs. But that’s ok, because beagles more than make up for it with their wholehearted, cheerful devotion to their families.

In short, beagles are almost the perfect dogs for kids. These floppy-eared dogs are affectionate and curious and have a never-ending supply of energy, making them ideal playmates. Beagles are very popular pets, and they’re happy little members of huge numbers of families with kids.

If your family is going to get a boxer pup though you will need to understand what it takes to train it. These pups are very smart and sensitive and do not respond well to yelling, hitting, or screaming. They still do take a firm hand but in a loving way. You may try using training treats when working with your boxer pup.

You need to wait until your pup is old enough to train. Of course the typical housebreaking is done first, or crate training if you so choose. This keeps the accidents from happening in the house. As you are working on this though you can slowly work into teaching the pup simple things like “sit”. Also begin using the word “come” at this point. Then as the puppy grows you can train them more.

The Boxer breed if great for many families due to its protective and patient nature. They do make good watchdogs for their families, and that is why so many people think this breed is only good for guarding. Boxers do not like strangers but love their families. They are not as aggressive like numerous other watchdogs are. But if they feel threatened they can be assertive. The boxers are tremendously courageous in these situations.

Boxers are known and loved for their agreeable personalities. They love to have affection lavished on them by their families. In return they are friendly and loving back. These dogs are also very loyal to their families and respond openly the thoughtful care when given to them. The boxers make for great companion dogs.

These dogs also love to be around children. They love the way kids like to play with them and give them attention. Boxers are very patient with children too, which is important. They tolerant children who may not always handle a dog correctly as in pulling their tails and petting them roughly. The adults still need to supervise any kids around dogs though. But this boxer breed is extremely accommodating when it comes to kids whether they know how to treat dogs yet or not.

So if you are looking for a great family dog, you can see why the boxer might be a good choice for your family. There is nothing more fun than a family pet. The kids can even learn responsibility by having to feed and water the boxer. It makes them know that animals have to be cared for. With the boxer’s personality they certainly make wonderful pets for children though.

Although many breeds of dog love being around kids, a dog’s disposition and tolerance level may largely depend on his or her background and how well they were socialized as a puppy. Some breeds are known for being patient and gentle by nature, and therefore, make ideal pets for households with children.

The Best Breeds for Households with Children

Boxer

Boxers are rather playful and yet patient with kids and seem to know they need to be more gentle around smaller children. Bulldogs will also tolerate the ear pulling, poking, and accidental falls that kids are prone to but will usually just leave the area if they’ve run out of patience rather than put up with it as the Boxer would probably do. (See our boxer article here)

The affable Beagle is another breed notorious for their love of children, big and small. With a playful nature, an even temper and plenty of patience a Beagle can be the ideal family pet, however these sweet dogs do tend to be rather stubborn.

Despite their imposing size, the large Mastiff and their territorial nature are another good breed to consider if you have children in your home. Care must be taken to ensure the Mastiff doesn’t accidentally step on the child or infant, of course, and this particular breed does have the tendency to become overprotective at times.

Although a stellar quality, being too protective of children could be troublesome when it comes time for discipline as the Mastiff may want to intervene and “protect” their child.

One of the absolute best large breeds of dog to have around children is the Newfoundland. A “Newfie” will protect his charge at all costs, nudging them to safety and be ever tolerant of typical infant or childlike behavior. Babies crawl on top of the big hearted Newfs, playing until their heart’s content without fear of being growled or snapped at, and when the gentle giant has had enough, he’ll simply walk away but still keep a watchful eye for any signs of impending danger.

Saint Bernards and other mountain dogs like the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog are also perfect for homes with children despite their tremendous size and ferocious fighting abilities as they are extremely loving and patient with their pack, including the smallest of children.

Dogs in the retriever family such as the Labrador, Golden, and Chesapeake Bay retrievers are also excellent with children and small animals.

Standard or large poodles as well as miniature poodles are generally good with children, however the toy version of the breed is not suitable for a household with any kids as they’re known to have very little patience with little people.

Remember that small children can be quite perplexing to a dog that’s never seen anyone this size before so it may take some time to acclimate your new pet to their environment. As with any type, breed, size, or age of dog, never leave children and dogs unsupervised for any amount of time, not only for the child’s sake but for the dog’s safety as well.