Top Ten Family Dogs *Pics*

[joanofark]

I was watching TV and I came accross a show and they were telling the Top ten family dogs. This what they are:

The 10th best family dog is the Boston terrier


The 9th best family dog is the Bichon frise


The 8th best family do is the Border collie


The 7th best family do is the Boxer


The 6th best family dog is the Beagle (Yay I love Beagles)


The 5th best family dog is the Cocker spanial


The 4th best family dog is the German Sheperd (My Favorite dog breed ever!)


The 3th best family dog is the Poodle


The 2nd best family dog is the Golden retreiver


And the best Family dog is the *Drum rolls* Labador Retreiver!


Well I thought it was kind of cool!

[Pam]

Interesting! I can't vouch for any of the others from *first hand experience* but I certainly agree with this choice.


If you were to ask me, I would say poodles are #1! (Maybe I am just a wee bit biased!)

[cali]

quite frankly border collies should not be on that list at all. they are not familiy dogs, they are not pets(assuming you know what I mean by not pets) they are working dogs, and need more exersize then a walk a day. and they have a tendency to herd kids, and some nip heels. BCs are NOT family dogs.

[binka_nugget]

Hmm.. weird how BCs made the list but Shelties didn't. I think Shelties are far better family dogs than BCs are. I have to agree with Shayna, I don't think typical BCs are family dogs at all.

Glad to see GSDs on there though.

[Karen]

Now, I have to disagree - with the right family, a Border Collie can be a great family dog. I have known a few who were. Two of them were farm families, with lots of jobs for the dogs, and kids to occupy the dog's time. Another was *just* a family dog, no peacocks to herd, but it was an active family who were always aware of their dog's need for "work." But what were their critieria? Bostons, for example, are fine-boned dogs, which can be hazardous around enthusiastic small children. What about, say, Newfoundlands or Saints? How did they decide who to put on the list and who to keep off? There are many families, for example, for whom a bouncy, enthusiastic, shedding-black-hairs-everywhere, Labrador might be a bad match - a dog with a shorter "puppyhood" would be better ....

I guess what I am saying is "to each his or her own."

Any dog CAN be a good family dog for the right family!

[joanofark]

Originally posted by Karen
Any dog CAN be a good family dog for the right family!

I agree!

[cali]

while that is true there are VERY few Familys for a border collie. with the right family yes, but admit it, VERY few family dogs live on a farm with work provided. and very few family dogs are involved in dog sports etc.. if you dont have real work for a BC or sports or something they need about 4 1 hour RUNS(walks are usless) a day. and there are not many familys willing to do that. they also need a LOT of mental stimulation, exersizing the body and ignoring the mind will not even come close to satifying the border collie

[Kfamr]

I agree 100% Karen!!


Personally, I think MUTTS are the best family dogs!

[zippy-kat]

5 of my all time favs made it into the top 10 - I'm happy!

('course I'd have tied the cockers and boxers for 1st. )

[Karen]

Originally posted by cali
while that is true there are VERY few Familys for a border collie. with the right family yes, but admit it, VERY few family dogs live on a farm with work provided. and very few family dogs are involved in dog sports etc.. if you dont have real work for a BC or sports or something they need about 4 1 hour RUNS(walks are usless) a day. and there are not many familys willing to do that. they also need a LOT of mental stimulation, exersizing the body and ignoring the mind will not even come close to satifying the border collie

One of the families, as I said, was NOT a farm family, and yet they and the Border Collie were a perfect match. As I said, they were an active family, the dog got to run and play with the children, and keep track of them, and still would cuddle with them at bedtime. If you do not think keeping track of four active school-age children can be mentally stimulating enough for a Border Collie, try it yourself some time!

As I said, we do not know what criteria these people who created the list used, and I think it is not a good idea, as every family is different and every dog is different, albeit with some breed characteristic similarities.

[Twisterdog]

I think it is a fairly accurate list, overall. I actually think lists like this are a very good idea, provided the information is accurate. People need to know about typical breed characteristics BEFORE getting a dog. I would assume that "family dog" means good with kids of all ages, energetic and able to live in a fast-paced active environment - that's what most families with kids are like.

I agree that border collies are not a good family pet for 99% of families. Sure, sure ... there is always going to be an exception here or there, but for the most part, what Shayna said is absolutely correct. Border collies are serious working dogs that need a job to do. And since she has a whole house full of them ... she should know better than any of us.

I was also happy to see that there was only one terrier on the list. Terriers are in no way, shape or form good family pets. Yes, yes, I know ... someone knows someone who's brother has a terrier that let a two year old drag him around by the tail ... but, believe me, that is the rare exception, not the rule.

Other than border collies, the only other dog on the list I might question is the cocker spaniel. Although they are starting to come back around, for many, many years they were victims for their own popularity - with the very traits that made them popular in the first place bred right out of them by back yard breeders and puppy mills churning out poorly-bred puppies by the tens of thousands. When I worked at the Humane Society in Colorado, cockers always were in the top five dog bite list, every year.