I'm looking for a puppy/family dog for our family, we've narrowed our breeds to three. Miniature Dachshund, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, or a Beagle. I'd like a dog my kids can play with and also be a calm smart family dog, easy to train and not snappy or aggressive.

I would go for the Beagle. You will regret getting a small yappy dog and beagles are very sweet.

spaniel is your best bet ^_^ they are so adorable and sweet dogs! Dachshunds aquire health problems over the years due to the proportions of their bodies, and beagles make to much noise.

I would get a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel if I were you. Dachshunds and Beagles are great dogs as well but being hounds they can be a bit more challenging to train.

Might I suggest you go with a cross breed, purebred dogs usually have alot more health problems, due to crossbreeding & such. If you could find a King Charles cross i think you'd have a winner, good luck.

all three breeds are generally very good, tho beagles are known to be noisy. it just depends on the individual dog.

Dachshunds are very nice little dogs-my son's day care now has 2 that come often with a teacher and love the attention. However, they are small and the kids must know how to take care of them (esp the back so as to avoid injury-you don't swing these guys butts when you pick them up under the front legs or you may have a problem). They were bred to hunt-so they dig and can be very headstrong at times. I know about 7 of them, all are great with the family they have. CKCS are a breed I am not overly familiar with-I didn't consider them when we got a dog due to overbreeding and trouble finding a well bred CKCS (you don't want vet bills from bad breeding).Beagles were on my short list last summer-they are great dogs. I ruled them out for a few reasons. They are known to be a little tough to train, they are smart but they are independent. They like to roam and will take off after a scent and get 4 miles down the road in no time-they need a good fence or leashes at all times the first 1-2 years (and likely always will, they don't outgrow the urge to hunt). They can have a little bit of a "hound" odor. SOrry, but they can get that smell that seems to me to be a hound thing.I think that you have to look at what you mean by easy to train-no dog will take one class and thrive with no refresher. You will have to do training sessions all the time to keep things fresh. And smart dogs get bored easy. Any dog can be snappy-that is all in how YOU raise them. I personally went for a Brittany (spaniel). I talked to breed rescue folks, breed clubs, and found a breeder at the AKC website who had certified the parents for hip problems. Britts are good with kids, midsize (under 40 pounds), smart, and low upkeep-groom 2 times a year. Any dog you get means more work-I have found about 3 times more work than I planned on. Good luck.

you need info for each dog first-- like some spaniels like playful biting, and are a little sensistive to their ears being pulled. beagles are also good family pet and quiet but quite stubborn, so children might find it frustrating to play with them. Daschunds bark a lot and you have to train them not to be too playful or they'll always want to play. Remember that most of the time small/toy dogs are not suitable for children because they are sensitive and demands time and attention and could be jealous of children. Most websites recommend bigger breeds that can stand to the stress caused by children, like labrador retriever. Anyway, among the three I think your best bet is the beagle.

Beagle, they are smart and realitivly calm. They love to romp and play! They do not bite unless very highly harrassed. I expect they are also very easy to train.

Hi,the particular dog (of whatever breed) is the important thing as many dogs differ from other dogs of the same breed. This is largely the result (or fault) of the training each dog gets from its owners.Of the three breeds you mention, though, there are characteristics which tend to occur in many dogs of the breed. Daschunds are sometimes quite snappy (though others really are very tolerant of playful children) they also suffer from back problems, so if your children are the type that may climb or jump on the back of your dog I would suggest this is NOT a suitable choice.Cavalier KIng Charles spaniels (or any other spaniel is usually a good choice for children, as they are generally tolerant and they have a sweet friendly nature. They do, along with other spaniel types, though, have two things you may wish to consider before buying.They are frequently 'chewers' and will destroy your furniture, or anything they take a fancy to. Avoiding this inherent fault can be difficult and, once ingrained, it can be difficult to get rid of.The other thing is...they have long, easily grasped ears, so your children need to be aware that pulling them is wrong! Any dog, if treated badly will snap if its ears are painfully pulled.These faults apart, you will have a gentle, loving pet full of character.The Beagle, too has long ears and will react if they are pulled. (as with the spaniel) but they are a strong dog with a loving nature which will be friendly to everyone in your household. They have no generally occurring faults and usually make very good housepets and do seem to like playing with children.Whichever dog you choose I would suggest taking the children with you before buying so they will feel an instant attachment to the dog (and vice versa) and let them play with the particular dog to see how it reacts.As I said earlier, ANY dog will react if mistreated, so train your children along with the chosen pet.Good luck, whatever type you choose, hope this has been a help.BobSpain