My husband is convinced about an english toy terrier but I am not. My grandad told me that all terriers have an aggressive streak as they are ratcatchers, fighters, etc by nature and you will never get rid of that. I know that the most important thing is good training but I have to know that the dog will be good with my 3 children who are 4,4 and 8. The dog for me personally, has to be at least slightly handsome and athletic but not too big. I will be walking the dog so, it needs to be able to cope with a good hour walk in the morning and maybe another hour in the evening. I would love as little molting as possible as I am very house proud and run a business from home which keeps me busy. I never thought we would get a dog as I have never been a 'doggy' person. I have decided to 'give in' as my husband and children would all love a dog. I am under no illusion at the responsibility and will be waiting for my twins to start school in September so that I can devote myself to training.

we have an 8 month old border collie and she is brilliant with my children but she does require a lot of exercise. i think there can be issues with whatever breed of dog you choose to get but if you are willing to put in the time and effort with training then these problems can be overcome.

try this site www.nextdaypets.com it has alot of good information on breeds and temperament etc.

Terriers can be more difficult to train and to be 'calm' than say a labrador. A Labrador would make a very good family pet, almost always passive (but some are bouncy & big making them more difficult to handle eg on the lead - so see the parents before you decide), but it will need about 90 minutes excercise a day to prevent health problems etc. Most of all, buy from a reputable breeder!

You know what Ive had lots of dogs, terriers, staffs, mixes, boxers, but none compare to my Pit bull, .. hes so loving and friendly, and brill with my kids, they are given a bad rep because some people treated them badly to make them fight.They are very sensitive dogs, you need to be extra loving with them and respect their power. I love my dog hes like my baby even though hes heavier than me, lol.He wouldn't halm a fly and its all down to how hes been treated. xxx

My personal suggestion is to get a Shar-Pei! They are wonderful dogs and they have Hair not Fur so they shed less. they are very loving and devoted dogs and they will fight another dog to the death to protect their owners and their family's They are midsized dogs and though their shin needs a little extra care after you bathe them they are simple and energetic and extremely loving and gentle with children. They are also highly intelligent. They were a created breed designed to protect the royal families in China when the pit-bull was prevalent in China. A Shar-Pei can and will stop a Pitt-bull attack on your family as they were designed to kill pitts but they have hearts of gold and are very obedient!

I have shelties ,they are alert and very love able. Great watch dogs and protectors.We have grandchildren and they love the kids .They are easy trained and very active. When we go to bed at night they are on guard for any unusual noise and let us know. My feeling as to kids is to go with a female but we have a pair and and love them both. They do require combing and grooming to cut down on shedding,But they have no odor.

If no-one is a 100% in the household about having a dog and is house proud, then my answer is don't get a dog. Don't "give in" if you're not 100% sure.

I am not sure when you posted your question, however, I felt the need to respond. I didn't think I was a dog person either, until I got one. I have noticed a lot of answers to your question, but not one are the kind of dogs that I have. I have 2 Siberian Huskies. Mine happen to be good size, but as with any breed, size varies. They can handle your activity, actually love the walks, the longer the better. They are great around children, and are very social dogs. They do shed, but only twice a year, especially where they have what's known as a "double coat". But after that, it really isn't bad at all. They hardly bark at all, it's mostly a "talk" per se. A female husky tends to be smaller than males, we happen to have one of each. They are quick learners, at least I haven't had a lot of difficulty with my dogs. As with getting any animal, I would suggest getting a puppy, this way you can raise and train it the way you want, not the way someone else has. I don't know if this helped, but does give you at least one more option to look into.

You should go for a labrador if you can i have one myself and they make a very loyal pet, very good dog to have with kids mine is 1 yr old now and is the nicest dog, he is constantly watching over me. He sits at my side gate from the moment i leave for work until i get home and then he lies beside my at the fire all evening. This dog will really care for kids, are very easy to train, depending on where you will be keeping the dog will determaine how much it molts?If it is kept outside it will rearly molt as its body believes its winter so will not shed if the dog is kept inside it will molt but there are molting oils that you can buy in the pet store that you put in his food to stop this, as for the walking the lab will love the walks for the first two years but will then get lazy as they spend their first 2 years growing their bodies but do get lazy after this.Hope this helpsP.S Dont go for small dogs as everyone of them have a very unattractive nature at times.