Hi Eveyone

[raineth]

There are many great members here involved with rescue groups.

Dogs obtained thru them are carefully assessed, fostered with families ... and socialised with kids & other animals in many cases.

In many cases, but not all. Not every dog from every rescue has been assessed or fostered for any length of time, if at all, and not necessarily in family situation with young kids.

I'd want to know that for sure before consdering any rescue dog.

amen to that!

[Nekhbet]

what kind of personality do you like? Easy going? Active? Clingy? Sparky?

Also more importantly how much time do you have to train the dog more then just walk it. And have you owned any dogs before? Sounds like you have your hands very full at the moment a baby puppy would not be the best of ideas with that many children of an age that requires them to have a lot of your time and focus ;)

[poodlemum]

OK, I know I'm biased, but have you considered a Standard Poodle? They are GREAT with children (you just have to watch the puppies around very small children, as Poodle puppies are very "bouncy"). They are intelligent, easy to train, extremely loving and low-shedding. The only downside is the grooming, but you can do that yourself, with the right equipment.

And how could you resist this face?

[corvus]

My Finnish Lapphund puppy was a walk in the park. They make fantastic family dogs. Laid back, active enough to appreciate a play and a walk, but will be happy with low levels of exercise. Can be a little vocal, but mine just likes to rooroo when we get home sometimes and barks periodically if he's outside to make sure I'm still alive and available for cuddles should he need one. ;) Affectionate, gentle, very friendly, but always a darling. Everyone adores him.

The coat might be an issue, though. It's thick and moderately long. I don't find the shedding very bad at all given most shed hair stays in his coat until it's brushed or combed out. But he does have a lot of coat. I usually do Kivi in sections and do a quarter of him every few days, or I try to. Sometimes it's once a week. He hasn't been bathed in months and still looks and smells clean somehow. Spitz breeds have magic coats. The coat is a wee bit of work, but worth it for the sweetest temperament known to dogkind.

[RubyBlue]

unless you have the time to devote to training a lab puppy i wouldn't recommend one for your possibly increasing family. Yes, generally they are lovely dogs, and great with kids, but to get that sweet puppy to turn into a great family dog you will need to invest a great deal of time in training beyond the early puppy preschool stage. The idea that they are great family dogs is somewhat of a notion; they require firm leadership and training to develop into the great family dog. They are very much 'shadow' dogs and like to be with the family a lot of the time. They also shed a lot of hair. The average price for a registered lab is $1200-1400. Add desexing, worming, toys, training treats, collars/leads, council registration, high quality food etc and you are spending quite a bit of money both initially and after the purchase.

Unless you have the time to develop the sweet looking puppy into the type of dog that will fit into your family, i wouldn't recommend the breed; you could very well end up with an large out of control dog around your children - never a good outcome. With four kids and possibly 2 more, I'm not sure your lifestyle will give you the time to raise a lab pup into a terrific family dog.

I would agree with what has been previously mentioned and suggest a mature dog. JMHO

We got our first lab as a pup when I was 10 and my sis 8. I don't know how my mum did it, especially now I am starting to ready myself for raising a pup. To top it off we moved interstate the same year..... definitely starting to appreciate how brilliant she was

From a kids point of view he was absolutely was fantastic to grow up with. We had very strict rules with him (I think they were as much for us as him lol) he wasn't allowed in the kitchen or near the dinner table whilst we were eating nor upstairs (I think this was so we didn't fight over who's room/bed he was in). If he was on his bed we weren't allowed to join him :p

Great fun though - we spent hours everyday playing soccer, teaching tricks, hide n seek, rollerblading. He was always a part of our lives and we probably wouldn't have been anywhere near as active if he wasn't in our lives. I think that and the walk/play down the park with my parents daily kept him exhausted too

[Esky the husky]

You might be able to find a mature dog from a breeder once you work out which breed is for you.

Sometimes older show dogs get rehomed when they have finished their showing careers.

Usually these dogs would be used to being around lots of chaos, lots of being handled.

It would just be a matter of talking to the breeder and finding out whether they thought the dog could be good for you.

[boxagirl]

Boxers are great family dogs I suggest going to a dog show to have a look at all the breeds to help you make up your mind

[RiverStar-Aura]

I know you said that greyhounds "creep" you out and I always used to think the same until very recently. I met up with a whippet and a greyhound at the local dog park and boy are they gorgeous dogs! And so friendly and cuddly!! :D

The most surprising thing I found was their coat. I'd always assumed they were harsh, much like a Staffy, however they are so soft. I couldn't believe it. I'm thinking now there's a lot of stigma surrounding greyhounds via their racing reputations as aggressive and dangerous. The gorgeous blue girl I met didn't have a mean bone in her body and I wanted to take her her.

Not to mention her owner also has a gorgeous Norwich Terrier who I wanted to pinch too!

[Kaz]

I would agree that a mature dog already used to kids would be a good choice. Labs and golden retrievers make great family dogs but puppies of these breeds can absolutely terrorize tiny children with their boistrousness.

Have you considered a tenterfield terrier? Great with kids and the heart of a big dog in a pint sized package.

[Scarlet]

I also like the idea of a largish, strong dog for kids. Something the kids can't accidentally hurt.

I had 4 young boys and got a curly coat retriever pup. She was brilliant. Little one DO have to be supervised-especially at zoomie times My boys were taught to lie flat on the ground so she could jump over them and not knock then over.

In my experience curlies are a little quieter than a lab (I've had both) but maybe a little more stubborn. They need lots of attention to tire them out and you need not to have a prize garden. We had a large car so she went everywhere with us, especially swimming - they are brilliant. I would recommend obedience classes after puppy school-for a year or two.

Recently I dog sat a 12 month old lab and he exhausted me. I could never have one now but I must have had the energy when I was younger. And I've always loved dogs so I can put up with a bit I think.