Best family dogs: looking at the best dog breeds for families

Making sure you choose the best dog for your family is very important. Here's our guide to choosing a great family dog based on your home, lifestyle, and needs.

Photo of a young family, with mum, dad, and a young daughter, accompanied by their dog. What's the best family dog for your family?

Overview

Dogs can bring love, joy and responsibility to a young family. But making sure you choose the best family dog for your kids, home, lifestyle and needs is really important. That’s why we’ve put together this in-depth guide to help you look at the best dog breeds for families.

Brief summary

You should aim to choose a dog that will suit your lifestyle
Each dog breed will come with their own personalities and challenges
Dogs should be well-socialised and puppy or dog training classes are recommended
Dogs can cost over £15,000 during their lifetime
Whatever dog you choose, never leave them unattended with children

Benefits of dogs on children

Benefits of dogs on adults

How to choose the best family dog

Ongoing costs of owning a dog

Best small family dogs

Best medium dog breeds for families

Best large dog breeds for families

Dogs and children

Medically reviewed by Jack Banfield

Published on 13/04/2023 • Reviewed on 05/08/2024