Psychologists have long found that children growing up with animals develop a sense of responsibility for their actions very quickly. This is a very valuable human quality that is difficult to develop by spending time playing with toys or computer games.

The animal socializes children, making them less withdrawn, and more sociable. In addition, a child who has a dog often immediately finds himself in the center of attention of other children, which allows the child to easily make friends.
 

German psychologists, based on numerous experiments and studies, concluded that a dog in the house actively affects the upbringing of a child. When kids spend time with dogs they learn very important human qualities:

- loyalty 

- honesty

- tolerance for others imperfections 

- kindness

- the ability to forgive

- unconditional love

The dog will become a reliable friend to the child, always ready to listen to them, comfort and support them in difficult times, even when the parents do not have time for this.

The happiness of a child from communicating with a four-legged friend can not replace any toys and gadgets. 

What age should a child be?

Professionals advise not to buy an animal for children under 6-7 years old. First, such a baby will not be able to take care of his pet yet, and all the responsibility will fall on you. Secondly, at this age, the child still does not understand that the animal is a living being, and you need to treat it well.

After 6 years, many children are already able to independently feed their dog and take care of it at home. 

Important! The decision to get a dog should be an ADULT's decision, not a child's. The responsibility for raising a dog of ANY breed lies on the shoulders of the parent and should not be a burden to him. You should realize that the child does not yet have much patience and he may not have enough knowledge to raise a dog. Often, an ill-considered emotional decision entails the suffering of the animal.
 

10 best dog breeds for children

Golden Retriever

The Golden Retriever is a hunting dog breed bred in Great Britain in the XIX century. They are so good-natured and human-oriented that they are ready to constantly express their love and devotion to family, they perfectly feel the mood of the owner and any person.

These dogs are even used in working with children with autism.

They can perfectly comfort a person when he is upset or crying. An adult male weighs up to 34 kg.

Welsh Corgi

The Welsh Corgi is a breed of dog bred in Wales. The undoubted advantage of the breed is that corgis are not noisy dogs at all. They have a great character and a shrewd mind. These are very cute, loyal, and unpretentious dogs. 

The breed is human-oriented, perfectly feels the mood of the owner, is unobtrusive, and knows how to support. They easily get along with cats and other animals. They tenderly protect young children.

Dogs of this breed have established themselves as ideal companions for families living in large cities. Although the Welsh corgi-cardinan belongs to the family of shepherds, they are quite small. The breed assumes that an adult male weighs up to 17 kg.

West Highland White Terrier

The West Highland White Terrier was bred in Scotland in ancient times and was originally created as a hunting dog breed. Like most terriers, they like to bark loudly and dig a lot. So, if you have a special garden design and expensive varieties of flowers, it is better not to let the dog go there. At the same time, it is extremely difficult to break this habit, since it is dictated by the hunting instinct, as well as the need for the dog to demonstrate its perseverance and independence.

These are restless and cheerful dogs that love attention and constantly demand it to themselves.

They are playful and peaceful, but they are always ready to defend their owner fiercely and bravely, regardless of their size. 

Irish Setter

The telling name of this breed indicates that it was first bred in Ireland. This is quite a bold and energetic dog, so for lovers of calm life, it will not work. The pet needs jogging and games, long walks, and trips to nature. With proper training, an obedient pet will be good-natured, affectionate, and sympathetic.

During trips, the pet will show calmness and balance. And at home, he will happily meet the owners after work and will be friendly with any guests. 

Thanks to its natural sociability, the breed gets along well with restless children and other dogs.

Riesenschnauzer

This is the largest breed of dog from the Schnauzer group. An adult male can exceed 45 kg. Given the fact that they have a lot of strength, and there may be various surprises on the street, it will not be possible to instruct children to walk such dogs. Only this breed has a peculiar facial expression that is so similar to human grimaces. Joy, surprise, indignation, discontent, sadness, curiosity, and stubbornness – this is a list of what you can see on his beautiful mustachioed and bearded face. Surprisingly, even if they are slightly naughty, they can express a sense of guilt.

The energy from the Riesenschnauzer is in full swing every minute. That is why it is a great choice for a large family with small children. 

He loves kids of any age and he does not need to be “begged” for a long time to fit into an active game.

Labrador Retriever

The breed originates on the island of Newfoundland on the east coast of Canada. He can charge everyone around with his love of life and optimism. Living in a family, the Labrador creates a calm and happy atmosphere of home comfort and harmony. In many countries, the breed has become a symbol of a happy family, and there is even a tradition of getting this dog in young families.

This dog is difficult to tolerate loneliness, or rather, it does not tolerate it at all and prefers to leave the owner's house than to yearn without human attention and communication.

The Labrador is ready to be friends with everyone: with children, with adults, with cats, even with the postman. This is not the case when a dog viciously guards its borders. On the contrary, they are ready to let everyone into the house and play with them. 

Poodle

The poodle is one of the most common dog breeds in the world. These dogs are very strong and athletic. Poodles need your affection and praise every day. They love long walks and want to be always with you. They love to participate in various games. A bored and lonely poodle will not be happy, and this can lead to its bad behavior. They like to be in the company.

One of the main features of the poodle – he tries to maintain good relations with people, a very social animal.

His children are especially fond of him. He lets them do whatever they want with it, and is willing to play games with them.

Bichon Frise

The Bichon Frise is a French small breed of dog from the lapdog group. The Bichon Frise has an advantage over other dogs – they do not shed and almost do not smell. In addition, their wool is hypoallergenic. Bichon Frise does not tolerate loneliness very well. If he is left alone for long hours, he may start chewing on his skin or fur out of worry.

From boredom, the Bichon Frise can also start barking loudly, which is unlikely to please your neighbors.

As for barking, you should be prepared for the fact that the Bichon Frise often barks. 

Airedale Terrier

The picturesque valley of the River Eyre in Yorkshire in England has become the birthplace of the Airedale Terrier. Airedale terriers can be taught to do any job. If you love jogging or cycling, Airedale Terriers are the perfect companions for you as they love to run.

They are also incredibly intelligent. They are very quick to grasp what they are taught. For this reason, they quickly get bored with everything.

They get along well with children, but you need to keep in mind that they are large and very active dogs that like to play pranks and sometimes show their stubbornness. Although airedales can be quite tall (about 60 cm), they have a slender build, so the weight of an adult male is usually up to 30 kg. And small females can be up to 20 kg.

Beagle

The short and succinct word "beagle" comes from Old English which means ”small". The beagle clearly shows such character traits as courage, determination, and friendliness. They are aggressive only to small animals that are perceived as prey, and therefore it is not recommended to keep ferrets, chinchillas, decorative rabbits, and cats in the house. These are good-natured dogs, active and cheerful. These are real mass entertainers for children's games, they love the company of children, and can play with them for hours.

Beagles are very attached to their owner, they do not tend to dominate, so even a child is an authority for them.