The 10 best dog breeds for families with children

This ranking uses the “with children” rating (from 1 to 5) given in our breed profiles. Breeds with the same rating are ordered by trainability, then alphabetically. Whatever the breed, children and dogs should always be supervised together.

No. 1 — Golden RetrieverWith children: 5/5Gentle, patient and always good-natured, the Golden Retriever is one of the best family dogs, but it copes poorly with strong heat.
No. 2 — Labrador RetrieverWith children: 5/5Sociable, cheerful and easy to train, the Labrador is the quintessential family dog; it needs exercise and a carefully watched diet.
No. 3 — Hungarian VizslaWith children: 5/5An elegant, toast-coloured pointing dog, the Vizsla is gentle, sensitive and extremely attached to its family: a true 'velcro dog'.
No. 4 — White Swiss ShepherdWith children: 5/5A close white-coated cousin of the German Shepherd, the White Swiss Shepherd is gentle, intelligent and particularly well balanced in a family.
No. 5 — BarbetWith children: 5/5An ancient French water dog with a woolly coat and bushy beard, the Barbet is cheerful, sociable and sheds very little.
No. 6 — Bernese Mountain DogWith children: 5/5A handsome tricolour dog from the Swiss Alps, the Bernese is gentle, loyal and excellent with families, but copes very badly with heat.
No. 7 — Bichon FriseWith children: 5/5An always-cheerful ball of white fluff, the Bichon Frise is a gentle, sociable, easy-going companion that sheds very little.
No. 8 — Boston TerrierWith children: 5/5Nicknamed the 'American gentleman' for its tuxedo coat, the Boston Terrier is cheerful, affectionate and easy to live with in the city.
No. 9 — French Pointing DogWith children: 5/5One of Europe's oldest pointing breeds, the Braque Français comes in two types, Gascogne and Pyrénées. It is gentle, biddable and easy to train.
No. 10 — Cavalier King Charles SpanielWith children: 5/5Gentle, affectionate and always good-natured, the Cavalier King Charles is an ideal family companion, in a house or an apartment.