What dog breed is best for a house pet?

Whatever you get, you should get while it is a young puppy, six to 18 weeks. They have brains like sponges when they are so young, even though they are probably not going to be learning tricks at 6 weeks. It is still a good age to get a puppy, because it will get used to your personalities faster, etc.

And also, you should be ready to give a good smack on the nose of any dog you have if it bites one of the family a little harder than it should (when being playful). It is not abuse, it is an efficient means of human/dog communication.

In my experience, Lab mixes are great all around family dogs, andShepherd Mixes have been for my family members as well. But none of those dogs were mixed with Rottweiler, Pit Bull, Boxer, Doberman Pinscher, or any other breed known for it’s aggression and/or territorial violence. They were usually Lab/Shepherd, Shepherd/Chow, or Shepherd/Collie.

Of course, if you don’t need a large protector type dog, but rather just a nice friendly dog that will make noise when there is an intruder, a short-legged Jack Russell Terrier is wonderful. They are nippy if the kids get too aggravating, but the kids will learn when to quit torturing it.