I am 23 and looking for a large dog as a guardian and companion. I do not like small dogs at all and would like muscle and intelligence. However I have two cats and a newborn. I like Rots, german shepards, dobermans, and boxers. Which breed is a good one for children but still has muscle and a sense of obedience

I had a Choux and she thought she was mom to my kids and my cat and she was VERY intelligent.
When I was a kid I had a boxer and had to get her use to other dogs and no way did she like cats.
I have known too many Rots and Dobermans that have bitten kids.
Most German Shepherds I know are too active and bark too much. Not at all good around kids.
My Pit Bulls do better with cats and kids than Rots, Dobermans and German Shepherds.

I had the best experience with Choux's all the way around.

Also I never had a Collie but they have always been highest ratings in getting along with kids and very intelligent.

We had a Rottie when I was little, she was the sweetest dog and then one day I waddled my over to her when she was eating and BAM she tried to bite me... my parents gave her away after that...

Collies are a herding breed so you can have trouble with them trying to 'round up' the family and nip at people if they do not get enough exercise and traning. If you are prepared to exercise a lot then thehy are great dogs.

I can recommend Great Danes, they are lovable giants, get along great with kids and smaller animals, they seem to realise their size and are gentle.

Laboradors are a medium size dog but are generally very good with children, they can have obesity problems so exercise is a must.

Standard poodles are not as "gay" as people think, they are very smart, strong dogs and great with kids. Not sure about cats though as they are a retrieving breed and can be hyperactive.

Pitt Bulls... there is a big debate about them... personally I don't trust them, they were originally bred to fight and a lot of them still have that instinct. They are never human aggressive but they can be aggressive towards other animals.

My first thought was a great dane, also known as the gentle giant. Our puppy Zoe seems to be nothing but muscle and when someone comes to the door she is right there by my side. Her size and her bark are intimidating but she is just the sweetest thing. I would read up any of the breed suggested though before getting one so you know what to expect when you do get one. For example, danes are more prone to bloat, so we had her stomach tacked when we had her spayed.

A major question when deciding on a dog is how much room will they have to exercise?

Danes, Poodles, and Dobes are pursuers, they need to run.

GSD's and Collies are herders, they will instinctively move you and the kids and the cat wherever they learn you're supposed to go.

Rotties and Boxers are guards, roughhousing is not allowed in their house.

Research the breeds you're looking at. Make certain you can meet their needs as well as they can meet yours.

Personally, with kids and cats I'm thinking labrador retriever.

They're very docile dogs, very easy going and intelligent. They're great with kids and adapt well to other pets.

Good points catsmine, Great Danes can be apartment dogs though, they can live anywhere in any size house as long as they are walked. They are one of the few large breeds that can do so. :)

Seems Laborador seems to be the best bet, I have never owned one but from knowing people with them and research I have found them to be great dogs with children.

Here is a site with all different recognised breeds on it.
Click on what breed you want to look at and then to the right there is a link that says "Full breed information" that tells you history, temperament, grooming etc..

Dogz Online - The Pure Breed Dogs of Australia

I would keep away from the large breeds such as great dane as they can easily harm babies/small children without their knowledge just due to there large size. The other dogs... chow,pit, gsd are all good choices if you did not have a baby/small child. They require lots of training. (which if you have a child is near impossible) they also tend to be unpredictable.

My choice is the lab. Get a Male they can be in excess of 100lbs. Have loud barks and will protect if family is threatened. They are sweet and kind toward children and other animals... and they do require training as all good dogs do.

Sounds like everybody is for a Lab.
I did forget to mention Lab in my list.
I had a Lab too and she was my second best dog to my Choux
She was protective like my Choux but she had separation anxiety disorder.

Danielnoahs mom, a GSD eat my rabbit, I'll leave it at that.

I've never heard of a Choux nohelp4u, a can't find one in Google either, do you have alink to a picture you could share?

The chow chow? They can be the most aggressive!

I have heard that too. Mine was like people. She was protective and gentle. I think she may have been part something else cause she was so intelligent and had so much feeling just like a person. She was truly part of the family.

Oh OK, now I know what breed you mean... we don't call them that here :o

That is one of the few breeds I don't know a lot about even though they are in my group :o

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Originally Posted by Altenweg

Personally, with kids and cats I'm thinking labrador retriever.

They're very docile dogs, very easy going and intelligent. They're great with kids and adapt well to other pets.

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Must throw this in - I investigate more Lab bites than any other breed, almost 2 to 1. Guess why?

Because labs are seen as gentle and sweet and not watched as closely around children as other breeds. Also there are more of them.

Always an interesting situation for me - and 99% of the world, in describing the dog that did the biting, says it's a German Shepherd OR a Pit even though it usually is neither.

Another interesting fact that only I care about.

Judy Sweetie, I love your facts.

Sadly, the only breed I've ever been bitten by was a German Shepherd. Three times, three different dogs.

I firmly believe it's all on how the dog is raised, the people he's with, how he's brought up.

I have two lab mixes, both mixed with border collies. I've never had a problem with either one.

Just saying. ;)

As a kennel boy (veterinarian's son) the most bites I got were from the toy breeds. They don't react well to being sick or at the vet's. Stress is a bad thing for them, likely because of their size.

The last World Almanac I looked at (a good long while ago) The top five biting breeds were:
1) Chow Chow
2) German Shepherd
3) Chihuahua
4) Dachschund
5) Collie

It's probably changed by now with all the Michael Vicks out there, but that's the most recent info I have.

I had two Great Danes ( harlequins) and loved them both. They both were wonderful dogs, friendly, loving, smart, great with kids and other dogs alike. I highly recommend them. Like cat said you need room for exercise though. Good luck.

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Originally Posted by jmjoseph

I had two Great Danes ( harlequins) and loved them both. They both were wonderful dogs, friendly, loving, smart, great with kids and other dogs alike. I highly recommend them. Like cat said you need room for exercise though. Good luck.

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Cat is my wife, Joe. Danes are good dogs. I grew up with Dobes so I'm biased. Karl, with a Dobie you will never fear for your children's safety, just don't try to spank them.

Gotcha now, you must be "mine".

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Originally Posted by jmjoseph

Gotcha now, you must be "mine".

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No, Cat's mine.