# What is the absolute worst dog for a family to own? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 13, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-absolute-worst-dog-for-a-family-to-own/528891 "2010-02-13T19:35:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-absolute-worst-dog-for-a-family-to-own/528891/101 "2010-02-19T18:36:41Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > What kind of dog would you say is the easiest to train to be a family dog. If you have a perfect, accredited dog whisperer working with the family and also lovingly training the dog himself…is there any dog that you think would be the very best choice for those perfect conditions? Definitely deserves it’s own thread, don’tcha think? ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-absolute-worst-dog-for-a-family-to-own/528891/102 "2010-02-19T18:41:35Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Definitely deserves it’s own thread, don’tcha think? Sorry. I’m a little hard headed sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-absolute-worst-dog-for-a-family-to-own/528891/103 "2010-02-19T18:43:43Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > What kind of dog would you say is the easiest to train to be a family dog. If you have a perfect, accredited dog whisperer working with the family and also lovingly training the dog himself…is there any dog that you think would be the very best choice for those perfect conditions? **Czarcasm** , although not acting as a mod, appears to consider this a hijack, so let me just say that if you do start a thread on this, I would need a lot more information. How many children? What are their ages? Is there a stay at home parent? Do they live in a house? An apartment? On a farm? Is there a fenced in back yard? Etc. etc. etc. There probably is no answer to the question of worst or best. It depends upon the circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-absolute-worst-dog-for-a-family-to-own/528891/104 "2010-02-19T18:45:58Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Sorry. I’m a little hard headed sometimes. I don’t think your question is a hijack, btw-but I _do_ think it would make for a very interesting thread on it’s own. ---
**Author:** ![valleyofthedolls](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a4c791/32.png) [@valleyofthedolls](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/valleyofthedolls)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-absolute-worst-dog-for-a-family-to-own/528891/105 "2010-02-19T18:58:45Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > **Czarcasm** , although not acting as a mod, appears to consider this a hijack, so let me just say that if you do start a thread on this, I would need a lot more information. How many children? What are their ages? Is there a stay at home parent? Do they live in a house? An apartment? On a farm? Is there a fenced in back yard? Etc. etc. etc. > > There probably is no answer to the question of worst or best. It depends upon the circumstances. Agreed. It’s nice on television shows where everything is neatly tied up with a ribbon after an hour but that’s not how real life (for all things, not just your of choice pet) works. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-absolute-worst-dog-for-a-family-to-own/528891/106 "2010-02-19T19:08:29Z")
Contrapuntal, I started [a thread](http://209.104.5.198/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12138776#post12138776). Let’s hear it. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-absolute-worst-dog-for-a-family-to-own/528891/107 "2010-02-20T02:59:53Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > The problem with questions like these is that there is always exceptions - so basically you are making a comment on the predisposition of the breed. When I worked at a pet store, I would not recommend, for example, a Chow, for a family with young kids. > > It never failed, there was always someone nearby that would chime in, “I had a Chow and it was the best dog ever.” > > My response was always the same, “I am not saying that the Chow is a bad dog, there are no ‘bad dogs’, there are just dogs that I do not recommend for a home with young children, or for first time dog owners. A Chow is one of them because they have a tendency towards dominance and that can become aggression.” > > Like it or not, every dog does not lend itself towards happy home life with young kids - but that does not mean there are no exceptions. Oh I absolutely agree with you, I didn’t mean for my post to suggest otherwise. I was just wondering out loud if what seems like a common idea of “dalmatians are bad family dogs” was a more recent development or not, since before we got one my dad researched many different breeds before settling on one that would be appropriate (in a household that had an 11 & a 6 year old.) ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-absolute-worst-dog-for-a-family-to-own/528891/108 "2010-02-20T06:04:14Z")
> [@thirdname](#): > > The Caucasian Sheperd Dog would be a poor choice, an aggressive dog that weighs as much as a man: [Caucasian Shepherd Dog - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caucasian_Shepherd_Dog) That’s racist. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-absolute-worst-dog-for-a-family-to-own/528891.md?page=5)