2. Beagles

The Beagle is a floppy-eared dog that is well-known by children in the form of Snoopy, Garfield’s pal Odie or Shiloh. These dogs were bred to be hunters, so Cesar Millan notes: they may not handle other, smaller pets around the house very well and you might get a surprise rabbit or chipmunk as a gift. They are, however wonderful with children. They must be regularly exercised, as Cesar Millan notes, and their food intake must be carefully monitored to avoid obesity in this breed, which will happen very quickly without prevention.

The setback to owning a Beagle with children is the Beagle’s love for food and great sense of smell to root it out – passing table scraps will be tempting, but children must be taught that this could cause unhealthy weight gain and behavioral habits in their dog, warns Dog Breed Info. The Beagle does not drool and is an average shedder, according to Dog Breed Info, which means not too much of a mess for a kid’s pet.

The doge is easy to care for, though the ears must be watched for infection, according to Dog Breed Info. There are also few health concerns that are common for Beagles, as listed by Dog Breed Info, which helps reduce the family vet bills.

The Beagle is sweet, gentle and loving with children – happy to be around people and typically good with other dogs, says Dog Breed Info. Without adequate exercise, rules and attention, the Beagle can become destructive, bark excessively and become over-protective, warns Dog Breed Info, but this can be easily managed with training and maintaining a firm and confident rule structure. Games and walks are excellent for Beagles, says Cesar Millan, and great for encouraging your children to be active as well!