A good friend of mine lived with two Labrador retrievers in the city for years. In the city they were perfect gentlemen. And each fall season, they were the best dogs you could imagine in a duck blind. Dogs, like man, can learn to adapt to almost any environment. That’s why dogs have become household pets and not relegated to a zoo like most other animals.

Of course you have to be reasonable about all of this. If you have a one room apartment or studio, while driving a small car,  you’re going to have a problem with raising a Great Dane; but then maybe not as much as with some feisty terrier yapping underfoot.

When selecting a dog for the city, there are many books that will give you basic information about the temperament of different breeds.

Give & take

It was some years ago that I put together this list of dogs that were good or bad for kids, but by no means does that mean that a dog can’t be taught to love children. It’s just a bit harder for a dog that does not automatically feel comfortable around energetic little kids while coping with city life at the same time – especially if the owner is not properly training them to be happy with both experiences.

Also, the lists below are everything but complete. Some dogs are not included simply because the sampling was too small and some breeds have not been tested. Some breeds may be on the bad list because they required too much care or didn’t take to training easy. If you are willing to put in the time required to raise a city dog with kids, then any dog can be a work in progress.

Dog breeds that get along well with children

American Water Spaniel, Basset Hound, Beagle, Boxer, Brittany Spaniel, Bull Dog, Coonhound, English Setter, English Shepherd, Foxhound, Golden Retriever, Great Dane, Irish Water Spaniel, Labrador Retriever, Old English Sheep Dog, Pointer, Standard Poodle, Saint Bernard, and the Springer Spaniel.

Less appropriate breeds if you have children

American Cocker Spaniel, American Toy Fox Terrier, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Chihuahua, Chow, Dachshund, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Husky, Italian Greyhound, Japanese Spaniel, Kerry Blue Terrier, Malamute, Maltese Terrier, Mexican Hairless, Miniature Pinscher, Pekingese, Pomeranian, Samoyed, Scotch Terrier, Spitz, Toy Manchester, Wire-haired Fox Terrier, and the Yorkshire Terrier.