If you have children, chances are they want a pet of some sort. However, a lot of parents have reservations about owning a pet because they are afraid the pet may hurt one of their children or simply not fair well in their home. Whether you are considering a dog or a cat, there are certain breeds that seem to be more friendly and tolerant of children.  

Dog Breeds

Although dogs do not care for having their tail pulled or being handled in a rough manner, there are some breeds that can take the roughhousing of children better than others--Poodles, Siberian Huskies, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, St. Bernards, and Great Danes. The personality characteristics of these breeds make them the ideal pets for households with children. They are generally affectionate, protective, and careful of small children. Also, these dogs seem to tolerate a certain amount of rough handling, such as a child who accidentally falls on them or a toddler who pulls their tail.  

Cat Breeds

Cats are different in many ways compared to dogs. They cannot be trained easily and tend to lash out in aggression more than dogs do. Any parents who chose to bring a cat home should wait until their children are mature enough to know how to properly treat a cat. This means all of your children should ideally be over the age of three because older children have better impulse control and a sense of right from wrong. With this in mind, a few breeds that are better for children are the Manx, Siberian, Persian, Bombay, Burmese, American Shorthair, American Bobtail, and the Abyssinian.  However, avoid choosing a Siamese as they are prone to wild mood swings and would rather be shown respect instead of affection.