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Do you love the idea of having a large dog? Have you watched television programs that an individual or family owned a large dog and thought to yourself that you wanted one? Though there are joys that come with owning a big dog breed, there are things that need to be considered before jumping in there and getting yourself one.

Something to keep in mind is there are pros and cons to owning a dog that is from a large breed. A lot depends on where you live. Do you live in the suburbs, or is it a rural area that you live? If you live in a neighborhood, do you have a large yard? Big dogs need a big space, so they need an area to run and play. They need exercise, and it takes space for them to do this.

American Mastiff

American Mastiffs they are very compassionate and quite tolerant of tail and ear pulls, and they’re very fond of licking faces. Although, if you have toddlers who are just starting to walk, you may want to wait until they’re old enough before adopting an American Mastiff.

You don’t want an American Mastiff’s tail knocking off your small children. They are the type of dogs that should not be chained or left alone in the garden, behavioral problems arise when an American Mastiff is chained in the garden with little human interaction.

Bernese Mountain Dog

These good-natured dogs love children, though they are slow to mature and possess the tendency to be childish unlike other breeds. Nonetheless, they are very smart, can be trained easily, and are natural watchdogs, but they can be overly dominant at times. A Bernese Mountain Dog would be your lifetime companion.

Furthermore, they are constantly alert, self-assured, and energetic. Make sure you’ll give them enough socialization while they are young. In addition, Bernese Mountain Dogs love to be encouraged with positive praises and treats every time they accomplish something. Despite their huge size, these fellows are gentle and sweet.

Dalmatian

Star of the Disney classic 101 Dalmatians. Their lively and fun-loving nature makes them good companions for children. Also, they are known to have instinctive affection for horses and humans. With these qualities, they can tolerate and forgive their family’s children even if they are being treated roughly.

Although, it’s necessary that they’ll be socialized with children while they’re still young, and the children must be educated with how to properly handle their pets. They are very sensitive in nature but reacts favorably to composed, assertive leadership. Constant supervision around toddlers is needed, for they are playful and may unintentionally knock over and injure the kids.

Flat Coated Retriever

Flat coated retrievers are great family dogs and are remarkable with children. This breed has a reliable temperament and can tolerate your child’s playfulness. They are sweet, friendly, and lively, puppy-like and good spirited most of the time. An intelligent and very loyal companion, who needs a certain amount of firm discipline from its family.

They are obedient, active, and highly trainable. Furthermore, this breed loves a home with a vast yard where it can play and have its regular exercise. Flat Coated Retriever can become exceptional in retrieving, hunting, and other agility competitions.

German Shepherd Dog

The German Shepherd dog is protective, loyal, and intelligent. If he’s well-disciplined and has enough exposure to children, especially when still a pup, a German Shepherd can be an ideal companion for children. If trained correctly, a German Shepherd is an excellent family pet. They are extremely loyal to their family.

As a matter of fact, some say that this breed is a cross between protector and a babysitter, both are protective of and gentle with, the children in his home. Due to his reserved nature, he’s not a tail-wagging friendly companion to kids he’s not familiar with, although, he’s naturally trustworthy.

Although, they can become overprotective of their family. Proper training is highly advisable if you don’t want this dog attacking your postman thinking it’s an intruder. In addition, the German Shepherd can live harmoniously with other breeds of dogs, as long as he was trained from puppy hood.

Golden Retriever

The Golden Retriever has been labeled as a perfect family pet that goes well with children. They are always eager to please, loyal, and very trainable. Most are cheerful, bright, and disciplined and because of this they have been the ideal companion for families with children. Being a family pet, their obedience, working trials and agility make them highly competent.

Although, when purchasing a Golden Retriever pup, there are several points to bear in mind such as, it’s a tedious responsibility that requires serious dedication and cooperation from all family members. Your family will have this little pal as your lifetime companion.

Irish Setter

The Irish Setter is a lean looking dog that is very energetic and athletic, although, it doesn’t appear lively nor hyperactive. They are excellent family dogs and enjoy spending time with children. Furthermore, they are ideal even with toddlers and are usually found strolling around with young kids who are playing in the garden.

If properly trained, this breed is very obedient even to their young masters, following their commands smoothly. They have a high tolerance with children and don’t show aggressive tendencies to other family members or visitors.

Newfoundland

Its massive body tends to move rather slowly, they rarely bark, but very protective and brave when they need to be. If you remember “Nana,” the fictitious Newfoundland hired as a nanny by Wendy’s family in Peter Pan, you’ll remember how this sympathetic and loving nanny takes care of the children.

It’s quite true, the fictional account of Nana as an all-around babysitter. The Newfoundland is a sweet dog who loves children. He’s naturally protective, gentle and friendly with them. Admirers of this breed claim that the Newfoundland is a natural-born babysitter.

Old English Sheepdog

The Old English Sheepdog is a lovable family pet from the Dulux adverts. It is a lovable family pet and well known for its shaggy coat. They are devoted and loyal to their family and enjoy spending time with them. Furthermore, they are flexible, easy-going, cheerful, and vigorous.

They get along well with children, are watchful of them and enjoys playing with them, but diligence is needed when allowing them to interact with children, as an Old English Sheepdog might try to “herd” the kids. They’re always alert and vigilant but don’t bark if something unusual is happening.

However, keep in mind that this breed requires three to four hours of grooming every week. If you’re considering this breed, contemplate first if you can give them the kind of grooming and related cared they need.

St Bernard

Saint Bernard’s are fantastic family pets if you don’t mind having a massive dog being a part of your household, if you don’t mind a lot of shedding, if you don’t mind the slobber it makes and best of all, if you don’t mind a dog who will clean your dinner table using his tongue.

Saint Bernard’s are well known for how passionate they are with children, making them one of the dog breeds ideal for children. Apparently, it appears that they have a natural understanding for how children behave and think, making them very patient.

They are gentle with toddlers and give way to them so as not to hurt them. This breed of dog is very intelligent and strong, therefore, you need to train them while they are still young to make sure they’ll be obedient.

The Great Dane

The Great Dane is the familiar biggest dog breed. The Great Dane is a German mastiff. It was bred mostly as a war dog or hunting dog to help in the war. They are capable of bringing down even the large and powerful animals. That is why they are nicknamed is Apollo. However, do not think that they are ferocious. They are also very friendly, reliable, gentle and loving. Therefore, you can use them as a companion as well. From this breed, you will get an excellent, strong and powerful guard dog, and they only bark to alert someone, unless they are quiet and peaceful.

The Great Dane has dark eyes. High set airs, black snout, intense coat and long tightening tail. There are many colors of this breed, such as- blue, black, harlequin, mantle, fawn and brindle. A usual male weight is nearly one sixty pounds and height is thirty- two inches. A female weight is nearly one twenty pounds and height is thirty inches.

Akita

Akita is the largest Japanese dog breed. The breed was used for mainly hunting and dog fighting. However, Akita is well known as a security and good companion also. This breed is active, intelligent, cautious and very much strong to provide enough security. This breed is very much attracting for its classical look with small brown eyes, elfin ears. Akita weight is between ninety-five to one hundred and thirty pounds and twenty-six to twenty-eight inches tall. The breed has different colors: black, with a black muzzle, brown, white and orange.

These fantastic dogs are only a few of many examples. Other notable large dog breeds are the Neapolitan and Tibetan Mastiffs, Kuvasz, Great Pyrenees, Anatolian Shepherd, Newfoundland, Leonberger, Black Russian Terrier, Caucasian Shepherd Dog, and Dogue de Bordeaux. You might not know them all, and you will more than likely only ever see a small number of them in your lifetime, but it is truly impressive knowing there are such a vast number of truly large dogs out there.

The Pros of Living with Large Dog Breeds:

You have a lot of pros when it comes to having a large dog, as long as you have room for it. They are almost built for living in the country, or rural areas. They are great watch dogs, as long as they are trained correctly.

The breeds that are the most popular are great family dogs. The Golden Retriever and the Labrador Retriever are good examples of this. These breeds love children, and are very playful. Some of the larger dogs are protective of their family, and when it comes to children, this is especially the case.

It doesn’t seem this to be the case, but many large dogs will be calm in the home if they get enough exercise. Because of this, you can have a large dog in the home, but you would have to make sure to walk the dog on a regular basis. If you do, they would be satisfied just laying around the house the rest of the day.

Cons Of Owning A Large Dog:

One of the biggest cons is the costs that come with the big dog breeds. Think of the costs of food, veterinary care, and even the toys. Just the initial cost of buying these larger breeds is higher in itself. So you have to take such things into consideration.

Travelling with large dogs also costs more. If you have to put them up while you go away they cost more. So typically, you usually end up paying out a lot more for a large dog in every area than a small dog. Some hotels only allow small dogs, if they do at all. So keep that in mind.

A larger dog doesn’t usually live as long as a smaller dog. The smaller dog breeds live between 10-14 years, whereas a larger dog tends to live a shorter period. There are exceptions to the rule, but generally, this is how it is.

There are other cons to look at, but for now, this should be enough for you to see the differences between a large dog and a small. The big dog breeds are great dogs to have if you live in the country or rural areas. They can live inside a home if they get enough exercise. They don’t live as long as the smaller breeds, but give great protection to you and your family. So just weigh the pros and cons, and see which dog you want. Is it going to be a large dog or a small one? The choice all depends on you and your situation.

When you love your dog it is only natural to want to give them as much affection as possible. One way we show our affection is by giving them human food as a special treat. This is fine as long as it is a treat and not a regular habit which leads to your dog being overweight.

However there are some foods that are quite harmful to dogs and can end in tragedy if they eat them. We have listed some of the less obvious foods below to help you understand which foods are particularly bad for dogs.

Alcohol

Beer, Wine, Spirits all have the same effect on a dogs liver and brains it does for humans, but the damage happens a lot faster. Even a little alcohol can lead to diarrhea, vomiting, coma or even worse death. Foods that contain alcohol may also have the same effect, like Christmas Pudding for example.

Avocado

Although Avocado has some wonderful benefits for us humans they are not great for our four legged friends. They contain something called Persin which is actually toxic for dogs and can poison them.

Bread Dough

When you make bread with yeast you leave it to rise. This exact same process of expansion happens in a dogs stomach and cause a lot of pain and potentially a twisted stomach. Also yeast when it ferments produces a small amount of alcohol which is also not great for doggy.

Caffeine

High amounts of caffeine are dangerous for dogs and can lead to restlessness, heart palpitations, and seizures. Cola, Coffee, Chocolate, Energy Drinks and some medicines are the worst offenders.

Chocolate

Chocolate contains something called theobromine which is extremely toxic to dogs. It is present in all forms of chocolate even white chocolate. Eating chocolate can cause a diarrhea, vomiting, seizures, heart palpitations and even death.

Grapes and Raisins

Research is still underway, but it appears that grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. Even a small amount is enough to cause repeated vomiting. So make sure your clear any raisins or grapes that fall to the floor.

Macadamia Nuts

Macadamia nuts and food that contains macadamia nuts can be fatal for dogs. Just a handful of these nuts will make a dog ill. Vomiting, Muscle Spasms and losing the use of the back legs are all symptoms that can be distressing for both owner and dog.

Mouldy Food

Some mouldy foods like bread, potatoes, corn and beans contain toxins which are bad for dogs, and us humans too, which is why we throw mouldy food away. Although not fatal, symptoms may include vomiting, muscle spasms and seizures.

Onions and Garlic

Any form of onion or garlic, be it raw, cooked or powered is bad news for dogs as it can lead to anemia as there is something in innocent vegetable which kills a dogs red blood cells. If you accidentally give a small dose to your dog they will probably be ok, but in large doses they can vomit, become dull and lifeless and even struggle to breathe.

Pips and Seeds

Certain Fruit pips like apples contain cyanide, so they should be removed before giving them to your dog. Also larger fruit seeds and stones like plums and apricots can cause inflammation of the intestine or even get stuck in your dogs throat.

Small Bones and Fat Trimmings

Fat trimmings both raw and cooked have been known to cause Pancreatitis in dogs. Even though dogs will eat fat trimmings it is advisable to keep it to a minimum. Also small bones can get lodged in a dogs throat causing choking, or worse still get caught in your dogs stomach. Even larger bones can splinter so be careful.

Xylitol

Xylitol is a common sweetener used in sugar-free gum, mints, and certain sugar free foods. If a dog eats a food containing xylitol they might have a life threatening drop in their blood sugar levels, and even liver damage.