12 Best Dogs for Families With Cats and Kids — our top picks
Pug
Pug: small-sized, medium energy and medium trainability — a strong fit for households with both children and cats. Charming flat-faced toy breed with wrinkled face and cheerful personality. "Multum in parvo" - much in little. Worth knowing before you commit: the Pug sheds heavily enough that cleaning becomes a daily routine.
French Bulldog
French Bulldog: small-sized, low energy and medium trainability — a strong fit for households with both children and cats. Muscular flat-faced breed with bat ears and adaptable personality. Excellent apartment companion.
Golden Retriever
Golden Retriever: large-sized, high energy and very high trainability — a strong fit for households with both children and cats. Beautiful, gentle retriever with flowing coat. Outstanding family companion with high intelligence and eagerness to please. Worth knowing before you commit: the coat is real work — the Golden Retriever needs frequent brushing and regular professional trims.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: small-sized, medium energy and high trainability. Gentle toy spaniel with silky coat and sweet expression. Perfect family companion with sporting dog heritage. Worth knowing before you commit: the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel does badly left alone all day.
Newfoundland
Newfoundland: giant-sized, low energy and high trainability. Canadian water rescue dog with sweet temperament. Gentle, patient, and excellent swimmer. Worth knowing before you commit: the coat is real work — the Newfoundland needs frequent brushing and regular professional trims.
Shih Tzu
Shih Tzu: small-sized, medium energy and medium trainability. Flowing-coated toy breed bred to be a companion. Friendly and outgoing with all people. Worth knowing before you commit: the coat is real work — the Shih Tzu needs frequent brushing and regular professional trims.
Havanese
Havanese: small-sized, medium energy and high trainability. Cuban toy breed with silky coat and cheerful disposition. Adaptable and social companion dog. Worth knowing before you commit: the coat is real work — the Havanese needs frequent brushing and regular professional trims.
Bichon Frise
Bichon Frise: small-sized, medium energy and medium trainability. Cheerful white powder-puff with hypoallergenic coat. Playful and adaptable companion with minimal shedding. Worth knowing before you commit: the coat is real work — the Bichon Frise needs frequent brushing and regular professional trims.
Goldendoodle
Goldendoodle: large-sized, high energy and very high trainability. Golden Retriever and Poodle cross combining best traits of both breeds. Popular family companion. Worth knowing before you commit: the coat is real work — the Goldendoodle needs frequent brushing and regular professional trims.
Cavapoo
Cavapoo: small-sized, medium energy and high trainability. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Poodle cross. Gentle and friendly with reduced shedding. Worth knowing before you commit: the coat is real work — the Cavapoo needs frequent brushing and regular professional trims.
Cockapoo
Cockapoo: small-sized, medium energy and high trainability. Cocker Spaniel and Poodle cross, one of the first designer dogs. Friendly and adaptable family companion. Worth knowing before you commit: the coat is real work — the Cockapoo needs frequent brushing and regular professional trims.
Saint Berdoodle
Saint Berdoodle: very large-sized, low energy and medium trainability. Saint Bernard and Poodle cross creating gentle giant with reduced shedding. Calm and patient family dog. Worth knowing before you commit: the coat is real work — the Saint Berdoodle needs frequent brushing and regular professional trims.
How this ranking works: each of DoggyQ's 321 breeds is scored on the traits that decide this particular question — the same trait ratings shown on each breed's own guide page, so you can check the reasoning rather than take a ranking on faith. Read more about our methodology, or see which breed you look like from a single photo.
Popular breeds that are a poor fit for households with both children and cats
Shiba Inu
The Shiba Inu is a popular choice, but its trait profile pulls against households with both children and cats. On top of that, the Shiba Inu sheds heavily enough that cleaning becomes a daily routine.
Belgian Malinois
The Belgian Malinois is a popular choice, but its trait profile pulls against households with both children and cats. On top of that, the Belgian Malinois needs serious daily exercise, and gets destructive without it.
Border Collie
The Border Collie is a popular choice, but its trait profile pulls against households with both children and cats. On top of that, the coat is real work — the Border Collie needs frequent brushing and regular professional trims.
Which dog do you look like?
Take one photo and an AI model tells you which of our 321 breeds you most resemble, and which features gave it away. Free, no account, and your photo is never stored. It is a game rather than advice — but every match links straight into that breed's real guide.
See which dog you look likeFrequently asked questions
- What dog is best for a family with a cat?
- Based on temperament and care needs, the Pug ranks as the top choice for households with both children and cats, followed by the French Bulldog and Golden Retriever.
- How was this list of dogs for households with both children and cats chosen?
- Each breed is scored on the traits that matter most for households with both children and cats — such as energy, size, grooming and temperament — using DoggyQ's breed database. The same trait ratings are printed on each breed's own guide page, so you can check why a breed placed where it did.
- Which popular breeds are a poor fit for households with both children and cats?
- The Shiba Inu, The Belgian Malinois, The Border Collie all rank near the bottom for households with both children and cats despite being widely chosen — usually because the traits that make them appealing elsewhere work against them here.