12 Best Dogs for Families With Cats and Kids — our top picks
Pug
Charming flat-faced toy breed with wrinkled face and cheerful personality. \"Multum in parvo\" - much in little.
French Bulldog
Muscular flat-faced breed with bat ears and adaptable personality. Excellent apartment companion.
Golden Retriever
Beautiful, gentle retriever with flowing coat. Outstanding family companion with high intelligence and eagerness to please.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Gentle toy spaniel with silky coat and sweet expression. Perfect family companion with sporting dog heritage.
Newfoundland
Canadian water rescue dog with sweet temperament. Gentle, patient, and excellent swimmer.
Landseer
Black and white Newfoundland-type breed. Gentle water dog with calm, friendly temperament.
Shih Tzu
Flowing-coated toy breed bred to be a companion. Friendly and outgoing with all people.
Havanese
Cuban toy breed with silky coat and cheerful disposition. Adaptable and social companion dog.
Bichon Frise
Cheerful white powder-puff with hypoallergenic coat. Playful and adaptable companion with minimal shedding.
Goldendoodle
Golden Retriever and Poodle cross combining best traits of both breeds. Popular family companion.
Cavapoo
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Poodle cross. Gentle and friendly with reduced shedding.
Cockapoo
Cocker Spaniel and Poodle cross, one of the first designer dogs. Friendly and adaptable family companion.
How this ranking works: each of DoggyQ's 321 breeds is scored on the traits that matter most for this lifestyle — energy, size, temperament, grooming and trainability — using our vet-reviewed breed database. Read more about our methodology, or take the free quiz for a ranking personalised to you.
Not sure which breed is right for you?
Take the free DoggyQ quiz and get a personalised match from 321 breeds based on your lifestyle, home and preferences — in about 2 minutes.
Find your perfect matchFrequently 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. For a recommendation tailored to your exact situation, take the free quiz.