i want to get a new dog. any suggestions?

Get a bull breed. Like bulldog, pitbull, bullmastiff, valleybull. They are great dogs, they are sturdy so you don't have to worry about them so much, they love to play, but are also satisfied to lay nest to you on the couch watching tv all day if that's what you want to do. They are incredibly loyal, and relatively easy to train, they can be stubbornovr dumb things like fetching but they care more about pleasing thier owner than anything else so in most case they will do whatever you want. There is alot of bad crap about them in the news but that's all it is crap. They are a higly loyal and trainable breed and they are big and can be ferociuos if they think thier family is in danger so unfortunatly alot of a$$holes select this breed and mistreat them and train them wrong and make them crazy, but it's not the breeds fault, if you train your puppy with love then that's all it will learn.

It also depends on how much you want to feed & clean up after them too. I had a border collie that I think might've once been a good guard dog, if she had been trained to, but we discouraged her from barking at people. I do know she was very gentle & not very big. On the other hand, if size isn't a problem, my roomie's folks have a Great Dane and he's scary just to look at - the Great part they arn't kidding about!. He does bark at people he doesn't know and he's very good with kids.

well why not try out bull dogs , they seems so cute and friendly to me and their expression scare robbers out of their balls lol ...

A great pyrenees. Excellent watch dogs, they use them around here for watching the sheep/goats. We've grown up with them, at one time my parents had grandma, mom, and daughter. Real good, and gentle with kids, but can be big. Their biggest one was 150 lbs, the other 2 were around 110-120 lbs. The only downside to them, they do tend to be barkers-at everything, the wind blowing, a leaf falling off the tree lol.

Labradors are very gentle, especially with children. They are very intelligent animals and therefor training would be a breeze!

a German Shepherd would be good. I had one when I was growing up, and he was the most loyal, gentle, loving and protecting dog you could hope for. they really would do anything to protect their family. Greyhounds are excellent too. really calm, laid back, gentle dogs, but enough size to deter break ins.

I have 2 yorkshire terriers and they are great for apartments and very loving so they would work for kids.

Most dogs are going to be natural watchdogs. . ie barking if someone is at the door. Breed is not really an issue with that. If you want a dog that is going to tolerate being pulled on, ridden, poked, prodded, etc, then you might want to consider adopting an adult dog. A lot of puppies that grow up in an environment with rough kids can develop some aggression. I'm not sure how old your kids are, but I might advise holding off on a puppy until they are old enough to know how to treat a dog correctly. An adult dog might be a little more tolerant with rough hands. If you have your heart set on a puppy, please do not buy one from a petstore. Pet store puppies were bred for profit, not for health so a lot of them will develop some problems later in life like hip dysplasia, luxating patellas, bad temperments, etc. If you settle on a breed, go to akc.org to find the breed's official breed club. They all will have a breeder referral contact or website. Try to find a breeder who health tests for genetic disorders as you will have a better chance of bringing home a dog that is healthy. Of course your other route is to go to an animal shelter and adopt a homeless dog.

We had a mix-breed terrier growing up. She was a great dog, small enough to be fun for little ones to play with, and she would only bark at cars and people who were unfamiliar so we always knew when someone other than family was coming. She also caught more mice than some cats we've had. She would also stay home without being tied up or having a fence. Another dog breed we had was a Labrador Retriever. They're very sweet loyal dogs, but not much for guarding other than they are big and have a loud bark. Hound dog breeds are also very sweet and loyal but tend to chase anything and everything, so you must have a fenced yard. They might be better at guarding than the Labrador. This site has great information on different breeds that are good with kids, and what to expect in temperment, behavior, and needs. http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/children.htm#G

I have a lab/boxer mix the vet said that is a a very good mixture, they say she will be about 60 pounds but they are very good family dogs.