The top 20 family dogs

The German Shepherd Dog is one of the most well-known dogs. At the same time, it is one of the most difficult dogs to describe. The dog has many different characteristics. On the one hand, the dog is large, powerful and reasonably fast. On the other hand, the dog is also brave, will not hesitate to show aggression if necessary and can scare his opponents. At the same time, the dog can be extremely sweet and good with children (if raised properly). In short: the German Shepherd is a beautiful dog, with many (sometimes contradictory) characteristics.

One of the most popular dogs is the Labrador Retriever. This animal is medium-sized and strong, but at the same time a real family dog. This dog breed is descended from the St. John's dog. The St. John's dog was used by fishermen in Newfoundland (Canada). They helped with bringing in the fishing nets and towing boats. The dog was therefore familiar with the water.

The friendly Weimaraner is a nice dog, with a special, stately head. This breed is very intelligent and was used for hunting in the past. Nowadays, it is a sweet family dog that gets along well with young children. However, the dog is not suitable for an owner who prefers to hang out on the couch with a bag of chips. The dog is in fact quite active and will gladly go outside for a nice walk!

One of the most famous Mastiffs is the English Mastiff. It will not surprise anyone that this breed originated in England. The dog has a somewhat massive impression and is very strong. For the ignorant outsider, this dog can therefore come across as somewhat aggressive. However, nothing is less true. The strength of this dog lies in its quiet, calm nature. His English nickname is not for nothing the "gentle giant".

The origin of the Leonberger is a rather special one. The name of the Leonberger is derived from the German city where this dog was bred. In principle, this is nothing special, it is quite common for the name of a dog breed to refer to the place where the breed was created. However, it is less common that the appearance of the dog also symbolises the same city. This is the case with the Leonberger. The city of Leonberg has the lion as its coat of arms. The town council therefore thought it was a wise decision to breed a dog which looked like a lion. A certain Heinrich Essig was entrusted with the task and so, in 1846, the first Leonberger as we know it today was born. The dog was quite popular and became a status symbol. It is known that Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary (Empress Sisi) had six Leonbergers.

Of the Swiss mountain dogs, the Entlebucher Sennenhond is the smallest. The name of this dog refers to the valley where the dog was originally bred. The Entlebucher Sennenhond was mainly bred to drive cattle and to keep an eye on the herd when they were grazing. The dog was also used as a watchdog.

The Finnish Lapdog is perhaps one of the toughest dogs in the world. The animal originally lived in extreme Lapland and managed to survive there. At the same time, this large dog a friendly character. It is striking how empathetic the animal is. However, there is a note to be made about this. The Finnish Lapdog is very friendly towards acquaintances. Towards strangers he can be a lot more distant.

The Argentine Dog is a breed that has not been around for very long. This dog breed is also known under the name Dogo Argentino. The dog is fast, intelligent and well-muscled. The dog is bred to hunt large game in a pack. Think for example of pumas and wild boars. To catch these animals, strength, speed and a good reaction capacity are required. A healthy Argentinean Dog is therefore in perfect balance. On the one hand, he is enormously muscled. At the same time, he is not massive, so he can remain fast and agile! In addition, this dog is a good athlete, who can run for a long time.