Don’t forget to think about the needs of everyone in the household now and into the future. If you have children, or are planning to start a family, you might want to consider a “softer” breed of dog. That is to say a dog that doesn’t have huge amounts of prey or herding drive and is gentle. Smaller dogs are also often easier to manage with small children. There’s a wealth of information available about managing dogs and children to prevent dog bites.