5. Collie
This is the dog breed Lassie made famous. Collies are a very gentle and predictable breed, rarely biting their human family and easily trainable, perfect for families unfamiliar with dogs.
While this breed is typically mild-mannered (like Clark Kent!), it was originally bred as a herding dog, so he may try to herd your children. This might be amusing at first, but it's probably best to discourage the child-herding (no matter how handy you may think it could be). The collie's long hair means it requires regular grooming to keep his coat in tip-top shape. Collies get along great with children and love to please their owners and protect their family.
At about 25 inches tall and 60 pounds, the collie is a breed you may think inappropriate for apartment living, but as long as they do get exercise, they're pretty docile indoors. For a larger dog, they live a very long life of about 14 to 16 years.
Next Up: Newfoundland
