6 Large Dog Breeds That Turn Out to Be the Gentlest and Most Devoted Friends a Family Can Have

Many people probably first discovered this breed through the movie Beethoven. I dreamed of having one throughout my childhood like many other children. I imagined how much fun it would be to go for walks with such a good-natured giant, but for some reason, my parents were against it... By the way, no fewer than 12 St. Bernards appeared in that movie. The lead dog was named Chris, while the others helped perform the tricks.

Dogs of this breed have a powerful build and a gentle temperament. They need activity, but not an overly busy lifestyle; they feel perfectly at home in a calm household setting. They get along wonderfully with adults, are patient with children’s playful antics, and, of course, are easygoing around other four-legged companions.

Hank’s officially 9 months old. Somehow, the bed he stole from his siblings is still holding on. He’s more determined than ever to keep squeezing into it these days, and even makes sure to keep it safe from the cats! But recently, he saw that it was occupied... He was disappointed, but remained patient and respectful. He just hovered and drooled all over her until she left.

• We have a St. Bernard named Chuck — 150 pounds of pure charm. He’s a real sweetheart. But when the baby was born, I kept the dog away from her, just in case.
  Then one night, I woke up to a strange sound, like soft whining. I felt something was off, so I rushed to the nursery. Oh my goodness, there was Chuck sitting by the crib, looking up, and whining. I checked the baby — everything seemed fine.
  I led Chuck out and closed the door, and the little one started to cry. But Chuck kept trying to get back to her. So what could I do? I let him in. The dog sat down again and started whining, and the baby... fell asleep!
  After that, I didn’t even close the door anymore. Chuck was a huge help when it came to getting the baby to sleep.

I know several Labrador Retriever owners, and every single one of them says that even as adults, these dogs have fun and play like puppies. One friend once told me how she let her Labrador run off-leash and suddenly heard, “Who lost a young Labrador pup?!” As it turned out, a woman mistook her 11-year-old dog, who was jumping around and playing with everyone, for a puppy.

And it’s absolutely true: Labradors are real fun-lovers, as if they run on endless energy. They need plenty of playtime and walks, or they’ll get bored and find their own mischief, so they’re better suited to families that enjoy an active lifestyle. They’re very friendly and will happily accept an invitation to play at any hour of the day, so it’s important to keep a close eye on them when they’re around other animals and children.

After all, these dogs are fairly large, and during play, they may misjudge their strength and accidentally bump into or knock over someone — or something.

This is Cooper, my mom’s very animated lab. He’s a goofy boy. I was eating a big bowl of spaghetti with garlic bread, looked up, saw that look on his face and snapped a picture.

In my opinion, it’s impossible not to fall in love with these fluffy giants after seeing them just once. However, they say it’s best to get these dogs as puppies and start training them early, because they have a stubborn streak that becomes difficult to correct once they are grown.

Overall, this breed is one of the largest in the world, their calling is to guard and keep watch. The more space they have, the better. The main thing is to make sure their living area is securely fenced, otherwise they may show their independent side and try to slip away somewhere.

Despite their impressive size, they are incredibly sweet-natured, so they get along wonderfully with both other animals and children. They usually see children as their own little ones, so they will watch over them as if it were their job.

• My Pyrenean girl is 3 now, and she will still grab the leash and start running in the direction she wants to go. It’s her way of saying, “No, no, I want to go this way today.” She has different routes she likes to take on different days. Gotta stay up to date on the p-mail. That said, sometimes I tell her no for one reason or another and she listens.

Take a look at this dog — a truly shaggy creature that’s somewhere between a lion and a bear cub, and would be delighted to run through the woods and fields with you. He’ll definitely become part of the family, and an adult dog may even keep an eye on the kids. Being kept on a chain or in an outdoor run isn’t for him. Owners of these dogs share various facts about their pets:

• She loves children — that’s a fact. As for obedience, she’ll always think it over first and look at you as if to say, “Do we really have to? Well, if we have to, then okay...”
  At night, she switches into “watchdog mode.” She falls asleep at home in the evening, then around 2 a.m. wakes everyone up so they’ll let her outside. And everyone has to get up! She came up with this little ritual for herself. © Andrey Bibikov / Dzen
• Ours isn’t much into activity — he’d rather lounge around. We have to get him moving. He hardly ever barks, and he’s not much of a guard in any respect.
  A 3-liter pot of buckwheat with vegetables and meat lasts for 2 meals. Though before bringing one home, you also need to think about transportation. Other than that, it’s an excellent companion dog, although he does attract quite a lot of attention while outside. © Underaze / Pikabu

Our dog is a Leonberger. She’s already 5 years old and weighs 175 pounds. She is actually really calm, barely ever barks, and is the sweetest most gentle giant in the world! She doesn’t even need a leash, because she never wants to leave your side!

• We got Leonberger because our grandson was on the way. Our dog is 7 years old now, and we still have no idea what she sounds like when she barks — or whether she can bark at all. But she communicates with such expressive intonations that, whether you want to or not, you understand her.
  Her intelligence is beyond praise. In the summer, when we go to the lake, all the kids gather around us. When her patience finally runs out, she heads farther into the water, apparently understanding that the parents won’t let the children go that far.

Want your very own four-legged, irresistibly adorable security team member? A Kuvasz is a great choice. Just be prepared: this employee takes its responsibilities seriously. It needs plenty of space — the more, the better! There’s a reason these dogs once guarded palaces.

This snow-white giant can grow up to 2 feet 7.5 inches at the shoulder, yet it has a sweet, cuddly nature — the key is to start training early. That’s because these dogs stay puppyish for a long time, so without training, they can grow into a whirlwind that’s hard to rein in.

This is our wonderful Kuvasz boy — protector of our other dogs and livestock. We adopted him at 4 years old and it was a tough first year, but he’s settled down a lot!

While you may think you’re taking a Tornjak for a walk, it’s convinced that it’s making the rounds of its territory. And if a dog could talk, it’d surely persuade you that your home belongs to it — and that you simply do a pretty good job of keeping its house.

But jokes aside, dogs of this breed are deeply devoted and enthusiastically follow commands. Getting along with other four-legged companions can be a bit of a challenge for them, but people are a different story. Before owners know it, these doggos will feel so at home in their new place that you’d think they’ve lived there since birth — and they may even claim your favorite chair for themselves.

My Tornjak slipped through the fence and showed up on the patio looking like this. She’s so filthy because we’ve been getting rain lately.

• As a veterinarian, I would recommend Tornjaks to anyone looking for a large, strong, healthy, obedient dog that gets along well with children.