We all know that dog is man’s best friend, and over the millennia we have come to know and love them almost as much as they have come to know and love us. So much so that dogs have their vital roles in our lives. There are military dogs, search and rescue dogs, hunting dogs, even traction dogs that pull sleds and heavy objects in order to make our lives easier, however we tend to get a little carried away.
Sure, dogs make for great assistants, and even heroes when their time comes, they are our colleagues, our brothers in arms, but we tend to forget that deep down inside, at the root of our love for dogs, stands the reason why we have always wanted a dog, a pet.
Yes, it is indeed easy to glance over this aspect, and it is far easier to talk about dogs which fulfill certain roles, and we tend to simply overlook simple house dogs.
That being said, let us take a bit of time and look over the best house dogs out there and how you can decide which one is the best choice for you and your household.
What Makes a Good House Dog
Before delving any further into the subject, we must first understand that all dog breeds can be great house dogs, but only a few are the best house dog breeds. Only the ones that have been bred for this very purpose, the ones that will never bite regardless of their surroundings, the ones that do great with children and with elderly family members, the ones that will never challenge you and your position as leader of the pack, can be the true house dog champions.
It goes without saying that this rules out quite a few breeds off of our list. That being said, there are a few boxes that must be ticked before deciding whether or not a dog breed belongs in the winner’s circle.
- The dog must be active and playful
- The dog must be able to socialize with ease
- The dog must not display any signs of aggression
- The dog must not become overprotective
- The dog must be easy to handle
- The dog must not be expensive to feed
- The dog must be easily kept in an apartment
- The dog must not require much daily exercise
- The dog must not require much grooming on a regular basis
- The dog must be able to fit perfectly in a domestic environment.
Ok, the list is not exactly the shortest one out there, but it’s easy enough for a lot of breeds to fit the requirements.
Of course, big and giant dog breeds are excluded from the start because of points 6 and 7.
Do keep in mind that any and all dog breeds can and in fact do make for great house dogs, and there is no such thing as the wrong choice when choosing a pet dog, what we are trying to do here is pick out the best out of the lot, however we are not excluding any dog breed as being a great house dog.
The Best House Dog Breeds
Out of all the breeds out there, only a few can really call themselves the best of the best when it comes to being a house dog.
Being a pet is not exactly easy, the poor dogs need to have a metric ton of patience, an instinct for handling children, as well as the ability to learn tricks and entertain the family with their antics.
There are, however, certain breeds that do this in spades, and the presence of certain breeds on this list might come as a shock to you.
1. The Labrador Retriever
Not to be confused with its cousin, the golden retriever, the Labrador lives a longer life, has a lot more fun, and is generally a lot more pleasant to have around the house.
Fun fact, the
Labrador retriever is the only dog breed that can be trained as an arson dog, due to the large amount of patience and the extreme attention to detail that the breed sports.
So what makes Labs so great at being house dogs?
For starters, they have a lot of patience, almost an endless amount. That being said, they can put up with a lot of things and never run out of patience when it comes to kids and their antics.
Another great thing about Labrador retrievers is the fact that they tend to learn a lot of tricks on their own, and another fun fact about these dogs is the fact that they love to show off.
They love the attention, and pleasing their masters, so don’t be worried if your lab starts acting goofy all of a sudden.
2. The Collie
Remember Lassie? Yeah, that is basically the poster child for Collies everywhere, combining beauty, grace and a really high degree of cleverness.
Something to be noted about a Collie is the fact that the coat might cause some issues. It needs a bit of maintenance every once in a while, and you will have to take the dog to the vet for a trim every now and again, but other than that you have yourself the perfect dog.
First off, they love children, and will generally hang around with them, however that is not what makes them great.
What makes them truly awesome is the fact that they pretty much train themselves simply by observing their environment. They will fetch your phone if you forget it in another room, they will alert you if something is wrong, they will even pick up on things like forgetting the bath or leaving the lights on, and all that by paying a lot of attention to you.
One thing lets it down though, they cannot be taught how to drive a car… yet.
3. The English Bulldog
Why are bulldogs considered to be amongst the best house dogs?
First of all, they are not picky about where they live. They do well in small apartments, small houses, large settings, literally everywhere.
Second of all, bulldogs are great with kids, especially more rambunctious and mischievous kids, because they are as sturdy as a tank and they are generally to lazy to do anything about them, so the end result is a dog that will take anything that a kid can throw at it without ever wanting to fight back.
Another great thing about bulldogs is the fact that they really teach kids what determination is all about, because of the fact that they are very stubborn and at the same time very strong, making it very hard for a kid to try and control the dog.
This tends to lead to some hilarious moments when the kid tries to walk the dog in a certain way, but the dog is having none of it.
One thing to watch out for with this breed is the fact that they tend to have some health issues, and if their health is not regularly tracked, it could escalade out of control.
4. The Beagle
Made famous by Charlie Brown, this lovable little hunting dog is one of the best additions that you could make to your family.
They are clownish, they are loving, they are fun loving and they are generally a good time all around. They are also incredibly cute and it is incredibly hard to find something wrong, or in fact go wrong, with a beagle.
Fun fact, the Beagle is also considered to be one of the 5 must have dogs if you are looking to score a date.
An added bonus to the Beagle is the fact that they were initially bred to be
hunting dogs, so you may find it amusing but you will see your beagle more or less corralling and maneuvering your kids to their respective rooms at bed time.
The beagle also sports a great amount of energy, usually outlasting your kids and making them too tired to be rambunctious.
The Beagle does not do particularly well in small apartments, however it should be noted that they tend to get very attached to their owners. So much so that if they are left alone for too long, upwards of a day or two, they tend to start chewing on things.
Another thing to keep in mind is the fact that Beagles are, historically, one of the hardest breeds to train because of their stubbornness and general attraction towards exploring new things.
5. The German Shepherd
And so, the superstar of the dog world makes its way on to our list.
Fair enough, the
German Shepherd is one of the best dogs in the world, gracing the silver screens and combat theaters alike, however, it is surprisingly good in a family setting as well, however the reasons for it differ drastically.
The German Shepherd is known to have a high tolerance of children, to the extent where the dog becomes their guardian by choice, protecting them from harm at all cost, and going as far as to take a bullet for them without any hesitation.
Another key thing that helps this dog out with family life is the dog’s remarkable intellect. It is able to assess the surroundings and actually predict how and when a kid can get injured, jumping in at the right moment in order to make sure that the kid is unharmed.
It does well in houses, ok in medium and large apartments, and it tends to struggle in small apartments.
The German Shepherd needs
exercise daily, and they need to be trained from an early age in order to make them submissive, otherwise, you have a rather smart and at the same time mischievous dog on your hands that will prank you and make fun of you.
6. The American Pit Bull
Yes, the Pit Bull is on this list.
Despite the bad rep that this breed has been getting, people tend to forget that they need a special kind of training to become the ravenous beasts that the vast majority of people imagine them to be.
Without that training, they are probably the most loving and adorable dogs in the world, despite their massive jaw and muscular body.
If they are raised in a good home, they become good dogs, and even the ones with a violent dog fighting past can easily be rehabilitated.
These are the kind of dogs that want to love and be loved, they love kids and will often cuddle next to them, the bigger individuals going as far as to allow young kids to ride them around like little ponies, with a smile on their faces.
They live long lives, don’t generally have health issues and they do well, just like their ancestor the bulldog, in any kind of setting, even in small apartments.
They do need exercise and they need to stretch their muscles by running around and playing around, and they are generally great with a family.
Some people will go as far as to call the ones that have a
pit bull as a family dog irresponsible, however they fail to see how great these dogs really are.
They are great guardians and they will always defend the family if need arises. They can be trained to be great guard dogs and even to improve on their physical performances, and they can and will be some of the greatest dogs that your family ever had.
7. The Border Collie
The slightly scruffier cousin of the Collie, the
Border Collie also carries the nickname “The 4 legged nanny”, and for good reason.
First off, they adore kids, and kids tend to adore them. They are more approachable than other dogs, and often times they will be the ones doing all the approaching, with a wagging tail most of the time and a big smile on their faces.
They are fun loving dogs, and particularly love looking after the small ones, often times acting as a full time baby sitter, taking care of them, guiding them and even watching over them.
They do well in all settings, even in the smallest of apartments, however they do need their daily exercise in order to remain upbeat and playful, not to mention the fact that it shares a common trait with its cousin, it’s a
very clever dog.
The Border Collie is one of the dogs that lives to please its masters, often going to extremes to put a smile on your face. Rolling around, howling, making cute faces, doing tricks, doing improvised tricks, even acting like a circus animal just to please you is normal.
There is something to keep in mind though, they are prone to blindness when they age, and they tend to live slightly shorter than average lives.
8. The Shiba Inu
From movie stars to hunting dogs, from the misunderstood to the overly-appreciated, this list has had almost all of them. Now it even has royalty.
This is a Japanese dog breed, and it is held in high regards. These dogs used to be royal dogs, owned solely by the royal family, however now they are available to everyone, and coincidentally, they make for some of the best family dogs that you would ever have.
Shiba Inu is a great breed, with next to no health issues or risks, however they tend to get a little bit on the clownish side. They love to make a fool out of themselves, and they even became famous over the internet thanks to Doge, probably one of the most famous Shiba Inus out there.
They are loving, playful and above all else, incredibly adorable. They love being in a family setting, they are great for apartments and houses alike, they are easy to handle and quite fun.
Shiba Inus typically do great with children, having a lot of patience with then and often times resorting to playing with them to calm them down and avoid tantrums.
The Shiba Inu has only one downside, it is very quick to anger if someone or something threatens the family. Unlike other dog breeds that simply protect the family, often backing down if the danger subsides, a Shiba Inu will not only scare and harass the attacker away, but will continue pursuing until the threat is neutralized, often resulting in the attacker being knocked to the ground and a very angry dog sitting on top of him growling and drooling on him.
In Conclusion
The debate over the best house dog breeds is one that will never end. Each and every dog breed is a great house breed.
There is no such thing as a bad dog without a proper cause for it, and there is no such thing as a dangerous dog, especially if the dog receives the bare minimum training, which is required in most countries. This list serves as a helping hand, giving you some tips and pointers in helping you pick out the best house dog breed for your household.
But today, paracord has also been recognized for its aesthetic beauty as well as its durability when used as a pet collar.
So even if you are not an outdoor type of person, you can make use of one. You can create your own designs and aside from that, you can also pick your own color all without sacrificing quality of materials.
Now that you know what it is made of, you can now guess which types of purposes it can serve. As a pet owner, you can use it as a leash when you don’t have a spare. But if you happen to be in an emergency situation in the wilderness, your dog’s collar can serve you a lot of purposes.
You can use the whole cord to tie down tree branches and make a temporary shelter; you can use it to make a trap; and you can also use the inner cores to create a net or a fishing line. So by using a paracord to make a dog collar, you will be adding utility to a regular dog accessory.
A paracord will also serve some aesthetic purpose to your dog collar. It comes in such a wide range of colors that you can definitely personalize the look of your pet collar. It also comes in glow-in-dark designs that will make it easy for you to spot your dog in the dark. Dog collar designs come in a variety of styles that you can choose from.
The patterns come with a variety of strengths as well so you can make stronger ones for large dogs and smaller or thinner ones for small dogs. This way, you don’t have to worry about getting a wrong fit for your dog.
Here are several patterns or designs that you can use for these two different types of paracord collars:
Cobra Stitch – This is one of the easiest paracord designs that you can make while still giving you that durability and strength for your dog. It has one basic step which is to loop the cords in a certain manner and repeat it until you reach the end of the collar. You can do this using the paracord only or you can also make use of your pet’s collar.
The next step is to attach the paracord to the female part of the buckle. This is the part that has two holes on the sides. Make a loop out of the cord by folding the cord into two. Then, push the loop upwards through the hole at the edge of the frame.
When the loop is partway through, take the two ends and let them through the hole to create a cow hitch. Insert the D ring on the paracord strands and then push it up to the buckle.
Measure the length that you will need for the collar and push the ends through the holes on the edge of the frame of the male buckle. Make a hitch with each paracord by looping it around itself and then pulling the cord through the loop and tightening it. Make sure that you maintain the length of the cord all throughout.
The third step involves making the knots for the cobra stitch of the paracord. If you are using two colors of paracords, select which one will serve as the main color of the collar and which one will serve as the border.
To make the stitch simply put the main color over the two core strands which you have hitched and then under the border strand. Take the end of the border strand and then pull it through the loop made by the main strand.
Pull the main cord and the border cord until creates a knot and then push the knot upwards until towards the end of the buckle. Adjust the knot according to your preference although a looser knot could create problems for the collar.
Then, pull the main cord over the core strands again and under the border cord although this time the main cord will be on the opposite side. Repeat the process until you reach the end of the collar.
If you have excess lengths of paracord, just trim the excess and burn the ends to prevent it from fraying. Make sure that you don’t burn the other paracords as it will loosen the collar strands. You can also opt to put the D ring at the end of the last knot.
Wide Solomon Bar – The Wide Solomon is an ideal design that can be used for a paracord collar. The only thing that you would have to worry about when making this type of pattern is that it is more complicated than other regular knots.
The width of this pattern makes it more comfortable for your dog and it also gives you more cordage so you can find a lot of materials to use in case you encounter an emergency requiring the paracord.
The materials that you will need are similar to those indicated above with the only difference being that you need three pieces of cords instead of two and you will also be using a wider buckle about an inch wide or a large O ring.
This design requires three pieces of cords: as mentioned above and to get the required lengths of the three cords just multiply 2 paracords by 12 and the other one by 24.
So if you need a 10 inch collar, multiply it by 12 to get 120 inches for the two cords and then to 24 to get 240 inches for the third cord. You can use two to three colors of paracords so you can see the design more clearly.
The first step is to make a cow hitch for each of the cords on the female buckle. You can also use a large O ring that can accommodate the width of the cords. Make sure that the longest one is on the middle of the two other paracords.
So now you can see that you have six strands of paracords. Divide these into two so that you have three pieces for each side. These will create the two basic Solomon designs which shall then be combined or joined together by using a cross-over technique.
Start with the set on the right by putting the leftmost cord over the middle cord and under the rightmost cord. Then pull the end of the rightmost cord through the loop made by the left cord.
This is similar to the steps in the cobra knot but you will only have one core strand instead of two. Repeat the same steps using the same color to go over the core strand. Do these steps on the other set as well starting from the rightmost paracord going to the left. Make sure that you do this knot twice.
After you have finished the second knot of the left set, use the rightmost cord from the left set to create the knot on the right set. Pull it over the middle cord and under the rightmost cord of the set and make the knot by pulling the rightmost cord on the loop.
Do the same with the left set by making use of the leftmost cord of the right set. Repeat this process until you reach your desired length of collar.
Remember to always cross the leftmost and rightmost strands or cords and you will be on your way to making a beautiful Wide Solomon dog collar. You can also attach the D ring at the beginning or at the end of your collar close to the buckles.
This will make your collar tougher for your dog to pull and it will also make it easier to locate the buckles if you want to remove the collar. Here is a video that can help you with the process:
You can make your own dog collar by using one of the toughest materials in the market: paracord. These military-spec cords are not only durable but are also weather-proof and can serve a variety of purposes in times of emergency. What’s more, paracord collars also do not cost a lot since the materials are really affordable.
You can also use these as a substitute leash for your dog in case you destroy what you have brought along the trip. With the variety of colors and designs in which these cords are available, you can surely make your own personalized dog collar.
We reviewed the strongest dog shock collars if you need something more secure. 
Each pup will certainly have its very own one-of-a-kind sign, however, typically it will certainly be smelling the ground, whining, trying to reach a peaceful place, circling around, or perhaps crouching.
The animal proprietor will certainly require to be familiar with their young puppies’ actions whatsoever times to stop crashes or right away fix them by obtaining them promptly to the appropriate area with a company “No!” for the activity.
You might be assuming that this seems like a LOT of jobs as well as really it is, yet there are means to make this training technique a little bit simpler.
Frequently when a pup is being in your lap or resting near you they will certainly not get rid of you, to ensure that would certainly offer a chance awhile of leisure of your guard.
When you are posting likely to remain in various spaces you can connect them to the chain and also maintain them with you, which will certainly assist you to understand when they require to go as well as likewise stop them from deserting to ease themselves.
In this approach of training, it is essential that you either are viewing them or that there is a physical link to recognize precisely what they are doing in any way at times.
Additionally, making use of this approach of training needs severe persistence; it is the approach that needs the least tools. With this approach, you will certainly not require young 
Here are a few characteristics that you should look for in great grass for your dogs:
The underlying ground will also make a difference, but having some decent grass is essential when it comes to keeping your lawn looking great and have less of an odor. We also recommend that you do buy a poop scooper to keep your lawn looking fresh.
Once you have gotten this part out of the way, artificial grass can actually make life much easier for you and allow you to save some money and time in the long run, whilst keeping your dog happy.
Take a look at our review on the 
Now you have a better understanding of turf and how turf can be beneficial and also be quite problematic.
Since we generally like to recommend natural grass for dogs, here are a few grass types or seeds that you should consider planting to ensure that you get the best out of your lawn and potentially keep yourself and your canine companion happy at the same time.
Kentucky Bluegrass is known for its ability to grow almost anywhere. This grass is a highly sought out choice due to its ability to recover and repair damage over time. The Kentucky Bluegrass will also drain and absorb the urine from your dog and it will also slightly spread over time and cover more areas of your lawn.
Kentucky bluegrass can also be used in areas with high traffic. This Northern climate grass is very durable and the growing speed is actually impressive. Kentucky Bluegrass will ensure that your lawn looks great for the most part of the year.
This grass type is not only known for its ability to grow very fast and in shady conditions, but it also has the capability of absorbing urine and moisture. If you are looking for a grass type that’ll keep your lawn looking good in all conditions and not cost you too much out of the pocket, the Tall Fescue grass Kentucky 31 will be perfect for your lawn.
One thing we should mention about this type of grass is the maintenance aspect. The grass will grow much quicker than many other grass types this will cause you to mow the lawn much more often than you might be used to.
Bermudagrass is designed for those areas with extremely high traffic and this grass type does have great abilities to repair itself with only a small break needed. Bermudagrass is the most effective when it is planted in warmer climates.
You will also have little lower maintenance on this grass type as it will be able to survive on the rain of the summer months alone.
Ryegrasses might not be super effective on their own, but when it is over-seeded with Bermudagrasses it will act as another layer of protection against the canine.
This combination of grass types is usually best when you have a long time for the grass to get set and establish itself. The combination will also be great for those with multiple pets.