It is no surprise, that most kids love dogs. And there are some real important benefits for kids that are growing up with a four legged friend.

Lets start with the most obvious one, which is physical activity. Over the time, children spend less and less time playing outside. Having a dog will make them to have active lifestyle, because they will need to walk the dog and they will play with it.

There are some important health benefits as well. Growing up with dogs reduce the risk for developing allergies, asthma, skin problems like eczema and it is believed that it is boosting the immune system.

Taking care of a living creature, and especially taking care of a dog will give the child a lesson in responsibility. You should let the child take care of the dog at least in some areas, such as walking, feeding or cleaning. It is great lesson for growing up as a responsible person.

There are other temperamental benefits as well. It is more than likely, that kids that are growing up with a dog will become more compassionate. They know how to nurture an animal that is dependent on them, which will make them more empathetic to others.

Accomplishing various tasks with the dog will help them feel like they are competent and will also give them a sense of accomplishment, which will increase the child's self-confidence as a result.

On the other hand, its not always about taking care of the dog. Having a dog by its side will make the kid feel more supported, accepted and safe. It will teach them what unconditional love is. When they feel sad, they can always turn to their dog. And in general, spending time with the dog, petting it and playing with it is a proven way how to lower cortisol levels and increase levels of serotonine and dopamin, which will make the child happier and less stressed.

Dogs also provide feeling of safety and they provide real protection for the kid. There are many stories when a dog saved a child from dangerous animals or intruders. But of course, not all dog breeds are capable of doing this.

Having a dog can also have a great impact on building bonds between family members. Dogs are part of many family activities and by simply doing these activities together, it will increase the time you will spend with your child or the time your kids spend with each other.

It is believed, that kids who talk to pets, whether by giving praise and commands or just babbling, show improved cognitive development.

And of course, dogs who are specialized as a therapy dogs can have a great effect on kids that has been diagnosed with various health issues, such as autism or ADHD. For kids with autism, the dog will decrease anxiety, meltdowns, it will provide sense of security, increase social interactions, encourage verbal communication and it will increase the ability to face fearful situations. Kids with ADHD will benefit by the routine dog provides them with, it will help them to burn out their energy and it will reduce stress levels.
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Of course, i would not recommend everyone to buy a dog for a child just like that. In the first place, it will be you, the parent, who will be taking care of the dog. Who will pay for the food and medical bills. You must want the dog as well, otherwise it will not work. But if you and your kid like dogs and ideally you have some experiences of owning a dog, i would go for it. It will only make your kids life better.  

1) Designer dog breed
The Dorgi is not purebred breed and it is not recognized by any major kennel clubs. It is a so called designer dog breed, which is just another term for a crossbreed, in this case the Welsh Corgi and Dachshund.

​2) Royal history
Most crossbreeds have unknown history and no one really knows who started the intentional breeding. That is not the case with the Dorgi. The breed started on the British royal court, when one of the Queen Elizabeths Corgi mated with a one of the Dachshunds of Princess Margaret. Over the time, there were many more Dorgis developed by the royal family and over the years, Queen Elizabeth has had at least 10 different Dorgis. Of course, no one knows on 100% if it was really Queen Elizabeth who was first to bred Corgis and Dachshunds intentionally, but it is the first documented breeding.

3) Companion
Even though an ancestor of a hunting and herding dog breeds, the Dorgi is typically not used for any real work and they almost exlusively live as a typical companion pets. On average they are lively and playful companions who like kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. Dorgis can also live with other dogs without problems, especially if socialized together from the puppyhood. These dogs love to be in centre of attention, they are loyal, affectionate, curious and alert. They love chasing things on the yard, but also good nap in your lap. Overall, the Dorgi is amazing companion pet.

4) Exercise
Do not be fooled by the Dorgis appearance, this is not a coach potatoe. It is true, that they are not hyperactive dogs neither, but they definitely need daily longer walks, some playtime or fun training session to stay healthy and happy. For their small size, they do require relatively high amount of exercise, so do not be surprised with that, when considering Dorgi as your future pet!

5) Training
The Dorgi is capable of learning almost all the commands you can imagine, but it is not a total pushover to train. It is because they are, on one hand, very bright and intelligent, but on the other, quite stubborn and independent. This means that they will understand the command quickly, but they will not always obey them. It is important to be very consistent and patient during the training, do not be harsh on the dog, but be firm and kind. Use positive reinforecement during the training and give the dog big praises and favourite treats for doing good job.

6) Size
The Dorgi is, just like its parents, small sized dog breed, with average height between 10-12 inch, which is 25-31 cm and weight between 18-26 lbs, which is 8-12 kg. Females tend to be slightly smaller than males.

7) Coat
The coat of Dorgi can wary quite a bit and it depends a lot what is the coat type of the parent Dachshund, since they can have either short, rough or long silky coat. The Dorgi can also have all kinds of coats, but the most typical is medium long, dense and slightly wiry coat. But keep in mind, that this is a crossbreed and there is no guarantee when it comes to their appearance and coat type.

8) Color
Just like the coat type, even the color can wary a lot and the Dorgi comes in huge variations of colors. The most common colors include brown, black, chocolate, red, and white and combinations of those.

9) Maintenance
Speaking of the coat, it is important to mention the grooming as well and luckily the Dorgi is typically not a heavy shedder. They do require some brushing from time to time, but that is all you need to know, other than brushing, there is no other grooming needs associated with the Dorgi. Just like with any other dog breed, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clean them or clip them if needed.

10) Health
The Dorgi is predisposed to the same health issues as its parent breeds, the Corgi and Dachshund and those health problems are mainly related with their long spine and short legs. These health problems include spine problems, patellar luxation, hip dysplasia or Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. The average lifespan of the Dorgi is between 12-15 years.

The Schweizer Laufhund, also known as Swiss Hound or Chien Courant Suisse is an enthusiastic hunter and lively, gentle and loving companion dog breed, which exists in four different varieties.

The four varieties are Bernese Hound, Jura Hound, Lucerne Hound and Schwyz Hound. All the four types have the same size, body type, face type or apperance and the only thing that separates them apart is their coat and skin color.

All four types have short, smooth and dense coat, which is fine on head and leathers. The Bernese Hound is white with black spots or black saddle, rarely with light speckles.

The Lucerne Hound has a blue color, which is a result of a combination of black and white hairs, heavily speckled together, with black patches or black saddle.

The Jura Hound is in tan and black coloration, sometimes with small white patch on the chest and rarely with grey or black ticking.

And last, but not least, the Schwyz Hound is, just like the Bernese, white dog, but they have orange patches or orange saddle, instead of black one. Slight speckles are also permissible.
now.

The Swiss Hound has athletic body, which is indicating strength and endurance, lean head, pretty long muzzle and very long majestic ears.

It is important to say, that there is also a dog breed known as Small Swiss Hound, also known as Schweizerischer Niederlaufhund. This breed evolved from the Swiss Hound and it comes in the same four varieties, but the difference is, that it is smaller, „basset“ like version of the Swiss Hound, but other than that, they are extremely similar.

And what about the temperament of the Swiss Hound? Well, it is a hunter, they have extremely good sense of smell and strong passion for hunting and chasing. They are very endurant and they are able to hunt the game for hours without tiring. The breed is described as steady on the trail and hunting with melodious cry. Overall, this is excellent hunter for all kinds of game, such as hare.

But when they are not on the hunt, this is pretty sensitive dog that is attached to its owner and family, and that wants to spend all time with them. It is pretty docile dog, that can easily learn all the basic obedience commands. They can live with other dogs in the family, especially if socialized together from the puppyhood and they can make good playful, lively and gentle partners for kids as well, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised. Other household pets might be problematic due to the Swiss Hound higher prey drive.

As you can expect from an active and endurant hunting breed, the Swiss Hound requires quite a lot of daily exercise to stay in good shape, both physically and mentally. Daily long walks, jogs, hikes, vigorous playtime or fun training sessions are essential for this dog breed. This is definitely not a coach potatoe, quite the opposite. Without daily exercise, these dogs will become bored and possibly develop some unwanted behaviour, such as excessive barking.

Now lets mention the history of this breed. And it is actually pretty old dog breed with long history. As the official breed standard mentions, the Swiss Hound presence in times of the Roman Helvetia is certified on a mosaics, discovered at Avenches, by the representation of packhounds corresponding to the varieties of Swiss hounds.

The breed was highly valued by Italians as early as the 15th century and French hunters started using this breed in 17th century. It is believed, that it was French mercenaries, who brought this breed to Switzerland and the original line of this breed was most likely influenced by other french scenthounds, like Petit Bleu de Gascogne, Porcelaine and Ariégeois. The official breed standard for Swiss Hound was finally written in 1933.

The last point will be the maintenance and grooming needs of the Swiss Hound. All four varieties sheds some deal of fur all year long, but they are very low maintenance. Brushing the coat once or twice a week is enough, to keep it in great condition, to remove all the loose and dead hair and to residistribute natural oils all over the coat. No other grooming is required.

This dog is known as very clean. They take care of themselves. You should definitely pay attention to the ears and clean them and dry them, so they do not develop any infections. This is very typical for all the long eared dogs. You should also regularly check their eyes, ears and nails and clean them or clip them if needed.

1) Shiba Inu (and other native Japanese breeds – Akita Inu, Hokkaido, Kai Ken, Kishu and Shikoku)
The coloration, size, head type, body type, just everything about Shiba Inu make them appear almost exactly like fox. You can say that all the 6 native Japanese breeds are kind of fox like, but the Shiba Inu is definitely the most fox like in the appearance. The other 5 Japanese dogs are Akita Inu, Hokkaido, Kai Ken, Kishu and Shikoku.

2) Icelandic Sheepdog
Very old breed, dating its ancestry back to the first Iceland settlements and even to Vikings might not be the most popular, but it is definitely looking a lot like a fox, so it must be in our list.

3) Finnish Spitz
Also known as barking bird dog, the Finnish Spitz is a lively, playful and energetic was originally bred to hunt, but today it is beloved companion of many Finnish families. Actually, it is a national dog of Finalnd!

4) German Spitz
Speaking of dogs that resemble foxes, we can not forget the famous German Spitz. This dog owes their fox-like appearance to its bushy tail, coat coloration, muzzle and ears.

5) White Spitz breeds 
There are many other breeds related to German Spitzes and many of them resemble the white arctic fox. The list of the white fox like Spitzes include Indian Spitz, Japanese Spitz, American Eskimo, Volpino Italiano or Tonya Finosu.

6) Welsh Corgi
Well, the Welsh Corgi does not look like a typical fox, more like a stout and stocky version of a fox, but they still have many appearance similarities with foxes! Especially the coat, head and ears are very fox like.

7) Keeshond
Another Spitz breed, the Keeshond, has a very fox like coat and again, face. This breed is also known as Wolfspitz and it is typically very sociable, playful and easily trainable dog breed.

8) Basenji
If you are looking for a fox like breed with shorter and almost non shedding coat, the Basenji would probably be your best bet. This African breed is known for its yodeling, almost cat like cleanliness and for being very very playful and curious.

9) Samoyed
The second breed on this list that is considered as hypoallergenic is the Samoyed. But unlike the Basenji they need much more grooming. They look similarly to the Arctic fox, but unlike the timid fox, the Samoyed is very sociable, affectionate and friendly.

10) Pomeranian
The last dog on our list is possibly the cutest one and it is the famous Pomeranian. Of course, much smaller than the fox, but they do have the typical spitz like – and, well fox like – appearance characteristics. They could be nicknamed as miniature foxes.

The Merlsheimer is a new crossbreed hailing from Germany with loving, friendly and sociable temperament. It was developed in 2008 by Kerstin Wiehage-Mürmann by crossing various herding dogs, Poodles and a relatively unknown German dog breed known as Elo.

On average, the Merlsheimer is around 43 cm tall and 10 kg heavy, which is 17 inch and 22 lbs. The dog should not be much bigger than that, because one of the reasons why these dogs were developed was to create the best possible companion dog for families and even for seniors. And indeed, the Merlsheimer is perfect for both groups.

The coat of Merlsheimer is most often similar to Poodle coat, but they can have longer and straighter hair like Elo dog as well. But the typical coat is slightly wavy and curly just like the Poodles coat and the great benefit of this coat is, that it does not shed, or it sheds only minimally. This type of a coat will need some grooming and maintenance and it should be cut few times a year to keep it in manageable length. Regular brushing is also very beneficial to keep the coat in good condition and to redistribute natural oils all over the coat.

The coat should be in solid light color or in piebald color. The coat is light and the dog can be easily seen in dark.

The Merlsheimer has perfect temperament for living with family or seniors. Most often it is relatively calm, gentle and affectionate dog breed. They do like cuddling, but it is not a total coach potatoe and it is recommended to provide the Merlsheimer with at least two good hours of daily exercise. It can be longer walks, vigorous playtime or fun training sessions.

These dogs are pretty playful and can be good partners for kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed with very young child unsupervised. Most Merlsheimers are able to be socialized with other dogs or other pets in the family as well. But some Merlsheimers might show herding, do not forget, that this is still a crossbreed in development and its temperament is not completely predictable. But most likely, the Merlsheimer will be perfect companion dog with balanced temperament that will love its whole family.

​The Merlsheimer is typically quite healthy dog breed with average lifespan around 14 years. It should not suffer much from any serious health issues, but of course, it can still suffer from the typical doggy issue, like allergies, infections, some eye problems or joint problems. But overall, this is pretty healthy and hardy dog breed.