I have a golden retriever and a border collie mix. They are both great with children. I would really recommend a golden retriever. Ours is energetic and fun to play with, but not too energetic. She's really kind of lazy, but I know lots of golden's who are not as lazy as she is. Our border collie is great too, but any working dog is going to require more energy on your part. They really need to have something to do and they will get into trouble if they are bored.