There have been six dogs in my life, some mine, some my daughters' and some my wife's. A terrier mix, a Pomeranian, an English Springer Spaniel, 2 Lab mixes and a Flat Coat Retriever. While the FC was clearly the best dog on the planet, hands down, as a generality retrievers are the best dogs.

They're sweet tempered, easy to train, loyal and obedient, terrific with kids (if you overlook the fact that they're inveterate cookie thieves - if you give a kid a cookie in front of a Lab, she will gently, sweetly, steal it right out of the kid's hand, unless you a. give her her own cookie, and still b. watch her like a hawk).