Im hoping to get a large or XL dog breed thats good with small kids   Obviously Madison won't be left alone with ANY puppy, no matter what the breed is. Shi is about 17 months old and has been around many different dogs and animals and she doesn't really pay attention to them. We have to stay away from bully breeds/ breeds on the dangerous breed list due to housing issues. So no pit bulls, german shepherds, Chow chows, dobermans, huskys, rotts or mixes of these.

I love love st bernards and newfoundlands, but am looking for the best breed that LOVES kids, and is somewhat mellow indoors.

Retrievers are not mellow anywhere! LOL. They are fun but man are they hyper.

They are not a large breed but I have found coonhounds to be good with kids. They are very playful and rather smart, but stubborn too. Ours is mostly a joy, she's still a puppy so she does some dumb smurf though.  

I resuced a boxer hes about 2yrs old & he LOVES kids. He had a kid hes never met before come up to him grab his face & kiss him on the lips & my dog (Mugsy) gave him tons of kisses back, he never jumps on kids and has more then enough energy to wear the kids out.

Not sure why this didn't post the first time.... BUT I have an English Mastiff and he is awesome!!

I'm not a huge fan of golden retrievers, way too over bred. I love st bernards though, SO and I debated about a st bernard or rottwiler, rotts won because only because I found one needing a new home on craigslist

We got my 6-year-old a Labradoodle and he is far by the sweetest, smartest dog I've ever had. He was SO quick to potty train and he has been amazing with our kids. My two-year-old can drag him around by the collar and he just goes with it. He is about 85-90 pounds right now and turned a year old in Sept. Here are some pics....

Newfoundland is definitely one of if not the BEST breed for your Criteria, even as a Puppy.
That or a Leonberger would probably be the top of out list if we were allowed to have a Dog over 15' at the shoulder here (our dog snuck in at 17" because she was already 14 years old & everything we had said 19" but that's 'cause they forgot to ask us & had recently changed the limit, I feel for the worse)
Leonberger's are also Dry Mouthed where...Umm A Newfie or Saint so are NOT. Go watch the movie Beethoven or Beethoven's Second if you want a Reminder of what a Not "Dry Mouth" breed is. & Yeah some of those 2 breeds those Disney cliches is an understatement.

Nanna from Peter Pan is actually based on the Authors Real Life Landseer Newfoundland (Black & White)!

We had a Saint Bernard a few years ago and got her when she was 9 weeks old. She grew to be HUGE within a few months and shed everywhere. If you are thinking of a Saint, please make sure you have adequate space for it. I say that because we had a large yard, but that still wasn't enough running space. They are very high maintenance dogs, to say the least. Totally adorable, though, and very friendly with everyone. Good family dog.  

Quoting Lupin {CBGB}:" Newfoundland is definitely one of if not the BEST breed for your Criteria, even as a Puppy. That or a ... [snip!] ... an understatement. Nanna from Peter Pan is actually based on the Authors Real Life Landseer Newfoundland (Black & White)!"

They are big fluffy babies for the most part.

Quoting Angel [Mariah's Mommy]:" They are big fluffy babies for the most part. "

My BFF has had a couple Newf's, & for the most part even as Pups they were wonderful, Shaggy Giant Rugs of a Lap-dog!
They shed a bit, but if you like to work with wool/yarn, you can get them regularly Shaved & the hair spun into wool!
She is Legally Blind, & her Husband is a Quadriplegic. They Often have their Young Nieces & Nephew(who also suffers from Muscular Dystrophy & is 50/50 on in a chair or on crutches) but not often enough that if the Dogs weren't good with Kids wouldn't be safe, since that & one of his Aides baby, are the only exposure that the Dogs have/had!
Not the first or only Newf's I've known, but why I put them on to the breed!
We win the Lotto I'm getting a half Dozen & my Mom will be getting a Spinning wheel! I'll never have to worry if someone says "You've got a Dog hair on your Sweater" again! Lol!

Quoting Lupin {CBGB}:" My BFF has had a couple Newf's, & for the most part even as Pups they were wonderful, Shaggy Giant ... [snip!] ... will be getting a Spinning wheel! I'll never have to worry if someone says "You've got a Dog hair on your Sweater" again! Lol!"

One of my friend's family runs a rescue for them. I think knitting sweater from the fur is a neat idea. I watched a show about it once. The process is awesome too make sure there are no allergens in the fur.

Unless bred differently, pitt bulls are actually extremely well with kids, and are even nicknamed nanny dogs. BUT i think by housing issues, you mean your home owners insurance goes up with those breeds, right?

Quoting Taylor Henderson:" Unless bred differently, pitt bulls are actually extremely well with kids, and are even nicknamed nanny ... [snip!] ... even nicknamed nanny dogs. BUT i think by housing issues, you mean your home owners insurance goes up with those breeds, right?"

A lot of places you can not have bully breeds at all.

Quoting Angel [Mariah's Mommy]:" A lot of places you can not have bully breeds at all."

Oh, really? I didnt know that. I think your other choices are good with kids too... Also, getting it from a puppy will 9 times out of 10 make the dog very kid friendly, unless your child abused it, which you said shes good with pets. Goodluck!

Quoting Taylor Henderson:" Unless bred differently, pitt bulls are actually extremely well with kids, and are even nicknamed nanny ... [snip!] ... even nicknamed nanny dogs. BUT i think by housing issues, you mean your home owners insurance goes up with those breeds, right?"

Ya, and unfortunatly in ALOT of the states we could move too would have breed restrictions. Pluse we tried pit bulls already. One attacked my husbands hand and the other was severely dog aggressive