We have a pure bred American Red Nose Pitty, and she is 100% family smoocher. Although she is hardly ever out with other dogs or people, she is friendly to everyone. We have only ever seen her rear up at another dog, who rushed at her in excitement. I trust her more with our children than our Kelpie. She is very tolerable with all dogs and people, including children of all sizes. She would be a couch potato if you let her, just anywhere that you are, she wants to be too. Yep, she's a wuss with the family, but very protective at the same time.

I wouldn't think that you could have a dog that is both a 'hunting' animal and a 'family pet'. If I had a hunting dog I would feel very uncomfortable it being around my children, supervised or not, and it would have to live in a super secure enclosure (cage basically) at the far end of the yard away from the children.

We got our dog as a young pup, and I think you can pretty much (but there are those that you couldn't) have whatever breed you like as a family dog, its just about how you bring them up. I have no idea what her parents were like. And if you google pics of these dogs, mine looks nothing like them, in terms of I think she is much more beautiful, and doesn't look quite so much like a meat head as these showy dogs.