Choosing a Dog
Choosing a dog is the process of deciding on a breed that is suitable for your lifestyle or personality, you need to consider different breeds and their compatibility to your lifestyle. You won’t know the right dog for you until you know yourself. For example:
- An athletic person would prefer an active dog which rules out small dogs.
- A “couch athlete” would prefer a dog that doesn’t require much exercise.
- A touchy-feely person would prefer a friendly dog.
- A tightly-wound person would probably prefer a dog that doesn’t bark or shed too much.
- Where you live comes into the equation as large dogs are generally not for apartment dwellers (or for the elderly).
- Temperament is another thing to consider. Many people want dogs such as the Rottweiler, the Siberian Husky, the Akita, the Bullmastiff, and the Giant Schnauzer, but these dogs require an experienced owner who can firmly establish leadership.
Toy dogs are very popular today as you see many celebrities toting around their adorable little dogs. But don’t let the size fool you. Oftentimes, these cute little dogs have big personalities. Dogs in this group include the Pug, the Shih Tzu, the Pomeranian, and the Maltese. These small dogs still require training and a fair amount of exercise, but may be a better choice for apartment dwellers and people with older children.
If you have a farm and work livestock, you may want to consider one of the dogs in the herding group. These dogs include the Border Collie, the Australian Shepherd, the German Shepherd, and the Shetland Sheepdog. The Border Collie is a very intelligent dog that requires a lot of exercise, both physical and mental. If you want to spend a lot of active time with a dog, you might choose a dog like this
If you want some guidelines to get you going, here is a very basic list:
Intelligent dogs
- Poodle
- German Shepherd
- Australian Sheepdog
- Belgian Sheepdog
Dogs which need little exercise
- Dachshund
- Brussels Griffon
- French Bulldog
- Manchester Terrier
- toy breeds (such as a Chihuahua or Pekingese)
Dogs that are good with kids
- Pug
- English Cocker Spaniel
- Beagle
- Basset Hound
- Brittany Spaniel
- Old English Sheepdog
Good city dogs
- Pug
- Basenji
- Boston Terrier
- Bulldog
- Lhasa Apso
- Welsh Corgi
- Scottish Terrier
Quiet dogs
- Basenji
- Borzoi
- Chesapeake Bay Retriever
- Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
- Whippet
Friendly dogs
- Brittany Spaniel
- Bichon Frise
- Old English Sheepdog
- Bearded Collie
- Golden Retriever
- Labrador Retriever