How to choose the most suitable breed and type of dog for you

Once you’ve taken the first step and decided to get a dog, the next step, which is sometimes a bit more difficult, is deciding what type of dog you want. There are a number of factors to consider. Probably the most important is temperament, not just the dog’s temperament but the owner’s temperament as well! His temperament is probably just as important as the dog’s.

Breeds vary greatly with respect to temperament. Although both breeds have good qualities, a Fox Terrier, for example, has a very different character than a Labrador Retriever. A Maltese poodle has a completely different character than a French poodle.

If you are a quiet person, somewhat shy and withdrawn, in all probability you will want a dog with a similar temperament, which will fit in with your lifestyle. As intelligent and remarkable as a Border Collie seems to me, it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to choose a boisterous, lively, very active, often highly strung dog like this. There are many breeds that would be more suited to your lifestyle than a woody, vivacious, and hyperactive dog like the Border Collie.

An interesting and somewhat exotic breed choice for someone who wants a dog that is a good companion but is not as demanding and constantly craves affection as other breeds, is the Afghan. For this reason, the Afghan has acquired the very interesting label of the “Philosophers’ Dog”.

Obviously, where you live is of paramount importance in choosing a dog.
If you live in an apartment and don’t have the opportunity to exercise your dog much, you’ll be forced to choose one of the smaller breeds, such as the Pekingese, Yorkshire Terrier, King Charles Spaniel, or Maltese Poodle.

On the other hand, if you have the time to get the dog plenty of exercise, you can choose from the wide variety of terriers, such as the smooth or wire-haired fox terrier.
Shetland sheepdogs, in appearance very similar to a miniature collie, are very beautiful animals, they are very obedient, if sometimes a bit sharp. A stocky little dog, the Schipperke is also a lovely animal to have.

Give some thought to why you want a dog in the first place. Once you are quite clear in your own mind about this, it will go a long way in choosing the most suitable animal.

Is it because you want a pet for children to play with, enjoy, and come to appreciate the responsibilities of caring for a pet? Is your main goal is to get a dog that will be the guardian of your home? Is it because you are fascinated by Obedience competitions and would like to participate and win competitions? Is it because a dog of a particular breed is all the rage right now?

Maybe you want a dog of a certain exotic breed because you want to have a dog that is different from the others?

Although there may be a seemingly frivolous or illogical reason for wanting to own a certain breed of dog, there is nothing wrong or unnatural about this. After all this, it’s probably a big reason why people buy certain cars. The choice is often more emotional than practical. When you come to think of it, choosing a particular breed of dog is in some ways similar to choosing a car.

There is nothing wrong with wanting an exotic dog breed. You may be someone who wants something a little different from everyone else. You want to express your individuality.

Now that you have a clearer idea of ​​the type of dog you’re looking for, your next step should be to visit one of the many regularly held all-breed dog shows, so you can see first-hand the wide variety of breeds out there. . show.

The breed you ultimately choose could be one that attracts you because of its physical beauty; its sporty character; your kindness; his cheerful outgoing temperament; his quiet reserved and dignified appearance.

If your purpose in choosing a dog is to have one that more readily responds to obedience training, this immediately narrows down your choice. Your obvious choice would be a Border Collie, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, Doberman, Shetland Sheepdog, or any of the dogs that fall under the “working dog” category.

The same would apply if you want a dog primarily as a guard, but would also like the dog to be a family pet and companion. Here again, the “Working Dogs” group includes many breeds that are ideal for this purpose, such as Rottweillers, German Shepherds, Rottweilers, and some other fairly large breeds that can be protective guards, wary of strangers, and yet be wonderful. friendly, adorable family pets.

Where to get the dog of your choice.

Having now more or less decided which dog you would like to have, you will have to decide where to get such a dog.

It may be a strange suggestion, but a good place to look might be an animal shelter. Even if you are looking for a dog of a certain breed, and also a purebred animal that is clearly identifiable as representing this breed, you may still find what you are looking for at an animal shelter.

Sometimes very well bred animals show up at animal shelters. There are a wide variety of reasons for this. People change locations frequently; moving to apartments where they cannot accommodate a dog; sometimes there are domestic problems, families break up. As a result, the dog that came from a good and loving home is reluctantly placed in an animal shelter.

Another advantage of getting a dog from an animal shelter is that very often you may be lucky enough to acquire a somewhat older animal, where the health problems that young puppies sometimes have are no longer present. It may also be a reasonably good specimen of the breed you’ve set your mind to.

However, if you’re unsuccessful at animal shelters and you’re now determined to get your dog of the breed you’ve chosen, your next step would be to keep an eye on advertisements for puppies for sale in your area.

It is always an advantage to choose a puppy from a breeder in your area, because you will have the opportunity to see both the sire and dam of the puppy. This is of great importance as far as temperament is concerned. If both sire and dam have healthy, friendly, and approachable temperaments, the progeny will most likely inherit the same good temperament.

The Mother’s temperament is probably of greater importance than the Father’s. The pup not only inherits the genetic traits of the sire’s temperament, but is also often influenced to a greater extent by the mother’s behavior and temperament.

Of course, if you are someone who is interested in showing an animal competitively in conformation classes, then the procedures you would adopt would be quite different.

In this case, it may not be advisable to select a puppy from someone who breeds dogs in your area just because it’s more convenient. It might be worth looking into a field further. It’s a whole different ballgame and it introduces a lot of different factors.

However, if, like most people, what you want is simply a happy, friendly, outgoing pup that is good-looking and good-natured, then your choice isn’t that difficult.

This article is one of many on the freedogadvice website. This website was created to provide a free advice service for dog lovers. In addition to training tips, there is also valuable information on health, nutrition, and tips on choosing the right breed. For those interested in German Shepherds, there are detailed articles on show and working bloodlines, with special reference to the top winning dogs in Germany, past and present.

Dennis Fisher has been involved with dogs as a judge, breeder, and director of obedience training for his all-breed obedience training club. Although his special interest is German Shepherds, he has also personally owned and trained dogs of the following breeds: Great Danes, French Poodles, Cairn Terriers, Schipperkes, Dobermanns, and Fox Terriers. A wide variety of articles covering a wide range of topics can be found on his website freedogadvice.com. This website offers a free advice service for the benefit of dog lovers. There is no charge for this service.