An Easy Guide To Chose The Best Dog For Your Family!

Choosing a dog can be exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. You’ve done your research, talked with your family, and have decided to adopt a new dog. Congrats! Now the fun begins!

 

But where to begin? After all, you are committing to care for a living, breathing being who will depend on you his entire life! Moreover, Dogs were bred for special abilities and to perform specific work, and each breed reflects this. Given this, it makes sense to look at breed personalities and tendencies to make sure they fit into your lifestyle. After all, looks aren’t everything! 

The first step to being a responsible dog owner begins before you even bring home a dog. Thoughtfully and seriously assess your needs before making a decision, and you will live long, happy lives together. Responsible pet parents know that the best match is one where the dog’s needs are considered as much as the human’s.

Much as you might like a Border Collie, they might not be suited to your pristine upstairs apartment. While pondering your pooch decision, make sure you know about your potential breeds’ exercise requirements, training and socialisation needs, financial requirements and space needs.  You will also need to consider your own lifestyle as well as the preferences and lifestyle of your household members. This easy guide will help you coosing your pawrfect pal for the next 12 years! We consider the best ones to come!

Dogs fall into seven different groups, which are:

• Toys like the Maltese, Pug, Yorkshire Terrier, Pomeranian and Chihuahua

• Terriers like the Jack Russell, Fox Terrier, Irish Terrier and Airedale Terrier

• Gundogs like the Cocker Spaniel, Pointer, Weimaraner and Golden Retriever 

• Hounds like the Dachshund, Whippet, Basset and Beagle

• Working dogs like the Border Collie, Huntaway, Sheepdog, Australian Cattle Dog and Komondor

• Utility dogs like the Boxer, Bullmastiff, Schnauzer, Husky and Rottweiler

• Non-sporting dogs like the Poodle, Dalmatian, Boston Terrier and Bulldog

Training and socialisation, whatever the breed

All dogs require some level of training. Not just so you can show off how they sit and lift their paws when guests come round, but for the safety of other dogs and humans. Some breeds have a stronger guarding instinct than others, and will need more training. This is particularly true of the Belgian Malinois and German Shepherd. For this you will need to find a good puppy school and attend classes diligently.

Puppy school is a great idea for any breed, really. The most important factor here is to start as soon as your puppy gets to its new house (2 months old). This means that it will start to get proper obedience (always with positive reinforcement) and all those "possible" dog behaviour issues will decrease a great deal. Take part in some classes to gain knnowledge about dog communication skills and how to solve different situations that may come along!

If you feel like you won’t be able to handle a strong dog, let´s say a Malinois, then that is not one of the best dog breeds for you! Even though Tik Tok makes you feel you can.

Best dog breeds by budget

Money is an important consideration when choosing a dog. In general, purebred dogs are more expensive to purchase than mixed breeds. But money is not just a consideration when it comes to buying, it also applies to grooming, feeding and tending to your dog’s health needs during their lifetime. Ongoing costs can take a lot out of your budget.

Some dogs have more health problems than others, and will require more vet visits. Yorkshire Terriers are known to have sensitive stomachs, and might require a more specialized (and perhaps more pricey) diet than other breeds. French Bulldogs are prone to skin conditions. And so on.

Happy Dog, Happy Owner

Working breeds were bred to work farm animals, sight and chase prey, or guard livestock and property. They will often have high levels of energy, drive, and physical prowess (and they can bark a lot!). These dogs – think German Shepherd, Border Collie, Australian Shepherd, Husky – are popular for their joyful energy. They are intelligent and respond well to training. But they require an outlet for their energy, so they will do best living with active families and having large outdoor areas to run in.

Non-working breeds can do well with more moderate exercise, but have other tendencies to be considered. Some breeds can do well in apartments – and size does not necessarily an apartment dog make! You may think that a small dog would do best in an apartment, but some small dogs – like Chihuahuas and Pomeranians – have boundless energy and may bark at everything. 

Some larger dogs, however, like Great Danes and Greyhounds, can actually make a better apartment dog as they are generally mellow and happy to lounge around for most of the day (they do need daily exercise, too of course).

Are some breeds more "kid friendly" than others?

The highly trainable breeds are great with kids because they’re usually eager to please and are usually more family-oriented rather than wanting to attach themselves to one person. Look at the sporting group. These are dogs that were bred to work side by side with humans, taking direction from their owner. They also are some of the most popular family dogs -- your golden retrievers, your Labrador retrievers. Some of the herding breeds, such as German shepherds and collies, also are highly trainable. This does not mean that there is a specific breed for children since if socialized properly and brought up with children, will be fine with them!

To sum up, consider the following:

• How much time can I devote to the care of my dog? 

• Is this breed recommended for children?

• Is my entire family on board with having a dog?

• Do I love being active and outdoors as much as possible, or would I rather curl up with a good book on the couch? What if I like to do both?

• How much money can I devote to pet food, medical care, and grooming?

• Are there allergies in my family? 

• How much outdoor space I have for a dog?

• How big will the dog be? 

• Use a breed selector tool. The AKC offers an online dog breed selector with easy questions to answer and will provide you some breeds that may fit to your lisfestyle!

• Go to the dog park and watch the dogs

• Attend some purebred dog shows

• Contact reputable breeders and ask questions; visit them if possible

• Talk to your veterinarian for recommendations

• Be aware of breed-specific health problems

Remember that dogs are our best friends and want to spend as much time with us as possible.  Once you decide on the breed for you, visit your local shelter. Over 25% of the dogs at shelters are purebred dogs, surrendered by their owners. A shelter dog can be a wonderful companion, and you’ll literally be saving a life. 

You may also decide to consider a mixed breed dog. Mixed breeds can offer the best of several different breed characteristics. There may also be a decrease in genetic weaknesses or diseases that are handed down by inbreeding, though a reputable breeder will take great care in this area as well. 

If this guide helped you please tag DogCare on social media and tell us about you and your new fur pal!