Choosing A Dog Breed

Which Is The Best Breed For You?

The answer to the question: "What is the best breed of dog?" is "There isn't any". But there may be the best breed of dog for you.

The best dog breed for you depends on the many different characteristics and attributes of the breed along with how much space the dog will have and how much exercise you want or are able to give your dog along with whether you want just a companion, or whether you want the dog to hunt with you, swim with you, guard your home, or be a watch dog. The list can go on and on.

Then there is also the economic side of owning a dog. If you want a show quality dog you are going to pay a lot more than if you get your dog from a shelter or even a breed specific rescue. There are some breeds that are higher maintenance than others which can mean either higher food costs or higher veterinarian bills or both. Obviously, it will cost more to feed a 150 pound dog than it will a 10 pound dog.

Here is a list of things to think about when you're deciding what breed (or mix of breeds) of dog you would like to have.

Space – Will your dog be in a small apartment or in a house with a back yard? You can have a larger dog in an apartment if you have the time and a place to give your dog a lot of exercise.

Size – Do you want a small dog like a Toy Poodle or a larger dog like a German Shepherd?

Coat – Do you want a dog with short hair, long hair, wire hair, curly or wavy hair?

Grooming – Do you want to take your dog to a professional groomer, as you would have to do with a Poodle, or do you just want to be able to brush your dog occasionally which you can do with most short haired dogs?

Drooling – Do you care if your dog drools, like a Great Dane, or do you want a dog that doesn't drool, like most terriers.

Shedding – Do you want a dog that doesn't shed, but needs to be groomed, like a Poodle, or do you want a short hair dog that does shed like most pointers, or would you rather have a long hair dog that doesn't shed much like an Afghan Hound.

Dog allergies – Do you have to have a dog that can be with someone who has allergies to dander and dog hair like a Standard Poodle?

Activity level – Do you want a dog with a high energy level like a Border Collie, or do you want a dog that lies around all day like an ex-racing Greyhound?

Swimming – Do you want a dog that likes the water, like a Labrador Retriever?

Intelligent & trainable – Do you want a highly intelligent and trainable dog like a Standard Poodle or a German Shepherd?

Other pet tolerance – Do you need your dog to tolerate other pets?

Kid appropriate – Do you need your dog to be good with children?

Social or independent – Do you want a dog that is sociable like a Labrador Retriever, or one that is aloof, like an Afghan Hound?

Quiet/watch dog – Do you want a quiet guard dog or a noisy watchdog?

Hunting – Do you want a dog to go hunting with you?

These are a lot of things to think about, but what ever kind of dog you decide to get, whether a pure bred or a mixed breed, a good part of your dog's personality will be determined by the environment that he's brought up in. In order to have a loving healthy environment for your dog, you must establish yourself as the dominant or alpha "dog". You should understand how your dog thinks (it's not the way a child thinks) and you should definitely Train Your Dog .

A trained dog is a happy dog, and has a happy owner.

For more information on dogs and dog training, go to Train Your Dog