Choosing a Dog Breed For Your Lifestyle
There is much more to Choosing a Dog then choosing a puppy that is cute and irresistible. It is all about choosing a dog breed that is right for your lifestyle and not expecting the dog to adapt to your way of life. Each dog breed has different characteristics and requirements that you need to understand before you make a purchase. However first you need to ask yourself some questions.
Do you really want a dog?
Selecting and owning a dog means accepting responsibility for the life of your pet. When you buy a puppy, not only are you making a major commitment of your money and household possessions but you are also contributing a lot of time, energy and patience for up to 12 years.
Buying a dog can be expensive. It is not only the original purchase price of the puppy but also the ongoing costs of: dog food, supplies, veterinary services, and (depending on the breed) regular visits to a dog grooming service. You may also want to take holidays without your pet which will require finding someone to look alter your dog or boarding it at a dog kennel.
New dog owners should be prepared to sacrifice some of their household possessions. Puppies will urinate anywhere and anytime they get excited – especially when visitors arrive at your door. Puppies like to chew everything including carpets, coffee tables and shoes. Even after he has been housetrained to go outside, your dog will still love to track mud all over your newly cleaned house and clear your coffee table with a wag of his tail.
Many of the problems listed above can be prevented or ameliorated through early socialization and dog training. However effective training requires a significant amount of time and patience. Some dog breeds will also require a lot more time and energy everyday for exercise and play time.
What kind of dog do you want?
Most dog breeds were developed over time to respond to people’s specific needs and ways of life. Looking at the history of various dog breeds, you can see that they were bred to develop the characteristics for:
- herding sheep or pulling sleighs;
- being good companions for families;
- helping hunters retrieve game; and
- exhibiting traits of provenance and beauty.
It is possible to modify some breed specific traits and temperament through extensive on-going training. However it is much easier and a lot more enjoyable to choose a breed of dog that matches your specific lifestyle. The next 12 or so years of your life will be a lot more pleasurable if you select the right breed of dog.
10 questions you should consider when choosing a dog.
1. Does your dog need to get along well with children?
- Children not just in your family, but also in the neighborhood.
2. Are you a first-time dog owner?
- Some breeds do much better with an owner who has previous experience in handling dogs.3. What size dog do you want?
- Small dogs usually don’t require as much exercise or obedience training and they are easier to take on a trip
- Medium-sized dogs need at least one good walk each day and they should be obedience trained.
- Large dogs usually need a yard and long daily walks and they also tend to intimidate neighbours.4. What kind of coat do you want your dog to have?
- Long-haired dogs may require a lot more grooming.
- Short-haired dogs require much less work but some shed their fur constantly.5. How much time do you have for walks and how fast do you want to run?
- Some dogs don’t need much exercise and some need a lot of vigorous exercise.6. How much time and patience do you have to invest in obedience training?
- Some dogs learn quite quickly and some require constant reinforcement. In fact some breeds require experienced owners as they will take advantage of novice owners.7. Do you want your dog to be a watchdog or be friendly towards strangers?
- If you have a lot of visitors, you better have a dog that is friendly to strangers.8. Is someone is your family allergic to dogs?
- Some low shedding dogs are called ‘hypoallergenic’ and may not bother someone with allergies.9. Do you need a dog that you can leave home alone when you work during the day?
- Some dog breeds can adapt to being left home alone if they are given lots of exercise before you go to work and immediately after you get home.10. Are there dogs that can adapt to being a companion for an elderly person that doesn’t go outside in inclement weather?
- Some dog breeds adapt very well to indoor apartment living.
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