Dog Breeds

Finding the Best Dog for You

Not all dogs are the same. Some breeds are more active, some are more noisy, some require more grooming, and the list goes on. Therefore, to pick the best dog for you, you have to start by eliminating dogs that don't meet your needs. Following are some questions that can help you as you begin your search.

What size dog are you interested in? Choices: Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large. Things to consider here are the size of your home or apartment and your particular needs concerning dog size. Also, realize that different sizes have different issues. For example, small dogs typically want more daily attention from their owner.
Do you live in an apartment or own your own home? Apartments often have rules that you must know concerning dog type.
What activity level are you looking at for your dog? In other words, do you want an active dog or a more passive dog?
Do you have children? If so, you will want a dog that is good with them.
Do you have other dogs? Some dog breeds are better than others with other animals.
Do you want a pure breed or a mixed breed? There are pros and cons to both. Some pure breeds have become so overbred that flaws have become magnified. For example, many popular large breed dogs now have hip problems. On the other hand, if you get a mixed breed dog, you need to understand that it could potentially possess both the negatives and positives of its parents. Therefore, you should try and determine what type of dog stock it comes from to ensure it meets your needs.
How much do you want to spend? Pure bred dogs cost more money, especially in the rarer varieties.
Do you want to show your dog? If so, you can expect more costs and much more time invested.
Do you want your dog to fit well in a family or to be loyal to an individual person? Some dog breeds are single person dogs which means that they might not react kindly to other family members.
How willing are you to work with a dog that requires more grooming?

Here are some examples of particular dogs:

Boxer Dogs - These dogs are medium in size. They have very high energy. They are very good with children and can get along with other pets. They are prone to health problems. They require minimal grooming and are easy to train.

Brittany Spaniel - These dogs are medium in size. They have very high energy. They are great with children and can get along with other pets. They are fairly healthy dogs as they have generally not been overbred at thisf point. They require minimal grooming unless you want to show them and they are easy to train though often distractible.

Chihuahua - These are the smallest of all pure bred dogs. They are great for apartments as they are not as high energy. They are typically loyal to one owner. They are not the best with children or other pets. They have health issues but conscientious breeders work hard to keep the genetic issues to a minimum. They require very little grooming. They can be difficult to train.

Labrador Retrievers - These are large, popular dogs. They are great with children and other dogs. They are active dogs that require a lot of exercise. However, they are easily trained and very intelligent. They require regular grooming. They are prone to hip and eye dysplasia along with other genetic issues.

Pitbull Dogs - These are medium sized dogs. They are not good with other pets. On the other hand, they are very loyal to their family and protective of property. They are wary of strangers. They have a reputation for being bad with kids but if raised with them they are okay. They should not be left with unknown children even if friends of the family.

If you want more specific information about particular dog breeds, then check out this site.

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