How To Pick The Right Dog Breed For You
Hounds, shepherds, terriers, spaniels… Picking out a dog breed is one of the most rewarding and exciting experiences for new dog owners, but it is also one of the most stressful and important decisions you can make for your new friend. Where should you start? As overwhelming as it can be, we are here to help you pick the best new member of your family!
Energy Level
First, let’s discuss the most important factor you should consider, energy level. Energy level is simply a term that describes how hyper or laid back your dog is. The higher the energy level, the more time needed to devote to your dog. The best way to determine what energy level best fits your lifestyle is to look at how active of a life you live and what you are wanting to do with your dog. While a Vizsla or Weimaraner would be a great fit for someone who enjoys long distance running, they would be a nightmare for a more sedentary family. Equally, a bulldog would be a perfect couch companion, but wouldn’t last five minutes on a brisk walk.
Intelligence
Do you think you want a smart dog? Think again. People assume the more intelligent the dog, the easier they will be to train. While this is generally true, the reality is you do not need an intelligent dog to have a well trained dog. In fact, just because a dog is intelligent does not mean it will be well trained. Any dog can be trained to the level that most people would require for an everyday pet. The real downside to intelligent dogs is what they do require; stimulation, stimulation, and more stimulation. Notice stimulation is not the same as exercise. Think of stimulation as not just physical exercise but mental exercise. And a dog that is not stimulated on your terms is going to find their own means of engagement, and their method is not going to be one that you are happy with. This usually takes the form of destructive chewing, digging, barking, and a host of other issues. In general, if you are not planning on using your dog for a specific purpose (i.e. dog sports, herding, hunting, etc.) a breed of average intelligence will be a better fit.
Coat & Grooming
Here is where personal preference starts to come into play. You can learn more about different dog coat and hair types here, but the best advice is look at the climate of where the dog breed is from and determine if it is a good fit for your location. For example, a husky that was bred to run miles in the some of the coldest places on the planet will not do well in rural Arizona.
Once you have determined a specific breed will fit your climate, all other aspects of coat types comes down to personal preference. High shedding breeds need to be brushed weekly to remove the dead hair and keep their coat clean. Dogs with curly coats must be brushed daily to prevent tangling and mats. Some dogs must be brought in to professional groomers to either get their coat clipped or hand-stripped. So the two questions to ask yourself are how much shedding are you willing to tolerate? And how much time, effort, and money are you willing to put into grooming? Lastly, some dogs are advertised as “hypoallergenic” because they are considered low shedding and low dander coat types. While these dog breeds are certainly a better option for people with allergies, no dog breed is truly hypoallergenic. All dogs have skin, nails, urine, and saliva. All of which contribute to allergies.
Remember, that no dog breed is perfect. And finding the perfect breed of puppy does not garauntee the perfect adult dog. Every dog is an individual, and even among pure bred dogs there are plenty of exceptions to the rules of what is expected from the breed. Your perfect dog is not purchased. Your perfect dog is created by a combination of efforts from your breeder, your family, and most of all you. You cannot outbreed poor training. Training and how your puppy is raised will have a far greater impact on how they turn out as adults than breeding.
Finding the right breed of dog can be a complicated process. Whichever breed of dog you choose, make sure it is the right fit for your lifestyle, and you will have the best best friend you could ever want.
