Many dog owners treat their dogs like their children. While this may be scoffed at…
How to Choose the Right Breed of Dog for your Family
Choosing the right breed of dog for you is about more than just picking a dog that has a cute face. You need to be specific with your breed and you also need to give some thought to your individual needs. If you are a prospective dog owner and you want to give a dog a forever home, then here are some tips that you should be following.
Size
When choosing a dog, you need to give some thought to the size. The size of your living space is a major factor when considering a dog. Do you live in a very small apartment? Do you have enough space for your dog? Are you only able to consider a small dog? Of course, you also need to think about whether or not you have a good-sized yard for the dog to roam around in. If you do then this is great, but you still need to take them out for regular exercise.

Schedule
Choosing a dog that is compatible with the schedule you have right now is also so important. You also need to make sure that your dog gets the attention they need. Are you able to train them properly? Can you make sure that they are getting the care they need? Can you give a high-energy dog the help they need with long walks and exercise? If not then you may want to give a senior dog a home.
Activity Level
Finding a dog that compliments your schedule is so important. A high-energy dog can exhaust you if you are a low-energy owner, and the last thing you want is to have to find your dog a new home. If you are an active person then getting a dog that is a couch potato can also be frustrating. If you are unsure as to how energetic a dog is then you can usually find out all of the information you need online. With that being said, you do need to make sure that you are looking at one source of information, so you can get a bigger picture overall.
Breed
Different breeds will have different inherent traits. There are up to seven different dog breed groups and each one will have their personality. If you are allergic to dogs then getting a hypoallergenic dog breed, such as a poodle could be a good solution. You do have to look into their other traits if possible though. If you don’t then you may find that you just aren’t able to care for their needs. If you want a good mixture of a dog then getting a mixed breed could be the solution. There is no guarantee that you will get the traits you need, however. If you want a good, working breed that’s athletic, loyal, easy to train and content then a golden or labrador retriever could be the best option for your family.
Age
Puppyhood is a big deal, and your dog will undergo a lot of personality changes during this time. Adult dogs are much more likely to be housetrained when you pick them up and they are also likely to have calmer temperaments. With an older dog, you know their history and you will also know their personality. It’s less of a gamble when you look at the bigger picture. One thing to take note of is that older dogs do not tend to do as well around smaller children, so you need to make sure that you balance the needs of your family as well as you can.
History
If you are buying a dog from a breeder then you need to know the dog’s story. If you are buying your dog from an animal shelter then the history may be a touch cloudy. If you want to help yourself here then you need to be honest with yourself. Although you may want to give the dog a home, you need to give some thought to whether or not you can do this properly. If you have a child and the dog ends up being aggressive then this could cause you to rehome them, which will result in way more stress than the dog needs. It wouldn’t be fair on them either. If you want to help them then make sure that you take the time to make sure that you can support the dog, regardless of what flaws it has, so you can give them a solid home going into the future.
Budget
You also need to give some thought to how much of a budget you have for your dog. If you know that you need to keep your price low then this is fine but do not be tempted to go to a bad breeder just so you can get a nice dog for cheap. If you do then you may end up risking yourself as you may get a dog with a lot of health issues, which could easily result in a lot of vet bills. If you want to do something about this then make sure that you take the time to study the breeder and find out why their prices are so good for the dog. If you want to help yourself to get a dog for a good price then one way you can do this would be for you to get a mixed breed. Mixed dog breeds tend to be cheaper than purebred breeds and most of the time you will find out what dogs have been used to create your pup. with that in mind, this means you have to study both dogs to make sure that the traits your puppy is going to have, will correlate to your family.
Showing your Dog
If you intend to get a show dog then you need to give some thought to the type of dog you are getting. Going to a solid breeder is the best way for you to make sure you are getting a dog that is suited to your family in any instance, but with that in mind, you need to make sure that it has the qualities to show as well. Show dogs tend to be bred as such, so don’t be tempted to get a dog just because you think it looks nice, to show it. Your dog will also have to pass several health checks before it can be shown, so make sure that you give some thought to this and that you make sure your dog is healthy.
Vet Bills are a Consideration
Some dogs are known for having extensive health problems and this can result in a lot of vet bills. If you want to do something about this then one thing you can do is try and get a dog that has limited issues. French bulldogs are notorious for having allergies and breathing issues. They often have to undergo an operation to have their nasal passages widened just so that they can stay healthy. If you want to stop this issue from happening with you then make sure that you choose a breed that is healthy so you can stop yourself from having huge vet bills going forward. If you can do this then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to get the result you want out of your dog and your budget. Talk with your vet too, to see if they can give you some advice on your dog so be mindful of that if you can.
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