Choosing The Right Breed

October 24, 2017 | We Care | Tips from Rebecca Holcomb
If you’re like most people, you choose a puppy because they’re too cute to ignore. Maybe your parents had a particular breed and you think you’d like that same sort of dog. The first tip in finding a breed that suits you, is to be bluntly honest with yourself.

Consider these things when choosing a dog breed.

Home or Away-Having a life that’s fun and exciting is great, but bringing a puppy or any new dog into your life is a major commitment. They need consistency, routine and stability. If you’re constantly having to leave the house to run errands, you’re not likely to be training your dog the way you’d like him/her to behave. Even kennel trained dogs don’t want to be locked up all day, every day.

Small, Medium, or Large-Here’s another thing to consider. Do you want a small, medium or large breed? Many people think they want one particular size of dog, until they actually make the commitment. Let’s say you run around town a lot. Do you mind if your dog run’s with you? When my husband and I were first dating and married, we took our dog, Jude-a beautiful Eurasier, with us everywhere. As we brought children into our family, however, we couldn’t take him nearly as often because we now had small babies in the car and he was a very, hairy seat jumper. If you aren’t keen on having a dog in your car, you might want to consider a dog you can put in a travel crate.

Inside or Outside-This is one people rarely think about. Do you want a dog that lives inside your home, or out? So often I find dog’s chained up and no matter when I pass the home; the dog is always on a chain. My feelings on this are that, if you want a dog to live outside your home, then make sure you have a fenced in yard. This allows the dog to have the freedom to run and play, to lay down and roll around, all without being jerked around by a chain.

Personality-This is something I didn’t know about until our Eurasier sadly passed away. We were looking to get our oldest daughter a dog and she had her heart set on a border collie. Border collie’s are high energy dogs. They need a lot of outdoor and play time and they prefer to have a job to do. My daughter trains her dog on agility courses to keep her busy and soon we’ll be training her on herding sheep.

“My daughter trains her dog on agility courses to keep her busy and soon we’ll be training her on herding sheep.”

Personality is something that needs to be deeply considered when choosing a breed of dog. For instance: Do you want a dog that barks or howls? Do you want a dog that is okay with you being gone most days? Do you want a dog that suffers from separation anxiety? Do you want a dog that isn’t scared of thunderstorms? How about aggression? What about dogs that are good with children and small babies? If you already have other animals, what about a dog that gets along well with them?

Physical Ailments-Puppies are almost always healthy, but as dog’s age they can and mostly likely will, develop physical issues related to their breed. Be sure to consider, as well, any physical issues that run in the breed. Our dog suffered from hip dysplasia, which made it hard for him to walk as he aged. While they shouldn’t be a reason to keep you from getting a dog, they are something to consider in the breed you’re picking out.

The best way to find out what a certain dog breed is like is to do some research on them. If you have a breed you’re favoring, look up that breed and find out how their personality traits might affect your life.

Whatever breed you decide on, you’re making a lifelong commitment to that dog. You’re inviting it into your family, hopefully, for the long haul. Too often people get a dog with the mentality that if it doesn’t work out, they’ll just take it to the pound or sell it. Above everything else, be a responsible dog owner and do some real research into the breed you want before you make a commitment to dog.

Aganyga via Pixabay

If you enjoyed this post, you should read Holiday Friendly Dog Treat Recipes here.

How did you pick your pup’s breed? Share below!

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