Which Dog Breed is Best for Me?

May 07, 2010, By Jeff Waddle 2 comments

When you bring a furry friend home, you’re giving your family a lifetime cuddly companion. It may be easy to fall in love with those puppy dog eyes and cute wagging tail, but choosing the right dog for your family isn’t a decision you should make without research.

Having a dog comes with substantial commitment of time, money and energy. Before you bring a cuddly canine home with you, do some research about the breeds that fit your family’s personality and lifestyle.

Ask yourself these questions before picking the perfect pooch for your family.

Do you want a purebred or a hybrid?

• Purebreds come with a sense of predictability. With research, you can learn about common health concerns, temperament and expected size based on the breed. It’s important to buy purebreds from a reputable breeder and ask to see at least one of the parents and health records before you make a purchase.

Tip: Choose a purebred dog if you plan on showing or breeding your canine.

• Hybrid or mixed breed dogs are easier to find—just check your local animal shelter—and are often less expensive than purebreds. By nature, it’s harder to know what to expect from a mixed breed dog as far as size and health goes, unless you know what type of hybrid it is. However, mixed breeds are just as capable of providing love and companionship as purebreds.

What kind of residence do you have?

• Picking the right dog for you can depend on where you live. Look at the type and size of your residence. Don’t just determine if you have enough room for your dog to live. Make sure there is enough room in your home for them to be active, too. Your home should have enough room for your furry friend to run, jump and play, which makes a big difference in their overall happiness and comfort.
• Look at the size of your yard. Do you have enough room for a large, energetic dog to run around and play in? If you don’t have a yard, is there somewhere nearby you can take your mutt to exercise and play, like a local park? If no, choose a smaller breed that requires less room to be active and playful.

Who lives in your home?

• Do you have children? Some dogs do better with children than others and it’s important to take this into consideration when selecting a pooch, especially if you have younger children at home. Do some research about the personality and behavior of the types of dogs you’re looking at to see if they would be a good addition to your family.
• Does anyone in your home have allergies? A dog can bring a lot of happiness into your home, but it can also bring a lot of allergens, too. It’s the dander—dry skin that flakes off— and not hair that dogs produce that can be problematic for people with allergies. But just because someone in your family is allergic doesn’t mean you have to rule out pets. While there are no dogs that will be 100 percent dander-free, you can look for hairless dogs or breeds with less dander, such as Poodles, Schnauzers and Terriers.

How much time do you have to devote to a pet?

• You want to choose a dog that matches your family’s lifestyle. If you have a family with a busy schedule, avoid getting a dog that requires a lot of time or attention you can’t give it. If your lifestyle is more relaxed, you don’t want a dog that is overly energetic and will be too much for you to handle. When choosing a dog, take the dog’s personality into consideration, too, to find the perfect pet to run or lounge around the house with you.
• Choosing a puppy often means investing a lot of time to train them. With a puppy, you can be there every step of the way as they grow and learn new things. If you don’t have a lot of time to train a pet, choose an older dog that has some house-training under its collar.

Falling in love with a pet is easy, but sometimes, finding the perfect pooch for you isn’t as simple. Before you take home the first dog you see with a cute face, consult your local veterinarian or organizations such as the American Kennel Club for more information.