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Category: Animals & Pets : Dogs
How do you find the right breed for you?
Point one- don't make an impulse choice, especially one driven by seeing a certain breed of dog on television or in a movie. You'll be living with your canine companion for 15 years or so- it pays to research breeds carefully. As examples, Border Collies, Jack Russell Terriers, and Dalmatians have all become very popular due to movies and television, but all of these breeds have traits that make them unsuitable for most pet owners, and rescue groups for these breeds are overflowing with dogs abandoned because they didn't act just like the ones on the screen.
The first thing to do in selecting a breed is to get the family together and make a list of the characteristics that you want in a dog. For example:
- Size
- Coat type- long, short, lots of grooming, little grooming, nonshedding
- Activity level indoors and outdoors (be realistic as to how much exercise your dog needs)
- Trainability
- Attitude towards strangers- loves everyone, suspicious, protective
- Attitude to family members- always wants to be petted, standoffish, independent
- Inherent abilities- retrieving, herding, scent tracking
- Interactions with other dogs- no problem, likes to fight
- Interactions with children
Some of these are more important than you'd think, especially activity level. A big reason that many young dogs are given up is that they are destructive and hyperactive- characteristics of a dog that needs more exercise than it gets. If you have your heart set on an active breed like a Border Collie or Golden Retriever, be prepared to give it the exercise it needs.
Once you have your list, it's time to start narrowing down your choices. One way is with several "select-a-breed" interactive Web pages. You input your criteria and they suggest lists of breeds. Three of these are at
http://www.selectsmart.com/
http://www.purina.com/dogs/index.html (click on Find The Breed That's Right for You)
http://www.petnet.com.au/selectapet/dogselectapet2.html
Take these suggestions as a starting point, not as gospel. They may steer you towards breeds you'd like. I own a flat-coated retriever, a relatively rare breed but one perfect for my needs. When I put my search criteria into these three breed selectors, the Purina selector gave me the Belgian Malinois (a breed I would never own) as a first choice, with the flat-coated retriever at #11. The SelectSmart selector and the Select a Pet selector both gave me the flat-coated retriever as a first choice.
There are also quite a few all-breed books out there. The Right Dog for You by Daniel Tortora and The Perfect Match : A Dog Buyer's Guide by Chris Walkowicz are both good.
Another good idea is to attend a dog show and look at the various breeds. You may find one you have never heard of that appeals to you. This also gives you a good chance to talk to owners of various breeds and find out what they are *really* like.
Once you have narrowed down your list, start researching the various breeds to make sure they are right for you. A good starting place is the breed club for each breed- check http://www.akc.org to find the breed club. Most will send you information packets on their breed. Make sure you actually meet some members of the breed and talk to their owners!
Once you find the perfect breed, then it's time for the search for the perfect puppy (or adult)- the subject of another article
Other Articles in this Category
How to Train a Dog: Down
by Cris Waller
How to Train a Dog: Come
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How to Train a Dog: The Basics
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How to Keep Your Dog From Digging In Your OutdoorFlower Pots
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Choosing a Dog... Where to Find a Dog (and where *not* to!)
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How to Train a Dog: Walking Nicely
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How to Train a Dog: Stay
by Cris Waller
How to Train a Dog: Sit
by Cris Waller
How to Train a Dog: Housebreaking
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How to Figure Out the Cost of Keeping a Dog for a Year
by crisw
Choosing a Dog... How To Find a Reputable Breeder
by crisw
How to Deter Neighborhood Dogs from Using Your Yard as a Bathroom
by ckeeta
Choosing a Dog... Purebred or Mixed-Breed?
by crisw
Choosing a Dog... Puppy or Adult?
by crisw
How to Decrease the Size of Skin Cysts on Your Dog
by Brenda Schultheis
Choosing a Dog... Indoor or Outdoor?
by crisw
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