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Step By Step Guide To Choosing The Right Dog Breed
By Mark Humphrey, Fri Dec 9th
Did you know that there are several hundred dog breeds? Withthat large number of breeds to choose from, how do people manageto decide which breed is right for them? Luckily, you can narrowdown the choices and find the right dog breed by following a fewsimple steps. First, consider your available space. Do you live in anapartment? If so, you will want to rule out large dogs. Look fordogs in the Toy group, such as Yorkshire Terriers, or some ofthe smaller dogs in the Terrier group, like the MiniatureSchnauzer. If you have children, you will want to consider the size of yourdog, as well. Very small dogs, such as Chihuahuas or Maltese,can be very delicate and are often accidentally injured by youngchildren. On the other hand, very large dogs, such as Boxers orSaint Bernards, can be overly boisterous as and canaccidentally turn your child into a human bowling pin. Considermedium sized breeds, such as Fox Terriers or Lhasa Apsos,instead.
Next, consider how much exercise you can give your dog. If youhave a home with a fenced yard, your dog will be able to getsome exercise on his own. However, dog breeds in the Sporting,Hound, and Herding groups are very high energy animals and youwill need to have enough time to provide them with moreintensive exercise. Plan to take a lot of long walks with yourdog or go for a daily romp in the park. After all, these dogbreeds were bred to work hard and don't do well unless they havea job to do or a way to burn off excess energy. Finally, don't forget to consider grooming needs. Some dogbreeds only need a half hour or so of grooming a week, whileothers need to be groomed for an hour a day.
If you are short ontime, don't buy a Standard Poodle or a Maltese, unless, ofcourse, you plan to take your dog to a groom. Breeds like BostonTerriers or Whippets are good choices for people who don't havetime to do a lot of grooming. Once you decide which breed of dog you want, you will need toconsider the age of the dog. Many people opt to buy a cuddlylittle puppy instead of an older dog. While have notdeveloped any bad habits, it will be up to the new owner to besure that the puppy becomes housebroken and obedience trained.Older dogs are frequently already housebroken and usually havesome obedience training. They are also more likely to be lesshyper and less destructive. However, they can have behavioralproblems or health problems that prompted the former owner tofind them a new home. Do you want to buy a puppy? If so, you will need to find areputable dog breeder who has a litter of the breed you areinterested in. Often, a good breeder will have a waiting listfor puppies. If you aren't the patient sort, you may be temptedto buy a puppy from a pet store. However, many pet store puppiescome from puppy mills and have genetic health defects, badtemperaments, or other problems. It is usually safest to buy apuppy directly from the breeder. If you are interested in an older dog, you may want to visityour local animal shelter or call a breed rescue. These groupsevaluate the dogs' health and temperament before adopting themout. Once you've narrowed down the breed choices and have decidedwhich dog is right for you, don't get too relaxed. After all,you still have one more important decision to make, what to nameyour new companion! About the author:Mark is a dog breeder with 18 years of experience. Read his blogonline at http://www.dogbreedsite.com.
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