How to Pick a Dog Breed

Picking a dog breed is work—you must be sure the dog fits your lifestyle and personality, and that it isn’t coming from a puppy mill or other disreputable place. Every dog breed has its own personality, quirks and needs (just like humans), and to find the perfect fit, you need to get to know the different types of dogs out there. You must also know yourself, as your lifestyle plays the predominate role in which type of dog you pick. Owning a dog is a joy, but only if you know what you are getting yourself into, so you want to choose your breed wisely.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A computer, or a book on dog breeds
• Access to a dog park, if possible
• References from people with dogs
• A big heart

How to Pick a Dog Breed

1. 1. Decide if you want to go purebred, mutt or pound. You can get great dogs in any of these situations. However, since many dogs from pounds have come from abused backgrounds, they may need a little more work on the socializing front. Always be sure to ask a million questions regarding the background of the dog, particularly any health conditions it might have. This is necessary no matter what breed of dog you get, or where you get it from.
2. 2. Go through all the different types of breeds that you think you’d be interested in, keeping your own personality in mind. Make a list of your own personality traits to use as a barometer by which to measure the dog breed personalities. It’s much easier to find a dog match if you know exactly what type of person YOU are. If you don’t like to exercise, for example, a Weimeraner is not for you. If you don’t know where to start in terms of breeds, visit a dog park and ask dog owners questions. They will be happy to share insight into their dogs.
3. 3. Research how much time the breeds need devoted to them (are they lap dogs that need your constant attention but not a lot of exercise, or retriever-type dogs that need lots of exercise but not as much constant attention), how often you need to walk them, if they have any known medical conditions (Labrador Retrievers, for example, are prime candidates for hip dysplasia) and the cost associated with owning the dog (ie., how much food do they consume, do they need a special diet). Dogs are expensive animals, not just in purchase price, but also in upkeep. They need regular check-ups and have medical bills, just like people. And they also need love. If you are never home, and/or will be leaving the animal locked in your apartment from 6:30am to 9pm, you shouldn’t get a dog.
4. 4. Decide if you want a puppy or an older dog. Puppies take a little more work, as they need more training and will be teething (which means they may chew EVERYTHING). Dogs that are two years or older are typically already house-broken, past the teething stage, and overall a little mellower. But not always. Be sure to ask about this stuff before you take the dog.
5. 5. If you go purebred, check that any breeder you find has an AKC certification. With the advent of the internet, anyone can say they are a “breeder”, but you actually have to meet certain standards to be recognized as a breeder by the AKC, which means there is a degree of regulation and an actual standard of quality. Buying a purebred dog is expensive and you want some level of protection, both for you and the dog.
6. 6. If you go mutt, get any and all information on what the crossed breeds are. That way, although you won’t have a clear map of the exact personality or size, you will at least have a sense as to what you are dealing with. Dogs that are Rottweiler/Great Dane mixes are much different personality-wise than dogs that are Poodle/Cocker Spaniel mixes. And they are DEFINITELY different in size.

Tips & Warnings

• Purebred does not necessarily mean it’s a better dog than a mutt. It means the dog is a pure breed, and thus not mixed with any other breed. Sometimes purebreds have more health issues than mutts, as the gene pool is much smaller, and there is more inbreeding. That said, you can, of course, find a purebred dog that is amazing.
• Please DO NOT buy dogs from pet stores. There is minimal regulation on the treatment of animals in pet stores, and often the animals are bought from puppy mills. A puppy mill is basically a mass dog-breeding operation used to pump out the dogs with little to no regard to the treatment of the dog they use to breed. When you buy a dog from a pet store, you help keep these cruel places in business. And you get no guarantee that you will get a “purebred” dog, if that is what you are looking for.