How to pick a breed that fits your lifestyle

This isn’t a decision that you should make lightly. Your future happiness and sanity could depend on it. LOL! Please DO NOT pick a breed just because you like the way they look or they did something really cool on T.V. Looks are not the most important quality to consider. Those dogs that you see on T.V. are trained specifically for their roles. They spend hours training to be in those awesome scenes. Your dog isn’t going to come pre-trained so what you see on T.V. shouldn’t even be considered.

There are some breeds that I love, but would never own. I’m realistic about what I’m willing to do and what I can put up with. For example, I’ve loved Pharaoh Hounds for a long time, but I don’t like sight hound personalities and traits. As much as I like them there is very little chance that I would get one. I’m also completely obsessed with a couple Terrier breeds, but right now I can’t give them the proper outlets like hunting, to even consider them. One day I want one, but until I can provide what they need to thrive I will stick to other breeds.

Genetics matter. A breed that has been bred for a specific job is likely going to express the want to perform that job. Siberian Huskies are probably going to want to pull, Labrador Retrievers are going to want to retrieve, Terriers want to hunt, Border Collies want to herd, Bloodhounds want to track scents, Rottweilers want to guard or maybe herd. You get the picture, right? You have to consider what the specific breed was historically used for. So don’t be surprised when your Australian Cattle Dog starts nipping at heels and trying to herd. Make sure you’re willing to deal with specific common traits in a breed when they arise.

The most important things to think about are your personality and activity level. Are you soft spoken pushover or do you stand your ground and set clear boundaries? A dog that mirrors your personality would be ideal. Some breeds are more difficult than other to train and maintain. Your current activity level will tell you how active of a breed you should get. A lot of people get dogs because they think they will become more active with the new dog. Plan for the dog that you are already able to keep up with. Are you a weekend warrior that doesn’t do much throughout the week or are you putting in daily miles on your bike?

Realistically, how much time would you be able to train the dog? Some are going to need more mental stimulation or they are going to become terrors. This goes hand in hand with physical exercise. Without meeting the needs of these two you may find yourself between a rock and a hard place. Ensure that you have enough time daily. Yes, daily. You’re dog spends most of the day inside your boring house. You would go nuts if you had to do that, right? I would! They need structured mental and physical activity every day too.

How much grooming are you willing to do yourself or pay a professional for? Do you want a wash and wear dog or something that you can spend time grooming? PLEASE don’t get a long fur breed if you don’t plan on grooming it. For the sake of your dog, just don’t. If you don’t want to groom much then get a short coat breed. Save your dog the pain. Matted fur is not comfortable. I personally don’t enjoy grooming other than brushing the coat every other day. I don’t like long fur and I may never have a long coated breed again. It’s not fun pulling out twigs or burrs from the fur. Sucks for me and the dog! I will stick to short/medium coats.

To help decide which breeds are a good fit you can use low/medium/high when thinking about what you want in a dog. Low/medium/high for activity level, grooming, daily training, and personality traits. Once you figure out were you personally fit in low-high ranges then you can start researching breeds that also fit into these categories the best and choose based on those results. After choosing a breed your next decision is whether you will purchase from a reputable breeder or rescue/shelter. Going with a breeder is going to give you a more predictable dog, but that’s totally up to you.

Stay tuned for the next post on how to find a reputable breeder!