You have made the decision to include a dog in your life. You understand the commitment and are ready to give the time, money and energy necessary to make it work for you and your future pet. Since you have already made this decision, it's time to choose the type of dog. Do you want your dog to be big or small; male or female; a puppy or an older dog? These are just a few factors you should consider. Other factors include what are your needs in a pet and what kind of lifestyle do you have. Are you getting a dog for companionship or for a specific reason? Some acquire dogs for hunting, for guarding their homes or as a playmate and teaching responsibility to children. If you know the specific reason why you want a dog, it will narrow down the choices of breeds since every breed of dog has a specific use.
What is the activity level of your family? Are you always on the go or do you mostly stay home ? You don't want a dog that is very hyperactive if you prefer quiet evenings at home. If you are the type that likes the great outdoors, then a dog that prefers indoors in the air conditioning or by the heater probably isn't a good choice. Make sure the personality of the dog meets the requirements of your lifestyle.
How much room is available for your future pet? Do you live in an apartment or a house with a yard? If you have a good-sized yard then accommodating any size or breed of dog shouldn't be an issue. However, if you only have a very small yard or live in an apartment make sure to consider this when making your decision. Since a dog that likes to run a lot may not be happy if there isn't enough space.
Determine how much grooming you are willing to do. Dogs with long hair need more attention to grooming. Their hair can get matted when they are outside in tall grass or weeds. They require frequent trimming and baths to keep their coats healthy. Daily brushing is also necessary for a healthy coat. Short hair dogs are easier to care for. Trimmings are infrequent if needed at all. Brushing and baths are on an as needed basis instead of a near-daily requirement. Shedding occurs for every breed but some types of dogs only shed a couple times a year where others shed year round.
Do you want a puppy or an older dog? The disadvantage to getting a puppy is that it's nearly impossible to tell what its personality will be like later. Training includes housebreaking, using a leash, teaching verbal commands, not biting or chewing on furniture and more. Puppies take a lot of time to teach and train during their first year of life. Being able to teach and train your puppy to your specifications can be an advantage also if you're willing to spend the time it takes. Older dogs may or may not be trained easily depending on whether they've ever had training before. Some might be housebroken which is an advantage as is them not chewing on everything. Also with an older dog, you will be able to determine its personality and whether they will be calm or rowdy.
All it takes is a little time and some research to decide what kind of dog will work for your family. Hopefully the breed of dog you decide on will bring many good years of friendship.
Choosing A Dog Questionnaire
Purebred, Crossbred or Mixed-Breed
A purebred dog is a dog whose parents are both of the same breed. Humans create purebred dogs through selective breeding - inbreeding. Purebred dogs did not exist before humans manufactured them - a dog would simply breed with any other dog it chose, so there were no "purebreds", just a race of mixed-breed dogs. The advantage of choosing a purebred dog is that you can accurately determine his size, shape, and personality. So, for example, if you were to choose a Poodle puppy you would know with certainty what he will look like when he gets older, his approximate size, that he will be intelligent, and easy to train, and that he will hardly ever shed any hair.
A crossbred is the child of two different purebred dogs. Crossbreds are also known as designer or hybrid dogs. For example, if you cross a Labrador and a Poodle, you get what's known as a "Labradoodle".
A mixed-breed is the result of two random dogs who mate. Also known as mongrel, random-bred, or mutt. For example, a mixed-breed is the result if a Purebred, such as a Poodle, and a Crossbred, such as a Labradoodle mating.
Puppy or Adult
You can choose between a puppy or an adult dog. A puppy is a blank page ready to be written. How he turns out is half up to you, and half up to his genetics. With puppies, you don't know exactly how they're going to turn out either - until they become adults. So, one of the pluses of choosing an adult dog from a shelter is that you already know what you're going to get. If you choose a puppy, you will get him at 8 to 12 weeks of age - the time when he is ready to leave his mother - also the time when he is incredibly cute! He will need to be socialized. This means letting him spend time with other dogs and pets and people. He will need some basic obedience training -learning such commands such as sit, stay, off, down and come. He will also need to be housebroken so he doesn't eliminate inside. If you choose an adult dog, on the other hand, you can choose one who has already been housebroken and had some obedience training.
Boy or Girl
Male dogs are more dominant and aggressive to other Male dogs. They will also urine-mark their territory. Other than that, male and female dogs are generally very similar in the way they behave.
Small, Medium, Large or X-Large
Small dogs are a lot cheaper to keep and maintain. The cost of feeding a large or giant dog can be double or triple the price of feeding a small dog. Large dogs also do larger poos and wees. Small dogs live a lot longer than larger dogs. The average lifespan of a small Yorkshire Terrier is around 14 years. Whereas the average lifespan of a giant Bullmastiff dog is around 9 years. Small breeds also reach their full size a lot quicker than large breed dogs. A small breed will reach it's full size by about 5 months, whereas a giant breed will take about 18 months to reach his full size.
Both Michael Russell & Jessice Grace are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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