Choosing the right dog for you, your family, and your lifestyle
Saturday, March 24th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
You’ve decided: you’re buying a dog. But which kind? Dogs come in many sizes, and many different kinds of personalities.
Some dog lovers spend a great deal of time choosing the right dog breed before they decide to purchase a dog. For them, the dog’s breed is one contributing factor to its value. That is why most families who decide to get a dog, they know that choosing the right breed is crucial.
Today, there are 70 million dogs in the United States but the American Kennel Club only recognizes 143 breeds of dogs. Still, with these numbers, choosing the right kind of dog breed for the family can be very complex.
However, most pet shop owners contend that the reasons why the preference of the people in choosing their dogs may vary from one person to another is because each person has its own pre-conceived idea what he wants in a dog. It all depends on the physical attributes.
There are those who fancy the size, the shape of the face, the looks, or even the temper. But whatever preference an individual has regarding his choice for dogs, there are important factors that you must remember in choosing a particular dog breed.
Here is a list of the things that must be considered first:
1. The size of the house - do you have a yard?
Many people tend to forget this factor. The area of the house should be the primary factor to consider before buying the best dog breed available.
For example, if a future dog owner is living in an apartment, there’s no sense is buying a large dog. Obviously, it’s better to opt for those cute little canines that don’t need too much space to raise them.
Your dog needs a yard, too - as a rule of thumb, the larger the dog, the larger the yard.
2. The children - are they very small, or can they help to look after the dog?
If a future dog owner has children, it’s best to consider the children rather than his own preference. Delicate dogs like Chihuahua are not advisable because they are too frail to let the children take care of them. Big dogs like Saint Bernard could also pose some risk on the children. The bottom line is to choose a breed of dog depending on the age of the children and how many there are in the house.
3. The nature of your job - have you got the time to look after a dog?
For people who would love to have a dog but don’t have time to devote to grooming, consider a dog that doesn’t need a great deal of grooming like Terriers. Most Terriers have short hair and they don’t need a lot of fuss on their hair.
Boiled down, the best dog breed is the one that fits the kind of life the future owner has. Compatibility is the key in this kind of situation.
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