How to Choose a Dog Breed

Take the hard work out of choosing a dog breed to suit your family.  When we were recently asked "What Dog Breed would you suggest?" we came up with these simple questions to ask yourself before choosing a dog breed to suit your lifestyle, the time you have available to exercise your pet and how to adopt an abandoned dog.

Ask yourself these simple questions to choose the right dog breed for you

1.  What Space is Available?

To a large degree, considering how much space you have should narrow down the size of the dog you would look at. In conjunction with that; also decide if you are prepared to give it a lot of regular exercise or maybe want one that may not need so much. Will your dog be an inside dog or an outside dog or a bit of both? Some breeds although being large may not need a lot of space.

2.  Exercising the dog.

Who is going to exercise and walk the dog? (that's always a good question for the family) and a good question for those wanting an active dog breed. (A dog could be a good motivator to get out and do some walking.) If you love running then look for a breed that can match your running ability. Consider how active you are and try to match a dog or a breed to your activities.

3.  Your family

Who will the dog interact with and how will they cope with the new addition to the household? Do you have small children that may be frightened of a huge dog breed or a family member who may not be able to control an excitable breed. 

4. Your gardens and gates.

Check to make sure your property is ready for a dog also. Gardens may suffer if you have a small yard, fences need to be secure and open doors and garages need to be secured. A Pet Barrier Dog Fence can help isolate and protect areas of the property to stop dogs digging or jumping the fence. 

5. How do I rescue a dog?

Once you decide on the size of the dog and how active a breed would suit your needs and family. You might get a picture of the type of dog that would suit your circumstances.  Look at the dog rescue sites we sponsor and troll through their masses of homeless dogs.  Click here to adopt a dog.

6. Maybe Foster first.

Most rescue sites will agree to let you take a dog 'on trial' or maybe you can sign up as a temporary foster parent. This might allow you to see whether the dog breed you chose will work for you. That way you can see how it interacts with the family and how it suits your home.

Re-homing dog organisations will have older dogs and also pups to choose from so they are definitely worth a look. You can even get a report on the dogs behaviour and temperament to decide if it fits your circumstances. 

Don't overlook adopting an older dog that will fit perfectly in to your home (and is already toilet trained ta-boot)

A Suggestion from our Facebook page.

One of The Dog Line's Facebook Fans, Geoff replied to our post about the dog breed he loves....

"Myself, the dog breed I am partial to is Shar Pei's but after having one I know that they are not the dog for an inexperienced owner such as myself at the time. There is a great book at the newsagent - "Selecting a dog" plus there are various websites that have a questionnaire on lifestyle and suitability. I am lucky, Teddy was a pound dog that after a period of settling in issues fits perfectly into my lifestyle and more to the point, that I modify it to fit into his."

The Dog Line is on Facebook... Follow us here! to see more posts like these from TDL and our dog loving fans!



Colin Seal
Here for you and your dog
The Dog Line

 

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