Dogs Worldwide

Picking a dog for a family pet is not something to be done lightly, how do you decide which is the right puppy or the right dog for you and your family we list a few suggestions below to help you make the right decision.

As with all things in life size does matter when picking a dog. If you live in an apartment, you can rule out large dogs. Look for dogs in the Toy group, such as Yorkshire Terriers, or some of the smaller dogs in the Terrier group, like the Miniature Schnauzer.

If you have children, you may want to rule out very small dogs, or puppies, such as Chihuahuas or Maltese. They are delicate and can be accidentally injured by young children.

On the other hand, when picking a dog remember that very large dogs, such as Boxers or Saint Bernards, can be overly boisterous and can accidentally turn your child into a human bowling pin. When picking a puppy choose medium size dogs such as Fox Terriers or Lhasa Apsos.

When picking a dog consider the amount of exercise you will be able to give the animal. If you live in a small house with little room to the back will the dog have to stay in all day, or if there is a good size back yard can you fence it in and let the animal stay out during the day. If the latter then you might be able to consider a larger breed of dog, or one that requires more exercise.

Some dogs noteably hight energy dogs like the German Shepherd will require intensive exercise. When picking a puppy consider the amount of long walks you will be able to give the dog and that doesn’t mean once a week it means every day!

When picking a dog consider also its grooming needs. Some breeds need only half an hour or so of grooming a week, while others require an hour a day. If you are short on time, don’t buy a Standard Poodle or a Maltese — unless you plan to take your dog to a groom. Breeds like Boston Terriers or Whippets are good choices for people who don’t have time for a lot of grooming.

When picking a dog you will need to find a reputable dog breeder who has a litter of the appropriate breed. Often, a good breeder will have a waiting list for puppies.

If you aren’t the patient sort, you may be tempted to buy a puppy from a pet store. In our opion this is most unwise as a great deal of these puppies come from dog farms and puppy mills and carry genetic and health defects. Pups from puppy farms often have bad temperaments and other soical problems. Do yourself a favour and when picking a puppy go right to the source and buy from the breeder even though you may have to wait that little bit longer.

One of the main advantages over picking an older dog is that these dogs are usually housebroken and frequently have some obedience training. They are also less likely to be hyperactive and destructive. However, they can have behavioral problems or health problems that prompted the former owner to find them a new home.

Consider also when picking a puppy giving your local animal shelter or dog rescue center a call. Good shelters and rescue centers will help you evaluate the dogs’ health and temperament before they will allow you to take the animal home.

Once you’ve decided on the breed you want, then the next and possibly the most enjoyable part of picking a dog is to decide on a name – and that can be fun!

Tags: picking a dog

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 27th, 2009 at 09:57 and is filed under Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.