medium breeds

Question
I am look for a new friend and i was wonder what the different qualities are in small, medium, and large breeds

Answer
I assume by qualities you are refering to traits, life span, benefits and liabilities.

For small breeds you are looking at a life span of around 18-20 years, with good health care. most can do on one walk per day, with regular potty breaks. remeber thaat every breed was breed for a purpose and many small breeds were breed as temple guards, or rodents control. Size is also a plus when you live in the city as they can get a fair amount of exersize in an apartment. theliabilities come from the trend to breed smaller dogs as the inbreeding causes additional madical issues. small breeds are also going to be the least expensive and easiest to aquire.

Medium breeds are those which have an average adult weight of 15 to 25-30 lbs. there are very few breeds which truely fit this group. these breeds are relatively inexpensive, but may need a fair amount of time to find, they life about 10-15 years, have relativly good health. Many are multi purpose breeds or hunting dogs. Few are guard dogs.

Large breeds are those which have an adult weight of 30-100 lbs. and live around 8-10 years. these breeds need different nutritional make up than small and medium breeds. they have been used for just about everything under the sun. Some have some major medical issues which every owner should be aware of.

and lastly there are the giant breeds which weigh over 100 lbs as adults and usually have a height close to 36 inches. they live on average 8-10 years and have the nutritional needs of the large breeds. most were used to hunt large game by sight or guard large estates.

as a rule of thumb you should do your own research on breeds before choosing the right one for youand your family. I suggest starting with a breed encyclopedia and progressing to a breed specific book. Many experts also suggest talking to a variety of breeders, vets, trainers and shelter workers, before choosing your new dog. For mixed or "designer dogs" you should read books on both breeds used in the creation of the "designer" breed the same goes for mixed breeds of unknown lineage.

Always remember that breed charateristics vary and one dog may not be as close to the ideal as another. as an example I have two beagles one loves to scent game and the other one would rather retrieve than scent game. one is very dog oriented and the other people oriented. They are both pure bred beagles. One from pet lines and the other from hunting line.