Adopting The Perfect Dog

 

Many dog lovers will reason that any dog is an excellent companion. Indeed dogs by their friendly nature are good companion dogs. In the strict sense though and for differentiation, dogs that do not work and do not particularly stand out at any task apart from companionship is a companion dog. When the decision for adopting a dog is to possess a companion, the choices will be limited in general to smaller dog breeds that are expected to serve no particular task except that as a pet and as a comforter.

This tradition of having small dogs for decoration dates back thousands of years to Chinese nobility where the Pug and the Pekingese where favorites. In Europe, lap dogs are also commonplace with royalties and the wealthy throughout history and are still used as gifts today. As a matter of fact because of their in general small breed, companion dogs loves to sit on their owner's lap that earned them the expression of lap dogs aside from their comforting warmth.

Several companion dogs for instance the Maltese, terriers and spaniels were breed with the aim of serving good company for refined ladies and gentlemen during the 19th century. Children and dogs though have this natural affinity to one another that interest in companion dog breeds increased. In the 20th century, middle and lower classes began having companion dogs to chum up with their children. As a matter of fact, the parameter by which an excellent dog breed is measured on is in the dogs being a great household pet. By that it implies that the dog is friendly to both man and different smaller animals and gentle.

Companion dogs have a life expectancy of up to 16 years. They weigh, dependent on the breed, from 4 to 16 pounds and are prone to ailments that are connected to size. Before adopting a dog for a companionship, it might be well to do a little research regarding health, ailments, and different breed specific issues on health.

Companion dogs being in the main small dogs are energetic and rambunctious. While they are not ideal around children as they move very fast, they're good company to the elderly who would benefit from using extra cheer around the house. One of the down-side to having a companion dog is that because of their size, they're susceptible to larger animals. When you are located in areas where winters maybe freezing cold, you would wish to consider companion dog breeds that are fluffy or are longhaired.

The benefits far outweighs the risk though as these dogs are content to follow wherever their owners go, are very simple going, and are content to sit with their owners for hours of time. They're excellent pets for people living in small apartments, they also cost less to keep up and are good for people that are less active as the running around the house is exercise enough for them.

A few of the most popular companion breed dogs are the Chihuahua, Pomeranian, Yorkshire Terriers, Pugs, Dachshunds, and Shih-Tzus.