Choosing A Dog Breed

Dog is a mans best friend but how to choose the right one when there are over 400 dog breeds to choose from. Your personal favorite might be the German Shepherd or the Labrador retriever but then your home might not have enough space for the specific breed.

Hence you need to be extremely careful while selecting dogs especially because such a huge number of dog breeds exist. Some dogs that are bigger in size will require huge amount of space and hence you cant possibly make them live in a small apartment. So how do you choose the right dog out of the 400 dog breeds that exist? It is quite simple: all you need is to answer the following questions and you will be able to figure out the exact breed of dogs that you can adopt.

Q1: What dog size is good for you?
Never make the mistake of asking for a "good-sized" dog because for some breeders it simply means that you need dogs weighing around 25 pounds while for other breeders it means 75 pounds. Go on to the internet and visit some of the websites that feature all dog breeds. Check out the size and weight and then take a decision. Be clear about what you need.

Q2: How much space do you have at your home?
Is your home an apartment with three rooms and a balcony or is it a villa or a farm house. These are important aspects and need to be considered because some dogs need a lot of space. So if you are in a villa, you can go for different large dog breeds like the Doberman Pincher, German Shepherd Dog, St. Bernard, Greyhound etc. These are large guard dogs and very efficient. If you have a large home a Labrador retriever, Golden retriever, Irish Setter or a Dalmatian would be just perfect. If you are staying in an apartment then small sized dogs like cocker-spaniel, Dachshund, Pomeranian, Mini schnauzer, and Chihuahua would be just great.

Q3: How much exercise can your dog have?
There are some dog breeds like the retrievers and the Doberman that require a lot of exercise, running around, jumping and fetching exercises. There are dogs like Pomeranian and Chihuahua who need just a small walk in the park. You need to consider this aspect because the overall health of your dog and his growth will depend on the amount of exercise he can get. If you have a busy work schedule then it is better that you keep a dog who doesnt need too much of exercise.

Q4: How much grooming can you cope up with?
Some dogs require regular grooming especially those dog breeds that are hairy. Grooming is necessary because long hair is one of the causes of ticks and other skin problems in dogs. All dogs need grooming and some just need more. So you need to consider various aspects like the amount of time you can devote on grooming and the kind of monthly budget you have for your dog.