CHOOSING THE RIGHT BREED OF DOG

So now you’ve decided to buy a dog, now you have to decide which breed of dog you want. Do you want to buy a specific breed or adopt whatever dog “speaks to you” at the rescue shelter? Do research on the breed. Don’t simply get the dog because it looks cute or you’ve seen it in a movie. There are some websites like  http://www.iams.com where you can fill in some questions and they’ll give you some dog breed suggestions.

Here are some questions to consider:

• Do you want a pure breed or a “pavement special”?
• Do you want a small, medium, large or giant breed?
• Do you want a lazy, average or highly energetic dog?
• How big is your yard, will it be suitable to the dog’s size and energy level?
• Do you want a lap dog, a dog that doesn’t like to be picked up or a dog that doesn’t mind either way?
• Will it be an inside or an outside dog?
• Do you want a dog with long hair or short hair?
• Does the breed need specialized grooming (a specific haircut)?
• If you have a dog allergy in the family, is the breed of dog “hypoallergenic”?
• If you get a highly energetic dog, will you have 1-2 hours a day to walk/exercise it?
• If you live in a complex, does the corporate body allow big dog breeds?
• Do you want a dog that likes living with other pets or a territorial dog that likes to live alone?
• Will it be an inside or an outside dog?
• Do you want an aggressive dog or a friendly dog?
• Will the dog fit in with your life style?

Next: Buying from a private seller.

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