How to Choose the Right Dog for You

Before I will discuss how to choose the right dog for you, there are a couple of questions you would have to ask yourself. I put together a check list for you to make sure you are able and 100% willing to make such a huge comittment to take responsibility for a living being which requires time, money, patience and much more. If you can answer all questions in favour for a pet, then you are ready for a new family member which will love you unconditionally and enrich your life.

1) Do you or any other person in your household suffer from pet allergy?
This also includes e.g. the in-laws and close friends who visit you frequently as a dog will affect them, too.
If so, it will be very hard to keep a dog within the family although he is supposed to be part of it.

2) Would you allow your dog to come into the house / live in the house with you independent from its size?
Honestly there is little sense in keeping a dog all day and night in the backyard.
He will be wet, dirty, bored (hyper) and not happy as dogs (same as wolves) want to be part of the pack (your
family) and it is not natural to keep them apart for a long time.
Exeptions are working dogs, farm dogs etc. who can run around, burn energy and are occupied without
enclosure.

3) Can you afford a dog?
The last time my VET had just a look at my dog (!) I had to pay 20 pounds! Food, accessories, VET bills, treats
and medicine need to be paid for the next 10-15 years. If you ever get the chance to watch Animal Cops
you see what I mean...an insurance would be an additional expenditure, too.

4) Does everybody in your household loves dogs?
It is not enough that you want a dog, everybody should at least like dogs to be able to make up a strong pack.
The family peace is more important than getting a pet, as it will feel if something is wrong.

5) Do you have other pets already?
If you already have another dog you might want to test how the dog reacts to another dog in the house,
e.g. get a friends dog to stay without its owner for a couple of days and see how your dog takes the change.
Does your dog need or want any company? Do not be selfish getting another one just for the sake of it as it
will stress your dog out.
My dog is great with other dogs in the house as long they are visitors but as soon I wanted to give a local
stray a home with us he went for the other dog everytime I turned my back. My dog does not want company
in the house and I had to give the stray another home as my dog comes first at all times.
If you own cats and other animals, have a think how to protect them until the newcomer got used to them /
or the other way around.

6) Do you have a baby / small children?
If so you will be very busy and might want to wait until the children are a bit older, so they can accompany you
on your walks and be more safe around dogs. A dog needs a lot of attention and won't understand why you
have no time taking care of a baby, too.

7) Do you have access to parks, nice walks, fields etc.?
I had many dogs while living in a huge city but there were parks and lakes everywhere. Some areas don't
have that and then it will depend if you will be able to take the dog with your car, in public transport or taxi.
Here in Northern Ireland dogs are not allowed in public transport as well as taxis, which can be a problem.
Dogs need to have a run without the lead unless you are an inline skater or jogger.

8) Do you have the time?
I worked full-time and did not have a lot of time for a while, but I walked my dog every morning and straight
after work again and spent most evenings together with him. If you can do this everyday no matter how tired,
busy etc. then you will be fine. If not - do not get a dog, as every dog, no matter how calm, old or relaxed needs
good walks and company.

9) It does not matter how big your garden, flat or house is!!!
That is why I won't ask for it. I lived with a Rottweiler in an 1-bedroom apartment. He was one of the most
happy dogs ever as he got walked 3 times a day minimum. My current dog has a whole house and garden
now, that does not mean he makes more out of the space. He is sleeping, eating, chewing his bone,
thug-of-war playing etc. - you do not need inside space if you walk your dog properly.

Now I will discuss the many choices you can make when choosing the right dog for you and give you a couple of tips and my own experiences:

Should you choose a pedigree or mongrol?

Pedigrees are definitely people's first choice. They are bred to a certain standard and you know what to expect, e.g. in future size, look, certain character traits and you can breed them to a profit.

On the other handside pedigrees have a high possibility to inherite loads of breed specific illnesses and spleens and this will put your VET bills up. Additionally they are very expensive.

Mongrols are all in one lovely dogs. The fact that they are cross-breeds lowers the risk of inherited illnessess, they are cheap or even free and clever. Obviously fresh blood in any being can just be a good thing.

You have to ask yourself if you want to show off your dog to others as an asset, if you want to breed (bare in mind the millions of homeless dogs in dog pounds) or if you want a dog as a family member and addition.

I had pedigree dogs and mongrols and found the mongrols by far cleverer and easier to train. Both were beautiful alike and I loved all of them. Non of them had papers and I did not spend a fortune on them. All of them were all in all healthy (lucky me).

Should you choose a puppy or adult dog?

If you are busy and nobody is able to stay home for a couple of weeks to housetrain and take care of the puppy, you might want to consider an adult dog, who might already be house trained and used to the world.
If you are too busy, do not consider getting a dog.
It is a myth that adult dogs are not trainable anymore! My current dog was a rescue case and was an adult already. He was not trained at all, but won last years local obedience competition!
A puppy is a good option if you have children and / or other pets as it will be easier to integrate into the family, but again, an adult dog can be integrated, too dependent on temperament and your training.
Adult dogs, especially pedigrees are far cheaper or even free, although not much older as a puppy.

Should you choose a rescue case?

If you want to rescue a dog you might get the best dog ever! My current dog is a rescue case unlike all the others before him and the only one who literally tries to read my mind. He was emaciated and fearful whenever I got him, now all he does is trying to please (attention to how they behave in the pound, as quiet or loving ones are easier than barking and agressive ones, which you should only go for if you have previous experience with such cases).
A friend of mine always rescued Dobermanns. Her third one she bought as a puppy and this dog listens far less to her and she says all the other ones were easier and more loyal.

What size of dog would suit your family?

As I had all sizes I have to admitt that I like medium size dogs for the following reasons, although everybody might have different needs or wants:
- Nobody is afraid of a medium sized dog (unlike to the hassle I went through with my Rottweiler or the insults my friend with her Dobermann has to listen to!) and people stay friendly whenever I let him run without the lead.
- you can play ruff with them without hurting them or them hurting you, which might be the case with very small or very large dogs, especially if you have children.
- most medium sized breeds are pretty friendly and easy to train although some such as Collies, Springer Spaniels and Labradors can be very hyper and need extreme exercise

Opt for a large dog, if you are physically able to safely handle it, if you have no small children, if you have the possibility to give the dog exercise and let it run without getting in trouble with other people being afraid of it, if you can pull through a constant training or if you really need a guard dog (although smaller dogs can do a very good job, too). Remember to socialise large dogs well, as unsocialised large dogs are a risk for smaller dogs. I always let all my dogs say hello to every other dog (unless the owner did not want it). This ensures there won't be fights with blood shed.

If you opt for a small dog, please bare in mind that it still needs exercise and must be treated as a dog and not as a toy in order to give it a happy life. Most people lift their small dogs, whenever another dog comes....wrong! In the first place they are dogs and although the owner does not seem to know it, the other dog will!

What breed should you pick if opting for a pedigree?

Every breed has certain character traits which can be read at the appropriate websites, books, magazines and so on.
The best breed will depend on yourself, your family, your time and training abilities!
There are certain breeds, which are considered "beginner's breeds", such as Labradors and Golden Retrievers. Those breeds are pretty balanced, easy to train, generally carry a low risk of canine agression and are widely accepted in society as "nice" dogs, which will facilitate a lot of aspects of having a dog.
If you have an active livestyle other breeds such as Collie, Springer Spaniel, Jack Russel etc. would be perfect for you.
As an experienced dog handler you can choose breeds with higher training maintenance such as Rottweiler, Dobermann, Bull Dog etc.

Please research your decision well and I hope this article will help you getting on the right track. Enjoy the search for the perfect family member! It is worth it as it saves you and the dog from disappointments, stress and even re-homing!