Which dog is right for me?

Choosing the right dog for you

There is no doubt about it dogs make wonderful pets. The important thing to figure out is which dog is right for you. There are hundreds of breeds of dogs, from miniature to giant breed dogs you need to ensure you choose the right dog for your lifestyle and living situation.

Dog Size

Small dogs, medium dogs, large or giant dogs- which do you choose? When choosing your dog think about what size he/she will become when they are fully grown dogs.  The size of a dog also dictates the amount of space they need when sleeping, and the amount of food they need. The amount of dog food needed varies greatly by the size and breed of the dog.  Remember puppies don’t stay puppies forever, and will grow into bigger pets once they are fully grown.

Dog Activity

All dogs need a certain level of activity, some need more than others. For instance a Maltese needs a lot less exercise than a Springer Spaniel. Requirements for exercise and play will be determined by the dog’s breed, age, size and overall health. Bored or un-stimulated dogs will become agitated and you can expect them to act out their frustration with bad behaviour. Insufficient exercise can also lead to health problems for dogs, so remember to consider the amount of spare time you have to spend exercising and playing with your dog.

Dogs that are good around children

Boxer – This dog is intelligent, curious, eager to learn, alert, lively, even exuberant and quite active. Loyal and attached to its master, cheerful and friendly especially with children but suspicious with strangers and it can even become aggressive in some circumstances.

Labrador Retriever – This dog is intelligent, responsive, hard working, friendly, sensitive and enthusiastic. Attached, obedient and devoted to its master, affectionate and patient with children, friendly even to strangers. It gets along well with other dogs and other household animals.

Golden Retriever – It is an intelligent, well balanced, not too noisy, sensitive, tenacious, watchful dog, with a good memory. It is attached, obedient and devoted to its master, loving and affectionate with children, watchful and cautious with strangers.

Bulldog – The bulldog is a lively, spontaneous, brave, well-balanced, intelligent, gentle and sensitive dog. Faithful and obedient to its master, it is tolerant and caring with children.

Beagle – This dog is energetic, lively, friendly, brave, intelligent and alert, with an independent nature. Loving and friendly with its master, it easily accepts children and even strangers.

Bull Terrier – Loving with children, it accepts them with pleasure especially if it was socialized from an early age.

Collie – Loving, affectionate and protective of its master, it is an excellent family dog. It is an unsurpassed playmate for kids and it is distrustful, suspicious with strangers.

Vizsla – It is an intelligent, gentle, even-tempered and eager to learn dog, obedient and devoted to its master, affectionate and loving with children, vigilant and protective without being aggressive with strangers.

Irish Setter – This dog is intelligent, energetic, lively, friendly, enthusiastic. It is obedient and devoted to its master, loving and patient with children and will bark at strangers.

Dogs with a high level of activity

Airedale Terrier – The Airedale Terrier can resist in bad weather and likes to live outdoors, in a large space, where it can get a lot of exercise, because it has a high level of activity.

Australian Shepherd – It needs daily exercise, space to move and it should also be involved in activities. It is happy with a sportive master who gives it a lot of attention.

Belgian Malinois – It is used to a lot of exercise in the open. It likes long walks and any other activity that burns its energy. It needs an active master with experience in raising dogs.

Collie – It is a dog resistant to weather changes; it needs a lot of exercise and activities with to a loving, active owner with a lot of experience in raising dogs.

Boxer – Having a high activity level, the boxer feels better outdoors where it can have a lot of space to move freely, but will do ok in apartments as long as it gets daily exercise. It needs training, socializing and exercise.

Labrador Retriever – It is a dog with a high level of activity which likes exercise, to work and therefore it is recommended to active people that have enough free time for the dog.

Golden Retriever – It is a dog with a rather high level of activity who likes to take daily exercise, to run alongside a bicycle, to swim, to play fetch, to take part in training, agility and fly ball contests.

Jack Russell Terrier – Being a terrier originating in fox hunting, this dog has a high level of activity and needs a lot of exercise to burn its energy.

Dalmatian – It is a dog with a high level of activity which likes to have space to move freely, to live with to an active master with experience in raising dogs. Is a large-sized dog and it’s hard to keep in a flat, but it can adapt, if it gets its daily exercise (long walks, running by a bicycle, in wide open spaces, swimming, playing).

Dogs with a low level of activity

Basset Hound – It has a low level of activity and it’s happy with short walks.

Bulldog – It is a breed very well adapted to living in a flat. With a low level of activity, it is happy with short, daily walks and for the rest of the time it loves to stay with the family. This dog is recommended to less active people

Pekingese – This dog feels good in a house or in a flat with a loving master or family, that is not very active. It has a low level of activity and it doesn’t like long walks.

Mastiff – It feels good in the open, but it can adapt to a flat if it is accepted by the family because it is a rather large dog. Even though it has a relatively low level of activity it must have the chance to play and walk daily.

Shar-Pei – This dog feels better in the open, with the possibility to move freely with an active master, but it can also adapt in a flat having a medium level of activity, if enough exercise is provided in order for it to keep calm indoors.

Dogs that require a lot of grooming

Afghan Hound – This dog needs special care. The fur must be combed gently and with finesse (every single bundle, not to miss any areas) twice a week. So, the brushing will take 1 hour. Every 2 months it will need a bath; a special shampoo for dogs, that doesn’t dry its skin should be used. The ears must be kept clean.

Collie – The short hair variety requires brushing and combing less often compared to the long hair variety which needs weekly and deep combing to prevent the fuzz from the inner layer from getting tangled. During the shedding period the brushing and combing must be made daily because it will lose a lot of hair.

Bichon – This dog’s fur needs to be brushed daily and must be cut from time to time to avoid becoming too long. The haircut style varies from country to country. Also, it will be washed regularly to keep its fur white and clean. The excess hair between the footpads and from the ears will be cut.

Borzoi – This dog’s fur needs regular combing and brushing. The hair between the footpads must be removed.

Shih-Tzu – The fur needs daily brushing to avoid getting tangled. The hair on the nose and forehead will be tied not to cover its eyes. This breed has very sensitive eyes and they must be kept clean at all times, by using special eye-drops. The ears will also be checked regularly and kept clean.

Pekingese – This dog’s fur must be combed and brushed frequently especially in those places where it can get tangled (belly, feet, joints of the legs). They must be accustomed from an early age to brushing not to have problems later on. The wrinkles on the face must be cleaned not to get infected, the ears must be kept clean and excess hair between the footpads must be removed.

Chow Chow – The fur of the long hair variety needs regular and intense brushing especially in the areas where the fur usually gets tangled. The dog must be accustomed to the brushing from an early age, so it doesn’t become difficult when it grows up. The fur of the short hair variety must be brushed regularly, but less often than that of the long hair variety. The brushing is done more frequently in the shedding period.

Lhasa Apso – This dog’s fur requires weekly brushing to prevent the hair from getting tangled but rough pulling can break the hair. A special solution can be used to prevent the hair from becoming too fragile. Dirt and hair must be kept out of the eyes not to irritate them. The ears must be kept clean and the hair between the footpads must be removed. The hair is combed with a parting from the nostrils, head, back to the tail.

Dogs that require minimal grooming

Rottweiler – This dog’s fur doesn’t require special grooming. In order to remove dead hair, especially during the shedding period it is recommended to use a rubber glove that is much more suitable than a regular one.

Pointer – The fur should be casual brushed to remove the dead hair bristles.

Doberman – This dog’s fur doesn’t require too much care. A rough glove can be used to remove dead hair during the shedding period.

Bulldog – This dog’s fur doesn’t require too much grooming. A brushing to remove dead hairs during the shedding period is enough. The folds on the face should be cleaned from time to time.

Dalmatian – This dog’s fur needs a more frequent brushing during the shedding period. For the rest it doesn’t shed much.

Dachshund – The fur of this dog must be trimmed 2-3 times a year. The claws should be cut very short.

Chihuahua – The long hair dog’s fur must be brushed regularly and for the one with short hair it should be brushed occasionally with a rubber brush.

Beagle – The coat will be brushed regularly to remove dead hairs. The ears should be kept clean.

Basset Hound – The loose hair must be removed with a rubber brush. The claws must be kept short and the ears clean. The skin folds must be kept clean to avoid infection.