4 Tips for Choosing the Right Dog for You
Dogs come in a wide variety of sizes, colors, coat types, personalities, exercise needs, health needs,
and ages. You may want to rescue a shelter dog, but even that can be overwhelming because there
are so many from which to choose. Remember some dogs will need more training, some will need
more exercise, and some will be happy to just sit on your lap.
When choosing a dog, you need to think about:
• your lifestyle
• activities you want to do with your dog
• how much time and money you want to spend caring for your dog
• the personality you’d like your dog to have
Your Lifestyle: If you live alone in a high-rise apartment, a small dog will fit your lifestyle—and you
may even be able to train it to an indoor potty system. However, if you have a houseful of kids who
want a dog they can play with, you will want to investigate dogs like retrievers. If you travel a lot for
work, you may want to figure out what you will do with your dog when you are gone. For instance,
some boarding places charge more for larger dogs and you will have to pay extra for more playtime.
How much dog can you handle on a walk?
Activities: Are you a jogger or biker who wants the dog to jog with you? Are you a senior citizen who
wants a dog to follow you around the house? Or would you like to learn to do an activity like agility
or flyball with your dog? Will you be traveling and taking your dog with you? Don’t get a border
collie if you can’t do a lot of active things and aren’t willing to keep both its mind and body busy all
the time! On the other hand, two Yorkies or Shih Tzus would be very happy traveling in an RV.
Dog Care: If you adopt a dog over age 6, you need to realize it will have health issues much sooner
than if you adopt a puppy or young dog. The larger the dog, the lower lifespan it will have: giant
breeds like mastiffs often don’t live past 8-10 years, large breeds like retrievers live 8-13 years,
medium breeds live 12-14 years, and toys often live 13-16 years. Some breeds are more prone to
cancer than other breeds. A number of breeds need to be groomed every 4-8 weeks, so you will
have to learn to groom your dog or you will have to pay to have it groomed. Some breeds shed
constantly while others shed only twice a year and some don’t shed at all. That will make a
difference in how often you have to clean your house, how much you will have to brush your dog,
and how allergic you and your kids may be to the dog. Young dogs usually require much more
training and supervision. If you lack the time or patience to housetrain your pup or to correct
problems like chewing and jumping, an adult dog may be a better choice, but remember that if you
are getting the dog at a shelter, it may be there because someone else did not sufficiently train it.
Dog’s Personality: Every dog has a different personality and some are very true to the breed
description while others are very skittish due to having been abused or very outgoing due to being
socialized when they were young. By reading about different breeds on our website, you can
discover general guidelines concerning dog’s personalities. For example, terriers will chase anything
that moves (cats, children, squirrels, bicycles), so if you will be visiting young grandchildren with your
dog or if you have a cat, you may want to steer away from a terrier or terrier mix. Learn about the
personalities of various breeds, visit with animals at the shelter, and speak with an adoption
counselor for guidance.
While you're at the shelter, keep in mind that the animals there will be stressed out; quite often, a
dog's true colors won't show until he's away from other animals and the shelter environment. So
even if you walk past a kennel with a dog who isn't vying for your attention, don't count him out. He
may just be a little scared or lonely.
Although there are a multitude of choices when selecting a dog, just consider the decision process to
be part of the fun of pet ownership. After all, you get to choose how your loving companion for
many years to come will look and act. Welcome to the beginning of pet parenthood – a lifetime of
unconditional love, wet kisses, and warm hugs await you!
