Getting a dog is a very exciting time, but you’re probably wondering how to know which dog breed is right for you.
With so many breeds out there and even mix breeds, the decision can be tough.
Of course, if you’re a dog lover, any dog will be perfect in your eyes – but there are still things you should think of up-front such as temperament, grooming needs, personality, and even possible health problems.
There are many different quizzes you can take and they’ll be able to approximately tell you which breed might be great fit for your needs.
However, it’s always recommended to learn a couple of things before selecting a right breed for your needs. You’re in the right place as that’s exactly what I’ll show you in this article, so keep on reading!
Why is it Important to Choose a Dog Breed from the Start?
Choosing a dog breed isn’t something you can wing it as you move on, and even though many people do it – it’s not highly recommended.
Just the number of breeds is huge and each one of them has different traits and pros & cons you should be aware of.
You can be the most caring dog lover – but you still want to make a couple of things easier for yourself in the long run.
I believe that we can love any dog we get and we can deal with anything that comes upon us – however, if you’re not adopting a rescue dog and yet you’re only interested in a pure breed, it would be silly not to browse the breeds and weight the pros and cons of each one of them.
This will at least let you know what to expect in the future but it will also be able to tell you much more about the way you will be grooming and raising/training the dog.
It’s nothing complicated, and we’ll continue straight with the things to know before choosing a dog breed so keep on reading!
How to Know Which Dog Breed is Right for You?
The most important things you should think of when choosing a dog breed is the following:
- Potential challenges with the temperament
- Grooming requirements/needs
- Possible health problems
- Personality
Along with all of that, you should also consider the size, activity a dog breed requires, and even personality as it can all lead you search in the right direction of finding a dog breed that will fit your lifestyle.
All dogs are different, but there are many similarities among the breeds such as the personality traits, possible health problems, grooming requirements, and temperament challenges.
That’s why it is important to “get to know” a breed even before seeing the dog in person as this will prepare you to know exactly how much time you will have to spend grooming the dog, keeping it entertained, training it, or even just taking care of it on a daily basis.
Even though we’d love to spend all of our time with our precious dogs – it’s impossible as most of us lead busy lifestyle and that’s why it’s important to follow these aspects to find a dog breed that will fit well into your family/lifestyle.
Is Dog Breed Connected to a Personality?
Dog breed is definitely connected to the personality and if you did your research, you could come up with personality explanations for each dog breed there is.
And why is this important?
Depending on where you live, how much space you have, or how busy your schedule is – you would want to find an ideal dog breed that will fit your lifestyle.
Some dogs require a lot of attention while others don’t and it’s up to you to determine how much time you can devote to your dog on a daily basis.
Thinking of this up-front will help you make a good choice and won’t leave your dog sad without having the extra attention it needs.
Each breed has a different personality traits and knowing even at least a couple of things about the dog breed will help you determine whether this dog breed will fit your schedule and lifestyle or not.
Can You Make a Mistake When Choosing a Dog Breed?
No matter which dog you get – I guarantee you that you will love it. This means that there is no good or bad dog breed and you can’t make a mistake when choosing a dog breed.
However, you can do your homework up-front to find and choose a dog breed that will fit well within your family, lifestyle, or just your current living situation.
Therefore, you shouldn’t feel stressed when choosing a dog breed. However, write down all dog breeds that you are interested in and then try and see which dog breed would fit your living situation the most.
And how do you see which dog breed would fit you well?
It all goes back to the things you should know before choosing a dog breed (explained above) as these are the most important factors to consider.
Of course, most people start by determining a size of the dog they could have in their home, the fur type or color they would like – but things go a bit further and involve the personality, requirements, grooming needs, and even possible health issues to be aware of.
Conclusion
Most people choose a dog breed very spontaneously and that’s fine as long as they’ve prepared themselves and have learned everything there is about the breed they’re interested in.
If you still don’t know what breed would be ideal for you – you shouldn’t stress yourself out over this. Keep looking and write down all breeds you like.
From there, read the article again and try and see which dog breed would fit your situation/family/lifestyle the most.
I should mention again that there is no good or bad dog breed as that’s now how it works. However, each one has pros & cons that might not be the same for everyone.
After all, it all depends on you so you shouldn’t listen what others suggest you – but you should try and come up with a dog breed that you would like the most and yet it would fit in well with your surroundings.
What is your favorite dog breed and why? Do you now know which dog breed is right for you?
I would like to hear your thoughts about the right breed of dog for you. You may leave your questions and comments in the section below and I will be happy to respond.
All the best,
Barbara
Founder/Creator: Love A Rescue Dog 🐶
lovearescuedog93016@gmail.com
“Saving one animal won’t change the world, but for that one animal, the world changes forever”
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Thank you Dario. It worked and I was able to reset my password.
Barbara
Thank you so much for this incredibly insightful article, Barbara! As an avid dog lover (I have three dogs-a golden retriever, a German shepherd, and a pomeranian), I completely agree that one should consider all aspects of a dog before choosing a particular breed. My dogs fit my lifestyle and personality perfectly-they’re loyal, loving, energetic/love to have fun (like me. Haha), great protectors of the home, they love to cuddle with me at night, but they also know when I’m working and need to concentrate (they’ll take a nap while I’m working. Haha). Dogs are true members of the family, and we want to make sure that they feel that way! Great read! God bless you!
Hi 👋 CN
Thank you very much for visiting my article Know Which Dog Breed is Right for You and for your wonderful comments. I appreciate your insight on this subject. I truly believe that a person should choose a breed of dog that closely fits their personality.
When you see a dog in a shelter or rescue organization, you kind of sense their personality and demeanor. You and the dog have an instant bond, then you can be sure you have chosen the right one. In my case, I prefer small breed dogs because I don’t feel they are overly powerful. I also prefer smaller breeds because they are easier to handle when it’s time for walks, bathing and grooming. The dog breed you ultimately choose, should match your requirements. You should be a good fit for each other or you will both be miserable.
Regards,
Barbara