WhitneyChoosing a Dog For Your Family
November 15th 2008 04:18
Because there is such a controversy over what dog breeds make the best pets, I think that it is important for families to really sit and talk about what dog breed would best suit their family.
All of this sort of started when I was talking with a coworker the other day. She and her husband are going to get a dog for theri two young daughters this upcoming spring. They have sat down as a family and talked about what everyone wants. One daughter wants a big dog, the other an English Bulldog, and the parents want a medium sized dog. Well, the large dog is out because the parents want medium, and the English Bulldog is out because the mother says there are too many health problems assotiated with them. So, as a family, they decided that adopting a medium sized dog would be best for them.
This is something that I wish more people would sit down and do. Talk about whatever everyone wants and find that nice in-between that everyone will love.
It doesn't matter what breed the dog is. What should be considered is the amount of grooming that the dog will need, the intelligence level of the dog, averaged breed temperament, health problems, and the dog breed's averaged activity level.
Yes, all of this is breed specific, but that doesn't mean that you should focus on the breed. You want to focus on the details and have the dog breed fall into place.
You also want to consider you experience level as a pet owner as to what dog breed that you end up bringing home. Some breeds are more stubborn and adament than others, which means that you will need to make sure that you know to be consistant and level with the dog at all times. This means that if you have never had a dog before, then you will probably want to stay away from dogs that are prone to being stubborn, hard headed, and aggressive.
Just remember that when picking out a dog, you consider all options, even those that you wouldnt normal consider. You want to make sure thaty ou pick the best dog for your family, and will be hard to truly find the best dog for your family if you are not considering all options.
You really want to consider the level of grooming, intelligence, health problems, and activity level in the particular dog breed or mix thereof.
For example, if you are looking for a low-key and low activity level dog, then you don't want to get a dalmatian, australian shepherd, or any other dog breed that is prone to hyper-activity. If you're looking for a dog with minimal grooming then you don't want a poodle, schnauzer, or any other dog breed or mix-thereof that is prone to needing constant grooming.
All of this sort of started when I was talking with a coworker the other day. She and her husband are going to get a dog for theri two young daughters this upcoming spring. They have sat down as a family and talked about what everyone wants. One daughter wants a big dog, the other an English Bulldog, and the parents want a medium sized dog. Well, the large dog is out because the parents want medium, and the English Bulldog is out because the mother says there are too many health problems assotiated with them. So, as a family, they decided that adopting a medium sized dog would be best for them.
This is something that I wish more people would sit down and do. Talk about whatever everyone wants and find that nice in-between that everyone will love.
It doesn't matter what breed the dog is. What should be considered is the amount of grooming that the dog will need, the intelligence level of the dog, averaged breed temperament, health problems, and the dog breed's averaged activity level.
Yes, all of this is breed specific, but that doesn't mean that you should focus on the breed. You want to focus on the details and have the dog breed fall into place.
You also want to consider you experience level as a pet owner as to what dog breed that you end up bringing home. Some breeds are more stubborn and adament than others, which means that you will need to make sure that you know to be consistant and level with the dog at all times. This means that if you have never had a dog before, then you will probably want to stay away from dogs that are prone to being stubborn, hard headed, and aggressive.
Just remember that when picking out a dog, you consider all options, even those that you wouldnt normal consider. You want to make sure thaty ou pick the best dog for your family, and will be hard to truly find the best dog for your family if you are not considering all options.
You really want to consider the level of grooming, intelligence, health problems, and activity level in the particular dog breed or mix thereof.
For example, if you are looking for a low-key and low activity level dog, then you don't want to get a dalmatian, australian shepherd, or any other dog breed that is prone to hyper-activity. If you're looking for a dog with minimal grooming then you don't want a poodle, schnauzer, or any other dog breed or mix-thereof that is prone to needing constant grooming.
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