Tips for selecting a dog breed
Now that you’ve finally given in to your family’s demands for a dog, the next step is selecting a dog breed to go in for. Of course, if you try and make every member of your family happy, you’d have to get as many breeds as there are family members. Every one, with his or her own personality traits would prefer a different breed of dog. Your teenage son would absolutely love to have a Rottweiler to fit his macho image, whereas your teenage daughter wants to up her cool quotient with her very own Chihuahua that would fit into her tiniest handbag. Your wife would most definitely prefer that gentle Labrador or Cocker Spaniel. As for you, you were perhaps thinking more on the lines of that gigantic Great Dane, so you and the dog would be the center of attraction wherever you’ll went.
What we do need to remember however in selecting a dog breed is that dogs too have their own personality traits peculiar to each breed. Rather than trying to achieve the rather impossible task of getting a breed that matches every member, you should try and get a dog that matches the family lifestyle. This requires a lot of forethought and planning in selecting a dog breed.
Many a time, we end up with a particular breed of dog just because a friend’s dog has littered and you’ve got one of the pups as a gift. This could turn out to be a complete nightmare if this little tyke grew up to be a huge dog completely out of sync with the rest of the family. Before accepting that gift, do a little research on the pup’s breed. The Internet, that bottomless pit of information is the best place for selecting a dog breed. You could find out about the dog’s exercise and food habits, its personality, life span and most importantly - the size of an adult dog of that particular breed.
You should never choose a dog just because that particular breed happens to be ‘in vogue’ at the moment. What happens tomorrow when the breed is outdated? Are you going to discard it to the back of your wardrobe like yesterday’s fur coat? When you bring a dog into your house, it becomes another family member. It is part of your family for life. The dog needs a lot of love and care and looking after. So take all these factors into consideration before selecting a dog breed.
Another factor to be taken into consideration in selecting a dog breed is the size of your accommodation. Do you live in a two-bedroom apartment in a condominium? However much you may be tempted, do not give in to the temptation of getting that Great Dane your friend offered you. Remember, all cute, cuddly Great Dane puppies grow up to be big, huge adult Great Danes. They would be miserable living in an apartment and you would be tripping over that dog a dozen times a day.
Climatic conditions are another deciding factor in selecting a dog breed. In the hotter tropics, shorthaired dogs like the Fox Terrier would fare better. On the other hand, longhaired dogs are best suited for colder climes. If you lived in the North Pole, believe me you would settle for nothing other than the Husky.