Choosing The Right Dog

Before you rush out to find your new canine companion, there are some very important questions which you must first ask yourself. Spending a little time answering these questions will assist you in choosing the right dog for you and your family. Here are just a few of them:

"Why do you want a dog?’

Perhaps you're looking for an active, intelligent dog who you can take for long walks or energetic runs in the dog park.

Or maybe you'd prefer a dog who is happy to lie around all day without asking too much of you.

Maybe you're looking for a dog who wants to be by your side wherever you go.

Or maybe you need a guard dog who will provide security for you and your home.

Answering this fundamental question is the first step to choosing the right dog, as it will help you to decide which breed and age of dog you should be looking for.

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“Have you owned a dog before?”

How much experience do you actually have of owning a dog? If you have owned a dog previously, would you say that he considered you to be the ‘pack leader’?

Assessing how much experience you have will show you where you need to begin with your own knowledge building and training.

“Do you have pets already?”

Choosing the right dog to integrate with any existing pets you have is very important. If you already own a dog, then you may want to consider what its temperament characteristics are, so that you can try and select a companion who will compliment his personality. You may also want to think about whether it would be better to introduce an adult dog or a puppy as your new pet.

“Do you have young children?”

Kids and dogs can forge wonderful friendships. However, dogs who are not used to having children around, or who haven’t been properly socialised should obviously be avoided if you have young children. Thoroughly researching a dogs background is always vital, and particularly so in this situation.

“How much exercise will you be able to provide for your new dog?”

Perhaps you have a huge garden that your dog can happily run around all day long.

Maybe you live in an apartment, in which case you’ll need to be prepared to take the dog out for its regular exercise.

Maybe your other commitments mean that exercising the dog yourself could be difficult, in which case you could consider using a local dog walking service.

“How much time will you be able to dedicate to training?”

Choosing the right dog for you is not just about selecting a dog based on your answers to the above questions, however. Training, more than any other factor, will determine how successfully your new dog integrates into its new environment. It is essential that your dog is taught which behaviours are acceptable and which are not. It is just as vital that you learn how to show confident leadership to your new dog. Attaining each of these goals will require on-going training for you both.

 
“Adult dog or puppy?”

The age and background of your chosen dog will affect how much time, effort and dedication you will need to put in. A puppy, for example, will need to learn everything from ‘house-training’ to ‘not jumping up’ from the very beginning. On the plus side, a puppy is something of a ‘blank canvas’ and training may be made easier by his lack of previously learnt bad habits!

If you have plenty of time, patience and determination, you may want to rescue and rehabilitate an adult dog from a Rescue Centre in your area.

If time is going to be a problem, then you may want to opt for adopting a well trained, well socialised and well behaved adult dog who, for whatever reason, now needs a new home. This dog is likely to have more deeply engrained ‘good behaviours’ which hopefully will be easily transferred to its new situation.

To read more tips on choosing the right dog, see How to choose the right dog (page 2).

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