The Right Dog For You

You've decided that you want a dog. You realize the commitment that you are making. You are willing to invest the time, energy and money necessary to make this relationship work for you and your future dog. With those decisions behind you there are lots of questions left to answer. In choosing the type of dog you want, you need to consider your specific needs and lifestyle, the space you have, and your activity level. The breed, age and sex of the dog will be important factors in your decision.

The American Kennel Club recognizes over 140 breeds and there are just about that many different shapes and styles of mixed breeds. So which one should you get? In some instances, your individual needs or lifestyle may guide you to your choice. Other people may have fewer restrictions and they are able to choose from a wide range of breeds without making a mistake.

And then do you really want a purebred? There may be advantages of choosing royalty from the "Heinz 57" clan.

Which sex will be better for you, a male or female? Does it make any difference once they’re spayed or neutered?

You also need to consider whether you want to start with a puppy or an adult dog. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Usually the time you have available combined with what you want in a dog should help you to make this last decision.

What characteristics should your new dog have?

The dog you select should be one that closely fits your lifestyle and what you perceive your needs to be. To say there is one and only one correct dog for an individual just isn’t so.

Does Size Make a Difference?

In our practice we have as a client an eighty-year-old, 110 pound lady. Some might say that when choosing a canine companion, because of her physical structure, she should restrict herself to a lap dog. In her case, nothing would be farther from the truth. Although she has no background as a professional dog trainer, she and her 100 pound male Rottweiler get along perfectly with her always being in control. At the other end of the spectrum, we have 220-pound men that have difficulty handling their 15-pound mixed breed.

People vary greatly in their ability to train and care for dogs. Their physical size, age, intelligence, financial worth or occupation mean very little on which dog they should have.

Will Your Dog Have a Specific Purpose?

The first, and most important, question you must ask yourself is what purpose your new canine companion will hopefully serve in your life. Some may acquire the animal to satisfy very specific needs. It may be used as a hunting partner in the field, a guard to protect the home through barking or its aggressive appearance or behavior, a playmate and learning experience for children, etc. In most homes however, its role will simply be that of companionship. That is to say, it will be a four-legged friend that you enjoy being with regardless of your activity.

Every specific use or role for a dog comes with other subsets of choices. Individuals obtaining a dog for bird hunting must choose animals that are best suited for their type of hunting. Will it be for the upland field where a dog will be moving through cover all day? Some of these breeds will point the approximate location of the game (English Pointer); others will attempt to flush the bird into flight (English Springer Spaniel) while others are along only for the retrieve. Some are commonly asked both to hunt for birds in the upland fields and to retrieve over water.

Some animals used to guard a home or business from intruders only need to bark and a Poodle or Bichon Frise may suffice. They are telling whoever might be out there that it is impossible to enter the building quietly. Other dogs in the protection field need to display an intimidating appearance. Few breeds fill this bill better than a Doberman Pinscher or Rottweiler with lips curled back exposing their teeth. Other dogs that work in actual law enforcement capacities must sometimes be able to truly defend and protect with their physical abilities. This will probably mean a large dog that has the ability to knock a man off his feet.

If the dog is acquired for companionship alone, he can come with an infinitely wide range of characteristics as to size, haircoat, general appearance, and behavior. Almost any member of the canine specie regardless of its lineage would be acceptable.

What is Your Activity Level?

Your activity level dictates to a certain degree what type of a dog will best fit with you. A jogger can handle almost any breed providing the dog can keep up with him. A backpacker that hopes his four-legged friend can carry part of the weight needs a strong but not necessarily large counterpart. An elderly person that wants a lap dog certainly wouldn’t choose a St. Bernard.

How much Space Do You Have?

The amount of space available to the pet should also be considered as it relates to the activity level and overall size of the dog. Someone who has a rural home surrounded by 80 acres can probably accommodate any breed while the person living in a fifth floor, one room apartment may not want a 200-pound Great Dane. So many dogs are housedogs, i.e. they spend the vast majority of their life within the owner’s home. If this will be your situation, look at your home and yard and be realistic about the amount of exercise your pet can achieve within those confines. Remember that before they partnered with us, dogs in their natural state spent all of their time outside. They lead very active lives and only a few of those living with us today have given up very much of their natural desire for exercise.

A small active dog is obviously easier to accommodate than a large one but sometimes size will be found to be a moderator of behavior. A Yorkshire terrier may seem, and probably does, go ninety miles per hour all day long. However, adults of one of the giant breeds like a Saint Bernard typically sleep 16 to 18 hours a day. That is why some larger breeds often do so well in apartments or smaller homes.

How much Grooming Are You Willing to Do?

Most dogs with longer haircoats need more care. Longhaired dogs are usually a disaster if they are outside in long grass, weeds or brush. Their coats become matted and filled with everything they can snare. This may entail special grooming and frequent trimming, brushing or baths. Some owners enjoy keeping their pet looking its best while others consider it a burdensome chore. In either case, while this may not be a problem while the animal is a puppy, later in life she will require additional time or expenses for the owner.

Is the Sex of the Dog Important to You?

Many future pet owners take little consideration into whether they get a male or female. They may plan to spay or neuter the dog and assume that the care and problems for either sex will therefore be the same. Female and male dogs have unique differences in their personalities and these should be taken into consideration. Again we will admit there are probably as many exceptions to the rules as there are generalities about the two sexes, still some are frequently noted.

In their wild state, dogs are members of packs and constantly compete with other members for position within a dominance hierarchy. Many domestic dogs also challenge their human pack mate to determine their boundaries or in some cases for actual dominance. This is usually much more pronounced with male dogs, especially in those that have not been neutered. This often requires that the owner have more of a "take charge" attitude during training and thereafter.

If an owner of any dog, be it male or female, remains in control these dominance issues rarely become a problem. Still, for future owners who perceive themselves to be of a more timid nature, selecting a female dog can lessen the chances of these types of problems being encountered.

Another trait of male dogs, whether they are neutered or not, is their habit of lifting their rear leg while urinating. In wild and domestic dogs this is part of territorial marking. They deposit their urine on elevated or vertical objects leaving their scent for other dogs to note. For most owners, this causes little or no problem. However, some gardeners don’t like it as their bushes and shrubs are killed from the high nitrogen levels found in the urine of dogs. Some believe that neutering will prevent the dog from "lifting his leg" – not true!

Unneutered male dogs tend to "roam" or travel - sometimes great distances - seeking out females in heat. Leashes, fences, kennels or cable tie-outs curb this but there must be a lot of frustration bottled up in a restrained male dog that senses a nearby female that is in season ready to breed! Neutering, especially if done before one year of age will usually prevent this roaming behavior from developing. However, if an adult dog has made a habit of roaming for prospective mates it may continue even after sterilization.

Female dogs are typically easier to train especially during the housebreaking phase and grow up to be calmer pets. This statement, of course, is an over generalization as there are many exceptions. The major problem with female dogs, if they are not sterilized, are their once or twice yearly heat cycles and all problems associated with them. And if these are not dealt with correctly, the animal may become pregnant!

Is the Age of the Dog Important to You?

For most prospective owners, getting a dog means bringing home a two-month-old puppy. This is a decision that you need to think through carefully. For some first-time dog owners a puppy is the worst possible choice.

There are disadvantages in starting out with a puppy versus an adult dog. It is always more difficult to determine the ultimate personality of any dog when it is evaluated during its first few weeks of life. Remember that if we use the old adage about one year in a dog’s life is equal to seven or more years in that of a human, then a seven-week-old puppy you may be looking at is approximately a year old in human terms. Anyone would admit that it is nearly impossible to judge a human’s personality from what you are seeing as they lie in their crib!

Many experienced dog fanciers and trainers would remind us that this is a two-edged sword. While we may not be able to predict the future personality of the puppy, by starting with a dog of this age we will be able to have a greater effect on its development and ultimate behavior. Dogs are just like people in that many traits of their personality are a result of their genetic background. However, they are also a product of their surroundings. A puppy that finds itself in a loving home with lots of attention given to it will probably turn out much differently than a littermate that was tied to a tree in the backyard and whose only exposure to humans comes in a once-a-day feeding. By choosing a puppy, you have the potential to have a much greater affect on their personality than if you started with an adult.

Selecting a puppy versus an adult typically means you will spend a lot more time in training. That includes everything from housebreaking through leash training and verbal commands. Additionally, puppies have to grow through some less-than-delightful phases such as eating shoes, chewing on everything in sight, frequent trips to the veterinarian for vaccinations and wormings, additional expenses for neutering and so on. The selection of an adult dog bypasses most of these. Without exception, dogs take a lot more of your time during their first year of life. To many, this is the best part and they love the involvement – other potential owners simply struggle to find the extra time.

Puppies, even with all their additional requirements, are usually more expensive to purchase. There simply is a greater demand for them. They are cute, very appealing bundles of joy and it has become the typical method of acquiring a new dog. Many breeders have a long waiting list of prospective buyers. Older dogs on the other hand are often given up because their owners discovered they couldn’t give the time required or realized that having a dog wasn’t for them. Adults aren’t as cute as puppies and the market for them is much smaller. Typically they do not command high prices. In fact, many go "free to a good home".

There are several advantages in choosing an older dog versus a puppy. One is the predictability of what you will have in the future. The model you will have for the next several years is standing right in front of you. You can judge his temperament, size, whether he will shed excessively or not, etc. Additionally, with the help of your veterinarian, you can determine if he has any medical problems such as hip dysplasia. With a puppy we can sometimes only guess if conditions such as these will develop later in its life but when examining an adult most of these problems have already reached a diagnosable stage even if the animal is not yet showing signs.

© 2000 Drs. Foster and Smith, Inc.
Reprinted as a courtesy and with permission from
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