So You’re Thinking of Getting a Dog
There are a number of factors to consider when getting a dog. In this article we’ll take a look at three of them: size, temperament, and ease of training. Research carefully before letting a dog into your life so you won’t be disappointed later on.
Size
The size of a dog in general should be suited to the size of the home. Large dogs need large homes. You may be able to get away with a large dog in an apartment, but the experts do not recommend it. If you do live in a small apartment or condo and decide on a large dog, be sure to give him/her at least one daily walk and plenty of exercise. Consider larger dogs if you have a family with small children or if elderly people live with you, since small dogs may be tripping hazards especially if the children are very active. If you are a first time dog owner, it’s a good idea to start out with a small dog. Large dogs have large appetites (and make large messes!). Large dogs often don’t realize that they are so big, and they often can play too rough. But if your heart is set on a large dog consider a Labrador or Golden Retriever. If you want huge, you can go with a Mastiff, Great Dane or Saint Bernard. If you decide on a small dog, some of the most common breeds are Boston Terrier, Jack Russell Terrier, Dachshund, and Pekinese.
Temperament
Any statements about connections between breed and temperament are generalities. You may find a specific dog whose breed is not noted for aggressiveness, but he is aggressive. The reverse may also be true. Starting at the gentle end, Greyhounds and Whippets make gentle pets as do Dachshunds. In spite of their massive size, Mastiffs are extremely gentle and make good pets. Beagles, Cocker Spaniels, Golden Retrievers, and Labrador Retrievers are popular, easy-going pets. At the other end, there are some dogs that will probably increase your homeowner’s insurance. The fierce temperament of the Pit Bull is well known. Other dogs in this category are the Siberian Husky, Rottweiler, German Shepherd, and Doberman Pinscher. These dogs tend to bite and exhibit other anti-social behaviors, but remember what I wrote at the beginning of this paragraph - with careful investigation you may be able to find a gentle individual dog in any of these breeds.
Ease of Training You don’t want your dog barking continuously, attacking visitors, or leaving deposits on your furniture. You also don’t want his training to become your life’s work. As you may suspect some breeds are fairly easy to train, and some are quite difficult. Breeds that were developed to be work dogs or guard dogs who will be left on their own (for example, terriers and hounds) will require a lot of training since they are designed to perform with little or no contact with humans. Some breeds simply have independent natures and will be hard to train. Those breeds designed to work closely with man (for example, retrievers, collies, and sheepdogs) are easier to train, since interaction with humans is in their genes. For some guides to training your dog, click on my website (see below).
Good luck in your search for a new addition to your family.
Joseph Starr writes on a variety of articles to keep his brain from fogging over. For more information see his blog about dogs at http://www.ajos77dogs.blogspot.com/
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.