Choosing The Right Dog For Your Lifestyle

When choosing your dog there are multiple things to consider to ensure your dog fits in with your lifestyle and that they are fulfilled in life.

Energy Level: If you are active then a dog that requires a lot of exercise may be ideal for you. Working breeds have energy and stamina, whereas other breeds tire easily and are happy to remain at home.

Size: Small dogs are great in small homes or if you need to keep it under control easily. Larger dogs have more power behind them so can be more challenging, they also require more room to roam.

Age: Puppies require a lot of upkeep and training, they teeth which means things will get chewed up. They need toilet training and regular feed times. The perks of a puppy is bonding with the dog when it is young and developing that relationship together into your lifestyle. Rescue dogs that are adolescent or mature may even be a better choice for you as they would already have training and they would be calmer than a puppy. Older dogs would suit people who don’t have the time to house break the dog or the elderly, who need less puppy destruction.

Temperament: When choosing a dog it is best to meet and interact with your potential new family member, this allows you to pick up on any genetic traits that they naturally display. Genes play a large part of a dogs temperament as they can be naturally conditioned to behave a certain way. In addition to the dogs upbringing, this may give you the opportunity to encourage the behaviours that suits you.

Grooming: Some breeds require more maintenance than others; this includes regular brushing, clipping and baths. Depending on the breed and how much / how often they shed, you need to be sure whether you are able to maintain their upkeep.

Family Friendly Dogs

Labrador Retriever: Popular pet, service dog, guide dog and working gundog.

Golden Retriever: Intelligent, confident worker.

Vizsla: Elegant, russet gold gundog.

Boxer: From Germany, lively, strong and family-orientated

Active Dogs

Border Collie: Naturally active and intelligent herding specialist and all-round worker.

German Shepherd Dog: Versatile worker and service dog noted for bravery and intelligence.

Giant Schnauzer: Powerful all-round worker with great stamina and endurance.

Springer Spaniel: The most popular spaniel for working in the field.

City Dogs

Papillon: Intelligent and dainty butterfly dog.

Maltese: Sweet tempered and smart.

Löwchen: Happy, lively dog.

Schipperke: The Flemish barge dog whose name means ‘Little Skipper’.

Country Dogs

Brittany: Hunt Point Retrieve breed.

Field Spaniel: Active sporting spaniel suited to country lifestyle.

Deerhound: Scotland’s ancient wolfhound, elegant and athletic.

Foxhound: Traditional English pack hound.

Companion Dogs

Cavalier King Charles spaniel: Sporting, affectionate and fearless toy spaniel.

Boston terrier: The smallest of the bull breeds, named after the city of Boston

Pembroke Welsh corgi: Traditional droving dog of Wales and iconic Royal favourite.

Beagle: The smallest of the British pack hounds.

Quiet Dogs

Pug: A lot of dog in a small frame.

Bichon Frise: Little white Mediterranean dog with soft corkscrew curls.

Havanese: National dog of Cuba with a silky textured coat.

Lhasa Apso: Originally kept by Tibetan monks as companions and watchdogs.