FIVE THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A DOG…

Do you have any children or are you planning to have children?

Pick breeds known to tolerate children well – some breeds may surprise you. Boxers, Bichon Frises, Beagles, Labrador Retrievers, Newfoundlands, Pugs, Keeshonds and Collies are good choices.

How active is your lifestyle?

Some breeds such as Border Collies, Boxers, Retrievers and all hunting breeds, require several hours of heavy exercise every day – such as daycare or long runs. Other breeds such as Bulldogs, Mastiffs, Pomeranians and Westies have lower exercise requirements.

Do you have allergies?

Try these breeds:

  • Bichon Frise, a toy breed. Virtually hypoallergenic, this breed sports a double coat of loose curls with a fine, silky undercoat, and needs skillful grooming.
  • Belgian (or Brussels) Griffon. Comes in two types: rough-coated and smooth. Dogs of this breed with a rough, wiry and dense coat are non-shedding, however the smooth-coated variety does shed.
  • Cairn Terrier. Shaggy outer coat with a soft undercoat. Its natural “bed-head” coat does need careful maintenance, but hardly sheds at all.
  • Portuguese Water Dogs. This strong, muscular breed, once valued as “work dogs” that herded & caught fish, and carried messages between ships, has a single-layered, non-shedding coat.
  • Shih Tzus (correctly pronounced “sure-ds,” not “sheet-sue”), meaning “lion” dog. This breed needs daily grooming with a bristle brush, but sheds little hair.
  • Irish Water Spaniels. This breed has long, curly hair and a thick undercoat (to keep them warm in cold water), needs expert grooming, but still sheds little to no hair.

What activities do you want to do with your dog?

Pick a breed that suits those activities and understand that genetics cannot be changed. Like to train? Pick a breed that needs and desires lots of work. If you want to go to the lake, pick dogs who love to swim. Like to run? Pick dogs that are high energy. Want to go to dog parks? Pick a breed that is historically social.

Check out local rescues and do not buy from the Internet or a pet store.

Internet breeders may be puppy mills, selling mentally unsound or physically sick puppies and dogs as well as pet stores dogs. However, many very good dogs are waiting for new homes, and local shelters often have already done some of the training for you. Groups we like include:

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