Choosing The Right Dog For You And Your Family

Owning a dog is a huge responsibility, and deciding if you can properly care for a dog should be your first decision. After you have decided that you can properly care for a dog, the fun part comes in trying to choose what breed. Choosing the right breed can make a huge difference in how much you enjoy the ownership of your new companion. There are many different breeds to choose from, making the task difficult, but with a little research you can make an informed decision. The American Kennel Club recognizes 160 breeds of dog, which leaves a lot of choices for you. Each breed has their own uniqueness about them with more than just appearance, but temperament, activity level, and other needs. Finding the right fit for you and your family will make a difference. Lets go over the different categories to consider when looking for a dog.

Temperament: Just like humans different personalities get along and others don’t. Since you will be living with this dog for the span of its life, you want to make sure it has a personality you can handle. Yes, dogs have personalities and you can find some that surprisingly will match yours. There are active dogs and there calmer, laid back dogs, dogs that train well, and others as stubborn as a mule. A great dog for families is one that is social, loyal towards its owners, but weary of strangers. This kind of dog is great for protection but also a family pet that will bring much joy to the family. Some dogs need a lot of attention and this can be dangerous because with out it they grow bored which leads to mischief behavior. Some dogs like to be left alone, which isn’t always bad, but if they are never social they might not provide you with the companionship you are looking for.

Size: Depending on where you live, the size of dog you chose can be important, but sometimes the size is just personal preference. Many people these days like small, lap dogs, while others like huge dogs that you can give bear hugs too. Learning about the breeds average height, and weight will determine if you can handle a dog of that size once it is fully grown. They start out small as puppies, but some grow quickly and by large numbers. Larger dogs will require more food so factoring in cost of extra food is something good to remember. Little dogs can be more hyper and need to run around a lot, so having ample space for them to do so is important too.

Coat/Grooming: Keeping your dog groomed regularly not only keeps your house cleaner but is good for the animals health. The majority of dogs will shed, so keep that in mind. If you choose the right breed, some shed all the time, while some only certain times or very little. The more beautiful the coat, the more groom most likely necessary to keep it looking beautiful. Dogs with out long coats may need protection from the cold weather because of lack of fur, but they can still shed somewhat. Factor in how much it will cost for speciality grooming needs, for some breeds, or if you can handle properly doing it yourself.

Male or Female: There isn’t a huge difference between male and female dogs, but if your going to own a dog you have to take responsible measures by getting them spayed and neutered. That is if you believe in the practice of these procedures, but when done, they will eliminate the worry of unwanted breeding.

Puppy or Adult: Puppies are cute, we all know that, and the advantages of getting a dog as a puppy is raising it from the beginning, and hopefully training it to your liking. Training young dogs can be difficulty though, and costly if you need the assistance of a trainer. Puppies also need attention and can not be left alone for more than a few hours, meaning that you need to know that you can properly dedicate time to being with the puppy at a young age. To get them accustomed to things they need to be let outside frequently, eat frequently, and socialize frequently to get use to their surroundings. Older dogs, and or just adult dogs not puppies anymore, can be ideal in that they have fewer needs. Though, be careful of choosing one that might not have been trained properly. Like the saying you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, is true in that it can be difficulty to train a dog that is already set in its ways. Older dogs can be well trained already and sometime calmer and easier to handle and integrate into your lifestyle.

Health: Researching a breeds health history is really important, because some breeds are known for having hereditary diseases or conditions. Knowing everything up front will allow you do decide if those things are a problem if they occur down the road or not. Sometimes you want a breed for so many other reasons and are willing to risk having to deal with health concerns in the future. That is perfectly fine, but just remember the cost that might incur from them, you want to be able to proper care for a sick dog when needed. Pet health insurance is an option for being a responsible owner, because it will alleviate he stresses of a dogs lifelong health care needs. They will always need preventative care but sometimes the unexpected can occur and being ready for it will help. You can get pet health care insurance from many different sources and just like human health care insurance finding the right one can take time.

Hopefully this post gave some insight into the different things to consider when looking for a dog, take your time and you will find the perfect companion for you and your family. I would like to give credit to the source of information for this article The American Kennel Club. We here at Clear The Air, Earth Care Products are dedicated to eliminating the unfortunate side of owning a pet, that is odors from house-training new pets. We have one of a kind products to eliminate cat and dog urine odors, not just cover them up, and that are safe around your family and pets. We want owning a pet to be an enjoyable experience, and not a headache.