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How do you choose the right dog for you when there are so many breeds to choose from? What you DO NOT do is base your decision on the look of the dog. Choosing a dog is not like choosing a new hairstyle. You can't simply change it when it doesn't quite turn out the way you expected. Hair is hair no matter how you style it. A dog is not just a dog. A dog is a complex animal. More than that. Dogs as a class of animal are a number of complex beings, each of which is substantially different, each of which was bred for a different and specific purpose, each of which has its own genetic makeup - its breed characteristics - that cannot be changed like your hair. No, you choose a dog by first of all looking at yourself. What kind of person are you? Are you energetic and physically active? Then you want to choose a dog that is equally energetic and physically active. Are you a person who, whether by inclination or physical incapacity, is less than active? Then you want to choose a dog that is equally inactive. An active person can choose an inactive dog, but if a physically inactive person chooses an active dog then that is recipe for disaster. You cannot alter a dog's genetic makeup. It has been programmed very often over centuries and sometimes over millennia to perform certain tasks and to behave in a certain way. Attempt to meddle with that programming and you have a problem dog. Not through any fault of the dog, but because you failed to understand the needs of the particular dog you chose in the first place! Before we go any further, let's be clear on something. The fact that you are, say, a less than active person, does not mean that there are not still plenty of dogs to choose from. There are. There are dozens and dozens of dogs that will happily live a sedentary lifestyle. See Low Maintenance Dogs. Next you look at your circumstances. Do you live in an inner city flat or a palatial country pile? If you live in an inner city flat you can still choose a breed that requires a lot of exercise, it just means you have to go out more often and perhaps travel further afield to give it that exercise. Ideally though, you would choose a breed that requires less exercise and that will adapt more happily to a more confined environment. This generally - although not necessarily - means one of the smaller breeds would be best suited to your particular circumstances. Are you out at work all day or are you perhaps retired or working from home? Many breeds NEED the company of their owner and simply cannot cope with being left alone all day. Such dogs will not only pine in your absense, they may even develop destructive behaviour patterns as a result of it. Once again, not the fault of the dog. It cannot help the way it is programmed. If you are out at work for much of the day you would be better choosing one of the smaller, more independent breeds, that will be happy lazing around all day waiting for your return. Do you have children? Some breeds are simply not child friendly, either because of their size and the danger of a child being unintentionally knocked over in the dog's excitement, or perhaps because the breed, as is the case with sighthounds, was developed to chase down its prey and any moving object could be considered a target. Such dogs might still be child friendly, but not ideally suited to families with younger children. Do you have other pets? Some breeds simply do not get on well with other dogs, some may consider other small animals, whether pets or not, as prey to be hunted down. Do you or any member of your family suffer from allergies? That being the case there are still plenty of breeds to choose from, you just need to pick one that sheds less than most. You need to choose one of the hypoallergenic dog breeds. Do you have the time to groom a long-haired dog or a dog that requires constant grooming? Do you want a male or female dog? Do you want a family pet, a companion dog or a guarddog? All these things need to be considered before choosing the right dog for you, your environment and your cirumstances. So before you choose a dog just because it looks pretty or cute or because it will look good at the end of your wrist, think again. Learn about the history and function of each of the different breeds by reading What Dog?, A Guide to Help New Owners Select the Right Breed for Their Lifestyle, by Amanda O'Neill. Remember, you have a choice over what dog you decide upon, a dog does not have a choice in the way it is programmed. You can train a dog to walk to heel, come when it's called or sit by a kerbside, but you cannot change its inherited breed characteristics any more than you can change tomorrow's weather or the times of the tide!
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