Choosing a Dog | Happy Healthy Puppy

What about Getting a Senior Dog?

Many senior dogs end up for adoption each year through no fault of their own. The owner may have died, someone in the family developed allergies, or the family moved.

There are even cases where the family simply decided they couldn’t bear to see their dog get older and pass away. A large breed dog is considered senior at about seven years of age, and a small breed is considered senior at about twelve years of age.

A senior dog rescue can be an especially good choice for someone who wants a dog that is less active and energetic. Many senior dogs have mellowed a lot by the time they reach their senior years, and really want nothing more than a little food, short walks, and love and affection thrown in for good measure. A senior dog adoption can get you unconditional love and a friend for life.

Quiz for Choosing a Dog

Are you really, truly willing (and able) to assume all of the responsibilities of having a dog?

This quiz for choosing a dog should help you determine if you’re really capable and willing to bring a dog into your life. If you can honestly answer yes to most of these questions, congratulations! You’re ready to consider choosing a breed.

Are you and your family able to commit 12 or more years to living with the dog? Could there be major, life-altering events in your future, such as divorce, moving to a different city, having children, or having to take care of elderly parents? Will you be able to take care of an aging dog that may have health issues?

Why Do You Want A Dog?

Do you want a dog?

There are a lot of wonderful reasons to want a dog to become part of your life. People want a dog for love, companionship, and even an exercise partner. But beware if you want a dog for one of the following reasons.

For your child When you buy a puppy for your kids, be well aware that the person cleaning up the dog poo, filling the water dish, letting the dog out at six in the morning will be… you. Do you think that your children will take care of the dog’s feeding, watering, and walking? If so, think again…

Borrow A Dog or Pet Sit For a Friend

If you’re serious about buying a puppy or adopting a dog, borrow or pet sit a dog.

To really get a feel for living with a dog, borrow the dog for as much time as possible: a week or two would be ideal. If you borrow a grown dog, consider how much extra work a puppy would be on top of taking care of a dog.

Deciding to borrow a dog is especially helpful for first-time dog owners, who often underestimate the work involved in choosing a dog. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea of how much fun it will be to cuddle with a new puppy and take her for walks.

It’s a lot easier to forget how much work it is to walk the dog after work when you’re tired to the bone, clean up dog poo in the back yard, feed and water the dog, and clean up after accidents.

Should you get a Puppy or an Adult Dog?

There’s no denying that puppies are absolutely adorable. They nuzzle into your neck, give warm kisses, gaze at you with soft, trusting eyes, and have sweet puppy breath. For many people, these benefits are well worth all the trouble that a puppy can cause.

When deciding to get a puppy or adult dog, it’s wise to consider that puppies are trouble in a cute little package. Puppies are definitely great at trouble . They chew shoes, soil carpets, ruin furniture, cry all night, bite toes, pull down drapes, chase the cat, bark at nothing, refuse to go outside to pee until 3:00 am, and generally disrupt everyone and everything around them.

Many people want to get a puppy because they can train and socialize it exactly the way they want. This is actually a pretty good reason to get a puppy, as long as you’re willing and able to undertake the huge responsibility of training and socializing, and aware of the uncertainties that come with getting a puppy.

Hypoallergenic Dogs

Are you considering a non-shedding dog to help alleviate allergies or asthma?

Here’s something you might not have heard before: it’s not dog hair that triggers problems in humans. So, the best dogs for allergies aren’t necessarily non-shedding dogs.

Proteins in dog skin, saliva, dander, and even dog urine are what trigger allergies and allergic reactions. Dog fur can also collect allergens like dust, mold, and pollen. All of this means there are no real hypoallergenic dogs.

Getting a non-shedding dog will do little to reduce asthmatic or allergic reactions, since all dogs have the proteins that cause problems. Unfortunately, truly hypoallergenic dogs simply do not exist, despite what some unethical breeders may say.

Thinking about getting a Purebred Dog?

Purebred dog lovers swear by the reliability of their breeds temperament and looks. Getting a purebred from a reputable, caring breeder can be a wonderful choice for you and your family.

Physical characteristics One of the key advantages of purebreds is that their basic physical characteristics, such as size, weight, color, and coat are fairly fixed. For example, Golden Retrievers are known for their long, golden coat and size. If you want a purebred Golden Retriever puppy, you can be quite certain that she won’t be 20 pounds, with a short, spotted coat.

A purebred is a great choice if you want a dog that is a specific size, or has a specific type of coat (for example, a short or non-shedding coat).

Often tested for health or genetic defects Have predictable temperaments Have predictable physical characteristics Choosing a purebred is great if you’re looking for a dog for a specific function, for example, a guard dog, a hunting dog, a dog to herd sheep, pull a sled, or even dig for truffles

Giant Dog Breeds

I have to confess: I love giant dogs. There’s something so comforting about a big, goofy, gentle giant dog. And I’m talking huge: Giant dog breeds include dogs that weigh over 90 pounds, or more than 27 inches at the shoulder. If you want a giant dog breed, you’ll need plenty of room for the dog both inside and outside your home.

A giant dog crate, while expensive, my be especially helpful in keeping a 100-pound dog off your furniture while you’re away from home.

Giant breed dogs generally have a shorter life expectancy than smaller dogs. You can expect a giant dog to live approximately seven to ten years, depending on the breed of giant dog. However, many giant dog breeds only live seven or eight years.

Large and Medium Dog Breeds

Large Dog Breeds Large and giant dogs are among my favorites. Large dog breeds weigh approximately 60 to 90 pounds. You’ll need plenty of room for a large dog, both inside your house, and in your back yard. Many large dog breeds are prone to hip and elbow dysplasia, and osteoarthritis. Large dog breeds also don’t live as long as many smaller breeds, with an approximate life expectancy of around 12 years. Choosing a large dog breed can mean saying goodbye sooner than if you choose smaller or medium size dog breeds.

Their large size often makes large dog breeds susceptible to hip dysplasia and related conditions, like giant dogs. They can also be susceptible to heart conditions.

Active Dog Breeds and Couch Potatoes

Whether you want an active dog, a doggie couch potato, or a dog that fits somewhere in between really depends on you.

Are you the type of person or family that spends a lot of time walking and hiking? If so, an active dog might be a great choice, rather than a dog couch potato. Popular breeds like Border Collies, Dalmatians, Jack Russells, and many Retrievers are well known to be high energy.