101 Dog Breeds

What do you get when you cross a poodle with a cocker spaniel? Sounds like the setup for a joke, doesn't it? But the cockapoo is no joke to thousands of dog owners who have absolutely fallen in love with this breed. Cockapoos aren't really new--they hit the scene back in the 1950s. However, the breed is not currently recognized by the major kennel clubs.

Getting a cockapoo for your child's first dog would probably work out well. The cockapoo's smaller size fit very well with children. They are adaptable and thrive in a wide range of settings, from open spaces to urban places. They are bright, get along well with people, and--here's an important detail--they don't shed!

This charming breed doesn't have any inherited health issues or behavior problems to deal with. They are easily trained, catching on quickly to most commands.

So if you're looking for your child's first dog, you would do well to consider the cockapoo.

New! Consider this excellent resource to help you choose the best dog for your family. Choosing the right dog for your family makes long-lasting relationships more likely. Read more here...

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Photograph by Bob Jagendorf, www.jagendorf.com, BobJagendorf@Yahoo.Com

Puppies are adorable, sweet, and cuddly. To look at them is to smile. A puppy is yours to work with, an almost clean slate you can mold to fit perfectly into your life. Yours will be the only family she knows, as long as you keep up your part of the deal. That said, there are some real advantages to choosing a grown dog. They're often less expensive to acquire, and certainly less expensive to maintain, since their puppy shots and wormings are behind them. If you choose carefully, you can find one who's already house-trained, and maybe knows a little basic obedience, too.

So why don't more people consider a grown dog? The No. 1 reason is that most people believe that a "recycled rover" doesn't bond as well with their family as a puppy does. That's true if you intend to keep your dog in a barren backyard with little human contact. But if you welcome your dog fully into your life, she's yours just as much as the puppy you took from her mother at seven weeks. Some people say the bond is tighter because the dog has seen the world and knows how lucky she is.

A puppy is a good choice for you if you have the time, patience, and flexibility - not to mention the sense of humor - to deal with canine babyhood and adolescence. You won't find any short-cuts to the delightful business of puppy raising - it's 3 a.m. walks and chewed loafers, endless hours of play and just as many in training. You don't really know what you're going to end up with until you do - this is especially true of mixed-breed puppies.

Puppyhood is a wonderful trip, full of surprises and delights, but one you shouldn't take if you haven't the time. If you don't put in the effort, you may end up with a dog who drives you crazy - or one you'll drive to the shelter when you can't stand it anymore.

Grown dogs have a bad reputation, one that's often undeserved. Aren't grown dogs that are up for adoption usually pets that other people couldn't stand? Is adopting one really such a good idea? It depends on the dog, of course. The real plus is this: While an adjustment period is inevitable with any canine relationship, it's a lot shorter with a grown dog.

An adult dog is past crazy adolescence and settled, for good or for bad, into her adult personality. That does not mean that she can't be trained - all dogs, young and old, benefit from training - but it does mean that you aren't able to influence her personality as much.

Some dog owners and dog trainers expect their dog's level of thinking and smartness to be the same of humans, when being trained. This mistaken assumption about dog psychology can be devastating to the expectations of both the dog owner and the dog itself.

Trainers shouldn't assess canine intelligence against human standards. Each individual canine may possess his own unique talent. If the occasion does not arise for the animal to display this talent, it doesn't mean he's dumb. For centuries, behavior experts have been trying to devise a test that measures all aspects of human intelligence and have failed miserably. With this success rate in mind, how can canine experts profess to measure the dog's intelligence when we do not even speak the same language?

Labeling a dog dumb can be as unproductive and damaging as labeling humans. If an animal is labeled dumb, the owner usually gives up trying to teach the dog. The label then becomes self-fulfilling because if his owner won't train him, the dog really won't know anything.

On the other hand, labeling a dog smart may create unrealistic expectations and disappointment if he doesn't respond as expected. Perhaps all these "dumb" dogs are just clever enough to make their owners think they are dumb to avoid the effort of obeying! A very frustrated Basset Hound owner complained to his instructor that he had spent a month trying to teach his dog to sit on command and the dog just didn't get it. As the owner was explaining his dilemma, the instructor was mindlessly playing with a piece of liver that she had not put away after working with another dog. The Basset noticed the liver and began nudging the instructor. From pure habit, she told the dog to sit. The Basset plopped his rear end down as fast as Bassets do. This is a good demonstration of learning theory proven long ago that a lack of response does not mean that learning is not occurring. This dog was learning, the owner just hadn't found the right motivator to get him to respond.

Perhaps canine intelligence is not measurable, particularly when the criteria for intelligence are measured on another species' yardstick. Fortunately, regardless of breed, the great majority of dogs are intelligent enough to grasp basic obedience commands when training is intelligently presented. A trainer armed with motivating training methods and a good understanding of the principles behind canine learning can shape a dog's behavior into desirable conduct.

Need a guard dog? Then the Labrador is NOT the dog breed for you. Their protective instincts are different from what you really need for security and protection. Yes, your Lab will bark when someone arrives, but as soon as they come inside, they are treated like family. This very friendly temperament is one of the best characteristics of the breed and explain why Labs make such great family dogs.

The superior breeding of the Lab will help to protect your children. There's always a chance that an exuberant Lab could knock over a small child with his wildly wagging tail, but attacking or biting just aren't part of his makeup.

Labradors are easy to please and quick to learn. They are very smart and like lots of activity. They can occasionally decide to be stubborn, but this is a temporary condition easily overcome with praise and encouragement. In fact, they value praise highly enough that food rewards may not be necessary for training. They just want your approval. They enjoy playing fetch and love carrying something around. Highly developed senses of smell, eyesight and hearing round out this obviously popular breed.

All dogs are suitable for training, although some breeds make naturally superior pupils because generations of ancestors were selected for trainability. (You may want to consult owners, breeders and AKC Standards for information about tractable breeds or even check out an Obedience competition).

If you purchase a breed not known for prowess in the Obedience ring, don't give up. If training isn't going so well, maybe it's your problem instead of the dog's. Perhaps you'll find that your methods are inconsistent or confusing. If you're at your wit's end, contact a professional trainer for advice or join a local obedience class. Also, you may need to research training and behavior problems more thoroughly. There should be a shelf full of appropriate books at your local library or bookstore.

If you're wondering whether age is an obstacle, rest assured that there is no age limit for effective dog training. You may have to be a little more persistent in training an adult dog, but there is no truth to the adage that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks." However, it is certainly easier if a foundation for learning is initiated right from the start of the relationship.

Large dogs make wonderful companions. Their physical make-up enables them to accompany their owners on long trips and their sheer presence is reassuring. It would be a mistake, however, to think that a large dog will fit happily into any environment and lifestyle. Many large dogs have been bred for a specific purpose such as hunting, herding or guarding and may prove to be totally unsuitable for the type of life and the facilities you are able to offer him.

As a general guide, terriers are lively dogs which make good pets, but because they were bred to hunt small mammals such as rats and foxes, they are often snappy. Bird dogs are usually gentle, affectionate animals which adapt well to the dual role of sportsman's dog and children's pet. Hounds have a tendency to wander off and are not renowned for their obedience. Working breeds, the category into which most of the shepherd and guarding breeds fall, are best suited to an environment in which they can perform a function as close as possible to that for which they have been bred for many generations.

Therefore, it would be a mistake to buy a gentle Golden Retriever and expect him to be a fierce guard dog, or to buy a guard dog such as a German Shepherd Dog, a Doberman or a Rottweiler, unless you have the patience and the time to devote to his training. When choosing your dog you must also keep in mind the amount of grooming he will need. Long-coated breeds such as the Afghan Hound require much more time spent on their coats than, for example, the sleek-coated Weimaraner or the Labrador Retriever. People who are especially house proud should also remember that some dogs, such as the Dalmatian, shed their coats all year round.

Once you have decided on the type of dog you want to buy, it is best to contact your national kennel club and ask for names and addresses of breeders of that variety. You may also like to look for dates and venues of dog shows to be held in your area. In addition, it is a good idea to visit one or two shows so that you can examine the breeds which interest you at close quarters and ask the breeders or trainers any questions that you may have. You can also find out whether they are likely to have a litter of puppies available in the near future.

The personality of a potential owner is one of the key ingredients that should be considered in the decision-making process. If the owner's temperament clashes with that of the dog's, then this could lead to problems.

For example, some breeds absorb training at a slower rate and respond only to a patient, empathetic approach. An owner who is used to training Rottweilers, which need a more demanding training technique, will fail miserably if he or she uses the same assertive approach with a Belgian Sheepdog, a breed with a more delicate constitution.

A large, loud, physically imposing ex-football player should not pick an extremely submissive Italian Greyhound as his pet. The dog could be too intimidated to do anything but urinate submissively and shake.

That same person would be better off with a fairly dominant male German Shepherd, a dog capable of appreciating a more imposing leader. Honestly determine what your presentation to the dog will be like, both temperamentally and physically. Are you tall, short, mild-mannered, overly nurturing, loud, meek, impatient? Making an honest assessment of yourself now will aid you greatly when you go through the breed-specific profiles that follow.

Going To A Backyard Breeder

In some cases, the owner of an AKC-registered female dog will breed her to a friend's unproven registered dog of the same breed. Are puppies of such matings likely to be satisfactory canine pets for you? The answer depends on the quality of each of the parents, not the cuteness of the puppies.

If both dogs are fair representatives of their breed, have few hereditary problems, and demonstrate acceptable personalities, their offspring may suit your needs. However, if both parents are quite young when bred, and nothing is known about their ancestors' qualities, especially conformation and disposition, their litter may not be the one you are looking for! Genetic diseases may be first exhibited after several years of age, and these conditions may be prevalent in both the male and the female bloodlines.

These facts should make you wary of obtaining a backyard-bred puppy. Judicious advice admonishes you to buy soundness in a big dog, not cuteness. Look for the best pup, not the most available one.