Selecting A Dog Breed - Don't Pick The First Cute Puppy!
How do you find the right dog breed for your family? Well if you go around looking at all the cute little puppies with their adorable little eyes giving you that "Take me home!" look, you will probably pick the first one you see. This would be a mistake. Oh, granted you might get lucky and find that puppy with the right personality, that just meshes right into your family. But this is not usually the case. You will usually end up getting an adorable little fur ball that likes to lay around and sleep (which works out fine if you're somewhat of a couch potato). But that little fur ball grows just a little and now it is a 40 pound bundle of energy that you can't keep up with.
How To Pick The Right Dog For You And Your Family
To pick the perfect dog for you and your family, you will need to do some research into the different dog breeds and find one that matches your family's energy level. If you are not home much, do not buy a breed that needs a lot of exercise. If you want a companion for your morning run, don't buy a dog that can't keep up. As you can see, you need to match your new family member with your family's lifestyle. Please do not pick a puppy based on the breeds that are popular at this time. You can't expect a dog to change its personality to fit your lifestyle. You can avoid heartache (for you and the dog) by carefully researching the different dog breeds and choosing one that you can accommodate.Where do you live? Look at where you live and what type of residence you live in. If you have picked a large breed dog, do you have room for it? Not just room for it to live, but room for it to exercise and play. Do you live in a house? Do you have a large yard? Do you live close to neighbors? These are things to think about. Having enough room for your dog to exercise and play is very important. It will mean a healthier life for your four legged family member.
Who lives in your house? You will need to take into consideration who lives in your house. Do you have children? How old are they? Some breeds do real well with children, some don't. Some are just fine with older children. Just remember that smaller children can unintentionally hurt a small breed dog. Do you have other pets? Same scenario as with children. Some tolerate other animals without a problem. Some must be the top dog at all times. Some breeds are fine with other animals and with other dogs, as long as they are of the opposite sex.
Take a little time and research the different breeds to find the one for you. Just remember to not get too caught up in all the research. You can use tips as general guidelines, but do not get caught in analysis paralysis. Just pick a breed whose overall characteristics match your family's lifestyle.
Do Your Dog Breed Research at The Dog Guide
The Dog Guide is an excellent dog site filled with information about dog breeds.
You can sort through the dog breeds based on size.
Also, you can sort based on group. For example, there are different groups of dogs like sporting dogs, hound dogs, and toy dogs.
Check out the dog breed guide at The Dog Guide.
Great Dog Books on Amazon
What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures
Amazon Price: $11.25 (as of 12/17/2009) 
Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know
Amazon Price: $14.97 (as of 12/17/2009)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
Amazon Price: $5.25 (as of 12/17/2009)
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