Which dog is right for me?

Having a dog is at the top of the wish list for many families, especially those with children. If the family has carefully considered and decided to get a canine companion, the next question is what kind. What criteria should be considered? Large, small, long hair, short hair? What color? Purebred or mixed breed? From a shelter or a breeder? Do you love children?

With so much to think about, it's not that simple! But other aspects are actually the most important things to consider.

What do you do in your free time? Do you go hiking or jogging or are you more of a homebody who likes to relax on the couch? Do you like to spend a lot of time outdoors, regardless of the weather, or do you only go out when the weather is nice? Do you want a furry friend to participate in many of your daily activities, such as walks around town or even to a restaurant? If so, it's easier to do this with a dog like a Labrador Retriever than with a Great Dane. Do you have frequent company, including children, and live with many neighbors? If so, a breed with a strong guarding instinct may not be the best choice. Do you want your dog to go along on vacation, or would you leave it with grandma and grandpa, say, instead? If so, they should be active enough to take care of the dog. It's best to jot down a list of these items. They are very important when it comes to finding the right dog for you.

What do you like?
Do you tend to see a dog as a friend? Are you a more "tolerant" type of person when it comes to dealing with dogs, someone who can tend to be inconsistent and not project a lot of authority? If so, a Golden Retriever may be a better fit than a Hovawart. You should not choose a breed whose members are known for their strong will and for demanding many of their individual's leadership qualities.

People who are more "cool" and authoritative by nature, however, will have no problem getting along with even more demanding dog personalities.

Tribes and their duties
A handsome Weimaraner would really be something, wouldn't it? Or maybe a colorful little Jack Russell Terrier instead? Or an easy to train Border Collie, preferably a blue merle? Many prospective dog owners consider appearance first, and some even deliberately seek out a particular look. But it's easy for things to go wrong there. The critical point is to find out exactly what these particular breeds did. That is what defines the specific characteristics of their breed, in addition to appearance. These traits are present regardless of whether the dog ever comes in contact with what it was actually bred for and cannot be "trained". Many of these breeds need specific, regular replacement activities if they are to live purely as family dogs so that they can use their innate traits accordingly.

A Jack Russell Terrier is a typical example. They look cute and are small - which can lead us to believe that they are practical and easy. Wrong! They were originally bred to hunt foxes and badgers, which makes them fearless, with a hunting instinct and a strong will.
Or take the Weimaraners, for example. They are really beautiful, but they are hunting dogs bred for performance and endurance and also have a strong guarding and protective instinct.
A Border Collie is agile, but specializes in breeding and has sensitive reactions and special needs of its own. Breeding is often associated with taking care of things, but in reality it is irrelevant - herding is simply hunting without exterminating the prey.

Beagles are also popular. But people should be aware that this breed is bred to hunt pack rabbits. This means that there are very few Beagles that can run without being leashed.
When looking for the right breed, you should also consider the health-related aspects. "Short-headed" breeds such as the French Bulldog, Pug or English Bulldog often suffer from respiratory problems due to the small, broad shape of their skulls. Many of them must undergo surgery to treat these issues.

Receiving information
If you are interested in a particular breed, it is best not to do your research on the Internet, but instead buy a detailed portrait of that breed in the form of a book that also lists the addresses and websites of serious breeding associations. You can also visit a breeder or two to form your own personal impressions.

So you want a mixed breed dog
Not all purebred dogs are overfed and not all half-breeds are healthier in the first place. But they are, of course, less expensive to buy, except for certain crosses known as "designer" dogs. The more you know about a dog's background, the easier it is to get a general idea of the characteristics to expect. In dogs with many different breeds in their genetic makeup, appearance alone does not indicate which breeds they are, so it is impossible to gauge which traits to expect.

Those who are open to anything and willing to adapt to the developing characteristics and needs of their particular furry friend will find a suitable companion among these animals as well. However, it is important to know that this will be necessary. No one wants the dog to end up in a shelter later because the owner had completely different expectations.
This is especially true if you adopt a rescue dog. Most rescues are already fully developed, which means they have a history, often unknown. Many of them have had adverse experiences and received very little socialization. Dealing with these kinds of specifics in the right way requires a lot of prior knowledge. This includes things like what to keep in mind with a dog that is anxious or fearful. Only then can you watch for the specific signs and influence the problem behavior in a way that helps everyone, including the dog itself, cope better.

A dog that loves children
This point is often an important criterion for families with children. But there is no such thing as a race that is automatically good with children. At the same time, there is no race that is not explicitly child-friendly. Whether or not a dog loves children is an individual matter that depends on disposition and experience. Relaxed puppies that have had the opportunity to have good experiences with children before leaving the breeder are more open to children than a more reluctant canine companion who may have lived alone with an older person and then ends up in a family with children. This is true even if both are the same breed. Members of breeds with protective and guardian instincts can certainly distinguish between children who are part of their own family and those who are just visiting. When a particular breed, such as a Labrador Retriever, is thought to be especially fond of children, it can also lead to very high expectations for that dog. Even the most patient dog has its limits. Younger children especially should not be left unsupervised with their dog as a result.

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Editor: Katharina Schlegl-Kofler
Katharina Schlegl-Kofler has been working with dogs for more than 20 years. She is a certified dog trainer and author of numerous advice books on the subject of dog training. She is particularly interested in training dogs to be well-behaved family members from the beginning and offers many species-appropriate activities. She has been training Labrador retrievers for almost 30 years, training them for both daily activities and retrieving. She has also bred two puppies.