Mary Allen
Big, small? Lively, relaxed? Here you will find the crucial questions that you should answer for yourself before you buy.
Do You Want Your Dog to be Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, or Giant?
Actually, it’s all about the inner values, but the size of your dog is not just a matter of appearance. She helps decide what you can do with your four-legged friend, certain health problems, and even his life expectancy.
Large and giant dogs are considered “old” by the age of six, while small breeds don’t qualify as senior dogs until a few years later, at nine or ten. So, if you decide to own a Great Dane, there’s a greater chance you’ll be saying goodbye to your canine companion a few years sooner — that doesn’t have to be a disservice to this wonderful breed of dog, just that you and your family members should be prepared.
With dog breeds over 40 kg body weight, it is also important to consider that they develop more slowly than small breeds. Their growth does not end after a year and they sometimes only reach their social maturity at the age of three. That shouldn’t be an obstacle either, you just have to consider it if you don’t want to overwhelm your young dog physically and mentally.
Small dog breeds, on the other hand, have their own health problems. For example, they are more prone to dental problems, and in the case of short-bred snouts also to respiratory problems. Here you should get detailed information beforehand and refrain from extreme breeds where your nose sits between your eyes.
Even small and tiny dogs are real dogs, not “cats with foreign language skills” and want to be challenged. However, you should consider the short legs in your activities.
Do You Want a Male or a Female?
You should consider this question in a very practical way: Does it bother you if your male dog (despite castration) lifts his leg at every towering object during the dog walk? Or are you even less reconciled to the fact that your dog has to wear panties in the heat a few times a year to avoid spreading pink droplets around the house? Some unneutered bitches become pseudopregnant and of course, there is a risk of unwanted puppies. Castration solves these problems and prevents mammary tumors or uterine infections, but is not uncritically recommended for every breed. So you should also decide whether you want to have your dog neutered and talk to your veterinarian about it.
The influence of sex on a dog’s temperament is not as great as many dog owners think. Although the sex hormones influence aggressive behavior, males are not generally more rebellious and females are not necessarily easier to train. Here the breed and the individual character of your dog play a more important role.
Do You Prefer Long-Haired or Short-Haired Dogs?
Clearly, it’s what’s on the inside that counts, but there’s no harm in thinking about how much time you want to devote to grooming. Do you enjoy lovingly combing and brushing (and vacuuming), do you enjoy a nicely trimmed dog? Or would you rather have something less complex in this respect…?
Do You Prefer to Take it Easy, or Can Your Dog be Lively?
Of course, there are individual differences, but by and large, the breed of your dog also determines his temperament. Think about what you would like to do with your dog and consider your leisure program when choosing a breed. So you won’t be disappointed later if your St. Bernard doesn’t feel like going on long bike rides and you run less risk of boring your workaholic Border Collie so much that he starts to behave abnormally.
What Job Do You Want Your Dog to Do?
Here we are again with the question of race. The origin of most dog breeds was not initially about looks, but about selecting animals with the right skills for a specific job: for example herding dogs, guard dogs, or even companion dogs for the upper ten thousand (see below for more details).
Do you want your dog to guard your territory? Or should he relax and ignore every visitor? Of course, this is also a question of the right upbringing, but as a city dweller, you are probably not doing yourself any favors with a livestock guardian dog who wants to defend your children against the postman in a deadly manner…
Research your favorite breed’s original breeding goal and ask yourself how it fits into your lifestyle. Is a passionate hunting dog really the right choice if you want to take him with you on horseback rides? Do you enjoy agility or do you prefer mantrailing?
Should it be a Pedigree Dog or a Mixed Breed?
One often hears that mixed breeds are healthier than pedigree dogs because they are less “inbred”. This overlooks the fact that responsible breeders are very careful not to breed dogs that are too closely related to each other. Breeding dogs must have passed various health checks and the breeding associations will ban breeding if there are health or behavioral problems in certain lines. This control is usually lacking in the mixed breed and it can certainly be stricken with the health problems of both parents.
With mixed breed dogs, it also helps to find out the breeds of both parents, perhaps with the help of a genetic test. This will give you important information about his character and possible health risks.
Does it Have to be a Puppy or Does an Adult Dog Stand a Chance with You?
Many wonderful dogs are waiting in animal shelters for loving people who will give them a new home. You can do a lot of good if you choose your four-legged friend here. But good advice is important. If you’ve never had a dog before, a well-socialized and obedient shelter resident can be a blessing.
On the other hand, second-hand dogs have had many experiences that you don’t know about and that can lead to unpleasant surprises. So ask as hard as you can and try to find out as much as you can about the past of potential candidates. Competent animal shelter employees should tell you how the dog behaves in everyday handling and ask you thoroughly about your dog experience and your living conditions.
You can develop an intensive bond with puppies that you adopt during the socialization phase (up to around the end of the 12th week of life) and show them the big wide world. But that is also a great responsibility and takes a lot of time. If you don’t want your dog to bark at children, wheelchair users, balloons, or anything else, later on, you have to show him all this in a calm and relaxed manner without overtaxing him or even increasing his initial fear by comforting him… A real piece of work!