What Breed of Dog Is Best Suited to My Lifestyle?
So you have decided that you can give that canine companion everything it needs to live life to the full. Now you need to decide what breed of dog is best suited to your lifestyle and your family circumstances.
Are you a high energy family that are always active, out and about and love the outdoors? Do you prefer to have quiet weekends spent indoors with maybe a couple of walks for fitness?
Do you already take part in an activity that you would like canine company on? There is always a particular breed that would be more suited to your lifestyle.
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Marathon Runner or Agility Dog?
For instance, if you would like your dog to accompany you on your daily run, then short legged and/or brachycephalic faced breeds are definitely not suitable. Nor would your Greyhound, Whippet, Lurcher type be, as they are not long distance runners. Your greyhound type breeds, collectively known as "Sight Hounds" like to rush around at speed for short periods and then lounge around for a few hours till their next walk. Short face breeds, like your Bulldog, French Bulldog, Pug, do not have either the length of leg or adequate respiritory system to join you on your run.
You will need a breed that can cover ground without using excess energy to do so and has sufficient respiritory ability to cope with the distances. Remember also, that just like you, a dog will need conditioning to running distances. You wouldn't go out and run 5 miles if you had never done it before, so don't expect your dog to do it either. Build up gradually and never over exercise a pup or take it on a run when it is under twelve months, this can lead to serious joint, tendon and muscle problems later.
Don’t forget the dog's needs in your research too. Are you happy to give him a daily groom and regular baths, if not a breed that requires a lot of coat maintenance would not be for you, a short coated breed would be more suited.
How to Find Your Puppy
There is an abundance of information on the internet about individual breeds. Most is pretty accurate, but some to be honest, is a little wayward and you need to be cautious as to where you obtain the information for your research.
Your best sources would be the The Kennel Club website AND the particular breed clubs and societies to look up the breeds your are interested in. Even if you are thinking you may go down the crossbreed route, checking out the breeds that are in the cross is an essential piece of research. Those breeds still have traits that would come through in puppies of the outcross. Remember, your Labradoodles, Cockapoos, Llasapoos, Jackapoos, are all crossbreeds and are not pure breeds in their own right. They won’t be until a specific number of matings have been achieved with the new breed and the resultant puppies all have specific traits, type and even a recognised temperament generally.
In other words, you need to be prepared for a first cross labradoodle puppy to grow to the size of a Labrador or a standard poodle, or something in between and have a smooth shorter coat that might need a brush once or twice a week or a longer curly coat that needs daily brushing to stop it matting. He may be calm and easy to train or high energy and totally bonkers.
Of course, there are pure breeds like that too, but because those breeds have been around for so many years, one is able to put a general standard on them as to their appearance, needs and temperament and where a dog may veer away from the norm, it is more unusual than the usual.
Research Research and More Research
One of the many questions that come up when people are looking for a puppy is:
“How do I know that I am buying from a reputable breeder?”
The Kennel Club will have a list of 'Assured Breeders' for each breed, which is a starting point. If you are reading this in Europe or the USA, your national kennel clubs, the FCI and AKC will offer similar services. Breed societies or clubs for the particular breed that you are interested will gladly help you to find a reputable breeder and often have lists of club member litters that are planned or already born.
Remember, good reputable breeders will often have waiting lists. This is because the puppies they produce are sought after because they are health tested, well-bred and socialised. So don't be surprised if you are at the back of a queue, this is quite normal. Champdogs also has a list of breeders which could be of assistance. But whichever route or multiple routes you choose to find a puppy, you must still ensure that you visit the premises of the breeder, see the pups with their mother and ask for information on the father. The breeder may well own the father as well and you can see both.
A responsible breeder will always ask you questions. They will want to know that the person that is enquiring about their litter, will be deserving of the responsibility they are passing to them by allowing them to have one of their well-bred, lovingly raised puppies. A breeder that puts their all into raising their litters well, will not let any of their charges go to homes without having first grilled the puppy buyer. If you haven't been interrogated like you would expect to be by a member of MI5 and the breeder seems happy to let the puppy go without knowing much about you, then perhaps you might need to wonder if this breeder is right for you.
Check out Lucy’s Law which came into force on 6th April 2020, which banned Third Party puppy and kitten sales and states that they can now only be bought direct from a breeder or by adoption at a rescue centre.
Conclusion
The key to a succesfull and happy life with your pup is to make sure that you choose the right breed of dog that is best suited for your lifestyle and that you do your research on both the breed and the breeder.
The Covid pandemic has made the proper process of buying a puppy more difficult and has allowed unscrupulous breeders to take advantage of unsuspecting prospective puppy buyers. During these times of difficulty where the usual and safeguarding processes may not be able to be achieved, it may be sensible to postpone your search for your new family member if you are not happy that the breeder has done everything they should.
