Breeds

There are so many dog breeds – where do you start deciding?

Our Breed Hub lets you easily navigate to articles about all dog breeds. Make sure to invest time into choosing the right one for your family!

When deciding for a purebred or mixed breed, make sure to consider your lifestyle and your chosen breed’s history. A lot of training frustration can be avoided by picking a breed that fits your activity and energy level.

How To Choose The Right Breed For Your

Ask yourself the following questions. Be honest in your answers – the better you know what you want, the better you can pick a breed who will fit your lifestyle perfectly and bring you joy.

Having a dog who is a perfect companion starts with knowing exactly what you want to do with your dog.

What Is My Favorite Thing To Do With My Dog?

If you would love to have a dog who will go hiking, camping, swimming with you; then picking an active working dog is a great idea. If you however picture your dog relaxing on the couch with you after a long work week, and you do not want to satisfy his desire for extensive activity every day, you need to choose a much calmer breed. Toy breeds are ideal for this!

Does My Dog Need To Stay Alone For Long Hours?

If your job requires you to be gone for 12 hours a day and you don’t have a family member or neighbor who can pop in and take your dog out, you should not pick a highly attached companion breed. One-person dogs such as Border Collies, Poodles or Golden Retrievers will become depressed and destructive if they are left alone for extended periods of time.

You should choose a more independent breed if you are planning on leaving your dog alone a lot. Many livestock guardian breeds do much better with this than herding or toy dogs.

How Much Time Do I Want To Spend On Training?

The more high-drive your dog is, the more time (and money!) you will need to invest into training him or her. Be honest to yourself: If you aren’t prepared or up for taking a dog to weekly training classes for the first year of his life, a high-energy dog might not be for you. 

Some breeds have a tendency to be reactive: Are you ready to work on this reactivity, and accept management and training as a part of life? If not, decide for a very social and friendly breed.

Breeds