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Having a dog in the home that is ready can lead to years of added happiness.
Having a dog in home that is not ready can bring years of unhappiness.
If you've made up your mind to get one, then you need to consider the biggest factor in adding a family pet - are you ready for one? If you have weighed all of the pros and cons and realize that a dog is a full time commitment; that it requires food, exercise, and attention, and it can cost a fair amount of money per year to maintain a healthy dog, then all that is left is to decide what type or breed of dog is best for you.
Since you have decided that your lifestyle is suitable for a dog, you need to choose a dog that will match your lifestyle.
Do you live an active lifestyle when not at work? Do you spend most of your time in the house or other places indoors? If you have children, are they small or older? There are a lot of things to consider when getting a dog, but it is necessary to have a complete understanding of the situation you are getting into and the situation you are bringing a dog into.
A good match between owner(s) and dog(s) is essential to both parties.
Family Dogs - Of all dog breeds today, probably the two most popular for families are Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers.
They tend to have the best disposition for family life and generally get along with people young and old alike.
Young dogs of these breeds tend to have quite a lot of energy, but they will mellow out after three or so years.
They get along well young children and don't require much specific training as they are very good dogs in terms of obedience.
They do handle a quiet life fairly well, but enjoy walking, playing fetch, swimming and many other outdoor activities.
These activities also help to promote a healthy and fit dog.
The Border Collie, the Australian Cattle Dog and the Australian Shepherd also are good family dogs and are very intelligent.
They are high energy dogs so they require more physical and mental stimulation than Retrievers or Labs.
They will be much happier if they are given lots of exercise and training.
Because these are dogs that are very high energy and driven, they may not be best suited for homes with young children.
Border collies will instinctively try to herd small children by nipping at them so that is another consideration if you have children generally under the age of eight years old.
Another factor to consider when obtaining a family dog is whether or not allergies to dogs exist in the family.
There are some dogs that shed very little, such as the Poodle family and Lhasa Apsos and also short haired dogs such as Great Danes.
The Poodles do however require a fair amount of grooming.
They require frequent baths and regular clips every six to eight weeks.
Probably the last important factor to consider when choosing a dog is the sex of the dog.
Male dogs of most breeds tend to be more sociable in that they like to be in the same place as the people of the family.
If everyone is watching TV in one room, it is more than likely that the male dog will want to be there as well.
Females, on the other hand, generally tend to be more independent.
That is to say that they might go off to another room and lay down by themselves.
Overall dogs are like people.
They can have general traits, but personalities can vary from dog to dog.
Even though there are general behaviors for a particular breed, a dog of that breed may not necessarily exhibit all of the same traits as another dog of the same breed.
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