Know The Dog Breed That Suits Your Family The Best

Which Dog Breed is Right for Your Family

Your kids have probably been badgering you and you are on the lookout for the top dog breeds to own. Your search for the best family dog breeds begins, but how do you make a selection? The dog you select has to suit your lifestyle, your home and your family structure.

For instance, if there are many children in your family, you need to select a dog breed that is safe for your kids to be around with.

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The selection of the best family dogs suitable for your family will also depend on the time and the effort you are willing to put towards looking after your dog.

Some dogs need more care and upkeep and come at a higher price. Each dog breed is unique and has a different personality.

• Which is the best dog for me?

Or

• Which dog is right for me?

Before making this life changing decision you need to learn the whole story about various breeds. Know the realities of some popular breeds and check out if it will be a good match for you.

Identify The Dog Breed That Suits Your Family The Best

1. Dog Breed Selectors

If you are not sure about which dog breed is suitable for you, you can take up some dog breed selector questionnaires to find the best dog breeds for your family.  You can also take a quiz and answer questions related to:

• Type of residence you are living in – whether it’s an apartment, a small house or a bigger house.
• The type of area you live in – a suburb, a city, rural area and so on.
• The size of your back yard or garden – whether you have a yard, the size of the garden – small, medium, big or large.
• How much time will you be able to devote to exercising the dog?
• How much time the dog will be alone in the week.
• Are there toddlers in the house or any babies?
• Are there elderly people in your house?
• Your activity levels – whether you love an outdoor, sporty life or whether you are a couch potato and like to spend time indoors.
• Would you like an energetic dog or a medium energy one?
• Do you want a guard dog or just a cute lovable one?
• How much money are you ready to spend on your dog for food, grooming and so on.
• Who is the primary caretaker of the dog?
• Do you or any family members have allergies?

2. Small Apartments

A small house is not suitable for some breeds of dogs. A Jack Russell terrier, for instance, needs plenty of space, as it is very energetic.

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You have to consider the energy levels of the dog, the noise, the friendliness, your neighbor’s sensitivity and so on. Small dog breeds are perfectly suitable for small spaces.

Here are some of the best small dogs:

• Basenji – Most suitable for thin walled apartments.
• Bichon Frise – Never taller than one foot in size. Very energetic but low shedding.
• Boston Terrier – They are small dogs, but they need their daily walk.
• Bulldog – Very lazy, so most suitable for apartments. All they need is a small walk. Rarely grow higher than 18 inches.
• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel – perfectly ready to cuddle and stay on your lap, but they need some time outdoors as well.
• Chihuahua – small sized and suitable for apartments. Minimum exercise required, but they don’t trust strangers.
• Chinese Crested – Laid back breed and perfect companions for those with low energy levels. Low maintenance and suitable for apartments.
• Coton de Tulear – Well fitted for apartments, small in size, easy to look after, very friendly with humans and need low exercise levels. They don’t mind being inside on some days.
• Dachshund – Small hound dogs with tiny legs. They can get complete exercise indoors, if necessary and are one of the best dogs to own.
• French Bulldog – Compact in size. They are also good watchdogs.
• Brussels Griffon

3. Best Family Dogs (Best dog breeds for kids – small and medium sized dogs)

• Labrador Retriever
• Golden Retriever
• Collie
• Beagle
• Poodle
• Vizsla
• Irish Setter
• Newfoundland
• Bull terrier
• Bull dog
• Boxers
• Dachshund
• Jack Russell
• Boston Terrier

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4. Best Dogs for Senior Citizens (You need to consider the size of the dog and its energy levels)

• Poodle (Easy to train and low shedding. Also available in three sizes.
• Corgi (Perfect companion for active seniors. It is compact and is more manageable. A loving breed
• Maltese (Small in size and portable, so family trips are easy with your dog)
• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel ( Great family dogs)
• Pug (Gentle, quiet, laid back nature. They are compact and don’t need much exercise)
• Chinese Crested (Doesn’t need much grooming, has medium energy and are quiet)
• Greyhound (They are couch potatoes, in other words, lazy.
• Scottish Terrier (Low shedding, moderate energy levels and can be easily managed)

5. Small Children and Dogs

The best dogs for families with small children are Retrievers and Labradors. Boxers are also an excellent choice, but they come with high energy levels.

They could sometimes knock down a small child. You cannot leave your children unsupervised with them.

6. Active vs Inactive People

If you were a very active person, the most suitable dogs would be the Border Collie, the Kelpie Boxer, the Weimaraner or the Vizsla.

However, if you lead a comparatively inactive lifestyle, the Pug, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel or the Griffon would be a better choice.

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7. Top Questions You Need to Ask Yourself

The biggest questions you need to answer before choosing a dog for your family:

• Time needed and available while selecting the perfect dog for me.
• Indoors or outdoors type of dog.
• Allergies and care regimes.
• Elderly people, kids, toddlers and babies in the family.
• Energy levels of the dog and the family members.
• Travel schedules, whether you have someone to take care of your pet.
• Yard size, exercise options, size of your house.
• Cost.
• Home Size.

To Sum Up

Before finally rushing out and getting a dog for your family, talk with your family and friends. If you can, try spending some time with the selected dog breed before deciding or make use of dog breed selectors.

The best thing would be to go with your heart. It’s not mandatory to tick off all the boxes. Your selection should basically suit your circumstances, not necessarily fulfill all the criteria.

If you’re asking yourself, ‘Which dog breed is right for me’ it’s a perfectly natural question. You need to select the best dog breed for your family, as there is a breed available for each type.