Dog Breeds Explained

Somewhere out there is a dog breed that matches your personality.

Top 6 Most Popular Dog Breeds

Sporting	Herding	Working	Terrier	Toy	Non-Sporting

10 Most Popular Family Dogs

Labrador Retrievers

Golden Retriever

German Shepherd

Dachshund

Beagle

Poodle

Chihuahua

Rottweiler

Yorkshire Terrier

Boxer

Deciding to become a pet-owner may be one of the most satisfying decisions a family ever make. Nevertheless, the decision to own a dog has responsibilities attached, which include choosing the right breed of dog for you and your family.

There are some basic rules you should consider before you finally decide which breed to choose, and the aim of dog breeds explained is to give you as much advice and information as possible .

5 important factors to consider before you choose a breed of dog:

1. What environment will your dog be living in?

2. What is the main purpose of owning a dog?

3. What temperament are you looking for?

4. How much spare time to you have to devote to your new companion?

5. How much training does the dog require for you to live happy and stress free?

There is no such thing as a bad dog - - just a bad owner!

It would be a bad owner that blamed their dog for doing something bad. A well trained and balanced dog will always behave correctly.

It is crucial you own a breed of dog that accommodates you in all 5 factors, as mentioned above. You may want a guard dog that has little contact with humans. You may be looking for a companion for your children, or maybe a dog to hunt and chase.

Likewise, you might live in a small apartment with no back yard. In this scenario, for example, owning a big breed, sight hounds or a working type dog would not be beneficial to your safety and sanity!

It can be beneficial to know how much time and patients is required to train a particular breed of dog.

Make no mistake here - "not all breeds are as easy to train as others".

In fact, some dogs down right refuse to take commands of any kind from a weak or less dominate pack leader.

I am not suggesting there are breeds of dog that cannot be trained. However, some do require a confident pack leader to keep them calm, obedient and submissive.

Likewise, there are many breeds who love to take part in dog training of any kind.

Collies, spaniels, German shepherds and staffs are perfect examples of happy eager companions who thrive on dog training, agility classes and one on one interaction.

Health should be another factor to consider before owning a particular breed of dog.

The life span and health issues differ greatly from breed to breed, so it becomes vital to understand that not all dogs live long lives. It can differ from as much as 5 to 10 years.

Likewise, some breeds suffer much more than others with digestive problems, skin aliments and hereditary type health problems. This information becomes important for many reasons, of which medical costs can become a major concern.

It has been known for many years that modern day dog food, (the type you buy over the counter), can have life threatening effects on many dogs. Animal owners are quickly going back to feeding the "old fashioned way".

The benefits to the health of the dog from eating a balanced health diet is obviously important, but almost as important is the money you save from spending less cash on food and vet fees!

There are many different reasons to owning a dog, and the breed you choose must fit in to your lifestyle.

Please do the right thing for stress free living. Take a small amount of time to learn as much as you can about the breed of dog you want to share the next 10 to 16 years of your life with.

I guarantee you'll both be in dog heaven with a better, safe, happier partnership. Family, friends, other dog owners and complete strangers will comment on how lucky you are to own such a perfect pet.

Dog breeds explained - A full listing of all dog breeds.