How do we know what dog is best for us?

Get the type of dog that has the same lifestyle you do. If you like to exercise, get an active dog. If you like to sleep and stay at home, get a dog that wouldn’t mind being indoors a lot. If you like to go to the ocean and lake, get a dog that like to swim.
I have Bleu, Blue Heeler, who is very energetic. He loves to play catch and run around the parks and fields. He especially loves it when we take a trip up to the California Redwoods so that he can explore the trails and smell everything. You know he’s had a good day when he passes out in the living room from being worn out.
Our other dog, Angus, a Blue Heeler and Border Collie mix (with I think some Lab), has the exact opposite personality. We got him because we thought he would play with Bleu and they could waste some energy that way. He likes to play for a bit, but after a while he just lays in the grass and sleeps. If we go to the Ca Redwoods, he runs around with Bleu for a bit, then walks next to me. Sometimes he lags behind. Sometime he’ll just stop and sit and wait – his way of telling me “Take me back to the car. I’ll sleep there and wait for you.”
If I had gotten Angus first, I don’t think I would have gotten Bleu. Angus is much more the dog for me. Likes to run around for a bit, explore some new things, then nap and relax. Having Bleu keeps me active though, and it’s a ton of fun taking him new places and seeing him so happy to be outdoors.

Getting online and doing that research is a good start. Knowing the breed for you I think depends largely on what you can offer the dog. If you’re in an apartment and work long hours, you certainly don’t want to get a large, high-energy breed. That’s asking for trouble. Some breeds have a greater propensity for various illnesses/disorders at different stages of life. Think about that.

Second, go to the shelters and see if there’s some special surprise waiting for you. Try and always look at the shelters first. You’d be surprised at what you find (or what ends up finding you!). If there’s a breed you just absolutely “must” have, see if there’s a rescue group in your area. Sometimes they have dogs that need good homes, and that’s just a win-win situation.

http://www.amazon.com/Howell-Book-Dogs-Definitive-Reference/dp/0470009217/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product
Study, study, study. Go to the library, and begin to narrow down your search to those breeds that look like they would be appropriate. It is just as important to know what you do not want, and what you are not willing to put up with, as it is to know what you like or think you want.

Yeah, it’s really gonna be about your lifestyle. If you want a great dog that’s able to both be very active and sedentary you can look at labs. They’re great family dogs, which is why they are the main breed used for leader dogs for the blind. BUT you gotta do the research. I have a siberian husky who is a nut! She’s really hyper, which is cool for me cause I like to be active and what not. She loves playing with other dogs as well. My parents have a boxer who started out really hyper but has kind of calmed down. My parents are both very active and go camping 2 – 3 x’s a month.

You also have to remember that each dog, regardless of breed, has it’s own personality. So meeting your dog beforehand is usually good. My wife and I didn’t – we contacted the breeder through email first, then on the phone, and picked our pup out of pictures from the litter – but we got lucky. I would suggest meeting with the breeder and picking the dog out there. The problem I’ve noticed lately is that if you want a dog right now, you’ll normally have to put a deposit down first on a dog you’ve never seen or only seen pictures of. If you’re willing to wait for a dog, you can wait for the pups to be born, go look at them and then pick one out. Or you can just do what most of us do, find a breed you like and go on puppy finder and find a breeder with the dog you like. There also adoption. You can look at the Humane Society or just check out pet finder which does adopt-a-pet stuff. If you end up wanting a boxer, pug or siberian husky I can give you names, numbers and a few sites for some breeders that I personally have bought dogs from.

I hope my answer isn’t considered flippant at all, but it is a fact with me, that everytime I have selected any kind of pet, that I didn’t.

The pet selected me.

Honestly, that’s what happened.

First, I would figure out what kind of dog you would like.

Second, I would go adopt or rescue that type of dog. For every puppy you buy there will be a dog that’s kept in it’s cage for it’s entire life until it gets a lethal injection. That’s hard for me to live with so I always adopt.

Around here, you can actually ‘foster’ animals that need homes. This allows you to see if you want to keep the dog. If you do, great. If you don’t, you’ve kept the dog from living in a cage all day. If you’re interested in this type of thing, contact the local humane society.

There are also groups of people who just rescue certain types of dogs around here. There’s a pug rescue, a German Shepard rescue, etc. Maybe look into this type of thing if the ‘type’ of dog is important to you.

You should pick the breeds that best fit your lifestyle, as people have said before me. This includes your living situation and your family plans as well. A friend of mine has had a dog for a long time, and he doesn’t get along with their new baby, which is very hard for them to deal with. They didn’t foresee it happening when they first got the dog, but now it’s an issue. Remember when getting a dog that you will have and take care of this pet for several years if you’re lucky. Dogs can like to be 10, 11, 12, and even older. So don’t just pick the dog that’s right for you right now, but that will also grow with you and your family and your surroundings.

Another friend of mine loves traveling and has a huge dog, and while he loves his dog, he adds around $500 to the price of any trip he takes because he has to send the big guy to a doggie hotel. (He doesn’t trust dogwalkers. Don’t ask- depressing story)

There are a lot of factors to consider. Good luck!

Whatever you do, please, please, please adopt a dog from a shelter or humane society. There are so many great mixed-breed dogs out there (and even purebreds sometimes) who need loving homes and will otherwise face euthanasia.

I’m personally a big fan of Shepherd mixes, because they tend to “herd” their family up, meaning that they like to keep an eye on everyone and act sort of protective of them. They’re also very loyal, but do need a lot of exercise since they are used to running for their job.

3 of my dogs are rescue dogs and are the best animals I’ve ever had. Adopting a shelter animal is the best feeling in the world.

And, I agree…go to a shelter—they’ll pick you.

If you must buy a purebreed…research first and then see both parents. NEVER BUY FROM A PET STORE.