Let’s face it. While there is a good bit of info about choosing a dog on the internet, most of it is written by people trying to SELL you a dog. So let’s start with, I’m NOT trying to sell you a dog. This series of posts are intended for informational purposes only. So let’s get started.

Things to Consider:

For the purpose of these discussions I will be examining the world of pure bred dogs. While there are many wonder mutts out there waiting to be adopted, I’m going to be teaching you what I know about the pure bred dog. Eventually, I will also discuss the individual dog and how to assess temperament. That discussion will also apply to the mixed-bred dog.

1) Consider your life style. Are you a couch potato? Or a marathon runner? Looking for a dog to work your cattle or share your popcorn? The answer to these questions will have a HUGE effect on the type of dog you are looking for.

2) Consider your preferences. Look at a lot of pictures of various breeds of dogs. Make a list of the ones you find attractive. Then research the function/intelligence level/basic temperament of these breeds.

3) Smarter isn’t always better. A few years ago a research psychologist published a great book about dog intelligence. He rank ordered many dog breeds into 70 rankings. The Border Collie landed on the top as the smartest dog. A lot of people equated smarter with better, ran out and bought a B.C. only to realize they had made a big mistake. Border Collies are very needy in terms of exercise of both the mind and the body. Without plenty of either, their intelligence allows them to find all sorts of trouble to get into. Meanwhile, I was living in an apartment, going to graduate school. I bought a little Lhasa Apso. My little darling was ranked #68 of 70. She was not the sharpest knife in the drawer. But she WAS a wonderful companion for me at the time. It didn’t take much to keep her mind occupied. She did require a lot of grooming, but that was always a welcome break from studying for me. So we were a good match. And that is much more important than her intelligence level.

4) Pay close attention to what the breed was originally intended to do. It may have been over 100 years since the Lhasa Apso was used to guard Tibetan palaces, but trust me, they still bark at strange noises. If you don’t like a dog that barks, make sure you don’t get one of the guarding/hunting breeds.

Overall All Breed Information

The following Breed Descriptions are based on the breeds of dogs accepted by the AKC. This is not an endorsement of the AKC nor am I interested in comments in favor of or bashing this organization. It is what it is and for my discussion it is a good place to start. Start here, and do further research on the groups or breeds that interest you.

The American Kennel Club divides dog breeds into the following groups: Sporting Breeds, Hound Breeds, Working Breeds, Terrier Breeds, Toy Breeds, Non-Sporting Breeds, and Herding Breeds. I will first make some very general comments about each of these groups. Please note I am painting with a wide brush here. There are of course breed variations within each group and individual variations within each breed. This is just a place to start.

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