Choosing a dog for your family is a great experience, and the
beginning of a wonderful relationship.So getting the dog that's
best for your lifestyle and expectations is incredibly
important.Different dog breeds will vary greatly in size,
temperament, and needs, and according to the
ASPCA
, millions of animals are given to shelters every year because a
family's needs don't match those of the pet.So we've put together
your guide to finding the right dog for you! Take a look!
The Most
Active Dog Breeds
For those seeking hiking buddies, hunting partners, or camping
mates.
What Are the
Best Dogs to Travel With?
For road-trippers and globe-trotters.
The Best Dog
Breeds for Fancy Grooming
For pamperers.
The Best City
Dogs
For city slickers.
The Best Dogs
for Older People
For those ready for a more relaxed pace.
The Best Dogs
for Children
For the large or growing family.Remember that every dog is
different, and you should be sure to ask the shelter or breeder
lots of questions. You may also want to consider adopting an
older dog, since their behaviors and needs will be known factors,
which isn't the case with new puppies.
To Breed or Not to Breed, That Is the Question
It is possibly the most contentious rivalry in the whole of the
pet community -- Breeding vs. Adoption. Both camps have die hard
advocates and both have a well thought out stance. Some say it's
an issue of morality, some call it genetic preservation, while
others still think it is nothing more than preference.
Well, we here at PetCareRx would like to hear what you think!
Here is your chance to hash this whole thing out once and for all
in our PetCareRx
Community.
To expedite the process, I crafted a brief list of each side's
key talking points (however, donโt feel shy about letting me know
if I missed anything). After that, the floor is yours!
Purchasing from a Breeder
Any die hard purebred enthusiast is quick to rattle off their
list of reasons why getting a pet from a reputable breeder is of
the utmost importance. They are also some of the first to
admonish the practices of puppy
mills and/or breeders who are not whelping healthy dogs,
since it is these types of institutions that give breeding an
unjustly earned bad name (so please refrain from attacking
purebred enthusiasts on these grounds, since it is safe to say
that anyone reading this is against the practices of these types
of establishments).
As for buying from a reputable breeder, the arguments in favor
are:
Finding the breed you want
It can be nice to be able to do some
research, pick out a breed that has all the characteristics
you are looking for, go out, and get one. And while you may be
able to find a purebred at a shelter, chances are they won't have
the specific breed you are looking for. And chances are there is
a breeder out there that does.
Knowing what you can expect
Since some breeds are genetically predisposed to have certain
characteristics that others might want (i.e., Dalmatians arenโt always good with
kids), it is good to know what you can expect, insofar as
temperament and size are concerned, from your new addition to the
family.
Getting โem while theyโre young
Again, while a shelter may have young dogs, actual puppies are hard to come by, and many
people feel that these first years play a huge part in developing
a dog's overall temperament. To guarantee that your dog does not
have any ingrained and unwanted behaviors, training them early is
the only way, and to do that you need to get them as a puppy.
Adopting from a Shelter
Rescuing a dog or cat from a shelter often makes people think
they have the moral high ground on the issue, and not without
some decent claims. A few of the key arguments are:
Saving a life
The first thing any shelter advocate will tell you
-- adopting a pet saves
them from life in a shelter, or being put down. That's pretty
great.
Subtracting from the number of unwanted dogs
Go to a shelter, and it's not hard to see -- there are way more
dogs out there than homes willing to take them in. And while this
is in no way a call to arms, asking people to take in 15 dogs a
person, it does raise the question, โShouldn't we be taking care
of the dogs we already have? Why are we actively making more?"
Mutts are less likely to have health problems
While this is not a hard and fast rule, there is a good chance
that a specific breedโs genetically transmitted health concerns
are less likely to be inherited if they are cross-bred with
another breed, or breeds, that donโt share that trait.
Now, head over to our
community and speak your mind. Where do you stand? Let
us all know!