When you’re bringing a new dog into your family, there are many things to consider in
gauging whether you and the dog will be compatible. Rather than making an
emotional decision about the kind of dog that will look good in your life, it
is worth taking some time to try and determine in advance which dog will be a
good fit for your lifestyle.

There are some obvious considerations: do you have small children in the
house?… how large is the dog in relation to the living space you can provide
it?… do you go out to work or are you home most of the time?… are you
active and able to give the dog plenty of attention and exercise?… are you
retired?… sedentary? Besides logistics, you must also make an honest
assessment of your personality and be aware that if your temperament clashes
with that of the dog, there could be trouble ahead for both of you.

To pick an extreme example, a large, loud, physically imposing
ex-football player is unlikely to make a satisfactory bond with an extremely
submissive Italian Greyhound. The dog could be too intimidated to do anything
but urinate and shake submissively. The big guy would be better off with a
dominant male German Shepherd, a dog which will respond to his leadership and
will not be intimidated by his physical size. Put yourself in the dogs
position and consider how you appear to him. Are you tall, short,
mild-mannered, overly nurturing, loud, assertive, meek? Are you impatient? If
so, you should ask yourself if you are really ready for the challenge of
training a dog.

Some breeds absorb training at a slower rate and respond only to a
patient, empathetic approach. Conversely, an owner who is used to training
Rottweilers, which need a more demanding training technique, will be
unsuccessful using the same assertive approach with a Belgian Sheepdog a
breed with a more delicate constitution. So do your research first. Make an
honest assessment of yourself and then consider which dog will be right for
you. There are so many to choose from.

The Sporting Group: Pointers, setters, spaniels, and retrievers
were originally bred to assist the hunter in finding, flushing, and retrieving
game usually birds, either on land or in water. Some breeds in this group,
notably the pointers, remain primarily hunting dogs, whereas others like the
spaniels and retrievers, have become hugely popular in recent years and more
successful as companion dogs and house pets.

Sporting dogs have great energy, stamina, and determination. They are unlikely to do well in an apartment. Their energy level requires large amounts of regular exercise
and, ideally, they thrive best when they have a job or a sport on which to
focus and direct their energy. Their excellent sense of smell can be a
distraction to them, and can make obedience training difficult. Hunting is the
most natural job for them, so fieldwork in water or land retrieving puts them
in their element. These dogs can excel in the sports of agility and flyball
and should be owned by active people who enjoy a busy dog. None of these
breeds will be easygoing couch potatoes.

The Hound Group: The Hound Group includes both scent hounds and
sight hounds. Scent hounds like the Bloodhound and the Beagle track prey by
using their sense of smell. They are high-energy dogs and can be
super-determined, single minded and driven, in pursuit of a scent, which can
make obedience-training a challenge.

Sight hounds, such as the Greyhound, Whippet, the Scottish Deerhound,
the Russian Borzoi and the Saluki, spot their prey visually and then run it
down. They are fleet of foot, slow to learn, and somewhat aloof with
strangers. As a side note: sight hounds are more sensitive to anesthesia than
other breeds.

The Working Group: Breeds in the Working Group include the
mastiff types, the herd guarders, rescue dogs like the St. Bernards, the
northern breeds and sled dogs Huskies, Samoyeds, Rottweilers, Great Pyrenees,
and Malamutes are all included here. Most of the working breeds are large,
dominant, strong dogs with courage and stamina. Most are very territorial and
require a confident owner with great leadership skills.

The Terrier Group: Breeds in the Terrier Group are sturdy,
courageous, driven dogs originally bred to hunt rodents and other burrowing
mammals. They include Fox Terrier, Schnauzers, Airedales, West Highland, Jack
Russell, Kerry Blue and many more. They are very independent and have a high
prey drive. Though capable of great obstinacy, terriers can make loving
companions and good house pets.

The Toy Group: Dogs in this group include Shih Tzus, Yorkies,
Pugs and Poodles, and many were originally larger and heavier than they are
today. Toy breeds have been deliberately bred down in size over generations to
achieve their present diminutive stature as a convenience to pet owners
seeking low maintenance companion dogs and lapdogs. Some are only 4 inches
tall at the shoulder and weigh just 2 or 3 pounds. Though delicate, they tend
to be long-lived, and are very often spoiled half to death. Many toys are a
challenge to housebreak, and can be picky eaters.

The Herding Group: Many people believe that the Herding Group
contains the most intelligent breeds. Border Collies, English Shepherds,
German Shepherds, Shelties, Collies, Corgis, Australian Shepherds these
mostly medium-size, athletic dogs have served for thousands of years as
herders of sheep, cattle, and other domesticated animals. They are often the
stars of the dog sports arena, excelling in agility, flyball and obedience
trials. They also make admirable house pets and great obedience dogs.

Copyright 2007 Sue Rauch

Sue Rauch is a freelance writer who runs FitDogHome.com The site for Agility Dogs, Flydogs and their faithful owners, offering dog agility and flyball equipment designed and built by dog trainers. Browse http://www.FitDogHome.com today, build your own agility or flyball course tomorrow.