How to Choose the Breed of Dog With the Temperament Most Suitable for Your Needs

How to choose the breed of dog with the most suitable temperament for your needs.

 How to choose the breed of dog with the temperament most suitable for your needs

by Dennis Fisher

Different breeds of dogs vary considerably in temperament.

In deciding which breed would be most suitable for your needs and for the needs of your family, the distinctive temperament of the breed should be an important factor in your choice.

Obviously you cannot ignore practical considerations such as the size of your garden and the facilities you have for the dog to exercise.  Some breeds of dogs obviously require more exercise than others. But do not ignore the natural, distinctive temperament of the breed you have chosen.

In order to make the task of choosing the breed of dog that best suits your needs a little easier, I have  listed below the eight most popular dogs – according to A.K.C. registration figures – and given brief details about their temperaments.

The following list is in current order of popularity.

1.      Labrador Retriever.

Then Labrador is a medium sized dog of about 22 inches in height with very expressive eyes.  An important reason for it’s popularity to the fact that it is generally an even-tempered, friendly animal   that is particularly good with children.

There are Labradors who have been trained to be quite effective guard dogs, but this is not a natural characteristic of the breed. But if is a lovable, friendly, affectionate, easy to manage and easy to train pet  is what you require the Labrador is an excellent choice.  Labradors are, quite understandably, the breed of choice with many  eye-dog organizations.

A Labrador can be a somewhat greedy dog and there is a tendency for the dog to put on too much weight if the diet is not controlled.

2.      Golden Retriever

The Golden Retriever is a fairly large, friendly animal, standing about 24 inches at the shoulder and weighing approximately    80 lbs.

 This is a highly intelligent, very lively, active breed. It has a delightful temperament, friendly and affectionate and is very fond of children.

The Golden Retriever is very quick to learn and responds very well indeed to training.  

It must be mentioned however, that the Golden Retriever is not a natural guard dog.  It is a breed that  appears to have no inherited protective, guard instinct.   It is possible  this can be instilled with correct training but it is not a natural  trait of the breed.

3.      Yorkshire Terrier.

This handsome little terrier, with a beautiful silky coat, although only about 7 lbs. in weight, is reputed to be one of the most courageous  small dogs willing to tackle anything.

It is highly intelligent, friendly and lovable and can fit in easily in a very small home or apartment.  It does not require a great deal of exercise.

The “Yorkie”, as it is affectionately known is definitely a terrier in nature.  It is bright, intelligent,  lively and alert and in spite of its  small size makes a very good, protective watchdog.

4.      German Shepherd Dog

This is the breed that has been my personal favorite for many years. 

There is no animal as anxious to please, as easy to train and as adaptable as the well-bred German Shepherd.

But I would like to stress the “well-bred” aspect. In  this regard I must emphasize that I consider temperament is to a very large extent an inherited trait.   For this reason it is imperative that before you select a German Shepherd pup, you know something about his parents and make absolutely certain they have sound, confident temperaments.

If at all possible make a point of seeing both Sire and Dam.

A German Shepherd Dog is not for everyone!  It is not the type of animal that can be ignored, except at feeding time and  left in the backyard  to fend for itself.

The German Shepherd craves attention.  It is an animal that wants to be part of the family, which can be a definite disadvantage if you haven’t the time to give Shepherds the attention they need.

This doesn’t mean that you have to devote all your spare time training the dog. But it does mean that you will have to spend a fair amount of time training the German Shepherd in basic obedience.  The dog must learn to respect you.   This is of vital important and comes with training.

If you  are willing to spend the time and effort in giving you German Shepherds the extra attention they deserve, you will be able to bring  out the exceptionally fine qualities they have  inherited from their ancestors.

5.      Beagle

This is a dog that originated in England and was used for hunting rabbits.   It is a very intelligent, good-natured animal that is easy to train.  It also has a very good sense of smell.

Although smaller than most hunting dogs, standing only about  14 inches in height and weighing less than 30 pounds, it is nevertheless  a sturdy animal.  It has a white coat with black and tan markings and large, hanging ears.

This playful breed that was popularized though the  “Peanuts” comic strips, that featured “Snoopy”, makes a delightful family pet because it is particularly fond of children.

The Beagle is also very alert that and makes an excellent watch dog.

6.      Daschund.

The Daschund, a breed that originated in Germany, was originally bred to hunt badgers. In spite of its small size it was also used to hunt foxes.  Because of it’s long body, loose skin and keen sense of smell, the animal was able to burrow underground.

Although quite small, no more than 25 pounds, it is a sturdy, well-muscled animal

The Daschund has a delightful temperament, fun-loving, undemanding and very affectionate.  They do not require a great deal of exercise and are quite content to lie around.

In fact because of this they should not be over-fed otherwise they have a tendency to become overweight, which is of course unhealthy for any breed.

They are also inclined to bark unnecessarily.  But his can be corrected with training.  They are intelligent animals and although sometimes inclined to be obstinate, they will respond to firm, but  gentle correction.

7.      Boxer

This breed also  originated in Germany and was the result of the crossing of dogs of the bull breed variety and terriers.  

A  well-bred Boxer has a great deal to offer.   It is an animal that is exceptionally good with children. Because of its size – about 24 inches at the shoulder and between 65 and 70 lbs in weight, this muscular dog, with correct training can prove to be a useful guard dog.

A well-bred Boxer is  muscular, very athletic, handsome  animal.

A decided advantage of the Boxer  is the fact that coat is  short and  requires very little attention in so far as grooming is concerned.

Boxers are capable of being trained and a number have done reasonably  in  competitive Obedience work.  Sometimes they are not quite as quick to respond to commands as other working dog breeds, but once they understand your command they seldom forget.

They are lovable very affectionate animals that generally  get on well with other dogs.

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8.      Poodle.

The poodle is reputed to be the most intelligent of all breeds - with good reason.  It is a remarkably intelligent animal, very responsive and very easy to train.

It is very playful lovable animal that very often attaches itself to one member of the family.  Because it is suspicious of strangers it can also be a very good guard. Although it is sometimes a noisy dog, this alertness can be very useful when there is also a larger, guard dog in the home. The Poodle is alert to every strange sound.

A great advantage of the Poodle is the fact that it is the only breed that does not shed it’s coat.  This can be of inestimable value if there happens to be member of the family who is allergic to dog’s hair. But because the dog does not shed its coat, the dog should be regularly brushed to avoid matting of the coat.

Because of it’s exceptional intelligence the Poodle can be remarkably easy to train.

Because of space restrictions this article provides only the basic facts about these eight breeds.  If you would like to know more about these and many other breeds, you will  find a great deal of  information on the following site  http://www,freedigadvice.com

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