WHY did you choose your breed?

Question

I see a lot of questions about "what's your favorite breed?" or "what dog is the cutest?", but rarely does anyone say WHY their breed is a good fit for them. (I also see frequently people recommending breeds like springer spaniels for apartments, and other breeds that would not be good fits for the askers' situations/needs.)

So I ask:

- Have the majority of people on here just picked out a dog because it was cute?

- Or did you research to find out what breed was the best fit for you based on size, temperament, grooming, exercise requirements, activity level, possible health issues, etc.?

Answer 1

I raised beagles as a kid with my friend. We took them on field trials and did very well. One day a man came to see them and in his car was a huge beautiful Saint female. I fell in love. I researched for several years and called, wrote and visited many breeders before I was able to get one. I also traveled several states to find what I wanted. I have had them now for over twenty years.

Answer 2

I don't go out looking for particular breeds. Both dogs I've had have been rescues (the shih tzu from the pound and my current papillon from the vet's office I work at). I do, however, check out the breed I'm intending to save before bringing them home. I rarely choose a large breed due to the fact that I have an extremely busy family and not a large backyard. At the vet's office there are three dogs I'd love to save but they are too high energy for my house (a pit/boxer mix, a pit/lab mix, and a golden retriever). I also make sure they aren't too territorial. As far as grooming needs go, it doesn't really bother me to groom my dog a lot. All I can say is that I have loved my dogs.

Answer 3

I have a rat terrier.

I picked a rat terrier because I wanted a dog with a high energy level because I love going for walks and I usually go for a jog everyday and wanted a companion to come with me. I just bought a 3 bedroom house before I got the puppy so I have a lot of room because I don't have any kids just me and my husband. I also wanted a small dog because I thought a big dog in a house would be too much. I wanted something with short hair to make grooming easier although I do brush her every day. I also have friends and family who have had rat terriers and I knew that they were an affectionate breed who needs alot of playtime but I have the time that they need. I also researched the breed on the internet and bought a rat terrier magazine. Then I spent 6 months looking for a rat terrier in the shelter and after all that time I switched to looking for a qualified breeder. I got my puppy after almost a year of thinking about it.

Answer 4

This is one of the most difficult questions I've ever had the pleasure of answering here ...
We had mixed breed dogs before we got hooked on the Flat Coated Retriever. I must admit, we were first drawn to the breed because of its appearance, but then we started doing our homework. We learned all we could about the breed, but they are not very common, so we took it upon ourselves to meet some folks who had one.
Talk about awkward ... Did you ever call a perfect stranger and ask if it was OK that you come over to meet their dog? That's exactly what we did (we remained friends ever since). Then, we were fortunate enough to be invited to the Northeast Flat Coated Retriever Club's semi annual meeting (a 5-1/2 hr drive). We were the only people there without a dog, but we met many FCRs and their owners and we learned hands on as much as we could about the breed. That's when we realized for sure that this is the breed for us.
Next we contacted the parent club, got a list of breeders (some of whom we met at the meeting) and got on a waiting list for a puppy. For us it was well worth the wait. Total time from our initial inquiries to the time we brought home our first pup ... about 5 months (pretty quick for a newbie in an uncommon breed). The rest is history.

Answer 5

My dog is a mutt. I went to the shelter to look at a poodle mix. I wanted a cuddly lapdog. I had been researching Cavaliers but I didn't have the $750 for an unspayed (never bred because she was a 'genetic anomaly'- ie. not show quality) 7 year old female the reputable breeder wanted. The poodle mix was gone and I walked around and saw my little guy. My first thought was he was a puppy (sign said 4 months) who would get huge and be kinda heavy for a lap-dog and not ideal for an apartment. I just prefer small dogs.

I took him out anyway, we walked around outside the shelter, sniffed, he jumped up, gave kisses, but was mostly just so happy to be outside and distracted by everything around him.

I couldn't stand to put him back in his cage when I went to talk about the adoption- I was almost in tears as he watched me walk away with those big sad eyes of his (he's a beagle mix and I can definitely see the 'gentle, pleading' expression the breed standard describes).

He was not what I thought of as cute originally- I wanted something similar to my parent's cocker- I love the long curly ears. Also he is black and tan and I usually find dogs with more of a white background 'prettier' (I wanted a Blenheim cavalier).

Now that I have him I realize he is the best of both worlds- he's a great running partner, he's adventerous, easy-going, energetic, but at night he jumps up on mommy's lap and cuddles. He sleeps curled up beside me. I thought I had done my research and I thought I wanted a calmer dog- now I realize I was wrong.

I knew he wouldn't get much bigger (and the vet said not bigger at all), I knew I was willing to do whatever grooming necessary (grew up with a cocker)- which for him is little to none, knew he would need alot of exercise (which is great for me- my little running buddy), and I knew I had no guarantee whatsoever for his health (the relief after the first vet visit was crazy). I don't know if any of this counts? How does one research a mutt?

Answer 6

My boyfriend grew up with a yellow lab and when I met the dog, she as the sweetest dog i'd ever met. She is now about 10 years old, and in great health thanks to his parents.

I'd always wanted a dog, and thought that a labs playfullness and loyalty would be perfect for me. The oppotunity came when I was doing a client vist at a home, and the dog in the home had just had puppies, I knew immediately that I wanted one of the puppies in the litter. I ended up with a black border collie/lab mix.

I chose to get a female, because after the research I'd done found that they were more protective and loving. I also wanted a black one, because for some reason they are the ones the get chosen last. I also got the runt, who when I met her had the sweetest temperment, and still does, though she gets awfully excited around people.

My puppy is now 4 months old, very loving, playful, and completely potty trained. She is the best dog I would have ever wanted, but I just need to teach her to stop nipping.

I think that we ended up a great match for eachother.

Answer 7

We started with an initial emotional response to several different breeds. Then we investigated. Some we immediately discarded as impractical for our current circumstances. Others we weighed the positives against the negatives. Also, we had to balance our different preferences.

We picked Shelties. They are a smaller breed than I normally prefer but closer to the size my husband likes. Their coat is more to my liking - and I'll be doing the grooming. Their activity level is a good match for both of us. Their general temperament was acceptable to us. I like that they are very trainable as this is a special interest of mine. We decided we could handle their tendencies to herding behaviours and would make sure they were very well socialised to avoid excessive shyness.

Answer 8

It seems the majority of people on here just picked out a dog because it was cute... Hopefully not...

I read whole dog encyclopedias and researched a lot before I decided on my breed. I have no regrets. I recommend to people looking for a dog to visit several dog shows as well as several breeders of the breed(s) in question. Also visit the parent club website it is usually invaluable in helping you find the best dog for you and your circumstances. That may mean no dog at all. Be honest with your self.

Answer 9

I grew up with Samoyeds, my grandparents bred them so I had one who lived to be 15 when I was a kid. I love their intelligence, sense of humor, cleverness and I find grooming to be an extraordinary way for me to spend time with them as it helps center me. Each is different, but I've never met a stupid Sam.. just some darn stubborn ones that you need to find what makes them tick.

I picked Bernese after a lot of research. I wanted a breed that was bigger than a Sam as the Sam I was using as a Service Dog was physically pushed to her limits at times. I also wanted a dark colored dog so I would need to do a bit less grooming (I love the Pyrs but between the color and their one-person/one-familyness I didn't think as a whole breed they would work for me) and I wanted NO DROOLING! I also was looking for a dog willing to work and yet completely happy laying around for hours doing nothing. People quite often forget how much down time a handicapped person can need.. and its just not fair to a dog who was bred to be active to suddenly have a couple days where they do nothing. The Bernese are perfectly suited for this. My 2 biggest problems with the Bernese was finding a line that had 1) higher AOD (Age of Death) because the average Bernese lives to 7.5 .. however there are lines of them where the average is 2-3 years higher 2) good structure- coming from Samoyeds I am often appalled at how poorly constructed Bernese are... a lot of times it seems to me American breeders have worried a bit more about a big head, nice markings and a long fluffy coat than they have about a dog built to work, with a great temperament and a weather resistant coat. It took me 2 years to find a line of dogs I felt comfortable with.

I love my Sams.. I love the Berners. The Berners believe I might be a god.. the Sams remind me that they don't think so. Its a great balance for me.

Answer 10

Well . . . I grew up with two Boxers. I love/d both of them dearly, and they are/were a big part of my life. When our white Boxer, Bianca, passed away two years ago . . .it seemed logical to me to get yet another Boxer.

I did do some research - mainly on health problems and better training methods for Boxers. I had already come to love the temperment, appreciate their intellegence and activity level, and love the "wash-and-wear" grooming requirements (I only wish the English Springer's grooming needs followed that philosopy).

Boxers are a good fit for me because they are my good medicine. They make me a better person. Happier, more easy going. They are my better half. I love their clownish antics, how they will keep me on my toes, how they bring out a more social aspect in me. My security, my confidante, actually everything I fail to be.

Though I do wish they could be larger dogs. And yes, I think they are a horribly cute and beautiful breed.

Answer 11

For me Dobermans are THE breed!

First reason is that I love their look; nice beautiful clean lines, streamlined.

2nd, I am a lifer dog groomer so I don't want loads of shedding when I get home since I deal with that all day long.

3rd, I like large breed dogs and working/guard breeds since I live in a middle class neighborhood where crime is not so far away but I can have my windows and doors open all summer long with no worries.

4th, secretly, Dobies are just big babies and have a bit of a clown in them.

I used to have German Shepherds and loved them but noticed that they often seemed as though they could never relax, whether it was driven to chase and retrieve a ball all day long or simply wearing tracks around the perimeter of my property. So when my last shepherd passed, a switched to Dobermans and I am happy with the little differences. But I would research any breed I owned prior to adopting it, although I feel I know the temperaments of most breeds because of my job where I have hands on knowledge of most breeds from years of experience. I always try to help counsel my clients when they mention that they would like to get a "_____" breed. For example, if someone tells me they want a pug but hate shedding, I would refer them to a Boston or a Frenchie.