Dog Breeds to Consider When Choosing a Family Pet

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Considering getting a family pet? This could be a great decision. When you have children, you need to teach them about the importance of animals and being kind to them. Dogs also serve as faithful companions and, ultimately, well loved family members who can bring a smile to your face each and every day. There are so many reasons that getting a dog can improve your life that it would be nigh on impossible to list them all here! But when you’re choosing a dog, there are a lot of considerations to take into account. At the end of the day, dog ownership takes time, money, dedication and effort. These are dependent beings who will rely on you for their every need and you need to make sure that you’re able to provide the best quality of life for them before bringing them into your home. Here’s some further information on this, as well as some ideas of dog breeds that may suit your family and their ways.

Are You Ready for a Dog?

Not every family is well suited to owning a dog. No matter what breed you choose, all dogs are going to have certain needs that you will have to meet in order to provide them with a good quality of life. You’re going to have to be able to afford a dog. No pooch comes cheap. Besides the initial cost of buying a puppy or an adoption fee from a dog’s home, you’re going to have a whole host of ongoing costs that will be present for the entire duration of your dog’s life. This can include ongoing veterinary treatment such as fleaing and worming. It can include one off treatments such as spaying or neutering. It involves life long insurance fees to cover more costly injury and illness related treatment. It involves dog food, dog treats, dog toys, bowls, beds, harnesses, leads, grooming and so much more. You also need to be committed to your dog from a time and effort perspective which involves daily walks, play time, cuddles and general attention. Make sure to seriously consider the effort involved in caring for a dog properly before deciding you’re going to get one.

Choosing a Dog Breed

Now, many people will choose a dog breed largely based on how a dog looks. Some people want a big dog, some want a small dog, everyone finds specific breeds cuter or more appealing than others. But you really can’t make your decision on which dog to get based on how they look. Instead you need to bear in mind that all dogs were historically bred to fulfill different roles, which has had a big impact on different breed’s characteristics and likely personalities. You need to make sure that you’re choosing a dog that matches your lifestyle and your family well. Here are a few that you might like to consider.

Labradors

Labradors are a medium sized dog, measuring roughly 21 to 24 inches at the shoulder and weighing around 55 to 80 pounds. They have an average life expectancy of 10 to 12 years. They are also one of the most popular amongst families around the world. These dogs were bred for sport - specifically retrieving birds and other animals on hunts. This means that they can be well disciplined and easily trained. This has led to them commonly being used as assistance dogs to assist the disabled. They are loving, people-oriented dogs who live to serve their families. They are loving and caring and generally good with children. One thing to bear in mind with labradors is that they are bad at managing how much they eat. Given the opportunity, they will eat continuously, picking up any food that is available to them. This is fine when it comes to things like broccoli (https://www.nextritionpet.com/blogs/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-broccoli) or carrots, but it can quickly lead to issues such as obesity, so make sure that you consult your vet on how much you should be feeding your lab and ensure that you avoid overfeeding them or providing them with too many treats. This will help them to maintain a healthy weight and avoid a host of weight problems down the line. Labs commonly have three distinct coat colours - yellow, chocolate or black. Make sure to use reliable breeders when choosing a lab. This site is a good example.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a much smaller dog than the Labrador, so is better suited to smaller living spaces, such as smaller houses or apartments. Just make sure that your dog had access to a garden if you do get one, as all dgs need space to use the bathroom and stretch their legs. While smaller than many breeds, this is one of the larger dogs in the toy dog category and was historically bred as a retriever and a companion. Being a companion dog, there’s little more that this pooch will love than cuddling up on your lap and spending a lot of time around a large and loving family. This dog will measure roughly 12 to 13 inches at the shoulder and will weigh between 13 and 18 pounds. This is good for families with small children, who may risk being knocked over or hurt by larger breeds. Their estimated life span lasts between 9 and 15 years. If you choose this pooch. Make sure that you have plenty of time to spend with it and that you’re not out of the house all day at work or engaging in other activities. They like to be around people and will follow you wherever you go.

Beagle

The Beagle is a medium sized dog, reaching around ​​13 to 15 inches tall at the shoulder and weighing 18 to 30 pounds. They have a life expectancy of around 10 to 15 years. While they are soft, loving and outgoing, they do also retain some of their hound dog nature, which means that have some interesting characteristics such as being inquisitive and determined. Like the Labrador, this is a breed that is also heavily focused on food, which can make training easy (as you have good leverage for them to do tricks), but that also means you have to keep an eye on how much you feed them, sticking to their recommended meals and treats rather than slipping into the habit of overfeeding them. If you choose a Beagle, you’ll quickly see that they used to be a scent hound, following their nose wherever they go. The average Beagle has an astounding 220 million scent receptors (humans have about 5 million), which means you’ll often see them with their nose to the ground, following a particular smell they’ve picked up. If choosing a Beagle, bear in mind that this breed can be a little difficult to housetrain. Most breeders and experienced owners would recommend crate training this breed.

These are just a few different dogs that you might want to consider when choosing a family pup. But remember that there are hundreds of other breeds out there that may suit you down to a tee. When choosing a dog, make sure to consider key factors, such as how much space they will need, how much exercise they will need, how much grooming they will require, whether they enjoy spending time with you or alone, whether they’re historically good with children or other pets and so much more. This is a decision to take your time over, but in the end, it will be worth your time and effort once you find the perfect pet to fit into your family unit!