Choosing the Right Dog

Best for Pets is more than a pet store, it is the place where dogs and cats are the real protagonists and therefore, we care about their welfare. The adventure begins when our new furry friend arrives home, but …. What aspects should we consider before?

Today we want to tell you about the importance of choosing our pet well before we start sharing life together. There are more than 200 recognized dog breeds, so it is important to choose the one that suits us best to avoid abandonment or unpleasantness and to guarantee the happiness of our furry friends and their owners, of course!

Short-haired or long-haired dog?

This factor is very important because, if we decide on a long-haired dog, we must take into account that we will have to dedicate 15 minutes a day to brushing it. Brushing is an essential part of our pet’s hygiene, it helps to remove dead hair and dirt and in the case of dogs with very long hair, daily brushing will help to avoid tangles.

If we do not have much free time a day, it will be better to opt for short-haired dogs, although it is also necessary to brush them, we should not dedicate so much time to this task, a couple of times a week would be enough.

Large or small dog?

If your home is rather small, you have little space and you have little free time, the best thing to do is to choose a small-sized dog. They adapt better to small homes, need less food, and do not need as long walks as large dogs.

On the other hand, if you have a large house, preferably with a yard, a large dog will be happy to share that space with you.

You must take into account that you will have to have more time to walk your dog, ideally, three walks a day, and patience so that your pet can do its needs in peace.

Although all these things can serve as a guide, they will be useless if we do not take into account that each dog has its own personality and that personality brings with it certain needs that we cannot ignore.

It is important to know the breed of our dog to be able to understand it and take care of it properly, that is why we recommend being well informed about the origin of our future pet before making such an important and often undervalued decision, which is to choose to buy or adopt a pet.

Little space at home? Choose a small-sized dog instead…

Although they need exercise, like all dogs, they do not require as much activity as large breeds. Let’s look at some breeds in detail:

The PUG. Its coat is fine and soft, so it will not require as much brushing and will be easy to care for and keep clean.

As for his personality, he is a cheerful and intelligent dog. They enjoy comfort, love, and caresses, they are very playful so they need constant company, if you leave them alone for a long time, you could create separation anxiety.

If you are a very active person who spends a lot of time away from home or has small children to take care of constantly, it is preferable that you opt for another breed, as the Pug needs a lot of attention and affection.

The Dachshund is a loving and playful dog. But keep in mind that it is not an easy breed to educate or train, in fact, if it does not find the proper authority in its owner, it can suffer from anxiety and bark obsessively or bite. There are three varieties, long-haired, wire-haired, or short-haired.

The Dachshund is distrustful of strangers, so it is important to teach them from an early age to socialize, this is very important to prevent them from becoming aggressive or excessively fearful.

With the correct attention and education and with the right knowledge about this breed we will be able to avoid all this, they do not respond to force, positive reinforcement is necessary, using treats or caresses and positive words.

The Chihuahua is a small dog of approximately less than 3kg. It is a very restless and brave dog.

If you have a lot of time this will be a great choice, Chihuahuas create strong bonds with their masters and tend to be jealous.

This breed is suitable for adults, not for children, as it is an animal that can react badly to children’s endless games and needs its space so as not to feel harassed and become aggressive. They are not easy to train, but with the help of a clicker and a lot of patience, you will be able to do it.

The West Highland Terrier is a loving, friendly, sociable, and courageous dog. It is perfect for small apartments and does not need so much exercise.

It is also a great dog for families with children as it is very playful. Something to keep in mind is that being an affectionate and sociable dog, he needs to spend as much time as possible with his family, it is important not to leave him alone too much time, as this could generate anxiety.

The French Bulldog. It is a playful, affectionate, cheerful, and funny dog. The Bulldog in general is a very clean breed. It is also sociable, loves to play with other dogs, and enjoys the company of its owner.

One problem they often have is breathing, they are prone to snoring and panting, and in summer, when it is hotter, they often have a hard time and even suffer from heat stroke.

This breed is great to live in apartments, it does not require a lot of outdoor activity, with one or two daily walks will be fine, yes, they love to play and run, but if you dedicate some time every day for this they will be more than happy.

Do you love big dogs and have room at home? Take a look at these breeds:

The Golden Retriever is an intelligent dog, ideal for families with children as it is a sociable, calm, and patient dog, it will withstand without problems the energy and games of the little ones. As they have great intelligence, they are easy to train and train, as long as we use positive reinforcement, not force and punishments.

Something important about this breed is that they need to bite constantly, it is essential that you have biters and toys of this style. They are active dogs, they need daily exercise and long walks, and they love to play. If you enjoy outdoor sports and are an active person, this breed of dog is suitable for your lifestyle.

You should also keep in mind that these little furry dogs are experts at messing up your home and playing with anything that catches their attention, plus they shed lots and lots of hair. If you choose to welcome a Golden Retriever into your family, you will have to be patient with the cleaning and tidiness of your home.

They need a lot of love and company, if you leave them alone for a whole day don’t be surprised if when you come back you find some damage. So before choosing this precious little friend, make sure you have enough time to meet all his needs.