With so many different dog breeds out there, how do you know which breed suits you? I'm not going to do a match-you-a-breed post here, but I'll talk about the different considerations you'll need to take into before deciding on a breed.
Breed Traits and Temperaments
Personally, I think this is one of the top considerations you should take into when selecting a specific breed as your companion. Some people hate dog fur flying around so perhaps a low shedding breed like Poodles and Maltese may suit them. Some people prefer couch potatos to chill with them and therefore selects a Pug or an English Bulldog. Some like active and animated dogs so a Labrador or a Golden Retriever will fit right into their lifestyles. Picking a breed with a trait that you are not prepared for is a disaster in the making, and will result in a lot of frustrations in both you and your dog. If you're not an active person or not looking to become one, then picking a high energy level dog will be absolutely tiring for you. Attempting to suppress their energy levels will result in an unhappy dog, and an exhausted owner. I've seen a lot of people keep breeds that are a mismatch with their lifestyle, or they have unrealistic expectations especially when raising puppies, and this creates so many problems.
So do your own research on what traits and temperaments each breed have and pick carefully. A good place to read up would be reputable club websites like The Labrador Retriever Club of America, Dalmatian Club of New South Wales, or other breed specific clubs that provide very accurate information on the breed you're looking at.
Alternatively, if you have a specific breed that you really want to keep, you could change your lifestyle and expectations to accommodate and compliment the breed of your choice.
I did not pick Labradors as my breed, Labradors pick me as their breed. I was a lazy couch potato before keeping Labradors but I've lost 10kg since having Charlie as I change my lifestyle to suit their needs. What a slave I am to them.
Difficulty level of different breeds
I'll be totally honest here. Some breeds are not suitable for first time owners, unless you have an experienced mentor to guide you in every step of the journey. A lot of dog owners are unaware, irresponsible, or can't be bothered and they pick breeds that may be more intense than what they are prepared to handle, especially with breeds that are known to show DA (dog aggression), SSA (same sex aggression), HA (handler aggression) etc. One example I've seen plenty are people who keep Siberian Huskies for purely aesthetic reasons, but are not equipped or trained to handle their temperaments. This is made worse when many of these dogs come from questionable breeders who don't take temperament into consideration when breeding them. It might be controversial to say this, but I believe some people have no business owning certain breed of dogs, especially if they have no prior experience in handling them or they do not have a good mentor to give guidance.
In my humble opinion, both Labrador Retrievers and Italian Greyhounds are great breeds for first time owners. Well bred and well socialised ones are friendly and docile, and they make great family companions.
Aesthetics
Aesthetics, or how a breed looks like, should never be the priority when it comes to picking your next companion. But as humans we all have our preferences and it is absolutely fine to love how certain breeds look like and preferring to own them as compared to other breeds that are not as aesthetically pleasing to your own eye. To avoid frustrations when raising your dog, it is better to place traits and temperaments, and how it compliments your lifestyle and preferences as the top priority when it comes to selecting a breed as your next companion.
Labrador Retrievers, probably one of the best looking breeds in the universe. Okay I'm biased towards them =p
Having a dog is a long commitment
I'm sure all of you know this, and having a suitable breed will ensure that your journey with your pup will be an enjoyable one. Having well bred dogs will also certainly help you as their temperaments and traits are consistent and predictable. Read more about the differences between well bred dogs and their poorly bred friends here.
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