Choosing the Right Dog For Your Household

Glendale Humane Society is committed to finding loving, permanent homes for all of our dogs. In order to insure that each adoption is a great one, we ask potential adopters to consider the many options available to them when choosing a canine companion to share their lives with.

Puppy vs. Adult

Puppies are cute, cuddly and irresistible, but they require an enormous commitment of your time and energy. They thrive on attention and cannot be left alone for long hours. They must have a consistent routine in order to become house-trained, as well as ongoing socialization with new people, places and other animals so they may grow into friendly and confident adult dogs. Puppies have lots of energy to burn, and need a high level of physical and mental stimulation to keep them happy and healthy. If you work away from home all day, you must consider how your puppy will get the exercise, training and socialization he needs in your absence.

An adult dog is often a better fit for many households. What you see is what you get! They are who they are, and there are generally no big surprises with size, housetraining or temperament. An adult dog is well past the teething, chewing, and destructive stage of puppyhood. Many adult dogs are already house-trained and some have even had prior obedience training. Their requirements for physical stimulation and attention are often far less demanding than a puppy’s and they adapt quite easily to most lifestyles. An adult dog could be an ideal choice for a family companion, as they are often calmer and more tolerant with children.

Pure vs. Mixed breed

Generations ago, when people kept dogs strictly to assist them in fundamental tasks, the idea of owning a purebred dog with very specific traits and talents made a lot of sense. If you were a hunter, you needed a Hound, Pointer or Retriever to track or retrieve for you. Akitas and Chows hunted large game. Terriers and Dachshunds were used exclusively to rid farms of vermin. Border Collies and Queensland Heelers herded sheep and cattle, respectively.

These days, it is unlikely that the average suburban or urban dweller requires a dog that is hard-wired to perform such tasks. In fact, most of us would likely be better off living with a dog that did not possess a strong drive to hunt, herd or pull sleds! Researching various dog breeds will help you determine if a particular breed trait is compatible with your lifestyle.

Mixed breed dogs are unique – no two are alike! Because they may be the result of mixes bred with other mixes, they are far less likely to exhibit the in-bred drive or determination of purebred dogs. Mixed breed dogs are also less prone to the genetic defects and health-related issues inherent in certain breeds. In general, mixed breed dogs make excellent companion animals.

Activity Level

Every dog has social and physical needs that must be met on a daily basis. It should go without saying that a puppy or adolescent dog requires much more exercise than an adult dog. As mentioned in the previous section, knowing what breed traits a dog possesses will help guide you in your selection.

Adopting a very active dog in the hope of converting you into a more active individual is a recipe for disaster, as a lifestyle change rarely occurs. The relationship between dog and human will ultimately suffer through mutual frustration and dissatisfaction, as neither of your needs are met.

We recommend selecting a dog that fits into your current lifestyle, not your idealized lifestyle. Are you a jogger, hiker, or more of a couch potato? Do you have a burning desire to run an agility course with your dog, or would you prefer a companion to lie under your desk while you work at the computer? Being realistic and honest with yourself regarding your level of activity and what types of activities you will likely do with your dog will insure the best match.

Long Hair vs. Short Hair

All dogs require some regular grooming like brushing and bathing to keep them clean and comfortable. The amount of grooming depends on the type of coat. Chows, Huskies and Shepherds have double-coats that thicken in the winter and require thinning out in the spring, usually by a professional groomer. Dogs with long, silky coats like Yorkshire Terriers and Cocker Spaniels need daily brushing to keep them from tangling. Poodles and Bichons may not shed, but can mat easily without routine maintenance of their tight curls.

If you do not have time for daily brushing and regular maintenance, you should consider a dog with a short, sleek coat. A shorter coat is extremely easy to care for and requires little more than towel drying after a bath, and minimal brushing. Contrary to popular belief, a short-haired dog is not necessarily a low-shedding dog. Labradors and Dalmatians shed just as much as a Collie – just much shorter hairs!

If anyone in your family is allergic to dog hair, you should limit your selection to those breeds that are known to cause fewer problems for allergy sufferers. These include: Poodle, Maltese, Shih Tzu, Havanese, Schnauzer, Bichon Frise as well as various terriers.

Size

There is little correlation between size and activity level. This would be determined more by breed/mix and age. A 15 lbs. Jack Russell Terrier could run circles around a 150 lbs. Mastiff any day of the week. Nonetheless, size does matter if you have physical limitations and handling a large, strong dog could put you in peril.

Those who live in an apartment or condominium should check with their Home Owners Association or landlord, as restrictions based on size or weight of animals they will allow are quite common.

In addition, potential adopters who must limit dog size based on their housing, physical concerns or personal preferences should confine their search to purebred puppies or dogs one year or older. The adult size of a mixed breed puppy is anyone’s guess, and they can easily grow to exceed your expectations or arbitrary size limitations. There is nothing more heartbreaking for shelter workers than to have an owner give up an adolescent puppy simply because “it got too big”. Please think ahead and make a responsible decision.

Male vs. Female

Each dog is a unique individual and there are no gender-based differences in temperament or personality. Neutered males and spayed females make equally wonderful, loyal and loving companions.

If you already have a dog and are considering adopting another, most trainers would recommend that your new dog be of the opposite sex to lessen the potential for the competition and conflicts associated with same-sex pairings.

Children

If you have children in your household, selecting a friendly, tolerant dog with a stable temperament should be your #1 priority.

Parental supervision is vital no matter what dog you select. A small child should never be left alone with a dog under any circumstance. Parents of small children may wish to review national dog-bite statistics to become aware of the high occurrence of dog-bites of children under 8 years of age – usually the result of an unsupervised encounter with the family dog.

Another consideration is size. Small children can be knocked over by large, playful, or untrained but friendly dogs. Many of the smaller breeds such as Chihuahuas, are not considered to be good candidates for homes with small children. Small dogs are naturally wary of active youngsters, and may nip or bite out of fear if they are approached carelessly or handled roughly.

Puppies and young children can be a volatile mix. A human child can easily yet unintentionally hurt or mis-handle a puppy. A puppy – who is innocently exploring the world with its mouth – is likely to use its razor-sharp teeth on a child thinking it is a an acceptable form of play. The belief that puppies and children can “grow up together” is wrong-headed. While still as emotionally immature as a human child, a puppy will reach its full adult size in the first year of its life.

Many parents are committed to having a family dog enrich their child’s life. If children are taught to treat the family dog with kindness and respect, and the dog is given boundaries and basic manners training, a safe and mutually rewarding experience can be the result for all involved.

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