Best Dog Breeds to Adopt Based on Your Living Situation and Lifestyle

Getting a dog is one of the best things someone can do, just as any dog owner, they’ll tell you. However, deciding on what kind of dog to get can be a bit tricky. Sure, you can aim for a particular breed for aesthetic or emotional reasons, but reality is that a new dog – or any other pet – has to fit into the lifestyle of their new owner, otherwise the arrangement isn’t fair for anyone.

Energy level, free time, available space, and the rest of the people in your home are just some of the factors you’ll need to take into account when determining what type of dog you’re looking to make your own. So, that being said, let’s take a look at what dog breeds match up with what lifestyles.

The first question you’ll need to ask yourself when determining what kind of dog you want is how much time do you have on your hands to train your dog. Now obviously, any dog is going to require a decent commitment of time to train. However, there are some dog breeds that require more attention, more in-depth training, and truly can’t be left alone (like say if their owner needs to go to work) until their training is complete… and sometimes even after that.

According to the American Kennel Club, some dog breeds that require comparatively less time to train include, poodle, border collie, German shepherd, golden retriever, Doberman pinscher, Shetland sheepdog, labrador retriever, papillon, Australian cattle dog, Pembroke Welsh corgi, miniature schnauzer, and the English springer.

Beyond training, a potential new dog owner also needs to take into account how much time and energy they’ll be able to dedicate to their new pet. Once again, any pooch is going to require time, attention, and energy, but some will require more than others. While this might not sound like a serious issue to consider, not giving the most attention possible to a more high maintenance dog breed can lead to behavioral issues including chewing on furniture, barking excessively, rough and aggressive play, and even constant pleas for attention.

If you’re the kind of person who has a ton of energy and time to dedicate to activities like hiking and general physical activity, breeds like the Australian shepherd, labrador retriever, golden retriever, Weimaraner, dalmatian, border collie, Siberian husky, Australian cattle dog, German shepherd, so-called “bully breeds” like the American bulldog, American pit bull, and American Staffordshire terrier, and Boxer Terriers like the Jack Russel terrier, Parson Russel terrier, and  Russel terrier.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a comparatively low energy/low maintenance dog breed, any of the following may be what you’re looking for: English bulldog, Basset hound, chow chow, Greyhound, Great Dane, Pug, French bulldog, Pekingese, Shih Tzu, or a Cavalier King Charles spaniel.

Some of the other issues to keep in mind include the size of your living space. This might seem obvious, but the larger a dog you get, the more space that dig will need for personal space, comfortable movement, a bed, a feeding area, and etc. basically, a one-bedroom apartment would be better suited for a small dog, while a larger home is the perfect environment for a larger breed.

Another major issue for a potential dog owner to keep in mind is the presence of children in their home. Younger children may not understand how to act around a dog, which means that high-energy breeds who’re easily spooked might not be the best idea. On the other hand, some media-maligned breeds like Pitbulls are actually well-suited to be family dogs.

Have these teams influenced why type of dog breed you’re re potentially adding to your family? Let us know.