How do I pick the right breed/puppy for me? 

Welcome to today’s short form podcast where your trainer answers frequently asked client questions, I’m your hostNicole Forto and on today’s episode we are answering, how do I pick the right breed or puppy for me? The short answer to this is to do heavy research, talk with breeders, talk with people who have gotten puppies from that breeder, and even speak with your dog trainer about the puppies personality and what to look for when selecting the one for you. You can still do deep research like this with rescuing a dog but be prepared that the answers you get may be far more limited or not 100% accurate especially in the breed guesses. Now, our very own Michele Forto picks puppies on a regular basis for ourLead Dog Service Dog Program as well as long time clients getting new puppies. In this episode we will ask her about how she picks those puppies and why she doesn’t pick others.

Before we get all the secrets from the master herself let’s quickly cover the importance of researching the breed you are interested in. Even when rescuing a dog, finding out as much information about their background can make or break your future relationship. Dogs are rehomed and returned to shelters every day and a lot of that could subside if a bit more time, patience, and care went into the decision of picking the right puppy or dog for you. For instance if you are someone who works 12 hour shifts and lives in an apartment I would never ever tell you to get a Belgian Malinois puppy no matter how calm the breeder or person getting rid of the puppy said they were. Equally labradoodles are not for everyone either. They require a serious amount of grooming which can be more expensive for people, they also can have high energy, lots of bouncy behavior and independence enough to challenge what is asked of them especially with too much freedom. That’s talking about two of the most popular breeds right now.

Michele, are you ready for some questions?

What are the top three things you consider when getting ready to select a certain breed for a person whether it’s going to be a service dog or regular pet?

What does a shy puppy present it’s personality as when it’s younger than 8 weeks old?

The same question for an over assertive puppy?

What are the qualities that make the best pick?

When adopting a dog from a rehoming situation or from a shelter/rescue what are the best questions to ask and get the closest to accurate answers on?

What are a few things about a clients lifestyle and goals that go into making the final choice on that specific breed?

There you have it guys, the best and most educated way to go about picking out your newest k9 buddy. Remember just because it’s a popular breed or the sweetest looking dog at the rescue does not mean it’s the right dog for you. Other than considering the dog’s personality and genetic traits, your lifestyle plays a large factor in your decision as well. Things like your daily schedule, how active you are, the amount of money you can financially afford for routine care and training of that dog, how often you travel, are there other pets, and how big is your home just to name a few things to factor in. We hope this episode helps you or a friend decide on their next puppy. For Dog Work’s Radio we thank Michele for joining us today, I’m Nicole and we will catch you in the next episode.