Did you know that the American Kennel Club recognizes over 200 dog breeds? With each breed having different characteristics, temperaments, and ideal lifestyles, it can be difficult to choose the right puppy for your family.
However, with some prior planning and research, you can find a puppy breed with a temperament that fits perfectly with your lifestyle. In this article, we’ll outline how to match your puppy’s temperament and breed to your lifestyle, helping you find your newest family addition.
Evaluating Your Lifestyle
Your lifestyle plays a major role in breed selection. After all, it wouldn’t make much sense to get a high-energy puppy if you prefer to relax on the weekends! Here are some questions that help identify your lifestyle:
- Do you have children?
- How do you like to spend your free time?
- How often do you work?
When choosing a puppy temperament, it’s also important to understand why you want a dog in the first place. In addition to the above lifestyle questions, answer the following questions:
- Do you want a puppy to complement your lifestyle?
- Do you want a puppy for your family or children?
- Do you want a puppy for a specific purpose, such as for service or protection?
These six questions will play an instrumental role in matching puppy temperament and breed to your lifestyle. Take the time to not only think about your lifestyle, but also the lifestyles of people your puppy will come in contact with, such as your spouse or children.
Matching Puppy Temperament to Your Lifestyle
Now that you understand your reason for getting a puppy and your preferred lifestyle, let’s match puppy temperaments and breeds to different lifestyles.
Lifestyle 1: Active and High-Energy
Living an active and high-energy lifestyle means you are constantly outside, such as hiking, biking, or walking. Some dog breeds thrive in this type of environment and need hours of outside play and activities to tire out. Whether it’s a long walk to the dog park or a day-long hiking trip, here are some breeds and temperaments that prefer an active and high-energy environment:
- Corgis
- Sheepdogs
- Labrador Retrievers • German Shepherds
- Spaniels
- Dalmatians • Terriers
- Huskies
- Malinois
Lifestyle 2: Relaxing and Laid Back
On the contrary, if you prefer to sit back and relax after work or on the weekends, you should look for a puppy with low energy. While all puppies will require exercise, some breeds require less movement and enjoy snuggling up on the couch all day. Here are some breeds that have a relaxing and laid-back demeanor:
- Pugs
- Labrador Retrievers • Great Danes
- Greyhounds • Hounds
- Bulldogs
Lifestyle 3: Busy and Family-Oriented
If you’re a family or an individual who is constantly on the go, you will need to find a puppy that can keep up with your fast-paced lifestyle. In addition, you want to select a breed that is great around kids and has a good temperament. Here are some breeds that are great for a family-oriented and busy lifestyle:
- Golden Retrievers
- Vizslas
- Poodles • Labrador Retrievers
- Newfoundlands
- Beagles • Collies
- Irish Setters
Lifestyle 4: Protection or Service Animal
Sometimes, your lifestyle calls for the need for a service animal or protection dog. Certain breeds have a high willingness to learn, which is a necessary trait when you need your puppy to perform certain tasks. Whether you are looking for a service dog or plan on training your puppy to protect your home and family, here are some breeds to look into:
- Rottweilers
- German Shepherds
- Akitas • Cane Corso
- Boxers
- Mastiffs • Bull Terriers
- Golden Retrievers
Lifestyle 5: Career-Focused
Even if you prefer to spend your days and nights working at the office, you can still find the perfect puppy. Some puppy breeds are calm, independent, patient, and do not require a lot of exercise. These breeds are ideal if you are career-focused, but they may require extra training to prevent separation anxiety. Here are a few puppy breeds to check out if you have a busy work schedule:
- Chihuahuas
- Bulldogs
- Basset Hounds • Dachshunds
- Greyhounds
- Spaniels • French Bulldogs
- Shih Tzus
- Terriers
Summary
While every puppy will be unique, selecting a breed that is known to match your lifestyle is a great step in finding the perfect placement for your family. Regardless of the puppy breed you choose, training is essential. With proper training, your puppy can easily adapt to adulthood with confidence, master commands, and retain positive socialization skills. For more information about puppy breeds or matching your lifestyle with the right temperament, contact one of our team members today.
