HOW TO Pick the Best Dog Breed for You
Good House Keeping - US|October 2023
Doodle or dachshund? Pit bull or Yorkie-poo? It's easy to get overwhelmed when choosing your new best friend. These experts can help.
LIZZ SCHUMER
HOW TO Pick the Best Dog Breed for You

So you've decided to get a dog (or your kids' incessant pleas have finally worn you down)! As tempting as it is to bring home the first ball of fur that captures your heart, take a beat before you commit.

EVALUATE YOUR NEEDS

Make sure everyone is ready to take on the responsibilities of pet ownership such as walking, feeding, playing with and cleaning up after them (a chore chart can come in handy). Think hard about what size, age and breed will fit your family's needs best. Consider where you live, your work schedule and lifestyle and what you want to do with your dog, suggests Rena Lafaille, director of administration at the ASPCA Adoption Center.

PREPARE YOUR SPACE

Put a comfy bed in every high-traffic room, consider getting a crate where your dog can hang out when you're not home and pick up a few chew toys to keep them occupied. Ask the breeder, shelter staff or foster parent what the dog has been eating and try to keep their diet consistent at first, especially since an upset stomach is common as a dog adjusts to a new home. And don't be surprised if it takes your pet some time to come out of their shell, Lafaille says. "For the first few weeks, try to create a consistent schedule for your pet so they get used to a daily routine and the people in their new family." To figure out what kind of dog is best for you, narrow down your options with this information we compiled with the help of Lafaille and the experts at the American Kennel Club:

Best Family Dogs

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