When considering adopting a dog, there are several aspects of ownership that you'll need to bear in mind: what kind of lifestyle do you have? How much spare time do you have? Are you an active person or a couch potato? Do you have a garden? Are there small children in your household? ..... and so on.

Once you've made a solid decision to adopt a dog, you are to be congratulated - a dog is a fantastic addition to your life and will make an excellent companion. Now it's time to sit down and really think about what kind of dog you'd like to have, and whether your preferences match your abilities to care for your preferred breed.

Contrary to popular belief, there's a great deal more to choosing a dog than simply taking home the first puppy that catches your eye. A responsible owner will spend time researching dog breeds, finding reputable breeders, speaking to them and collating first-hand information, and looking at puppies (it's generally not a good idea to succumb to the charms of the very first puppy you see - the aim is to get a good idea of what's out there in order to make an informed final decision).

Popular Dog Breeds

Weimaraner Also known as a Weim or Silver Ghost are commonly used as hunting dogs, although are becoming more and more popular as a family pet. Weimaraner's can develop aggression problems, however are very receptive to correct training. They are a large dog and require regular exercise. Weimaraner training information

Golden Retriever Golden Retriever's are one of the most popular choices for family pets. They are obedient, loyal and very friendly. Retriever's are large dogs and require daily exercise and a healthy diet. They are not particularly aggressive and train well once past the puppy age. Golden Retriever training information

Beagle Beagles are a small to medium sized dog and are once again commonly used on hunting expeditions. They have a heightened sense of smell, so are good for tracking or as part of search and rescue teams. Beagle training information

Australian Cattle Dog Australian Cattle Dog's (also known as Queensland Heelers) are generally muscular, hard working dogs, and can work long hours at a time. As the name mentions, they are commonly used on farms as they are accustomed to chasing. They also make good watch or guard dogs and family pets. Australian Cattle Dog training information

Jack Russell Jack Russell's are a small, snappy dog, ideal if living space is an issue. These dog's are intelligent and interact with children. Although they are a small dog, Jack Russell's can often be bossy, it is not uncommon to see the Jack Russell asserting dominance over a larger dog. Jack Russell training information

Australian Shepherd These dogs are valuable working dogs as they are large, strong and energetic. Whether it be joining a tracking or competition club, Aussie Shepherds require a good workout to stay fit and healthy. Australian Shepherd training information

German Shepherd Not only are these dogs a good family pet, they have strong tracking capabilities, commonly a first choice for search and rescue or police dogs. Given the right training, diet and living environment, German Shepherds are very loyal and affectionate either as a working dog, family pet or security dog. German Shepherd training information

Doberman The Doberman is traditionally known as a watch or security dog due to their muscular physique and protective nature. If you are planning on keeping a Doberman as a family pet, it is vital that you follow an effective training schedule from an early age to prevent aggression and other behavior issues developing. Doberman training information

Shi Tzu Shi Tzu's are a small, friendly, playful pet. They make a great indoor dog because of their small size and the fact they are generally and obedient breed if correctly trained. One requirement of owning a Shi Tzu is that you ensure you assert your position as the dominant figure, otherwise their behavior can soon spin out of control. Shi Tzu training information

Akita The Akita, or Akita-Inu, is a member of the Japanese Spitz class. Originally functioning as guard dogs for the Japanese nobility and hunters of wild boar and bear, Akitas were also bred for their ferocity, intelligence, stamina, and obedience - qualities which they still possess in abundance to this day..... Akita training information

Toy Poodle Toy poodles are exceptionally bright, sensitive, agile creatures. The most amenable to training of all the toy breeds, toy poodles often take top honors in obedience and agility shows. They don't react well to stress, which can make them literally sick to their stomachs, but are generally peaceful with other pets.... Toy Poodle training information

American Bulldog The American Bulldog (commonly mistaken for the American Pit Bull Terrier) is a stocky, muscular dog with a short easy-care coat and large, block-shaped head. The dogs were originally bred for catching livestock and protecting property, and thus have a strong genetic predisposition towards protectiveness and loyalty..... American Bulldog training information

Breed Requirements

There are many, many dog breeds available. You'll need to set some time aside to consider your living situation and what sort of companion would realistically suit your temperament and lifestyle.

There two main things that you should be considering above all others are the size and energy levels of the breed.

Energy Levels. The dog that you choose should match your energy levels as closely as possible. This is more important than you think - if your dog can't keep up with you, it'll either cramp your style, or result in the poor dog spending a lot of time at home on his own (which is no kind of life to have). On the other hand, for someone with a sedentary lifestyle, having an under-exercised hyperactive dog charging about can make sharing a house very difficult.

Size is deceptive, and does NOT dictate the amount of exercise that any given dog will require. A lot of people think that the bigger the dog the higher the exercise requirements; this is decidedly not true. As a general rule of thumb, the small-to-medium and large breeds are the ones with the really high exercise requirements; very small dogs and giant breeds generally need less exercise (although of course there are exceptions to every rule).

Size is pretty important, too. If your house or apartment is small, it's really not fair to confine a large dog to cramped surrounds. It'll be pretty hard on you, too - sharing a small space with a large animal is not particularly easy. And then there are the practical considerations, too, such as toilet calls. Large dogs can't use litter trays; if you live in a condominium, for example, it's not going to be easy for you to take your dog outside to relieve himself every few hours.

Health and Nutrition

A lot of purebred dogs have special diet requirements: years of selective inbreeding, necessary to achieve the desired 'look' of some breeds, have resulted in terrifically unhealthy dogs that are prone to a variety of debilitating and painful diseases. Some veterinarians will recommend that you put your dog on a diet of high-grade food from puppy-hood in an attempt to prevent the onset of illness. Before you decide on a particular breed, do some research and talk to breeders about what type of food your dog will do best on.

Also remember that as your dog gets older, various medical conditions may arise, meaning more treatments, special diets and medicines.

Dog Breed Temperament

The temperament of any dog is mostly dependent upon your treatment of him: contrary to popular belief, there are NO 'bad' breeds - just bad owners. Before selecting your dog, be honest with yourself about your experience with dogs and the likelihood of you being able to deal effectively with the challenges presented by particular breeds. Many breeds are not recommended for novice owners purely because they're recognised as being more challenging to deal with. For example, Border Collies are hugely popular dogs, due to their high intelligence and attractive appearance, but many Borders end up in rescue shelters because their owners didn't realise how incredibly demanding such an active, intelligent dog would be. If you haven't had much experience with dogs, your best bet is to choose a 'companion dog' that hasn't been bred to work. Any kind of working dog (for example, hunting dogs, shepherds, guard dogs) can be an impossible handful when in inexperienced hands. The reason that Rottweilers and Dobermans, for example, have such a 'bad reputation' is because a lot of ignorant people, drawn to their 'tough' image, go ahead and adopt one without the faintest idea of the amount of work necessary to handle such intelligent, strong dogs.

Breed is not everything. A purebred dog is still first and foremost a DOG - he's just wearing a fancy costume. Ownership of any dog, from expensive purebred showdogs to mongrels, is a huge responsibility which you must make sure you're really up for - you'll find that the rewards of a loyal lifetime companion are enough to offset the amount of work involved.

The best thing that you can do for yourself and your potential dog is to spend time researching dogs and dog breeds. All dogs have basic requirements that have to be met; most breeds have additional requirements specific to that breed which also must be met. Most of the time, the popular conception of a dog's 'breed characteristics' is wildly inaccurate. Bear this in mind when choosing a dog, and DO YOUR HOMEWORK. It will be worth it.

For indepth information on choosing, rearing, handling and training your dog - from housetraining to preventing and dealing with problem behaviors to obedience work - have a look at Secrets to Dog Training. It's the ultimate owner's compendium, and is written by an experienced dog trainer; it's packed with all the information necessary for owning a dog.

You can Download Secrets to Dog Training from http://dogobedienceadvice.com/sitstay