Which is the right breed for me?

Deciding what breed of dog to get is very important – not just for you but also for the puppy who’s going to be a member of your family. 

There are hundreds of different breeds to choose from. Some, like French Bulldogs, Labradors and Cocker Spaniels are 'purebred', recognised by Kennel Clubs and with a known, traceable ancestry. There are also any number of mixed breeds – the so-called 'Designer Dogs’. The most popular currently are the Poodle mixes, such as Labradoodles (Labrador x Poodle), Cockapoos (Cocker Spaniel x Poodle) or Cavapoochons (Cavalier King Charles Spaniels x Bichon Frise x Poodle). What we used to call 'crossbreeds' or 'mongrels' have now become favourites as family pets.

To give yourself the best chance of finding a dog to really suit you and your lifestyle, it's more important than you may realise to decide which breed (or mix) to choose. 

A little history

The domestication of dogs began thousands of years ago (current thinking suggests as long ago as 20,000 – 40,000 years) and over time we humans began controlling the breeding of dogs to suit our purposes. 

It was our needs that led to the tremendous variations in the breeds of dog we know today. Of course, our ancestors weren’t breeding dogs to be playmates, they were interested in dogs who could help them. So most were designed for hunting, herding or guarding (and within those broad categories, there was even more refinement of the type of dog for a particular purpose). Some of those jobs meant they needed to work very closely with their human, and for long hours every day (e.g. herding sheep), some jobs left the dog to handle the situation on their own (e.g. dogs that lived outside with the sheep to guard them from predators). Others helped us hunt for food or were kept to catch and kill vermin. 

Nature & nurture

In recent years, scientists have been able to show that there are genetic differences in dogs according to their breed, which of course relates to the jobs they were originally bred for. Although by far the greater part of a dog’s DNA will be shared across all breeds, those small differences that make a breed distinctive can have a big impact on how your dog will be predisposed to behave. Do bear in mind that crossbreed dogs may, of course, be influenced by a mix of characteristics.

So, knowing what type of ‘job’ is in a puppy’s DNA can offer valuable insights into the type of life they’d most enjoy. That’s why it’s so important to find out about a breed’s original purpose, as it will make a tremendous difference to how well-suited they may – or may not be – to your lifestyle. It will also help you better understand your dog. Knowing, for example, that Border Collies were designed to work outside all day herding sheep you’ll not be surprised that they are highly unlikely to enjoy the life of a couch potato, whereas whippets who were bred to chase and catch prey will happily settle at your feet once they’ve had a good run!

Of course, there are other factors involved in how successfully they may settle into life as a 21st century pet dog. Genetics is just one part of a dog’s make-up. They are a mix of nature and nurture, so they will also be affected by what they learn, their environment, and their own individual ‘self’. And, just as human siblings aren’t all clones of each other, puppies in a litter will each have their own personality.

It's only in the comparatively recent past that many dogs have spent their lives mostly inside our homes, expected to spend much of their day ‘chilling’ while we get on with our busy lives. So, do your research before you choose  – don’t just pick a puppy based on the type you think looks adorable, cool, smart or because you fell in love with one in a book or a movie.

 

For more training advice, please visit our dog coach Vicky Carne's website.