Welcome To The Dog Guide!
The Dog Guide is intended to provide concise but highly relevant information to common folks looking for a family dog. As you may know, many dog websites on the internet give you a lot of information aimed at experts. But we know that families looking for a new dog want to cut right to the chase and discover what makes each dog breed unique. Our dog guide focuses on those characteristics of each breed that are most important to the average person: personality, skills, energy level, color, exercise requirements, living conditions, health issues, life expectancy and size. By cutting out most of the fluff, we allow you to quickly hone in on the perfect dog and get on with the business of finding a breeder and making the puppy a member of your family.
What's New?
- Pitbull Rescuer Interview
- Pet Store Dogs
- Leash Training
- Mange Basics
- Dogs That Dig
- Euthanasia Decisions
- Cirneco dell'Etna
- Schapendoes Breed
- Food Guarding
- Canine Parvovirus
Great Dog Breeds
- Affenpinscher
- Argentine Dogo
- Yorkshire Terrier
- Otterhound
- Boston Terrier
- Lagotto Romagnolo
- Icelandic Sheepdog
- Labrador Retriever
- Bluetick Coonhound
- Siberian Husky
Dog Personalities
More than any other pet, dogs exhibit a wide array of human-like personality traits. One of the great things about buying a purebred dog is that you can know, to a large degree, what your dog will be like when it grows into an adult. Each breed of dog has a very distinct set of both physical and emotional characteristics that allow you to know exactly what you're in for when you make the committment to bring a dog into your family. With purebreds, there are few extreme surprises. Of course, each dog will have its own distinct personality, but it will still inherit all of the wonderful traits of each breed.
Breed personality will have a lot to do with the breed's history and the skills that it was bred for. Some dogs are naturally suited to get along with children and other pets, but other dogs need proper training and socialization in order to coexist. Some dogs are excellent guard dogs, with a keen sense of who is (the family) and who is not (everyone else) a member of their pack Other dogs are poor guard dogs because they instantly warm up to every person who crosses their path.
Similarly, those dogs that were bred for hunting will normally have a very high level of energy. Dogs that were bred as royal companions, will often be docile. Even still, just like in humans, personality changes with time. All dogs are fairly active as puppies and almost all dogs will become more docile as they age. Major breed differences will be apparent between the prime ages of two and eight.
Dog Skills
Many people choose a dog based on its physical abilities. Some dog breeds are well-suited for taking long jogs, but others most certainly are not. In fact, there are some breeds where it is not uncommon for the dog to have a fear of going outside! That shows how far removed they are from their ancestors.
Each breed has specific physical characteristics that define its abilities. These features can simultaneously make a breed good at some things and bad other things. For example, some breeds that were bred for quick, high-intensity work are very muscular and able to jump very high but they also tend to run out of breath very quickly and can be poor swimmers. Most breeds that were bred for hunting are excellent swimmers because of their need to traverse water when fetching.