Which dog breed to choose?

If you are 100% ready to get a new dog, next, you'll be asking yourself 'Which dog breed do I want?'. Dogs come in many sizes and shapes and there are over 400 pure dog breeds to choose from. Choosing 1 out of 400 can be problematic, unless you know exactly what you want from a dog.

Narrow down your choices by...

The Dog's Appearance

Prefer cute dolly face dog - Pomeranian / Chihuahua / Maltese / Miniature Dachshund / Yorkshire Terrier

Pomeranian (Boo)

Prefer elegant looking dog - Siberian Husky / Samoyed / Collie / Golden Retriever / Afghan Hound / Thai Bangkaew

Thai Bangkaew (ไทยบางแก้ว)

Prefer short haired dog - Thai Ridgeback / Jack Russell Terrier / Greyhound / Vizsla / Weimaraner

Greyhounds

Prefer long haired dog - Old English Sheepdog / Lhasa Apso / Puli / Shih Tzu / Briard / Pekingese

Puli

Prefer badass looking dog - - Doberman Pinscher / Rottweiler / Pit Bull Terrier / German Shepherd Dog / Siberian Husky

Badass looking Siberian Husky

Prefer floppy eared dog - Beagle / Labrador Retriever / Basset Hound / Cavalier King Charles Spaniel / Boxer

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Prefer funny looking dog - Pug / Schnauzer / Shar pei / English Bulldog / French Bulldog / Bull Terrier

Shar Pei

Prefer really big dog - Great Dane / Tibetan Mastiff / Saint Bernard / Leonberger / Irish Wolfhound / Akita

Chihuahua and Great Dane in comparison

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Lifestyle

Want a companion dog - Any dog can be a companion dog, but toy dog breeds and non-working dog breeds probably make the best companion dog because they have low need for exercise.

Toy Group

Need a friend to exercise with - Any active dog breeds, usually belong to the working group and hunting group.

Working Group

Need a dog to guard and herd livestock - Any dog from herding group.

Herding Group

Love dog sports - Active dog breeds, usually belong to the hunting or sporting or herding group.

Hunting Group

Need a guard dog - Dogs with high work ethic, loyal and fearless such as...

Doberman Pinscher / Rottweiler / German Shepherd Dog / Belgian Malinois

Want a dog for dog show - Any and only pure breed dogs

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Family Members

Allergic to dog - Hypoallergenic dog breeds, any dog that does not shed or is hairless.

These dogs do not shed but requires a lots of grooming.

Prefer odorless dog - Most dogs that have body odor tend to have oily skin and floppy ears, but there are some that have unnoticeable odor. 

Vizsla / Basenji / Siberian Husky / Alaskan Malamute

Family with kids and elderly - Dogs that are medium size to large size with gentle nature.  

Labrador Retriever / Golden Retriever / Bernese Mountain Dog / Corgi / Collie

Dogs for elderly - Preferably small dogs, toy breeds with low need for exercise. 

Toy Fox Terrier / Chihuahua / Pomeranian / Beagle / Cocker Spaniel / Shih Tzu / Pug

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Available Space

If you have a lot of open area for dogs to run, you can choose any dog breed, but if you have limited space or live in crowded urban area, you also have have limited choice to choose from. If small space is a problem, choose small dog breeds that have low exercise needs.   

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Overall Cost

The cost for each dog breed differs and bigger dogs tend to have higher cost of living, because of there size, they need more food and high dose of medicine. Some dog breeds cost more due to the requirement of medical attention, some have higher risk of certain illnesses and some inherit many hereditary diseases. To some people, this is not a problem, but if you really want a dog that doesn't cost a fortune, go with...

Miniature Bull Terrier - Hardy with minimal grooming requirement.

Pembroke Welsh Corgi - Smart and easy to train with minimal health problems.

Papillon - Small and smart, easy to train with no major health problems.

Chihuahua - Very small, eat very little, hardy, long-lived with minimal health problems.

Mongrel - They are really cheap or you can even get one for free and most are hardy by nature.

For more information about health problems for each dog breed

http://www.dogpack.com/breeds/dogBreedsA.htm

If you still can't decide, try dog breed selector

http://animal.discovery.com/breed-selector/dog-breeds.html