Buying a family dog is a lifetime (of the animal) commitment. That cute puppy dog you buy for your child's 8th birthday will probably be around for that child's graduation from high school. This is no time to fall in love with deep soulful puppy dog eyes and a wagging tail without a doing lot of research first. 

While you can't choose what traits your human children will have, you can have a choice in choosing a dog for your family

• a champion digger or retriever  
• a champion in the field or in the conformation ring  
• a champion couch potato. 

The right dog breed proper match between dog and owner is heaven on earth. 

The wrong dog breed, or the right breed purchased from a poor dog breeder, can be the exact opposite. 

There's one key to finding the best dog breed for your family:

Research, research, research!!!! 

Take your time and think before you buy. 

Read all you can (we've provided some excellent resources in the left hand margins of each page) and talk to as many dog breeders as you can possibly reach. 

As you contact dog breeders, remember that they are human too.  Most are not in the "business" of selling dogs, but are instead avid hobbyists.  When you contact them, please don't treat them like they're the "fill-in-the breed" version of Wal-mart, or worse yet... a Middle Eastern Bazaar merchant where the price is the best you can haggle.   

Many dog breeders lose money on each and every puppy they sell.  Treat these dog breeders like they're doing you a favor selling you a puppy, because often they are. In most cases, they're providing a family dog for a fraction of what they have invested in the litter.

Visit dogs shows in your area to meet dog breeders and see actual dog breed specimens.  Remember, the puppy you choose today will be a member of your family for at least the next decade. Take your time and choose wisely. Any dog breeder who pushes for a "buy now" decision should be avoided at any cost. 

You probably shopped at more than one car dealer for your last automobile.  Spend at least as much time researching adding a family dog to your household as you would researching a car purchase. 

This website has been created to provide an unbiased venue of information as you search for a family dog.  It is the result of my own research into the best breed of dog for OUR family. 

It is my desire that you are 1/3 as happy with your choice of family dog breed as we are with ours.  In our case, we had to wait a few years and be very careful in choosing our breeder to add "the perfect breed of dog" to our family.  (Our choice was a Field Spaniel which are better with older children.)  I wish you the best of luck in your search for the perfect breed for your family dog.