You've come to the perfect starting
point to find the perfect family dog. Read, research and most of all, don't get in a hurry.
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.
|