Having a dog as a pet|Owning a dog] brings a lot of benefits. Dogs provide great companionship, they can significantly reduce your stress levels, benefit your blood pressure, provide unconditional love, lift your mood, and provide an excellent incentive to exercise more. If you want to meet more people, nothing beats a dog for a conversation opener when you’re at the park, particularly fellow dog lovers. And if you’ve got kids, dogs can provide someone to play with and nurture.
One of the first questions you should think about if you want to buy a new puppy is, what type of dog should you get – large or small?
Obviously, if you don’t have a big yard or live in a condo, you may not have a lot of choice. But even if you have a large backyard, there are distinct benefits to getting a small dog that are very relevant in some circumstances.
Smaller dogs won’t seem as intimidating to young children or cats. Certainly, if you’d like your children to take an active role in caring for the dog, then a small dog will be a lot easier for them to handle. There are always exceptions to the rule, however. Some [large dog breeds do make great family pets, even better than some small ones. Breeds like the Tibetan Spaniel dog breed, chihuahuas, miniature poodles, and maltese, and similar breeds, are not really suited to families with children who aren’t old enough to know how to moderate their behaviour around dogs.
For older people, a small dog is a more realistic choice. The same is true for those people who are sick or frail, or not particularly strong. Large dogs will be tougher to handle physically, a situation which may occur during those moments when he doesn’t obey commands. For example, walking an excited, large dog on a leash might be near impossible if your dog has a stubborn moment when he wants to chase something, like a car or another dog. As well, there will be times when you may need to pick up your canine friend. If no-one is around to help you, this could become a issue, particularly when your dog ages. Will you be able to check your dog’s teeth regularly, and be able to establish yourself as ‘top dog’ when training your dog.
Another factor to think about is that large dogs generally need more exercise, although a few smaller breeds also need a lot of exercise as well. This is very true for working dogs, no matter whether they are large or small, such as the border collie dog breed. Border collies are very high energy, smart and active dogs. They have been – and still are – used to herd sheep and cattle, and as a result have very high stamina and endurance. As pets, they need physical and mental exercise. A couple of hours a day is a guide, although if you mentally stimulate them during that time, that will wear them out faster. So, if you’re a particularly busy person, and therefore unable to devote the time to your dog, a border collie or similar would be an inappropriate pet.
Small dog breeds that are recommended for families with kids include {Kerry Blue Terriers, boston terriers, border terriers, English Cocker Spaniels, Miniature Australian Bulldogs, Miniature English Bulldogs, Miniature Australian Shepherds, and bichon frise}. And small dogs like the French bulldog, whose temperament is easygoing and happy, and who love spending a lot of time with their owners, and don’t need a lot of exercise, are recommended for the elderly.