You’ve decided to get a dog. Congratulations! Now the next task is to decide on the best breed for you. With literally hundreds of different dog breeds and thousands of possible combinations of dog breed mixes, the research alone can be daunting. This post will highlight a few tools to help make this research quick, easy, and painless.
This website provides information on over 375 dog breeds, each with its own Infographic. Side Note: Many dog breeds you will find on this site have additional information and an infographic. I’m slowly working through adding information on the remaining breeds. If you would like to see more details on a particular breed that does not have a write-up, please feel free to leave a comment, and I will prioritize accordingly.
The website is set up to make your research easy. Let’s go through a few scenarios and tips on how to look for your breed.
Scenario 1: You have a few dog breeds in mind or are researching a mix of dog breeds.
From anywhere on this website, you can access the “Dog Breed” section in the header. By going to the Dog Breed page, you will find all dog breeds, which have a complete write-up and infographic. In the sub-header “Coming Soon: Dog Breeds,” you will find all the remaining dog breeds.
Every dog breed on this site will have an infographic. However, the dog breeds in the “Coming Soon” section will not include a write-up.
Once on the “Dog Breed” page, you can scroll through the dog breeds listed. An easy way to find a specific breed you are looking for is to use the Dog Breed Search Tool at the top of the dog breed list. It looks like this:
You can type in the name of the dog breed of interest, and you will have your results.
If you are interested in a mixed-breed dog, I would recommend that you search for each of the breeds within that mix. After all, you can’t be 100% certain which breed traits will be dominant in a mixed-breed dog. By having a sense of the characteristics of each breed, you will get a better idea of how these traits may present in your mixed-breed dog.
Scenario 2: Searching for a dog bred for a specific purpose.
Like the first scenario, you can easily find dogs arranged by their breed groupings by navigating to the “Dog Breed Groups” page. Dog breeds are grouped based on the breed’s particular characteristics. The groupings you will find on the Dog Breed Groups page, which are similar to what you would find on various Kennel Club sites (AKC, CKC, etc.), are:
- Companion Dogs – these dogs were bred to keep their humans’ company. Many are big dogs in small dog bodies and may try to protect their human from invasion, so they may need protection from themselves. Typically, breeds in this group are not well suited to be left alone for long hours.
- Herding Dogs – these dogs were bred to take care of livestock. Making excellent watchdogs, they love nothing more than to have their humans together in one room so they can watch over them. With their sporty instincts, these dogs excel in dog sports.
- Hound Dogs – these dogs were bred to be independent thinkers and have proven to be invaluable assistants to hunters. Hound dogs can be grouped into two sub-categories: sight hounds and scent hounds. With their innate abilities, these dogs should be left off leash or outside a fenced yard when on hunting duties. Otherwise, they will likely wander off to follow a scent or object in motion.
- Hybrid Dogs – also known as “designer dogs,” these dogs are not yet considered purebred dogs. With that said, most dogs started as a mix of other breeds to suit a purpose. These dog breeds are so popular that one day they may be recognized as their breed.
- Mixed Breed Dogs – although like Hybrid dogs, mixed breed dogs are not yet considered “designer dogs.” With growing popularity, however, this may change.
- Sporting Dogs – dogs in the sporting group are another hunting breed. These dogs are adept at retrieving, flushing out game, and pointing. They were bred to work in concert with people. As a result, they are very friendly and highly trainable.
- Terrier Dogs – These dogs were bred to rid farmers’ fields of vermin. Skilled diggers, terriers are also known to be escape artists.
- Having a deeply dug fence is a must with this breed. Intelligent, trainable, and energetic, this breed can be fun-loving yet naughty.
- Working Dogs – these dogs have diverse and different skill sets – some are excellent guarding dogs, while others enjoy pulling carts or sleds. They are typically intelligent, fearless, and strong regardless of their leanings.
If you know the traits you are most interested in or have a specific purpose for your next dog, the Dog Breed Groups page may work well for you.
Scenario 3: Starting from scratch!
If you are genuinely unsure where to begin your search, don’t worry – I have you covered. On every page on this website, you will find a button called “Dog Breed Selector.” Here you will find a proprietary quiz that I’ve built based on various traits that you will find on each of the breeds’ infographics. I tried to balance keeping the quiz fun and entertaining while also ensuring that it provides the best possible and most accurate results for you. Moreover, I wanted to keep the quiz short and sweet so as not to be overwhelming.
In this quiz, you will be asked only six multiple-choice questions on various dog breed characteristics. They are:
- What size home do you live in?
- How many hours/day will your dog be left alone?
- Do you have children in your home?
- How much shedding can you tolerate?
- What is the ideal size of dog for you?
- How energetic do you want your dog to be?
Once you’ve answered each question, you will be presented with a list of dog breeds that match these criteria. You will see a link at the top of this list called “Search Again.” If you click that link, you can start the quiz from the beginning.
I would love to hear your feedback if you choose to take this quiz. Are there any criteria that I should have included? Or are there criteria in the quiz that really shouldn’t be there? This is not an “out of the box” quiz, so that I can customize it easily.
Conclusion
Getting a dog is an exciting time, but it can also feel a bit overwhelming. Hopefully, with the tools available on this site, you will be able to determine which dog breed is best for you. If you have any questions, comments, or recommendations on any of these tools, I would love to hear from you. In the meantime, thank you so much for dropping by, and have an awesome day!
