When selecting a specific dog breed as your potential new pet and family member ask yourself as well as your other family members or members of your household questions which will help with the selection process of choosing your next puppy, juvenile or adult dog. At RoVer Barbets, we have carefully crafted the following 10 Dog Breed Selector questions to assist your in making that important decision. But be aware we are just a little biased.

Common Dog Breed Selector Questions to Ask

Make a list of the current activity level of your family, low-medium-high.
How smart do you want your dog to be? Easy to train-Keeps you on your toes.
What age is preferred your new pet? Puppy potty or house trained older dog.
Will a male or female pup suit your family better?
What level of cleaning are you prepared for with a pet? shedding-non shedding.
Who is the first person in charge of your proposed new family member?
How do you want your new pup fit with the other members of your household?
If you select a mixed canine from a shelter are you prepared to commit time and effort if it has issues? Find out what breeds it may be to educate yourself on any types of doggy temperament or heath issues they may be prone to.
If you choose a pure bred puppy but don’t know which breed, get the Canadian Dogs Annual in the back are all the breeds, activity,temperament,care and history. Eliminate the breeds that don’t suit your criteria above. Each family member should do this to have a consensus.
All breeds/mixed breeds of dogs have different doggy heath issues. Do your due diligence. Ask questions, a breeder of pure bred dogs should be informative and open. Ask to see the documentation of tests for the parents. See at least one of the parents if not both. Often sires are not owned by the breeder so may not be on hand, if you can get as much information on him as possible. What you really want to watch for is adults who behave in a manner that you would be concerned with in your puppy. Temperament is 50% the breeders responsibility by breeding balanced dogs. 50% of the responsibility is the prospective puppy parent. Be committed to socializing your puppy to help them be a balanced member of society.

A little bit of thought will go a long way when you are choosing a dog breed to join your household. Remember dogs typically live 10-15 years so doing some up front research and analysis will help you select your new pet and will ensure you a decade of fun. Different dog breeds have different personalities, behaviours, and activity levels. A German Sheppard is most certainly distinguishable from a Chihuahua from physical presence to temperament. Barbets make lovely pets as they are a medium sized, medium energy, smart enough to be engaging and non-shedding. Select the dog breed that fits best with your family, lifestyle, and home. If you live in an apartment, owning a smaller dog maybe better than owning a bigger dog. Think about our Dog Breed Selector questions when you are making that decision for your new pet.