There are helpful dog breed selector sites online if you know where to find them

You want a dog, but you’re not sure what kind of dog to get. Where do you start?

Online you can find various sites that help you select the dog breed that is best suited for you and your family. Here is some guidance on where to find a dog breed selector.

Dog breed selectors and dog breed questionnaires work by calculating your answers to the type of dog you think you want, your lifestyle, your budget and your home against the typical characteristics of hundreds of breeds of dogs in a database.

Other questions that you will answer on a dog breed selector include:

• Where do you live
• Do you have a fenced in outdoor space for the dog
• Have you been a dog owner before
• Would you be okay with a domineering dog that you must control
• Do you have children and what are their ages? (Some dogs are not child-friendly.)
• Do you have allergies?
• Do you mind if your dog is a hairy, shedding beast, which is an issue with many people?
• Do you want a small or large dog?
• Male or female?
• Do you want your dog to be a watch dog or guard dog? A watch dog barks when he hears or sees something, letting you know that something is going on. A guard dog is going to attack if someone enters the premises.
• Are you willing to spend time grooming and exercising your dog?

These are all important considerations when selecting the type of dog you want. Dog breed selectors are programmed to direct your selection of dogs away from those who have the general characteristics that do no match your criteria, and towards those that do.

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Dog Breed Info Center

At dogbreedinfo.com, you will be asked to answer a variety of questions such as “Are you interested in a dog that is a purebred or a hybrid?”

What in the world in is a hybrid dog? Good question. It is a “designer dog” which means that it is a cross between two purebred dogs. For instance, a Goldendoodle, which is currently a very popular breed, is a cross between a Golden Retriever and a poodle.  A purebred dog is one that has been bred exclusively to others of his breed, which results in a true breed. 

One advantage of a purebred dog is that you know going in how big he will get, what his temperament is going to be, whether he sheds or not, and if he is good with children and other animals because purebreds, and their characteristics are well documented.

When you get a mutt, which many people prefer, you aren’t sure what you re going to end up with, but that’s okay. Surprises are good.

However, on the other hand, when breeding purebred dogs the breeder must take care not to allow the genetic lines to get too thin because problems can occur when this happens. When the gene pools become too thin, genetic issues crop up. 

Remember that all dogs are individuals, and that even if a dog breed selector has directed you to a certain breed, you should find a reputable breeder and carefully interview them. Be honest about your expectations.

Animal Planet

The dog breed selector at Animal Planet has an easy to navigate series of ten simple questions, along with great dog photos and informational articles. The end result will give you a number of breeds that might suit you and your family. You can follow up by doing more research right on the Animal Planet website.

SelectSmart.com

The dog breed selector at SelectSmart (a website that has hundreds of quizzes on a variety of topics) is longer, consisting of 22 questions. Again, the selector is as accurate as your answers are truthful. This is a good quiz because it has you rank the importance of your answers on the outcome of the quiz.

It is helpful to take every dog breed selection quiz you can find and compare the results. If one or two breeds shows up on all of them as your “fit” it could be worth your time to do more breed research. Don’t ignore the quiz results if the dog breed you have your heart set on doesn’t show up at all. Re-evaluate your own expectations.

Other options

Dog breed selectors are based upon searches for purebred dogs, that have a fairly standard set of temperament and physical characteristics.

Remember that you have other options, which include mixed breed or hybrid dogs. A mixed breed dog will often – but not always – exhibit the size, look and personality of the more dominant breed in their genetic makeup. If a dog is part pitbull, expect those characteristics. If a dog is part Great Dane, expect those.

There are thousands of homeless dogs living in shelters and often in kill facilities just biding their time until they are put down. Consider getting one of these dogs that desperately needs a home. Mutts, also called mongrels, are great animals. When a dog is mixed breed, this means that no one knows for sure what his lineage is. These dogs are often the cutest because of their random breeding. Random breeding means that the dogs were bred with no intervention by humans; no planning. It was just one of those things. 

Mutts are often healthier than purebreds because their genetic line is not even remotely thin. Healthy characteristics are sometimes lost when purebred dogs are bred because the goal for some dog breeders is conformation to the standards that are wanted in a certain breed and the breeder is not interested in the dog’s health or his temperament.