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You’ve decided to bring a pet into your household. Good for you! But before you head to the shelter and immediately fall in love with the cutest dog or cat you see, you need to spend some time thinking realistically about your lifestyle in an effort to get the best type and breed of pet for your needs.
There is a whole host of factors to consider before you bring your little furball of joy home, because the last thing anybody wants is to find out, too late, that you and your adorable new pet are a bad match.
You can find a plethora of information online and in bookstores about choosing the best pet for your lifestyle, but here are a few question to help you, ahem, ferret out what types of animals will mesh the best with your lifestyle.
General Questions
Do you have allergies?
If you are new to pet ownership, make sure you’re not allergic to your furball before bringing a pet home. If you’re unsure, gravitate to one of the breeds of dog or cat that is less prone to cause allergies. For cats, that’s the nearly-hairless Rex or Sphynx breeds. For dogs, the list includes Portuguese Water Dogs, Poodles, Doodles, Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers, Bichon Frises, Shih Tsus, and Lhasa Apsos.
How many hours in an average day is your house empty?
If you and your spouse both work outside the home full time and you’re gone for nine-plus hours each day, you should think long and hard before bringing a dog or a large bird into your household. Dogs and birds like parrots are high-maintenance pets that thrive in households that can give them lots of time, exercise, attention and love. If you do get a dog, make sure to prioritize lots of exercise before and after work for your best friend.
Cats, however, tend to be lower maintenance, and generally do just fine being left alone for the bulk of the workday. Another option is to get a second cat — it is said that two cats are easier to raise than one, because they can play together and keep each other company when you’re not around.
Do you travel frequently, and if so, do you have a responsible person (or business) that can care for your pet?
For owners of any type of pet, a trusted, loving pet sitter is worth his or her weight in gold. If you don’t have someone in your life who can care for Fido or Fluffy when you’re on vacation, investigate local kennels that offer boarding and make sure your pet is familiar with the surroundings and the people before you jet off for two weeks in Europe.
Are you prepared for the time, effort and let’s be honest, mess involved in raising a puppy or kitten?
Sure, they’re adorable, but if your home is a pristine showplace, you might not appreciate the typical messes and outright destruction that a puppy or kitten can cause. Also, people tend to forget how much work having a puppy or kitten actually is — it’s like raising a toddler! If you’re not prepared for all of that, finding an adult pet at a shelter like Animal Allies is a great way to go. You’re spared the housebreaking-and-chewing phases, and you’ll be providing a loving home for an animal in need.
Which Dog or Cat Breed is Right For You?
First and foremost, before bringing a dog or cat into your household, research the different breeds. Talk to vets, breeders and friends; search online for information; get books on your breed of choice. Finding a dog that naturally fits with your lifestyle because of innate traits of its breed is much easier than trying to force-fit an animal into your lifestyle. Here are some good starting points to consider:
Are you a runner or do you enjoy long daily walks?
If so, you’re a good candidate for a dog breed that benefits from a lot of exercise. Labs, Golden Retrievers, German or Australian Shepherds, Huskies or Malamutes will love to join you on your runs or walks, and their behavior will greatly benefit from all of that exercise. Forcing these dogs to be couch potatoes won’t make anyone happy — they WILL find an outlet for all of their energy. Also, as the Dog Whisperer Cesar Milan says, just putting your dog out in the yard, even if you’ve got a large yard, doesn’t do the trick. They need to get out into the world and explore. In other words, the walk is not only physical, but mental, for these animals.
Can you only take short walks?
Short walk, little dog. Look at Toy Poodles, Boston Terriers, Pugs, Yorkies, Bulldogs — any small breed will do. An added bonus: you don’t need a huge yard with a small dog. If you’re interested in a larger dog, look at one of the giant breeds that are low energy dogs and don’t typically need much exercise, like Newfoundlands, which are like big, mellow teddy bears, Great Pyrenees, Great Danes, and Irish Wolfhounds. These big guys will be content with short walks and lots of cuddling.
Do you have young children or grandchildren?
The likelihood a dog will bite or be aggressive depends on the individual dog, but you may want to avoid the breeds known for their aggression, such as Chows, Rottweilers, Akitas, Pit Bulls and — this may surprise some people — Cocker Spaniels. Breeds like Labs, Golden Retrievers, Pugs, Burmese Mountain Dogs, any of the giant, mellow breeds and our President’s dog of choice, the Portuguese Water Dog, are much less likely to be aggressive or bite a young child.
For cats, affectionate breeds tend to be Persians, Himalayans, Abyssinians, and Ragdoll cats, which are so affectionate that all they want to do is drape themselves over you. The verdict is out on Siamese cats — some sources call this breed one of the most affectionate, while other sources say they tend to be very aggressive, especially around children.
How do you feel about shedding?
Some dogs shed all the time, others “blow their coat” once each year and still others hardly shed at all. If you don’t want dog hair all over your home, car and wardrobe, look at dogs with hair, not fur — Poodles, Bichons and several types of terriers.
All cats shed, but the Sphynx and Rex tend to shed the least. Short-haired breeds like Siamese or Burmese require the least grooming.
Now that you’ve thought about some basic lifestyle questions, head to the shelter or to a reputable breeder and find a new best friend! Your life will be immeasurably enhanced by the unconditional love, companionship and joy your new pet will bring.
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