Dog breed facts &
choosing the right breed

Dog breed facts can help you answer that tricky question "how do I know what's the best dog breed for me?".

Before you find the perfect dog breed you will most likely ask yourself this over and over again. So we'd like to help you out with a few well chosen facts and some helpful tips that will start you heading in the right direction.

Now, you may be able to rule out some of the options right away by studying some well known dog breed facts. This will be fairly easy to begin with if you have size, space, exercise or time restrictions.

For example, if you don't want to spend time grooming your dog every day or two, choose a dog breed with a wash-and-wear type coat rather than full coated Shetland Sheepdog or a Komondor with those fantastic dreadlocks.

Same goes for size, although this is a little more flexible than the grooming issue.

In terms of dog breed facts, it's useful to know that some large dog breeds, such as the English Mastiff, are very big but do not require a huge amount of space or exercise as they are not overly active.

Then you have the Jack Russell Terrier, generally a canine whirlwind of energy and spunk - this dog breed may be more than your tiny living room can handle!

What about a mix breed puppy?

When talking about dog breed facts, it's important to realize that it can be a bit more difficult to estimate the adult size, temperament and looks of a puppy with a mixed heritage. Even if you know exactly how Fifi's parents looked, you don't know what their parents looked like! Both her parents could weigh less than 40lbs but it's one of the tried and true 'dog breed facts' that if her grandmother was a Great Dane, little Fifi could grow MUCH bigger than you expect.

Here's an old tip (although it may not be in the realms of proven dog breed facts), in my experience it's reasonably effective and definitely better than a wild guess - Look at the size of your puppy's paws.

If they are very large, and she also has big knobbly knees then she has the potential to be a large dog as her bone structure is big. Small paws and bones lead to a more delicately framed dog but that doesn't mean she won't be tall!

On the plus side, mix breed dogs tend to be healthier overall than the average purebred. This is mostly due to the fact that the dogs within each individual dog breed are descended from the same ancestors - and a fair amount of inbreeding was usually involved.

As a result there can be genetic weaknesses and a most dog breeds have a pre-disposition to certain hereditary problems. (Although if you buy from a reputable breeder you will be much less likely to get a puppy with significant problems - more about that later).

Dog Breed Facts & Breed Categories

One of the most recognized dog breed facts is that each individual dog breed was developed with a particular purpose in mind, and has the necessary characteristics to fulfill that role. Purebred dogs are divided up into certain groups depending on their original purpose. These groups can vary slightly for each registering body, but according to the AKC (American Kennel club) they are as follows:-

• Sporting
• Hound
• Working
• Terrier
• Toy
• Non-sporting
• Herding
• Miscellaneous

Some of these are self-explanatory but for others you may want to check the complete breed list for each group. You can find tons more dog breed facts and information on these breed groups (and the dogs in each one) on our Breed Groups page.
There's also been a new group of dog breeds that has emerged over the last few years, these are called Designer Dog Breeds. They're created by mating two totally different, existing, breeds together, hence the word 'designer'.. these really are dogs that breeders have designed for themselves.

Some examples of this type of dog that you may be familiar with are Labradoodles, Puggles and Cock-a-poos. You can find out a lot more about these new breeds (pros, cons and a list of the most popular designer breeds and their registries) on our Designer Dog Breeds page.

Breed Characteristics

Dog breed facts show that overall, each dog breed within a group will have some characteristics in common - although it pays to remember that dogs are as individual as people are. No two are the same, even litter mates can be at totally opposite ends of the spectrum (if you have children you'll have no problem understanding this!). So once you've decided on a breed it's still important to pick the right puppy.

You can find a detailed description of each group, more dog breed facts and a list of the breeds within each group here , but for now, I'll give you a brief overview of one or two categories.

• Sporting Group
Dogs in this breed group usually love to be active. They are the ones that love to go hunting with their owners, they're often very comfortable in water and require a good deal of exercise on a daily basis. They're often jolly, likeable dogs but can occasionally be a bit over-energetic and highly strung. Examples include Pointers, Retrievers and Spaniels.


• Toy Group
This group was bred to be delightful companions, (not exactly work but that's okay). One of the most well known dog breed facts is that although the dogs in this group may be small on size, they're usually BIG on personality and are much tougher than they look. They make great lapdogs but are not always docile companions, and sometimes have a tendency to be a bit 'snappy' or 'yappy'.


The size of the toy breeds makes them ideal for small living spaces and popular with the elderly.

Other benefits of their size include smaller 'messes' and lower cost of care (buying something in the size 'small' is always going to be less expensive than the 'giant' size whether it's food, a crate or even a toy).

They are obviously easier to control than a 70lb or 100lb dog so that's something else to consider if you're older or slightly built. Examples include the Papillon, Chihuahua and Pug.

For details on the breed characteristics for the other groups and to get more detailed information and dog breed facts about individual breeds see our Breed Groups page.

Where should I get my puppy?

If you're looking for a purebred puppy the answer to "where should I get my puppy?" is simple - buy from a good, reputable breeder. Just because a puppy comes with 'papers' (registration papers/pedigree) it doesn't mean that it is a good example of it's breed.

If you're not familiar with the world of dogs, it's easy to be taken in by claims of 'champion lines' and 'great pedigree' in advertisements. In theory a dog needs to be a great example of it's breed and conform closely to it's 'breed standard' in order to become a Champion.

Now although this isn't always the case, you definitely stand a better chance of getting a healthy puppy who will grow up to look the way he should if he has champions in his pedigree. The thing to look for is where in his pedigree the champion dogs are (if they're more than 5 generations back) they'll have little influence on Fido now.

It is also entirely possible to find a healthy, good looking puppy of a particular breed from parents who do not have champion titles if the dog breeder is not involved in showing their dogs. But it's very importantto look carefully at the breeding stock and the conditions the dogs are kept in to make sure you are not buying from a backyard breeder.

If you're looking for a mix breed puppy you have a few options. You can check out the local classified listings, ask around (it's very likely that someone you know, knows someone with a litter of puppies available) or visit your local City Pound or Animal Shelters. For advice on adopting the perfect pound puppy see our Adopt a Puppy page.

Expect to be asked questions about why you want to adopt a puppy , your home environment etc. as these shelters are only interested in placing their puppies in loving, permanent homes. It can be very rewarding to adopt a rescued puppy or dog, and for them it can literally mean the difference between life and death. The website Petfinder lists dogs and puppies available throughout the US.

Why you shouldn't buy from a Pet Shop?

A sad fact but true nonetheless.

If you need more convincing please take a look at this. Be warned though, this is not enjoyable viewing but if it helps prevent the suffering of just one more puppy it'll be worth it.

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