You may be living in apartments with no any further space to compromise but if you want to get a German Shepherd or Rottweiler then it might not be a perfect choice. These breeds are highly energetic and require a lot of exercise to drain out their energy. They are hence not suited for tight or cramped spaces. You should go for smaller, calmer and less energetic breeds like Japanese Spitz, Pug, Pit bull, Boston Terrier or Chihuahua to name few.
By now you must be getting the point. If you require a dog for purpose 'X' then you must choose a breed that caters purpose 'X 'not a breed that caters purpose 'Y'.
For apartment and small homes as a family dog
Everyone living in apartment has to compromise with the tight space. So, you must need to choose a dog that is small, less energetic and requires less space for playing. Go for a breed like Chihuahua, Pug, Bull dog, Japanese Spitz or Poodle. They are less energetic and calmer breeds. They are less likely to chew your furniture and belongings when you are out.Dogs that do shed little or not at all are best for apartments. Tibetan Terrier, Maltese, English or French Bull dog, Pug and Dachshund are the perfect ones.
For small house with a courtyard you can get Beagle, Saint Bernard, Boxer or American Husky.
For security
You need a highly energetic, aggressive and protective breed for securing your house and property so that no any intruder bypasses it. Breeds like German Shepherd, Rottweiler, Boxer, Doberman Pinscher or Belgian Malinois are best for this purpose. They are solidly built, loyal and highly aggressive towards strangers. These breeds are very courageous and are resistant to pain.
For search and rescue
Dogs for search and rescue should be able to sniff the buried people from the piles of earthquake or debris of avalanche. These dogs are also used to search and locate people lost inside woods. So, they should have excellent sense of smell. Dogs with longer snout more sensitive to smell.
For these purpose breeds such as Border Collie, Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois with longer snouts are preferred.
For sporting
If you are planning to raise a dog for sporting purpose then it should be intelligent, active and alert. It should be energetic and willing to learn new things. These breeds compete in various dog competitions. They are trained to avoid a obstacle, fetch a ball and find the hidden treats.
Golden Retriever, Cocker Spaniel, Labrador Retriever and Pointer are some common and known breeds for sporting purposes.
For service and therapy
Dogs can be trained to guide a blind person through a crowd to his owner's home. They can also alert you about the ringing telephone or a person knocking outside the door. These kind of dogs are called service dogs. Whereas therapy dogs comfort and affectionate patients in hospitals and nursing homes and people in disaster hit areas. They help to relieve the stress
Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever and German Shepherd are best known and widely used for service purpose. Calmer breeds like Poodle, Pug, Labrador Retriever are best suited for therapy purpose.
For herding
These dogs should be hard working, obedient, loyal and fearsome. Herding dogs need to be protective towards their people and property's. These dogs act as a guard as well as watch dog against predators like wolves and foxes.
Border Collie, Australian Cattle Dog, Belgian Sheep Dog, Tibetan Mastiff are widely used in the farmlands of Australia, New Zealand and other parts of the world as herding dogs.
By now you should have got your answer for your question "What Kind Of Dog Should I Get ?" Think twice before you get a dog and choose a breed that cater your needs. Happy dog hunting !!
