Question: How do we choose the best puppy for our family?

This question is from a 14 year old girl who loves dogs; however, neither she or her family members have lived with a dog before. The family lives in a suburban house with a big fenced in backyard.

When looking for a puppy to come into your home, you first need to figure out what breed you want, and this isn’t necessarily an easy question. There are several breed specifics to keep in mind:

Have you ever wondered how to properly greet a dog? Maybe you have had a bad experience with a dog and you wonder now why or how you could have changed that interaction? Let’s take a dive into how to properly greet dogs and perhaps when we shouldn’t greet them either. Let’s face it, consent should go both ways and if a dog is saying, “no thank you,” we should respect that.

Did you know that when dogs engage in species typical behaviors it calms them? Let’s back up and find out what are species typical behaviors? What can I do to start calming my rambunctious or stressed and anxious dog?
Let’s take a deep dive into this segment of an enrichment plan.

Species typical behaviors are those behaviors that dogs engage in naturally. These can be for dogs as a whole or we can break down behaviors by breed. While I personally look at each dog as an individual and I don’t look too far into breed stereotypes, it is true that different breeds are bred for specific purposes. You wouldn’t see a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel engaged in herding behaviors any more than you would see a Border Collie digging for rodents. A big however, is that because we are dealing with living beings, you can still have a Boarder Collie that digs in the backyard and a Cavalier who runs around your ankles.