Here is a great guide that will help you choose the perfect dog breed.

Dogs are loyal and intelligent animals. They offer unconditional love, devoted companionship, and constant entertainment.

But with hundreds of dog breeds to choose from, which breed would suit your lifestyle and needs? let’s find out.

Guard dogs

Some dogs have an innate instinct to defend their house and family, which makes them great guard dogs.

Guardian dogs are devoted, brave, strong, and watchful.

Guardian breeds are ideal if you want a dog that can not only notify you when a guest arrives but will also instinctively know when to defend you from a potentially dangerous scenario.

• Rottweilers
• Boxer
• German Shepherds
• Doberman Pinschers

These are just a few examples because they don’t trust strangers easily, these dogs are natural protectors.

Due to their power and size, these breeds require adequate training and socializing.

labrador retriever, Newfoundlands huskies, or pugs aren’t a good fit though.

They are just too playful and friendly, they will joyfully welcome intruders with a wagging tail and slobbery tongue.   10 Facts about Australian Shepherd Dog

Family-Friendly Dogs

If you have a big family full of children or just welcomed a newborn, you want a dog that is friendly, outgoing, and gentle during interactions, they should be highly social and eager to please.

It’s a known fact that dogs love children, however,

• Labrador Retriever or
• Golden Retriever

would be best in this situation. These breeds are sweet, playful, and love being part of a family.

If you need a smaller breed, you can go for a beagle or standard poodle, these dogs are great with children because of their cheerful, affectionate, and friendly temperament.

Huskies aren’t a good fit though because they love attention so much and are agile

This breed is exceedingly difficult for new dog owners to train. Huskies aren’t aggressive at all but it doesn’t mean you can leave them home alone with your small children.

Huskies are big, playful dogs and can express their emotions by jumping at young kids.

This may unintentionally hurt or scare children, so you’ll need to teach your dog to show their feelings in the proper way.

And if you like chihuahuas, you should think twice here, these dogs are the smallest dog breed and are aware of their fragility and that’s why they don’t particularly trust children.

Some kids can perceive this dog more like a toy than a living being, besides, the chihuahua is attached to one owner and may compete with your kids for care and affections.

Dog breeds that don’t smell

Here are breeds of dogs to choose from that don’t smell

• Bichon Frise
• Doberman
• Husky
• Poodle
• Schnauzer
• Shih Tzu
• Maltese
• Dachshund
• Havanese

The secret is in their coat texture and quality.

These dogs’ coats produce less dander and natural oils and with less fluff to their coats, dirt, and debris particles don’t easily attach to their fur which prevents unpleasant smells from building up over time. 10 Things to Know about Dachshund Dog

Bassett hound falls into the smelly dog group though hounds have coats designed to be weather resistant which means they are oily and release doggy odor.

They also have a lot of loose skin, big ears, and lots of energy. It’s no wonder that they can get worked up into a sweat easily and be susceptible to doggy odor.

Likewise, pugs and bulldogs have wrinkled heads that can trap food, dirt drool, and moisture which can produce a gassy, unpleasant odor, and odiferous. This is as a result of their body composition.

Dogs that don’t shed

If you don’t enjoy cleaning copious amounts of dog hair, that does not mean you can’t have a dog.

Here is a list of dog breeds that shed less coat in your homes.

• Schnauzer
• poodle
• Yorkshire terrier
• Shih Tzu
• Boston terrier
• Maltese
• Bichon Frise

Most poodle crossbreeds such as labradoodle, Pushon, or Spoodle are also a great choice.

These designer crossbreed dogs draw the low shedding, low dander quality of the poodle.

Single-layer coat breeds are commonly associated with minimal shedding qualities. Instead of fur, they have hair. 8 Things to know about the Miniature Schnauzer dog breed

This means like humans, the breed loses a small amount of hair every day, but they don’t really shed.

You still need to brush them, but they are less likely to shed on your sofa and remember, non-shedding dogs are commonly referred to as hypoallergenic dogs.

Dander, which is attached to pet hair is the main cause of allergies. Since non-shedding dogs don’t shed as much hair and dander. They’re a fantastic choice for allergy patients.

On the other hand, breeds with double coats, such as retrievers, German shepherds, Siberian huskies, and Pembroke Welsh Corgi, have protective multiple-layer coats that shed heavily.

Dogs for Apartments

When choosing a dog for an apartment what matters is not their size, but their temperament.

Many large breed dogs have lower activity levels and are more than happy to lounge on your couch.

Dog shedding, noise level, and energy requirements are critical factors to look over.

Before you commit, you’ll want a canine that doesn’t bark incessantly and is polite and friendly when meeting other people in the elevator lobby and on the stairs.

• Shih Tzu’s
• Bulldogs
• Pugs
• Bichon Frise

Make excellent companion dogs for condominiums or apartments.

They adjust well to small surroundings, and a simple walk around the neighborhood is generally enough to keep them fit and healthy.

Greyhounds are also a good option, despite their size, these cuddly breeds are lazy so they just need one good walk every day to wear them out.

They’re also quiet and don’t shed much. Boston terriers and basenji’s are also low-shedding friendly dogs that are quiet and don’t annoy your downstairs neighbors. Chihuahuas aren’t a good choice here.

Although chihuahuas are very small and tiny, they can be territorial and untrusting to strangers.

These noisy puppies are better suited to households without close neighbors because they bark a lot

They have a lot of energy considering their small size and sometimes even have aggressive territorial attitudes that can lead to conflict with your neighbor’s dogs.

Likewise, beagles are famously loud barking dogs who don’t do well with neighbors.

Dogs that you need for cold climate

These breeds prefer cold climates since they have a thick double coat and more body fat, your options include

• Alaskan Malamute
• Husky
• Saint Bernard
• Samoyed

Dobermans and chihuahuas are not the right choices for cold weather though, they hate the cold more than anything since they have thin fur, short coats, and typically less body fat.

Dogs that do well in a hot climate

Dogs don’t have sweat glands, so they don’t have it so easy when it comes to cooling down in a hot environment.

Surprisingly, many short-haired breeds would seriously struggle in hot weather as tolerating hot temperatures depends not only on the coat but on the facial structure and the size of the breed.

Dogs with long noses and short hair like basenji’s are generally better suited for warmer temperatures. 12 things to know about Pomeranian dogs

pushed in face breeds such as pugs, bulldogs, Pomeranians, and boxers are extremely prone to heatstroke due to their narrow airways and nostrils.

Likewise, some long hair breeds such as Huskies, Shih Tzu, or Alaskan malamute have very thick coats, so, they wouldn’t be comfortable in hot environments.  10 key facts about Shih Tzu dogs

It is important to keep these dogs indoors when it is hot outside, provide them enough shade, plenty of water and brush them out frequently to reduce the risk of overheating.

Dogs for seniors

Are you retired? do you have enough time to spare daily? if yes, getting a

• Boston Terrier
• Pug
• Maltese
• Bichon Frise
• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Is the right option for you because they really don’t need much exercise, they are affectionate and happy dogs.

You probably won’t find a good fit in large dogs because they are very active and need a lot of exercise.

Larger dogs are also more difficult to control around other dogs especially if other dogs want to fight.

Dogs for multi-pet households

If you have other pets in your home, then choose a calm and welcoming pet, you don’t want constant fights between your pets, right?

• Retrievers
• Collies
• Spaniels
• Poodle

Won’t mind sharing the home with other breeds, they love to have company.

Dog breeds that are highly competitive and hostile to other pets in your homes are Pitbull, terriers, Doberman pinschers, Akita Inu.

These breeds have beautiful personalities but are well known for being aggressive around other dogs.  8 Things Only Kangal Dog Owners Understand

Dogs for active owners

Most dog advice comes with the phrase “choose a dog breed that fits your lifestyle”.

While this might be easy for some people, an athlete looking for a companion to tackle endurance sports like cycling, running and backpacking is going to need a dog breed that can keep up physically, and mentally.

If you are looking for an athletic and high-energy pooch, who you can take with you for morning runs then you should consider getting

• English Pointer
• Border Collie
• Australian Shepherd

They are built for running, if you want a smaller companion, consider a Jack Russell terrier, which is also fit for the morning run.

Dogs who have short noses won’t be a good fit, though these include pugs, bulldogs, french bulldogs, Shih Tzus, and any other dog breed with a pushed-in face.

These dogs’ respiratory tracks are in a smaller space which means they have more difficulty breathing and overheating quickly, plus these stocky dogs can’t run fast.

Dogs for first-time owners

If you haven’t had a dog before then it’s safe to start with

• Labrador Retriever
• Golden Retriever
• Cocker Spaniel
• Shih Tzu
• Poodle

These breeds are friendly, intelligent, and relatively easy to train.

On the other hand, Shiba Inu, beagles, huskies are very stubborn. Difficult to train and need more patience.

They make for great dogs but, perhaps are not perfect for first-time dog owners.

The rottweiler may also not be a good fit these dogs will instinctively, see themselves as the guardian of the pack.

Rottweiler has a territorial nature that makes it aggressive to strangers and overprotective.

You would need continuous training and socializing to keep them calm and acceptable and this should begin with the puppy stage.

Dogs for busy owners

One of the biggest problems that busy dog owners face is spending enough time with their canines.

All dogs have lifelong emotional needs and require constant socializing but some breeds are more independent and better fit for busy owners who have mixed up schedules.

If you’re always at work then you should get a

• Shar-Pei
• Basset Hound.

Do not get Retrievers or collies, they are not a good match because these breeds enjoy and demand constant socialization.

Remember, dogs are pack animals and they all need attention and affection.

You shouldn’t get one if you won’t be able to spend at least some time with your furry friend

you may want to consider getting a cat. Though, in general, cats are more independent creatures and typically don’t mind if you’re not around.

Lapdogs

For maximum snuggle time, do you need a cuddle buddy?

These types of dogs are comfortable resting on the couch with you when you are reading, watching movies, or relaxing.

Consider having the

• French Bulldog
• Maltese
• Bichon Frise
• Havanese
• Shih Tzu.