Barack Obama made a promise to his daughters in 2008. He told them that, if he won the Presidency, they would get a dog – something they had been begging for. While he intended to keep this promise, it didn’t happen right away. He and his wife did a fair share of research before making a final selection. He spoke to their needs – a dog that was good with children, that was non-aggressive, and that was allergy-friendly as well. One of his daughters had pet allergies. Ultimately, Bo, a Portuguese Water Dog, seemed to fit the bill, and so Bo came to become a part of the family. In 2013, Sonny, a female dog of the same breed, was added to the family. The Obama’s followed a process in choosing a dog that met their needs.

We should all do likewise. Here is how I went about choosing my new family member.

What I Looked For – Making a List

I had to consider several things when choosing a dog. So, I asked myself these questions:

• What is the dog’s level of activity and need for exercise?
• What type of environment am I bringing my dog into?
• What type of temperament do I want? (e.g., easy-going, protective, etc.)
• What kind of training do I want to give your dog? And how trainable is it?
• What physical characteristics am I looking for? This covers a lot of ground – everything from size, age, coat, to pure-bred, hybrid, or just a mutt. You will also want to look at common physical ailments or conditions of specific breeds.
• Is a rescue an option?

Obviously, I had some research to do. To help that out, I found these two books and other online resources. Using them, I was able to find the answers I was looking for and to ultimately make a choice that has been perfect for my lifestyle.

Here are those books and other resources I used.

1. The Dog Selector: How to Choose the Right Dog for You

By: David Alderton

This is probably the most definitive work on dog breeds. It’s long, and it runs about $20 on Amazon, but I found it well worth the price. Alderton covers virtually every breed known to man and discusses their histories, and physical/personality characteristics. His chapters are divided by characteristics with revealing titles – “High Maintenance Hair,” “Dogs for Couch Potatoes,” “Dogs for Runners,” even “Weird and Wonderful Dogs.”

Because I work from home as an academic researcher and writer for RushEssay writing company, among other online custom paper services, and because I have a rather laid-back lifestyle, I was not looking for a dog that needed lots of outdoor exercises and running. And, because I am not particularly fond of housework, I didn’t want a shedder. And it had to be smart. If I got a puppy, it had to be house-trained quickly. This book gave me solid insights for choosing a dog.

The book contains a huge number of photos of breeds, and that was helpful. After all, we all have an idea of the looks of a dog that appeals to us.

2. Your Dream Dog: Choosing the Right Dog for You

By: Bash Dibra

A friend gave me this book, and while it is not as comprehensive as Alderton’s, it’s a good short read that covers all major breeds. Its focus is clearly on matching dog owners’ lifestyles with suitable breeds. The fun part of the book is that it has a lot of anecdotes; the more serious part includes tips on how to find a healthy dog. And choosing a dog should involve looking for potential health problems.

3. Dog Breed Selector

This is a great quiz that asks specific questions about your lifestyle and about the physical characteristics you want in a dog (e.g., size). There are also questions about your living environments and a few psychological questions that help to reveal your personality. At the end of the quiz, you get the results with recommendations of the best breed(s) for you. I got several recommendations, one of which I ended up with.

4. Selectadogbreed.com

This website began as an e-commerce business, selling such items as dog ID tags and pet health insurance. More recently, it has offered some non-commercial services such as helping pet owners choose names for their dogs, and a quiz to determine which breed is the most suitable for a user. The site also has a long list of breeds. Clicking on each one will give information about size, “personality,” needs, physical characteristics, and more. I took their quiz too and got almost all the same recommendations as with the Dog Breed Selector quiz.

In the End…

Choosing a dog is not something to be taken lightly. You are assuming responsibility for the care of another living being who will become a part of your family. Making the wrong choice can be disastrous for both you and the dog. Do the research, and you will make a wise choice. I ended up with a bit older dog from a shelter – a potty-trained fella whose owner had died. He had some anxiety at first, but we are best buddies now.

Author Bio: Dorian Martin is a writer, editor, and proofreader with many years of experience. Currently, he writes academic papers for an online thesis writing site as well as for several other writing services. He lives with his pal Chauncey, an eight-year-old pug. In his spare time, Dorian likes to subject his friends to gourmet cooking experiments.