Breed recommendations
Breed
Introduction
1) Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?
Yes
2) Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a reputable breeder?
Want a puppy so preferably a breeder
3) Describe your ideal dog.
Fun loving, smart, easily trained, low shedding, medium to large size, little intimidating
4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?
Short haired breeds as they shed less
5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?
Regular tricks and commands; sit, lay down, paw, jump, fetch, etc.
6) Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport?
No
Care Commitments
7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?
3-4 hours
8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?
Atleast 2 walks a day probably 3 - could be a walk or could be just an hour of playing at a field, ball, running around, with other dogs as my friends have dogs and possibly at dog parks here and there
9) How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?
Ideally could brush and bath once in a while at home once I get more familiar with caring and grooming for a dog, but to start off professionally grooming ideally once a month or less
Personal Preferences
10) What size dog are you looking for?
Medium to large, ideally want a decent sized dog
11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?
Low shedding, would prefer no shedding which is why I’ve looked into short haired breeds, am ok with some shedding like the occasional gets on your clothes from petting the dog too much or playing/laying with the dog for long but nothing where there is hair all over the house
12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?
Important would want the dog to be able to wander but know where not to go
Dog Personality and Behavior
13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?
Mix of both snuggly and is okay with being in its own space
14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?
Eager to please could also be a bit of both
15) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?
Kindly but also alert
16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?
Yes but would prefer one that gets along with other dogs as I have many friends and family with dogs so the dog would definitely be interacting with other dog breeds a lot
17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?
Extremely clingy I guess, would need the dog to be okay with being alone from time to time
Lifestyle
18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?
My grandparents live with me so they are home throughout the day so there’s at least another person, I don’t know how much they’d interact with the dog, but I’d be at work so you can assume most of the day I’d be gone, ideally I’d walk or play with the dog in the morning and then afternoon after work
19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?
They’d like a kind, intelligent dog who is eager to please and can be walked easily
20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?
No other pets
21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?
No
22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?
No
23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?
Canada
24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live? Toronto weather
Summer: 24 C Winter: -10 C
Additional Information and Questions
25) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.
26) Feel free to ask any questions below.