Recently I was asked the question : What breed of puppy should I choose for my daughter?
Here are some tips that I gave to this woman:
Choose a puppy that is medium sized ( there are a lot of toddlers in this household, she babysits) and toddlers who are not closely supervised can HURT a toy breed)
A breed that is easy to groom is important for this household. This woman does not have money to pay a groomer and has no expertise when it comes to to grooming a dog, nor will she carry through with grooming.
Choose an older dog if possible from a breeder, not a shelter. (With so many children to supervise, she doesnt need to deal with shyness, biting problems, or other things that might "surface" with a shelter dog.) Also, an older dog often is already housetrained.
I answered her question in this way because all too often people do not consider their life style when selecting a dog. Nor do they consider how big the dog might be when it is grown. Or how much time and knowledge they need to have to train a dog. Nor where or how they will keep such a dog. Let alone care for it. A choice of a puppy should not be an impulse decision. It is a member of the family that you are choosing. As an experienced breeder of large dogs that simply are not for everyone, I have found that it is very very important to always consider the unique and individual considerations of the family that will eventually own the dog.
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