Should You Buy A Small Dog?
The advantages of owning a dog are many. Dogs provide great companionship, they can significantly lower your stress levels, benefit your blood pressure, they love unconditionally, lift your mood, and provide a vocal incentive to exercise more. If you want to meet more people, nothing beats a dog for bringing strangers together, particularly fellow dog lovers. And if you’ve got kids, dogs can provide someone to play with and nurture.
One of the first questions you should consider if you want to get a new puppy is, should you get a large dog or small?
Of course, if you have a small yard or live in a condo where they regulate the size dog you can keep, your choice will be made for you. But even if you have a large backyard, there are many advantages to getting a small dog that impact on other issues than the size of your home.
Having said that, some large dog breeds make better family pets than certain small breeds. Breeds like the Tibetan Spaniel dog breed, chihuahuas, miniature poodles, and maltese, and similar lap dogs, are not really suited to families with children who are too young to know how to behave around dogs.
For older people, a small dog is a more realistic choice. The same is true for people who are frail or sick, or not particularly strong. Large dogs will be tougher to handle physically, a situation which may occur during those moments when he doesn’t obey commands. To illustrate, walking an excited, large dog on a leash might be near impossible if your dog becomes intent on chasing a car, or another dog. And of course, there are going to be times when you will have to lift your dog. If someone isn’t close by to help you, this could become a problem, particularly when your dog grows old. Will you be able to check your dog’s teeth regularly, and be able to provide a strong pack structure by being the top dog.
Additionally, large dogs need more exercise as a rule, although some smaller breeds also require a lot of exercise as well. This is particularly true of working dogs, irrespective of the size they come in, such as the border collie dog breed. Border collies are very high energy, smart and active dogs. They were bred to herd cattle and sheep, and consequently have particularly high endurance and stamina. As pets, they need mental and physical exercise. A couple of hours daily is a guide, although if you mentally stimulate them during that time, it will tire them out quicker. So, if you’re a person with a busy lifestyle, who’s unable to devote the time to your dog, a border collie or similar would be an inappropriate pet.
Small dog breeds that are recommended for families with kids include {English Cocker Spaniels, boston terriers, Miniature English Bulldogs, bichon frise, Miniature Australian Bulldogs, Kerry Blue Terriers, Miniature Australian Shepherds, and border terriers}. And small dogs like the French bulldog, which are happy and easygoing dogs that love their humans, and do not require much exercise, are recommended for the elderly.
