Considerations in Choosing a Pet Or how to choose with your heart AND your head
The “Head” Part of Choosing Your Pet The Costs of Choosing a Pet
Obtaining a Pet Veterinary Care Food Toys/Bedding Miscellaneous
Obtaining a Pet Breeder Petstore Free pet from neighbor/friend Humane Society/Shelter Stray in Neighborhood
Veterinary Care Vaccines Spaying/Neutering Pre-breeding testing Illness
Food Quality of Diet Quantity of Diet Special Diets due to Illness/Parturition/ Activity Level
Toys/Bedding/Accessories
Toys Bedding Accessories
Miscellaneous
Grooming Boarding Training Showing
The “Heart” Part of Choosing a Pet: Choosing a Pet that Fits Your Lifestyle Size of pet Activity Level of Pet “Mess” Associated with Pet Appeal of Pet
Differences Between Dogs and Cats, and Their Breeds Reasons to CHOOSE a Cat Reasons NOT to CHOOSE a Cat Reasons to CHOOSE a Dog Reasons NOT to CHOOSE a Dog
Size of Pet
Large
Medium
Small
Large Dogs Positives: usually laidback, calm temperament, size alone makes good guardian, lower metabolism - doesn’t need tons of exercise Negatives: eat more food, leave bigger messes, larger vet bills, shorter life-span
Medium Dogs Positives: Come from all groups; wide variety: coat type, personality Negatives: Tend to be working/sporting breeds with high exercise requirements
Small Dogs Positives: small size allows them to fit in many places; less mess; eat small amounts; less costly vet bills; long life-span; exercised in small spaces Negatives: sometimes tend to be frail; tend to be hard to house train; can be clingy
Cats: Large and Small Some breeds tend to be larger than others, such as Maine Coon, American Bobtail, Norwegian Forest Cat Persians and Persian crosses, such as Himalayans, as well as British shorthair tend to be midsize Oriental breeds tend to be smaller - Siamese, Javanese, etc.
Activity Level of Pet High Activity
Medium Activity
Low Activity
Dog Breeds that Tend to Have a High Activity Level A High Activity Level Can Occur in Breeds of all Sizes and Groups These Dogs Generally Require a Large Amount of Exercise to Stay Sane These Dogs are Generally Highly Trainable Most Herding, Working, Sporting and some Hunting Breeds Fall into this Category
Dog Breeds That tend to Have a Medium Activity Level These Breeds Tend to Be Somewhat Mellower, Have More Moderate Exercise Requirements Occur in All Sizes and Groups of Dogs Often Considered “Good with Kids” due to Low Reactivity
Dog Breeds with a Tendency Toward Low Activity Level These Breeds Tend Toward Low Reactivity These Breeds are Often Considered “Low Intelligence” or Stubborn
There is Even a Variance in Activity Level in Breeds of Cats Oriental Type Breeds Tend to Come with a more Active Temperament. Persian Type Breeds tend to be Quieter, Less Active
“Mess” Associated with Pet Shedding Drooling Litterboxes Cleaning up Backyard or on Walks
How Much Hair and Grooming are You Prepared to Deal With? Different Breeds of Both Cats and Dogs shed different Amounts of Hair Not Always Related to Length of Hair -More related to type of Coat: Double-Coated or Single-Coated
Are you Prepared to Deal with Drool? Some Breeds of Dogs have Loose Lips, which can Lead to Excessive Drooling All Dogs Must Pant to Release Heat -- also Causes Drooling
With Every Pet There is the Necessary, Unavoidable Clean-up With cats you have to clean the litterbox. If you have multiple cats, you should have multiple boxes. We recommend the number of boxes in the house equal the number of cats + 1. We also recommend daily removal of excrement.
For city dwellers today, there are many laws requiring that you “scoop” after your dog in public places. Even if this isn’t a law in your area, it is a basic tenet of Responsible Pet Ownership. People who do not own pets should NOT have to deal with your pet’s wastes. It is also good to clean up after your pet at home, as this prevents the spread of, and re-infection of your pet with, intestinal parasites.
Appeal of Pet You Have to Choose Something You can Live with!
Looks
Personality
Cats and Dogs Come in a Huge Variety of Shapes, Sizes, and Colors You can get a dog from the size of a rodent, to the size of a small pony. Cats come in an infinite variety of colors -- some can weigh as much as 20 lbs., others as little as 4 lbs.
Because We’ve Bred Them to Perform a Variety of Functions, They Have a Wide Range of Temperaments Some are aloof, some are fawning, some are highly trainable, others retain strong instinctual drives. Search yourself for the True Reasons you are acquiring a Pet and you’ll most likely find a pet to meet that requirement…. From the Unusual to the mundane.
Choosing a Pet with you “Head” and your “Heart” By using Both your “head” and your “heart” you increase the likelyhood of ending up with a lifelong companion.
Let’s Take A Look at a Few Breeds Available to Own……
CAT BREEDS
Abyssinian
American Curl
American Shorthair
American Wirehair
Balinese
Bengal
Birman
Bombay
British Shorthair
Burmese
Chartreux
Colorpoint Shorthair
Cornish Rex
Devon Rex
European Burmese
Exotic Shorthair or Exotic
Havana Brown
Japanese Bobtail
Javanese
Korat
LaPerm
Maine Coon Cat
Manx
Norwegian Forest Cat
Ocicat
Oriental
Persian
Ragamuffin
Ragdoll
Russian Blue
Scottish Fold
Selkirk Rex
Siamese
Siberian
Singapura
Somali
Sphynx
Tonkinese
Turkish Angora
Turkish Van
Dog Breeds
Dog Breeds Are Divided Into Groups These Groups are based upon the original purpose of the breed. Can you name the eight groups currently used to classify dog breeds in the AKC?
The Eight Groups Are:
Sporting Group – 26
Hound Group – 22
Working Group – 24
Terrier Group – 27
Toy Group – 21
Non-Sporting Group – 17
Herding Group – 18
Miscellaneous Class - 5
These Eight Groups (including the Miscellaneous Class) are Comprised of 160 Different Breeds In 2004 there were 958,641 individual dogs registered with the American Kennel Club alone In 2005 there were 920,804 individual dogs registered with the American Kennel Club
Australian Shepherd
Afghan Hound
Australian Cattle Dog
Basset Hound
Bernese Mountain Dog
Standard Poodle
Borzoi
Bouvier
Briard
Bullmastiff
Boxer
Border Terrier
Bull Terrier
Cardigan Welsh Corgi
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Chesapeake Bay Retriever
Chihuahua
Chinese Crested
Labrador Retriever
Collie
Curly-Coated Retriever
Dalmatian
Dandie Dinmont Terrier
Great Dane
Scottish Deerhound
n a m r e b Do
r e h sc n i P
English Pointer
E
h s i l ng
p S y o T
l e i an
F
d e t a o c t la
r e v rie t e R
French Bulldog
German Pinscher
Gi an tS ch na uz er
Golden Retriever
Gordon Setter
German Shepherd
Ibizan Hound
Ir
r e t t e S ish
Irish Wolfhound
Parson Russell Terrier
Komondor
Boston Terrier
Dachshund
Mastiff or English Mastiff
Pekingese
Polish Lowland Sheepdog
Pharaoh Hound
Yorkshire Terrier
Great Pyrenees
Pug
Puli
Rottweiler
Saluki
Samoyed
Chinese Shar-pei
Shiba Inu
Shih Tzu
Silky Terrier
Skye Terrier
Smooth Coated Fox Terrier
Soft-Coated Wheaton Terrier
Italian Spinone Hound
Sussex Spaniel
Tibetan Spaniel
Viszla
Welsh Springer Spaniel
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
Cairn Terrier
Airedale
Akita
American Cocker Spaniel
English Cocker Spaniel
Basenji
Beagle
Bedlington Terrier
English Setter
English Springer Spaniel
Greyhound
German Short-haired Pointer
ire W n a m Ger
d e r i -ha
er t n i Po
Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
Iris hW
ate r
Sp
ani e
l
Italian Greyhound
Keeshond
Newfoundland
Alaskan Malamute
Siberian Husky
Miniature Schnauzer
Papillion
Pembroke Welsh Corgi
Rhodesian Ridgeback
West Highland White Terrier
Registration Statistics Can you name the top ten breeds (by individuals registered) in the American Kennel Club?
The 10th Most Popular Breed The Miniature Schnauzer
A member of the Terrier group
24,144 individual Miniature Schnauzers were registered in 2005.
The 9th Most Popular Breed Shih Tzu A member of the Toy Group 28,807
individual Shih Tzus were registered with the AKC in 2005.
The 8th Most Popular Breed Poodles (all varieties including Standard, Miniature and Toy) The Poodle is a member of two groups -- the Standard is shown as a Non-Sporting breed, and the Miniature and the Toy varieties are shown in the Toy Group
31,638
poodles were registered with the AKC in 2005.
The 7th Most Popular Breed
Boxer A member of the Working Group
37,268 boxers were registered with the AKC in 2005.
The 6th Most Popular Breed Dachshund, all varieties, (long-haired, smooth-coated, and wire-coated) and both sizes, standards and miniatures A member of the Hound Group 38,566 individual dachshunds were registered with the AKC in 2005.
The 5th Most Popular Breed Beagles, both varieties, the under 13 inch variety, and the over 13 inch and under 15 inch variety A member of the Hound Group 42,592 individual beagles were registered with the AKC in 2005.
The 4th Most Popular Breed
German Shepherd Dog A member of the Herding Group 45,014 individual German Shepherd dogs were registered with the AKC in 2005.
The 3rd Most Popular Breed Yorkshire Terriers A Member of the Toy Group 47,238 individual Yorkies were registered with the AKC in 2005.
The 2nd Most Popular Breed
Golden Retriever A member of the Sporting Group 48,509 individual Golden Retrievers were registered with the AKC in 2005.
The #1 Most Popular Breed
Labrador Retriever A member of the Sporting Group 137,867 individual Labrador Retrievers were registered with the AKC in 2005.
To put it in perspective, almost 100,000 more Labrador Retrievers were registered last year than the second closest breed, Golden Retrievers, and more than 5 times as many Labrador Retrievers were registered as Miniature Schnauzers, the 10th most popular breed. Can this type of popularity be good for a breed?
I hope this has given you a new perspective on breeds, and why they were created, and how you can use their purpose to help you choose a breed that best suits you and your lifestyle. It is always important to research any breed you plan to adopt/buy thoroughly. Feel free to contact your veterinarian for advice about what would be best for you and your lifestyle.
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