Best and Worst Dog Breeds for the 1st Time Owner

Are you thinking about a puppy for the Holidays? Are you a first-time dog owner?

I’ve owned dogs for close to 35 years, multiple breeds, and raised dogs from puppies to seniors. If there’s one thing I know, it’s dogs.

If you’re a first-time dog owner, here’s my take on dogs that would be good for you/your family and followed by dogs that while popular, you should avoid for your sanity.

Every person/situation is different, but if you’ve NEVER owned a dog, or, it’s been longer than 15 years since you’ve had one, then this listing is developed with you in mind.

First, my criteria for these suggestions.

• Easier to train
• Affectionate – gets along with people, children, other dogs/pets
• Weight is manageable for HOA/renters to homeowners w/backyards
• Low to moderate maintenance – brush/week; or groomer visit 1/Qtr
• Easier to handle – won’t take you off your feet or build your muscles while walking them
• Energy level is a zoom around the house or playing fetch in the backyard, while others are for people who like a walk or jog around the block
• Does not have a strong prey drive, a.k.a. an escape artist or digs holes in your lawn

Breeds for the first-time owner include (but not limited to):

• Basset Hound
• Boston Terrier
• Boykin Spaniel
• Bulldog a.k.a. English Bulldog
• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
• Curly-Coated Retriever
• English Springer Spaniel
• French Bulldog
• Italian Greyhound
• Lagotto Romagnolo
• Pointer
• Shih Tzu
• Sussex Spaniel

And these are the breeds that I would NOT recommend for first-time dog owners.

My criteria for these breeds:

• Highly intelligent – super smart dogs who need a firm owner or they could be running you
• Strong, muscular dogs – who if not trained will pancake you on the sidewalk causing injury
• High-strung dogs – no matter their size, if they’re not trained, can be a biting liability
• High maintenance – e.g., high drool, double-coated (shedding)
• Temperament – dogs who are stubborn, independent, more difficult to train
• Highly energetic – dogs who need a job to do, exercise or they can become destructive when bored; herding dogs can also nip which is a natural function of the breed

Breeds NOT for the first-time owner include (but not limited to):

• Akita
• Australian Cattle Dog
• Border Collie
• Chihuahua
• Cane Corso
• Chow Chow
• Doberman Pinscher
• German Shepherd Dog
• Giant Schnauzer
• Husky
• Malinois
• Mastiff
• Newfoundland
• Pembroke Welsh Corgi
• Pomeranian
• Rottweiler

Finding the right breed of dog for you and your family takes a lot of research and time. And while there is extensive information on the web, much of it is conflicting and contradictory.

If you would like some assistance in finding the right breed of dog for yourself, family, lifestyle, then contact me at thepupmommy@comcast.net or book a complimentary call with me at the link below.