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Choosing a dog, choosing the RIGHT dog is a very personal journey. Potential dog owners all have different selection criteria - lifestyle, energy level, training ability, children (or not), yard (or not), tiny flat or massive mansion. But whatever you have in mind and whatever you have to offer, there is probably a dog out there that will suit you to a "T".

1) Analyze Your Circumstances

First of all, you need to take a hard look at your lifestyle. The most important considerations are:

- Whether you have children and how old they are.
- How much time you have every day to spend with a dog.
- Your energy level.
- Whether you have a fenced yard.
- Whether you or your family may suffer from allergies.
- How much disposable income you have to spend on a dog.

You also need to examine why you want a dog. For company, for protection, because you want to safe a life, or because you enjoyed the last dog-centric Hollywood blockbuster, because the children have been nagging you, or because your best friend has one?

2) The Right Stuff
Once you've decided what you need, what you want and what you have to work with, it's time to narrow down your choices. Some general things to consider:

- Whirlwind or Couch Potato?
This is perhaps the most important consideration - if you want to spend your time watching TV rather than hiking, you need a laid-back dog. If you want a jogging partner, to help you train for a marathon you need a high-energy dog.

- Big or Small?
Smaller dogs aren't necessarily "easier" than large dogs - both require exercise and training, and many large dogs don't eat as much as you might think. Larger dogs are generally better with children than tiny dogs, but a large energetic dog may knock over a toddler (or senior citizen).

- Fur-ball or Skinhead?
Long-haired dogs require brushing, but short-coated dogs seem to shed as much if not more - and brushing doesn't always help keep the mess to a minimum. A clean long-haired dog can actually be less work than a messy short-haired dog.

- Purebred or Mutt?
My vote is always for the mutt, but if you need a dog with specific characteristics (low-dander or show dog) you may want to go for a particular breed. Even if you want a purebred dog, you can still chose a rescue from a shelter or from a breed rescue group.

- Puppy or Adult?
There's no doubt about it - puppies are great! However, puppies are a lot of work and will take much more time and effort - and cost more too, in initial outlay and in vaccinations and neutering. An older dog may

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