Quick Tips Episode 9: Finding the Perfect Pet

Today we want to talk about how to pick the perfect pet for your family.

Tip #1: Look at age. A lot of people think puppies are great, but they take lots of time. You're up in the middle of the night. You're potty training, crate training, and obedience training. And maybe your family doesn't have time.

That second age group is adolescent dogs. These are your dogs that are one to four years old. They tend to be a little more balanced. They've settled into life a little bit, but depending on where they came from, maybe they’ll have some issues and behavioral problems will need to be fixed.

The final category is seniors. These senior dogs, any dogs over five often get overlooked, but they can be the perfect pup. They've seen life. They've settled down. They don't really need the same exercise, and so for a busy family,  that senior dog could be a really good fit.

 Tip #2 is personality. Beauty fades -- it happens with dogs too and I find that too many families lock themselves into a corner because they must have the yellow female Lab. And when they're looking at that, they might pass up that male that would actually, personality wise, be a better fit. So make sure to look at personality, not just looks.

Tip #3: Think long term. When you're picking a dog for a family, you're looking at probably 5,10, 15 years.

So if you're dying to have a Great Dane, and right now you have a big yard but in a couple years you're hoping to move to the city and maybe into a condo, that Great Dane might not be a great fit. So look for a dog that's not only a fit now, but one that will likely be a fit in 10 years.