There’s nothing better than bringing home a four-legged best mate. From fetching your slippers to loyally protecting you from the mailman, the little fuzzballs bring so much fun and love to your life. But dogs aren’t just for Christmas. When you get a pup it’s a lifelong commitment, so it’s vital to choose a breed that suits your lifestyle. Adopting a pooch you can’t look after isn’t fair on either of you, so here are a few things to consider before taking the plunge.

“I live in an apartment with no yard, and I’m not able to exercise my dog much.”

No worries – you simply need to find a dog that’s a fan of the couch potato lifestyle. There are plenty of lovably lazy breeds out there, from pugs to English bulldogs to Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. These guys and gals still require a daily walk (as do you, of course), but they won’t be constantly leaping about and demanding playtime. Bassett hounds tend to be sleepy indoors and hyper outside, which is a nice balance.

“I love dogs, but I don’t love the effort that goes into grooming them.”

If you don’t want to be dealing with tumbleweeds of dog fur all the time, you should focus on short-haired dogs that don’t need much brushing or washing. There are loads of them out there, including whippets, Boston terriers, greyhounds, great Danes and Vizslas. Many short-haired dogs were originally bred for hunting purposes, so they tend to be loyal, intelligent and relatively easy to train.

“I have a family, so I need a dog that’s good with kids.”

If you’re getting a dog to hang out with your kids, it needs to be patient, playful, loving, highly trainable, and very receptive to new things. Tons of breeds fit into all those categories, so you’ve got plenty of choice when it comes to the family’s new best mate. Retrievers, Irish settlers, beagles, Newfoundlands (the very definition of gentle giants) and collies are all fantastic, and that’s just the tip of the bounding, barking iceberg.

“I’m very busy at work, and I often don’t get home until late.”

Plenty of dogs appreciate a bit of valuable ‘me time’, so you certainly don’t need to worry if your job keeps you out of the house for long periods. Breeds like the Shar-pei, miniature Schnauzer, Basset hound, bull terrier, and Lhasa Apso (an adorable walking mop) are all quite happy to amuse themselves until you get back, and won’t do so at the expense of your furniture.

“I want to be able to teach my dog tricks.”

A noble aim indeed, but it requires a lot of intelligence from the dog and a lot of patience and commitment from you. As a general rule, the smarter the pooch, the easier it’ll be to train – although no dog is really easy to train. As we said, you have to be prepared to stick with it, but there are many breeds that’ll make things simpler for you. Border Collies, poodles and Shetland sheepdogs are amongst them, as are papillons, golden retrievers and Rottweilers. 

We hope this helps, and don’t forget to check the Yellow Pages listings for the best pet shop near you.