Picking a Good Companion Dog
Now that you are considering a dog as a good companion, you may be tempted to first look at breed, pick some puppies and pick the one with the best character. And there are hundreds of breeds to choose from - just think of the Boglen and the Huntaway. However, consider finding dog that enhances your personality. Seek a pet that fits the ideal that you want and can bond with you. Whether the dog is a puppy or an adult is not really a consideration most of the time. Breeds may have a certain reputation, but there are exceptions to all the rules. These tips, though, can help you find a good companion dog.
Look for a puppy or adult that has a personality that fits your own needs and your experience. If you have experience with more indepentent dogs, then a more dominant, independent dog may work for you. However, if you are not very aggressive or are not accustomed to working with dogs, a submissive animal will probably be a better choice for you. When you are looking at puppies, hold one and turn it over on its back. A dominant dog will resist you, trying to turn over right away. If it struggles, try to comfort it. If it calms down shortly, it is more submissive. If it does not struggle at all, but just lies there, you have a very submissive dog.
A dog that is calm and requires little care is better for you if you are more laid back and lead a quieter life. If you tend to be very active you may discover a more active, hyper dog to be more your style. If you spend much of the day away from home and your dog would be kenneled during that time, you should look for a dog that is a little independent and is less likely to suffer from separation anxiety.
You also will want a dog that will be your companion dog to be intelligent and eager to please. This will help you teach it the habits you want it to know and it will want to learn the skills and perform them. When you take your dog out in public, you don't want a fear nipper or a dog that is threatening to children. Naturally, this will come with effectively socializing the dog regularly, but the sharper dog will watch you to see who is maybe a threat and who is a friend.
Dogs can be wonderful companions having the right breed and temperament type for your needs. Also, while many folks feel that only young dogs can be trained, this is not true. Many adult dogs are salvaged from shelters every day and they are trained quite easily. The key to training a dog and for getting a well behaved companion dog is bonding with it. When you have bonded with your dog, it will be eager to please you. They will want to anticipate what you want and will even search for new ways to communicate with you. If you are careful to observe your companion, you and your dog can come up with your own language and this can give you a companion dog (even the Basque Shepherd Dog or Korea Jindo Dog that is all you could hope for.
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