[Breeds] looking for advice !

**Introduction**

1) Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?

* This will be my first solo dog, but I’ve always had at least one dog in the house growing up. I contributed a lot to the day to day care of them, but training was a bit lackluster so more advanced training will be new to me.

2) Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a [reputable breeder]( http://ownresponsibly.blogspot.com/2011/07/identifying-reputable-breeder.html)?

* I’d prefer to go to a breeder

3) Describe your ideal dog.

* My ideal dog is a medium sized, well trained, relatively active dog. I am looking for a breed that’s closer to velcro than independent, is willing to go on longer walks / hikes with me but is also down to lay around for a large portion of the day. At the end of the day, looking for a great companion that always wants to be with me and is down for anything.

4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?

* Both historically and right now some of my favorite breeds are poodles, english cocker and springer spaniels, tollers, and bernese mountain dogs. I know berners are a bit out of left field, but I think they’re super cute and love how good they are with kids. Definitely not in the cards for now, but maybe later on. As for the others, I think they all have the level of train-ability I’m looking for (potentially even too much), have the energy to keep up, and in my research seem to have the personality I’m looking for (though I know that’s usually a dog-by-dog basis).

5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?

* I would like my dog to know all the standard commands, but particularly I just want to have a *good* dog. One that listens to me, obeys commands, walks well on leash (no pulling), can stay focused on me during stimulating or stressful events, things like that.

6) Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport?

* No

**Care Commitments**

7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?

* I work from home, so I will be around my dog all day. I will be able to dedicate around 2 hours a day to general playtime, on top of twice daily walks and once or twice daily longer walks / hikes / trips to the dog park. I do want to crate train my dog as there will be periods of 2-5 hours daily where I need to be running errands or taking meetings, but these will usually be closer to the 2 hour mark than 5.

8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?

* I will have 2 hours for play / enrichment with me at home, plus two medium walks a day. At least once a week we will go explore nearby walking trails or go to the dog park, and this will often be twice a week.

9) How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?

* Really open to any amount of grooming needs, but would most likely be taking the dog to the groomer as needed (though ideally no more than once a month)

**Personal Preferences**

10) What size dog are you looking for?

* medium is ideal

11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?

* Okay with shedding and slobber, would prefer not a barker but a little talking is okay with me.

12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?

* I would love to have a dog trained to walk off-leash, however I also am very wary of the dangers so even if they are trained to that level, I will likely only do it in very familiar areas. Definitely a plus, but not a deal breaker

**Dog Personality and Behavior**

13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?

* absolutely snuggly

14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?

* eager to please

15) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?

* Ideally a dog that loves people ! Okay if they’re nervous with strangers, but definitely do not want any aggression

16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?

* no, I am planning on taking my dog to daycare as a puppy to help socialize them with other dogs but it is necessary that they are able to get along with others

17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?

* other than aggression, not really!

**Lifestyle**

18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?

* Probably daily, but likely not for longer than 2 hours a day. I work from home, so my only obligations outside the house regularly are errands, the gym, and meetings (which will just be in my office, but I obviously cannot be preoccupied with my dog during them).

19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?

* Will just be me! 100% involved

20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?

* nope

21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?

* no, but it’s important to me that I can trust them around children, especially since I will likely be having children of my own during the dogs lifetime

22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?

* rent, don’t have hard restrictions since I haven’t found an apartment yet but I imagine there will be restrictions around large breeds

23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?

* no

24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?

* summer: 80f, winter: 35f

**Additional Information and Questions**

25) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.

* No additional information.

26) Feel free to ask any questions below.