How do you choose a new dog

For me, I just know when it's the dog I want. I'll walk around the whole shelter looking at all the dogs. I'll fall in love with all of them, it's just so painful to see them all there...but I'll always see one and know it's my dog. I'll know it's the dog for me.

Mostly my children have chosen a dog and somehow grew up and left me with them.. I love them though to choose you just have to follow you heart. Also read up on breeds to see what qualities meet you desires.

Let the dog pick you. In a litter of puppies, choose the one that does not shy away from you and seems most eager for your attention. When we got my dog Martha, she came with a litter! My daughter's boyfriend had a neighbor whose dog had a litter of puppies and he just wanted rid of them and was threatening to just dump them in the woods. So I told her to bring the whole litter over here (5 puppies) and we would find homes for them. Martha was the one who would do flips and try to get my attention whenever I went to care for them. I found homes for four of the puppies within a few days, but I could not bear to give Martha away! I did not intent to keep one of the puppies for myself, but I just tell everyone I had no choice, she chose me! Here is another tip. Puppies who will let you roll them on their back and rub their tummy will be a submissive dog. Puppies who resist being rolled over will usually have a more dominant personality. So it depends on what type of personality you want your dog to have. My dog Esther, who my daughter brought home to us, never liked being handled as a puppy. She would growl every time I picked her up, and I could not rub her tummy! She still hates being picked up. She usually will let me love on her now, though. She has a very dominant personality, although she has mellowed out with age (she is about 6 years old now). She is also part chihuahua, she definitely has the chihuahua temperament!

My dad uses our dogs for hunting so we always pick the alpha male. There is usually only one in a litter.

I like to pick a more socail dog. I want a dog that will play with other dogs as well as with people. I want a dog I can take places and won't be overly nervous. I do get drawn to the shy dogs too though because they look so much like under dogs.