First-time dog ownership is no short of nasty surprises if you just got the first cute puppy dog you saw without considering key factors needed to be met as a minimum required threshold for choosing an ideal first pet.
Its little critical factors like your personal lifestyle, the hypoallergenic impact of the particular dog breed, dog’s Intelligence or trainability, size of the dog, energy, grooming demands, and the temperament of the dog itself that breaks or makes novice pet owners.
But with due diligence, you will find that novice pet owners could benefit and enjoy having a first-time pet from dog breeds like:
- Pugs.
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
- Whippet.
- Greyhound.
- Labrador Retriever.
- Golden Retriever.
- Bernese Mountain Dog.
- Great Dane.
So, if you have been thinking about taking home your first puppy, then I bet you must be very excited, but it can be a little bit difficult at first, so you need to be prepared, whether its a puppy or an adult dog you decide to take home with you.
Before we look at these best dog breeds for first-time owners, let’s look at some things you need to know before you buy the dog:
Tips for first-time dog owners
If you are going to bring home a pet dog, you got to look at your lifestyle and see which dog best fits in with your tendencies. Are you a home bird who loves to take it easy on a sofa set and treat yourself to a good old binge of Netflix? If that’s the case, a lap dog may be best suited for your lifestyle.
But, if you are a jogger and adventurous type who would love to enjoy such activities as a pack with your dog, you better not assume that all pets will up for your adventures.
In fact, some dogs are so lazy they won’t even play throw and fetch as they would rather curl up on your lap and snore.
Rightly so, you will find that we have also listed some things you need to know or do before you bring home a puppy dog:
Choose The Right Dog Breed: Not all dog breeds are made equal, from the demands of daily activity needs, grooming requirements to family makeup. So, make sure you are choosing the right dog breed suitable for your needs.
And as a first-time dog owner, you have a lot to learn about training dogs from a puppy. In simple terms, though some dog breeds look so cute, not every dog is suitable for you as a first-time dog owner.
Sounds elementary, but some dog breeds need owners with experience, or else they may grow up aggressive to the extent that you won’t be able to manage it in your home.
And also, if you’re a very busy person who is always at work, avoid getting an energetic dog breed that will require more attention than you can offer.
The high energy for breeds tends to be destructive when left alone for a long time without proper exercise. So the first step is to choose a dog breed that you will manage.
Training Needs: Once you’ve chosen the right dog suitable for your needs, make sure you train and socialize it.
Believe it or not, but all dog breeds will require proper training while they are still young so that they become obedient and do what they vare supposed to do.
Sometimes puppy training can be as simple as daily or weekly social interaction with people and other dog breeds. Socialization for pet dogs sometimes gets overlooked, yet it is an essential part of developing the dog’s temperament.
So, as a new pet owner, provide adequate social activities so that your puppy dog grows up knowing that it’s okay to have strangers and other pets around.
Make sure you provide your dog with the right place to sleep: Well, this is something that you should organize before you bring the dog home. Set up a sleeping spot in advance, start with a confined space like a dog crate, as it will give the dog a safe space of his own.
Provide your dog with the right food: Your new dog will need food the minute it gets home. So it’s vital to find out what the dog had been eating so that you can decide if you want to continue feeding it the same food or if you will introduce it to new dog food.
You must as well check with the veterinarian to confirm if the food you want to introduce to the dog will meet all it’s nutrients needs.
Come up with a routine for your new dog and make sure you stick to it: Adapting to a new environment can be a bit difficult for the dog so you should come up with a daily routine
to helps your furry friend adjust to the new environment.
Now, let’s look at the top 10 best dog breeds for first-time owners!
1. The Labrador retriever
What makes this dog breed excellent for first owners is the fact that Labrador Retrievers are very intelligent and at the same time, very obedient, so obviously, they are easy to train too.
The first time owners will not have a hard time training this dog. The dog is also known for being friendly, affectionate, loyal, and all the time it loves to please its owners.
This dog breed does not require that much cof exercise time like the other dog breeds would.
So if you and your partner are career people with a 9 to 5 job, being busy will not affect your pet ownership as dogs require daily walking routine.
As a minimum, you must at least commit to taking your labrador out for a 30 minutes walk every day as her exercise routine.
And, if you can hike up also where you find time during the weekends, take the dog to the park where it can learn to socialize with other dogs.
2. The Shih Tzu
The Shih Tzu is the best dog breeds for first-time owners. What makes it excellent for first-time owners is the fact that they are very obedient and easy to train too.
The Shih Tzu is an adorable dog to own; it loves being with you wherever you might go and would never leave you or run away.
eTo make Shih Tzu the best social dog, it’s recommended to make it meet other dogs, so they get used to having people and other dogs around, be it your guests or strangers.
Shih Tzu are a high demanding dog when it comes to grooming, so, the one thing you should be committed to is routine grooming schedules of your Shih Tzu.
This dog breed is also synonymous for their clips of hair coats, which eventually becomes challenging for first-time dog owners to maintain.
Still, if you get Shih Tzu puppy as your first family pet, every time you feel her long hair is getting in the way, then it’s better you cut it short, so that you can be able to manage it better.
3. The golden retriever
This dog breed is known for being peaceful, intelligent, playful and very affectionate.
They are said to be one of the most popular dog breeds because they make great family companions.
They need relatively low maintenance, they are friendly with children and other dogs too.
What makes the Golden retriever excellent for first time owners is the fact that they have wonderful temperaments and are also very easy to train.
But early socialization should be provided so that the dog can grow up knowing who the boss is and also knowing that it’s okay to have people around their home, even strangers because the dog is sensitive and may become aggressive towards strangers.
4. The Greyhound
The Greyhound is a dog breed that has origins in the United Kingdom and was initially bred for hunting purposes.
But as time passed by, people realized that the Greyhound made an excellent family companion because of their wonderful temperaments.
The Greyhound is known for being friendly, loving, loyal, intelligent, and very much obedient.
What makes this dog great for first-time owners is the fact that they are obedient, hence very easy to train. Even a first time owners can train it.
5. The poodle
The poodle is a large-sized dog, and if you are not living in an apartment, they make great companions for first-time owners.
Poodles also have lovely temperaments and are also one of the easiest dogs to train because if their loyalty and obedience.
The breed is also known for being friendly, loving and very affectionate, they love being around their owners all the time as a way of showing affection.
The poodle will require regular grooming although they shed at a very minimal level, and they also need proper exercise for them to be healthy and happy.
6.The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
This is a small dog breed that makes a great companion for first time owners. The Cavalier is an adorable dog that loves curling up and relaxing with its owners at any time of the day.
The dog is great for first time owners because it is relatively lazy, and does not require much exercise and attention. But since it has a long coat, it will definitely require regularly grooming. This breed is also known for being sweet, loyal, friendly and obedient, all these traits make it be effortless to train.
7. The cocker spaniel
The cocker spaniel is very Kind and gentle and makes an excellent dog for first-time owners. Bred initially as gun dogs, Cocker Spaniels’ natural instincts to ‘work’ mean they’re intelligent, loyal and willing to please.
They’re also sociable, quickly form strong bonds and enjoy being around other people and pets.
8. The French Bulldog
French Bulldogs are a good choice for first time owners. They require less exercise and grooming than larger breeds and, most of the time are simple to train.
They are an adaptable dog breed that will fit in with most owners. But just like any other dog breed, the French Bulldog will also require proper exercising for it to be healthy and happy.
9. The Maltese
The Maltase dog breed is known for being gentle, loving, and cheerful. The dog loves to play and have fun.
You’ll soon find it hard to keep up your pooch, as it is full of energy and enthusiastic about everything.
This dog breed is excellent for first-time dog owners; they are known for being too eager to please and protect their owners.
So you have to watch out for anyone coming into your home because this dog will see them as a threat and then try to be defensive by being aggressive and barking.
This breed is not afraid of anything. As well, it may not like or be interested in objects or animals that are larger than it is.
Since it is quite bold, your Maltese will be quick to alert you if it hears any suspicious noises or strangers.
If you want it to be a social dog-friendly with everyone who walks into your home, then you must train and socialize it at a young age.
10. The Papillon
The Papillon dog breed is fantastic for first time owners who are looking for low maintenance, easy going companion.
They have great temperaments and love being with their people.
Despite their size, they are very playful dogs and love being active, so don’t be surprised if your Papillon kicks butt on the agility field!
Overall, these tiny guys carry a big personality and are great for the novice owner. But it needs early training and socialization so that it gets used to having people around.
