When selecting a dog for yourself or your family, you have to take into consideration many factors. Does your home accommodate the size dog you wish to bring home? Do you have the time to give to that dog? Will the dog fit into your family? Can you afford to feed and maintain the dog properly? Medium breed dogs are popular around the world. Breeders around the world have incorporated large breed dogs with medium sized breeds to come up with some very wonderful pets and unique looking dogs.

Photo: kennels.co.uk

The top ten medium breed dogs on the American Kennel Club list are:

1. Siberian Husky
2. Poodle
3. Border Collie
4. Brittany Spaniel
5. Australian Shepherd
6. American Eskimo
7. French Bulldog
8. Airedale Terrier
9. Australian Cattle Dog
10. Sheepdog

Medium sized dogs are wonderful companions, great pets, and easier to maintain compared to the large and giant breed dogs. While looking over the list of medium sized dogs on the American Kennel Clubs’ site I did notice a large amount of the dogs on the list require extensive grooming or brushing. Not all the dogs require a ton of grooming, but a large amount of the dogs that compiled the list do require regular brushing or visits to the groomer in order to be properly maintained. This should be taken into consideration when selecting a breed that follows into any category.

Medium sized dogs are well kept in small yards; some can be kept in apartments or townhomes without issues. Daily walking is recommended due to some of the breeds being very energetic and needing that ‘play time’ to keep them from becoming bored and destructive while inside your home.

As with any dog, medium sized dogs will require your attention and regular veterinarian visits to keep them healthy and happy. As stated above, dogs like the Poodle, Sheepdog, and Husky are going to require grooming. Poodles will need to be clipped, shaved and sculptured regularly. Sheepdogs have a massive amount of hair… if you are looking for a non-shedding dog; a sheepdog is not your best choice for your next pet. Husky dogs also seem to be shedders. They will require regular attention with a brush and matting comb.

In the medium sized category there are so many wonderful breeds to pick and choose from. The decision needs to be based around what you or your family is wanting in a dog.

Allergies or sensitivity to pet hair and dander needs to be addressed first when selecting a medium sized breed of dog. Then consider the amount of space your dog is going to need at full adult size. Food costs will be less then a large or giant breed dog, however it is still much more then a small or toy breed dog. Lastly, if your medium sized dog weighs over 50lbs the veterinarians usually charge more for any surgical procedure.

Educate yourself on all the wonderful breeds that fit into the medium sized category, there are many to choose from, however some can be eliminated quickly by allergy suffers or a family that doesn’t want to commit to grooming requirements.

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Life for us all seems to be getting busier and busier and all of us are trying to pack more into each day. Despite our hectic schedules we still find time to be dog owners and with the way things are now I would say that adaptability is key!

If your dog has to spend time at home alone then its important to ensure he is happy and contented and will stay that way until you get home.

I know that many of us have to leave our dogs alone for periods but I honestly feel that a dog should not be left longer than 4 hours. So if you have to leave him what is the best way to do it.

Its easier on your dog if the household has a routine, it makes things smoother both for them and for us. With routine the dog will feel more secure as he knows what is happening.

If you are going to leave your dog alone try and exercise him first if possible.

30 minutes of exercise will get rid of that excess energy and will leave him more settled when you leave. If you find 30 minutes too long then any kind of free running for at least 10 minutes is better than nothing at all. You can also do obedience training for 10 minutes as this will mentally tire him as well.

Make sure you give him a small meal in the morning and larger meal at night. They tend to sleep after a large meal.

Where is the best place to leave him ?

This depends on his age and your ability to provide a safe environment.

Dogs left at night are fine as it is quiet and dark with few noises but during the day there are people around and noises and that in itself can raise problems like barking.

When it comes to puppies the stress of constantly being left can cause long term psychological damage where it may be hard to reinstate a rational approach to life later.

Dog owners increasingly use cages to contain dogs. I am not a fan of these but if you have a small dog you need to leave for a max of 4 hours and you have to leave him in the house then this may be the better option. Make sure you do not associate the cage with a negative scenario. Try to have the dog go in the cage when you are there and when he feels happy and content. Leave him for short periods and gradually extend the time.

Do not associate the cage with you going out.

If you are using a kennel make sure you position it near a part of the house where there is not a lot of stimulation from things that he can see or hear. His kennel should be a quiet place where he feels secure and is not warding off unexpected visitors.

A radio out of reach is good company for a dog and possibly on a talking channel with the voices not too loud. Voices can calm a dog and also prevent him from being startled.

Also leave him a nice chewy bone or some toy to play with. Dogs always tend to go to sleep after having a good chew

In the final analysis I personally believe that you cannot expect a dog to stay alone all day .Even if you have a neighbour to call in to let him out, it is in my mind just not enough. A dog pining to get out to relieve himself or suffering from loneliness is one that will have behavioural problems down the line. If you are going to be away for a few days each week then maybe consider a dog walking service. Although not ideal it is better than being on his own.

There is a fine line between a dog that copes and one that does not so when it comes to getting a dog really think hard about your lifestyle and how important it is to select a breed that will fit in.

I think that nowadays it is very difficult for people to be with their dogs 24/7, but working and dog ownership can be successful provided you realize that there are sacrifices to be made and ensure the time you spend with your dogs is well used!

Kathy lecturers in Animal Health and Behavior in a college in N.Ireland. She has an online business dedicated to cats and dogs.
http://www.kathydavison.com/hometraining.html