Dogs are an incredibly diverse species. Not only do they have an astonishing variety of physical characteristics, but even their personality traits and behavioral characteristics differ from breed to breed.

Much of this is due to human meddling. For centuries, we have bred dogs to meet our needs, so over time we have developed more than 600 different dog breeds.

However, recent studies suggest that many of the physical changes in dogs may have occurred spontaneously. As surprising as it is, it seems that dogs have evolved along the lines they think we expect of them. That is what I call devotion!

Fascinating stuff, but there is also a practical purpose in all of this.

Let’s say you are interested in purchasing or adopting a purebred dog. I’m sure you’ll want one that fits your lifestyle well. It would be silly, for example, to adopt a Husky, if your idea of ​​fun is to lie down in front of the TV with a bowl of popcorn. Before you know it, you will have an extremely frustrated dog, probably with behavior problems.

In the same way, an active person who gets a Bulldog and expects it to join the Sunday morning jog is sure to be disappointed.

And it is not only necessary to take into account energy levels. When you start putting together a picture of your perfect dog, think about the level of affection you want, the level of independence, the capacity for protection, if you care about a barking dog. You will find that there is a breed that matches almost any profile you can think of.

And the physical appearance, the size, for example? It’s hard to imagine two animals more different than a Saint Bernard and a Chinese Crested, but both are unmistakably dogs.

Another factor to take into account is the amount of hair the dog sheds. Some dogs lose enough hair to make another dog, while others hardly do. And if shedding is really a problem, there are hairless dogs, like the Xoloitzcuintle.

Capacitability is another factor to consider. If you are determined to train your dog in obedience, then you will want a breed that is docile and obedient, not the canine equivalent of a stubborn mule.

So if trainability is an important factor, you want a dog that learns quickly and is eager to please. Dogs that fall into this group include the Poodle, Papillon, and Golden Retriever.

At the other end of the scale you’ll find the hounds: stubborn, stubborn, and downright bloodthirsty. Some say (only half jokingly) that dachshunds are impossible to train, while some toy dogs just don’t bother to pay attention.

And then there are the so-called designer dogs, as well as mixed breed dogs, which we haven’t even talked about here.

The point is that there is a dog that is ideal for each person, for each lifestyle. What is your type of dog?