It’s good to know certain breed characteristics so that you can make an informed choice about what dog best suits your personality, and lifestyle. Where you live, and how you live is important. If you’re a couch potato hanging out in an apartment, hunting dogs are not the way to go. Unless you both want to go crazy. Terriers are fast and smart, so you better be fit and smarter. Bulldogs are known to be lazy, but need firm handling because they can be, well, bullish. Retrievers and labs love to hike and swim, whereas many toy breeds are content with a couple laps around the block and a nice outfit. If you live in an apartment, size is not as important as temperament. Opt for a quieter, mellower dog over a spazzy, yappy yapster, unless you’re fishing for an eviction notice. If you have kids, the focus should be on size and temperament. Avoid the toy breeds as many are wary of children, and easily hurt. Some dogs are called Twiggy for a reason… For more information, you can look up breed information at the American Kennel Club’s website - http://www.akc.org/