Cygni and Me

If you are thinking about getting your own puppy there are a few things you need to address before you make the commitment.

1) What is your energy level? I’ve broken energy levels down into 5 groups ranging from very high (5) to very low (1). Think about how much time you like to spend doing physical things like running, hiking, biking, etc or if you rather just relax and watch TV or read a book. Read the descriptions of the energy levels below and pick which sounds the most like you.

Low (1) – Low energy people tend to be more likely to stay in and watch a movie than go out for a bike ride. They would prefer to spend less than 30minutes a day out walking their dog.
Med-Low (2) – Medium-low energy people are a little bit more active than their low energy pals. They may do things such as take walks around their neighborhood or go for short bike rides or swims. They are still fairly unlikely to have the drive to go for that 10 mile run but are not against going out for a walk every now and then. They would probably wind up walking their dog about 30minutes to an hour every day.
Medium (3) – Medium energy people are the middle of the road kind of guys. They are active enough to entertain the idea of taking the 10mile run but probably don’t plan on doing one every weekend. These are the guys who probably have worked a bike-ride or jog into their schedules and could devote about 1 to 2 hours a day for their dog’s exercise.
Med-High (4) – Medium-high energy are the people who see the outdoors as a big hobby. They enjoy going out and being active through biking, swimming, running, hiking, etc. Someone with medium-high energy should have no problem spending more than 2 hours a day taking their dog out.
High (5) – High energy people are the guys who first passion is exercise and the outdoors. These people love to run, hike, swim, and do anything they physically can. If you are the kind of person who actively runs marathons or triathlons then you are probably a high energy person. These people spend so much time out and about they can bring their dogs with them for 3 or more hours of activity a day.

2) Breeds Now that you know your energy level you can start to think about the breed that will work best with you. A big mistake that most new dog owners make is choosing a breed on the basis of looks only. That Border Collie might be extremely cute but if you don’t have the energy to train him and burn off his immense levels of energy then you are in for a lot of stress and frustration. Its important to match your energy level to that of your dog’s in order to prevent your dog from becoming frustrated by all its unused energy and getting into trouble. The best thing to remember is that while a breed or group may tend to have a certain energy level, each dog is an individual and its energy level can vary, not enough to let a High energy breed result in a Low energy dog though. To make this easier I am going to assign energy levels to general groups of dogs rather than to each breed. But remember that breeds within this group may have different energy level.

Sporting – Sporting breeds include pointers, retrievers, setters and spaniels. These are breeds meant for field work and have energy levels between 3 and 4. So potential owners looking at popular breeds like Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers need to remember that these popular dogs still require a good work out on a regular basis to keep them happy and away from trouble.
Hound – The hound group is typically broken into sight hounds such as Greyhounds, Afghan Hounds, and Whippets, and scent hounds such as Beagles, Bloodhounds, and Coonhounds. The sight hounds are typically high energy dogs ranking between a 4 and 5 while scent hounds whose breeds tend to keep their nose to ground rank in at an energy level about 3.
Working – Working breeds are one of the groups with the most difference in energy levels. It includes dogs such as Mastiffs, Huskies, the Great Danes, and St. Bernards. To get the most accurate idea of these breeds’ energy levels you need to research the breeds’ history and what they were bred to do. For example Huskies were bred to pull sleds and because of that their energy level is a 5. But guarding breeds such as Mastiffs and others like the Great Pyrenees are very low energy between a 1 or 2. The biggest thing to remember about this group is the fact that a great majority of these breeds are huge.
Terriers – The terrier group is pretty self-explanatory, it included terriers such as the Schnauzer, the Scottish Terrier, and the Bull Terrier. These dogs are extremely energetic for their size and because of this have an energy level of about 2 depending on their size. Teacup or miniatures will be just as energetic but their size will prevent them from spending too much time exercising. Just remember that walking the same distance with smaller legs is a lot more work!
Toy - Similar to the terrier group, the toy group’s energy rank is largely due in part to their size. Small dogs like Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, and the Maltese physically cannot exercise for too long so they have energy levels of about 1. But remember that the smaller the dog is the more delicate it is and many toy breeds are prone to broken limbs and hypoglycemia.
Non-Sporting – The non-sporting group is similar to the working group in its diversity. Once again to get an accurate rank of a breed’s energy you need to do your background research. Breeds such as Spitz tend to have higher energy levels. When looking at the breed’s background pay attention to what the dog was bred to do. The Poodle was bred as a water dog and has an energy level of around 2 or 3. While the Schipperke was bred as a boat dog and has an energy level of about 1-2.
Herding – This is one of the highest energy groups of dogs. Herding breeds have immense stamina and are extremely intelligent. Because of this they are ranked at energy level 5 and need to be in homes that can challenge their herding instinct and prevent them from getting intro trouble with all their pent up energy. Border Collies, German Shepherds, and Australian Shepherds are all extremely active dogs that need to feel as if they are “working” to stay happy.

3) Once you narrow down the breeds you are interested in you should start your research! Check out some of these websites for more information on your favorite breeds;
http://www.akc.org/
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/