Active and athletic dog types would need their daily requirement of hard running and long walks. Without that energy is pent up and they could potentially be destructive inside the house. For athletic and active people though, no dog breed is as good. Intelligence Who would not want an intelligent dog? Use the treats to pull the dog towards you and to walk with you. There is a good analogy to this. People are motivated in the work place by the sticks and carrots approach. Even when employees do not feel up to doing a particular job, when the reward far outweighs the risk, people respond. This is true for most dogs, most creatures for that matter. Toy and lap dogs are the best choices if you are looking for a small dog that you can bring with you to most places. You should also check whether the puppy is purebred or mixed bred. It is often hard to identify a purebred or mix bred puppy, but try to use the source as an indicator. There are rescue groups that are breed specific, there are those that are aren't. Adopting A Dog On The Spot Deciding Which Dog to Adopt Sometimes, even with thorough planning, it is still hard to resist puppies with oversized paws and cute, button-like eyes or attractive full-grown dogs, for that matter. This is a natural response commonly observed among would-be owners at rescue homes and animal shelters. The loyalty that dogs show is a trait that they have while still in the wild where they have to learn to stick together and take care of its other to survive longer. Human sees this devotion and treats dogs as family members. Dogs on the other hand see humans as pack leaders although members of their pack nonetheless. While they are not ideal around children because they move very fast, they are good company to older people who could use extra cheer around the house. One of the downside to having a companion dog is that because of their size, they are vulnerable to larger animals. When you are located in areas where winters could be very cold, you would want to consider companion dog breeds that are fluffy or are longhaired.