Dogs on the other hand see humans as pack leaders although members of their pack nonetheless. Men therefore have to be obeyed and would need as much cooperation from the dog similar to how the dog will respond to a pack leader in the wild. In spite of all these, dogs are predators. They have always been and even behind centuries of domestication, they have not totally lost the instinct. In the strict sense though and for differentiation, dogs that do not work and do not particularly excel at any task other than companionship is a companion dog. When the decision for adopting a dog is to have a companion, the choices will be limited generally to smaller dog breeds that are expected to serve no particular task other than as a pet and as a comforter. There are literally hundreds of dog breeds you can choose from. To make the selection easier for you, you can either choose use dog breed selectors available online or use some begin your search with the breed you have set your eyes on. You can also narrow down your choices to certain characteristics like: - breed size, - energy level, - exercise requirements, - playfulness, - affection level, - tolerance towards other dogs or pets, - ease of training, - protection ability, - grooming requirements, and - tolerance to heat and cold Dog size Dogs have a wide range of sizes. Since dogs change your lifestyle and will stay with you for a very long while, it is best to have a list of dog traits that will best compliment your personality because when adopting a dog, love at first sight may not be very good enough. Before going out to find a dog for adoption, consider a list of characteristics that you would want in a dog. And finally, the unacceptable characteristics that you don t want your future dog to have. For would-be owners who want to be very specific with the type of dog they would adopt, the following characteristics could help with identifying the best dog that would match their preferences: Breed Purebred or mutt? For generally low-activity level households, breeds with lower exercise needs are ideal. Taking this precaution saves you troubles and your dog, boredom. Can you shoulder the expenses? Dogs are quite expensive to maintain. Apart from shelling out bucks to cover the cost of adoption, there are also the routine expenses for grooming, medical expense, training, and others.