I would love to get a dog as I feel I could give her or him a good home. Alas I have never had a dog before myself, but have been raised with dogs, at this stage, as I am of middle age, I dont know what breed to go for, but am doing a lot of studying on dogs, also I live alone, and I  am not certain of yet, whether I want a older dog or a puppy. As you can see I am a mere novice going down the long road to fulfillment of requiring a pet dog, something I always wanted to have.  Any advice or help would be gladly appreciated.

We all have to start somewhere :-)

First off you need to think of what you want from a dog, do you want a quiet companion or a dog to do some sort of activity with ?. You must look at the original function of the dog too, there's no point getting a Border Collie for instance if you can't devote the time these brain boxes need to be happy, or a breed which will require miles of exercise a day if your not into walking miles yourself. 
Size is also a consideration, would a large dog fit in your car for instance ?.

How exciting to be considering a dog, and to be at the stage where you can look at a wide range of breeds :)

The Kennel Club have a breed select tool somewhere on their site which is always worth a play although I don't think it ever came up with what I wanted, or have, or can accommodate - despite trying to manipulate the answers more than once.  However it's a fun tool to get you thinking.  They also have a lot of other useful advice to help with decision making and finding the right dog.

In order to hep you narrow things down a bit it's worth asking yourself some basic questions - do you work, if so how long would you expect to leave the dog for?  I wouldn't have ever considered a dog when I was working but my job was never going to fit into part time hours either, however there are people on this forum that do manage to make it work.  How much exercise do you have time for?  What sort of walks might they be - in a field off lead or around town on a lead?  How much room do you have in your house or garden - does that restrict the size of dog you choose?

Once you've thought about your lifestyle then have a think about the sort of things you might want to do with your dog or wish your dog to fit in with.  Do you want to be active and busy or would you like a sofa companion?   Would you like a dog that will alert you to someone at your door, or flushing a toilet half a mile away?!  Do you want chilled and relaxed, or hyper and energetic?  Do you have lots of visitors to your home?  Would you like to travel (stay in other peoples homes or hotels and B&B's) with your dog?  Would you like to train your dog to do something extra - obedience, general good citizens, gundog, PAT dog etc?  Does the dog need to live with or near small furries, rabbits, gerbils or cats for instance?  Do you have livestock nearby or a garden full of squirrels?

Finally consider what 'looks' appeal to you.  Do you like whiskery hairy faces?  Long coat or short?  Wiry or soft coat?  Would you like your dog to be above or below your knee?  Do you prefer ears up or down?  Tail up or down? 

I'm a wiry whiskery, ears and tail down kind of gal myself and definitely like my dogs above the knee.  Funny though how that still fits a wide range of dogs :)  My preferences tend to fall into the gundog group first with one or two in the hound group.  I find terriers pretty appealing in the looks department but their temperaments don't really fit my circumstances or household.  That said I also have a terrier type mongrel who is practically perfect in every way :)

Good luck with your decision making

In addition to the excellent advice already given, once you have shortlist of sorts, try to get to meet the different breeds 'in person'     Some can be quite a surprise, most are quite different to the photographs you see in books and online.

eg, my breed, Bedlington Terrier, looks like a quiet, calm dog, and as if they're kept like porcelain dolls - if you look at most photos or even videos of them in the ring.   In real life they are very lively, love a romp in fields and through hedges, can be very calm and loving at home, but also very exciteable when meeting new people for the first 10-15 minutes and rarely look as perfect as the photos.  they're real 'Tykes'  :-D

One thing to give thought to is how much grooming are you prepared to do - or pay for.  Some breeds have coats that need more maintenance than others, even when clipped.  On the other hand grooming your dog is a marvellous way of bonding and building up trust between you.

Discover Dogs is at Crufts  in March (8th-11th) and will have most, if not all, of the dog breeds there to meet in person and talk to the owners about living with them.  A great way of finding that perfect companion :)

>Size is also a consideration, would a large

dog fit in your car for instance ?.

Hey, not all of us have a car! :)
I put off having a dog of my own for many years as I didn't drive, but when I researched it there were good training classes within a short bus ride, and of course a well trained dog can go on public transport anywhere. Six years later I don't regret itand my dog has travelled thousands of miles with me on buses, trains and ferries.

I admit that it means I can't participate in many dog things such as agility, flyball, proper dog shows or even more training as I now live even further away from such facilities but please don't let that get in the way of your primary objective of having the best friend and companion you could wish for.

I put off having a dog of my own for many years as I didn't drive, but when I researched it there were good training classes within a short bus ride, and of course a well trained dog can go on public transport anywhere. Six years later I don't regret itand my dog has travelled thousands of miles with me on buses, trains and ferries.

I must admit, before I had a car with my first dog Louie, public transport was a great socialising tool.

there are those who manage to train and compete without transport - one woman goes on the train/bus/taxi to get there :-)  other people 'car share' if the 'friend' has a big enough car/tent etc

Too true, Brainless used to arrive at a show two or three dogs in had, child in push chair and another holding on and as most will know Barbara has a problem with her sight, she managed public transport so I am sure one person and a dog could and you are not charged for a dog on a train (not yet anyway)

I don't drive,first lesson on the 20th this month,but i got my staff from edingburgh may 2010 by train and on the underground and to get to ringcraft we travelled by bus and train and she is brilliant on public transport as went to windsor champ show last year not a problem as short walk from station, the worst one was richmond as it was miles away from station,there were no paths half of the walk,you may of seen us red staff and two very red girls and the walk back was long lol.

it can be done

nessa

>and you are not charged for a dog on a train (not yet anyway)

You always used to have to buy a child's ticket on trains and buses for a dog - has that changed?

As far as I know it is free, I have taken the train particularly to Crufts and never been charged - have done other journeys as well and again no charge. Don't know about bus or underground as I have not used them.

You don't pay for dogs on buses around here (Edinburgh).

Theres a 50p charge for dogs on the bus here (Coventry)

On Stagecoach buses guide dogs and assistance dogs travel free; all other dogs have a £1 fare.

if you have training classes near you go to them for a few weeks to see all the diff breeds. you may thn be able to illiminate some breeds as def no.

In surrey buses and trains are free and when ive been on the underground that was free aswell, i do remember when little that my mum paid a child fare back then

Nessa

Welcome to the forum :)

Getting a puppy can be alot of hard work. Those of us that have had dogs for many years, always get a bit of a shock when our older dogs grow old (or passes on) and we invite a new puppy into our lives again. You forget what hard work they are! Having said that, if you have the time and patience for a puppy and are prepared to put the work in, then you will be rewarded with a loving companion.

Deciding 'which breed' can be a bit of a nightmare as you are spoilt for choice! I am sure you will find our Breed Information of interest and it will help you narrow down which breeds may be suitable for your circumstance :)

If you decide to purchase a puppy, please take a moment to read our Puppy Buyer Guide. It will help you avoid the pitfalls that can surround puppy buying.

There are many older dogs available from various sources, for rehoming. If you are very lucky, you may find one without 'vices'. If you do venture down the 'rescue' road, please remember that most dogs are in 'Rescue' for a reason. It may be something simple like their owner has passed away or had to give them up because of work commitments. However, it is more likely in 'Rescue' because it is a little so-and-so and noisy, 'eats houses' when left alone for any length of time or because the owner can no longer control them. Some dogs can be reformed with much hard work and time but please be aware that some can not. Taking on an older dog looking for a new home is a great idea but please make sure you get as much information as you can before agreeing to take on any such animal.

Good luck with your search.

> I admit that it means I can't participate in many dog things such as agility, flyball, proper dog shows or even more training as I now live even further away from such facilities

It's only in the last 3 years that I have had access to my own driver.

For the previous 15 years I owned, showed and bred my dogs as a non driver (too little sight).

This was thanks to several super friends in dogs that were willing to take me to shows for share of the cost of fuel.  As teh price of Petrol/diesel is now so high more peopel are considering car sharing with their canine activities.

Being a non driver usually means you end up with adaptable travellers and very well socialised dogs.

It's always been free on the train with up to two dogs per person. 

In Bristol they don't charge for dogs on the bus, and this is how I got puppies used to travel before I had Dean to drive us ;)

I'm lucky that we have a shoppers bus twice a week and I take any youngsters on there for a socialisation trip into the local town. I do drive so don't need to use the bus but it really does help pups meet new things. The first couple of times are scary, but they always look forward to the trip after that. Dogs go free in Angus on buses, don't know about trains, there isn't a train station near me.