Which dog suits my life?

Where do you start when you want to know which dog suits you?

Start with yourself, not with the list of breeds. A dog has to fit into an ordinary week: your working hours, your home, the people you live with and the energy you have left after a long day. Put that honestly on paper first. You'll quickly see which dogs drop out and which dog you really have room for.

According to Dogs Trust, a British dog welfare charity, a dog can't be left home alone for hours at a time. If you're out during the day, you need to be able to arrange a dog walker or daycare for those days. And dogs generally love routine, from morning to night, every day.

The week test

1. 1Take an ordinary working week, not a holiday week, and write down for each day when you leave home and when you get back.
2. 2Add when you would take a dog out, including the evening after a long working day and a rainy Sunday. How often a dog needs to go out each day is covered in how often to walk your dog.
3. 3Mark the blocks in which the dog would be home alone. The LICG's guideline is to leave an adult dog alone for no more than 4 to at most 6 hours at a stretch, and the longer end not every day. For a puppy, 4 hours is already far too long. Who covers the rest: you, someone you live with, the neighbours or a dog walking service?
4. 4Do the same for holidays and busy periods. Who looks after the dog then?
5. 5Let everyone at home have a say. The LICG, the Dutch national information centre for companion animals, advises making a list together with the people you live with of what you want in a dog, and what you don't.

How long a dog can be alone differs from dog to dog, and being alone is something they have to learn step by step. Even an adult dog who was fine alone in their previous home finds it more stressful in a new place. So always build it up slowly. Our guide to leaving your dog home alone shows how.

What a dog costs per month, including care and walking, is set out in the cost of owning a dog.

Which dogs don't suit your situation at all?

Rule out what can't work first. If you live in a flat without a lift, a large, heavy dog is impractical. In a house with thin walls, don't choose a dog that barks a lot and easily. If you're not steady on your feet, an active working breed is often not an option. That leaves a shorter, more realistic list.

Thinking of a very active dog? First look at where you can give them a proper run near home. If you live in or around Wassenaar, our guide to free-running areas in Wassenaar lists the places.

Already have a dog? Not every dog loves puppies. For an old dog, a puppy is often too much, according to the LICG, especially if they have painful conditions such as back pain or hip dysplasia. Choose a calm adult dog instead, or put off getting a new one.

Does a dog's breed tell you how they will behave?

A little, but less than many breed books suggest. In a study published in the journal Science in 2022, breed explained only 9 percent of the differences in behaviour between dogs. So use breed to narrow down your choice, and then judge the dog itself.

The researchers, including geneticist Kathleen Morrill of the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, asked the owners of 18,385 dogs questions about their dog. For 2,155 of those dogs they also analysed the DNA. So this is behaviour as the owners themselves describe it.

Some traits did seem somewhat linked to breed, such as how readily a dog responds to what you ask. But even there, dogs of the same breed differed a lot from each other. The researchers found no single behaviour shared by all dogs of a breed.

According to the LICG, a dog's temperament depends mainly on breed, inherited tendencies, socialisation and the experiences they have had. Breed is one piece of the puzzle, but it's a useful first filter. There are more than 300 dog breeds, grouped into ten breed groups that partly share the same traits.

Which type of dog fits which week?

A breed group tells you something about what dogs were originally bred for, and so about what they need on average. The LICG itself adds that there are many individual differences, and that not every dog of a breed has every trait to the same degree.

So a week of mostly short walks around the neighbourhood suits a companion dog better than a Border Collie from a working line. And if you're often out, a Beagle takes more planning than their size suggests.

Then look at the dog itself. With a puppy, that means the parents: the Dutch government advises asking to see the mother. With an adult dog, the Raad van Beheer op Kynologisch Gebied, the Dutch kennel club, advises taking them for a short walk first to see how they behave outdoors.

Does a puppy, an adult dog or a senior suit you best?

A puppy suits people with lots of time and energy in the first year: the LICG says you can't leave a puppy alone for long, certainly not in the first six months. An adult dog from a shelter or rehoming is often already trained, and something is usually known about their temperament. A senior suits a slower pace.

Think too about how long you're signing up for: the LICG says a dog will live with you for ten and sometimes as many as sixteen years. Will you still be able to care for them well? Dogs Trust suggests looking at your future plans. Are you likely to have children, move house or change jobs?

Not sure you're ready, especially if it would be your first dog? Dogs Trust suggests considering fostering a dog first. And if one of your children is afraid of dogs, the Raad van Beheer suggests having a dog to stay for a while first to see how it goes.

Once you've chosen, our step-by-step plan for the first weeks with your new dog will help you settle in.

Where should you get a dog from?

Take your time to find a reliable source and don't decide too quickly, the LICG advises. With an unreliable dealer or a careless breeder you can get a dog fast, but there's a good chance they'll be unhealthy or anxious. A healthy, sociable puppy often takes some patience, and sometimes a place on a waiting list.

• Through a breed club: if you want a pedigree dog, the club's website often shows whether there are litters and which breeders are members. You can find the breed clubs through the Raad van Beheer.
• From a shelter or rehoming: ask what is known about the dog's history and behaviour. With a puppy, also ask how the shelter makes sure they get good socialisation.
• From abroad: puppies younger than 15 weeks may not be imported, because they can't yet have a valid rabies vaccination. A large part of their socialisation period is then already over, so ask carefully where and how the puppy grew up.
• Through an online ad: the Raad van Beheer advises against buying a dog online, because rogue dealers are active there.

Don't be reassured by the term 'approved breeder'. There is no such thing as a government-approved breeder, the LICG writes. Every breeder does have to register with RVO, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, for a UBN number, but that registration number says nothing about how the dogs are bred.

What should you look for in a dog's looks and health?

Don't choose a dog with exaggerated looks, such as a very short nose, very short legs, lots of wrinkles or a miniature size. According to the LICG, such dogs often have health problems and poorer welfare. Also always ask about the parents' health screening, whether you choose a pedigree dog, a cross or a look-alike.

Short-nosed dogs

Dogs with an extremely short nose, such as pugs and French bulldogs, are more likely to have breathing problems. Since 2019, short-nosed dogs may only be bred in the Netherlands if they meet 6 criteria drawn up by experts, such as normal breathing sounds at rest. A vet can assess the dogs a breeder wants to breed from against them and issue a vet declaration. The Dutch government advises buyers to ask for that declaration. So it concerns the parents, not the puppy itself.

Pedigree, breeding standards and look-alikes

A pedigree is proof of who a dog's parents and ancestors are. In the Netherlands, the Raad van Beheer issues the FCI pedigrees. Every pedigree dog bred in the Netherlands gets a microchip from the Raad van Beheer, and that chip number always starts with 52814.

Since 1 July 2026 the Raad van Beheer has had breeding standards (foknormen) for all breeds: compulsory screening tests for both parents, for example for eye conditions, hip and elbow dysplasia, patellar luxation and cochlear deafness. Which tests are compulsory differs per breed. Only if both parents meet the standards on the mating date do the puppies qualify for a pedigree.

The Raad van Beheer checks this for every mating reported to it from 1 October 2026. A pedigree puppy you buy this autumn will therefore usually come from a mating before those checks began. So ask the breeder yourself for both parents' results. With a software tool from the Raad van Beheer you can also check in advance whether the combination of parents meets the standards for that breed.

The standards don't guarantee a healthy dog, the Raad van Beheer itself adds. On its DutchDogData website you can look up, for a number of inherited conditions, whether pedigree dogs and their ancestors were tested and what the result was. It only shows the results the Raad van Beheer records itself. If a test isn't listed, ask the breeder for the result.

A look-alike resembles a breed but has no pedigree, so there's no way to check whether the ancestors had health screening. A cross with a new name, such as a labradoodle, isn't a breed recognised by the FCI either. Inherited conditions are usually less common in mixed-breed dogs, but if two breeds that both often have the same condition are crossed, the puppies' risk of it stays high.

Have a breed, type or cross in mind? First look up which inherited conditions occur in it, and talk to your vet or the breed club, as the LICG advises.

How can you be sure you're choosing the right dog?

You can never be completely sure, but you can greatly reduce the chance of a wrong choice. Do the week test, rule out what doesn't fit, choose a type of dog that fits your week, and then get to know the dog itself. Take your time, and never buy on impulse.

• Your week: the walks and the hours home alone fit into an ordinary working week, or you know who covers them.
• Your home: stairs, thin walls and garden suit the dog you're looking for, and if you rent, your tenancy agreement allows a dog.
• Your household: everyone wants the dog, and your children and other pets will be fine with one.
• The dog itself: you've seen the dog, or with a puppy the mother, in real life.
• Health: you know both parents' health screening results, and for a short-nosed breed you've seen the parents' vet declaration.
• Paperwork: the puppy is microchipped and registered, has a European pet passport, and the transfer to you is registered with RVO.
• Your budget: you know the fixed monthly costs, including daycare, walking and the groomer if needed.

If you work away from home and a midday walk doesn't fit your schedule, a dog walking service can fill that gap. A group walk gives a sociable dog exercise and the company of other dogs during the day. The basics still rest with you: the mornings, the evenings and the weekends.

Frequently asked questions about choosing a dog