In fact, i didn't decide to have a dog when I got Polka!
A friend of mine saved her from horrible people when she was 2 months, but my friend couldn't take her back home because she aalready got 2 dogs!
So she called me, told me the story of this little pup and I took her with me!

I've always love americanstaff and pit bull so it was great for me to have a little furry of that bread!
It was not my choice but it was totally perfect for me!

I chose a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel after years of obsessive dog breed research. At some point over the four years I was stuck in a no-dog apartment, I was settled on a different breed every month!

What made the final decision for us was when my husband and I started babysitting a Cavy in our building and we fell in love with him.

We ended up getting our little man from the exact same breeder too! I couldn't be happier and all the research did pay off because he is perfectly suited to our lifestyle. Our second dog is a rescue and so we didn't do much research - but it totally worked out! She is amazing!

I think both ways can work as long as you don't get a breed with a lifestyle opposite to yours!

I was the same as you, I obsessed over getting a dog for about a year. My boyfriend and I lived separately, in non-dog friendly apartments. When we decided to move in together, I knew we'd be getting a dog, so we researched the hell out of all the breeds. One day, we were in the car and saw someone walking a beagle down the street, and we were like, "That's it! A beagle!" They're small enough for an apartment and they're smart, cute and friendly.

Of course, we're still not sure if Basil is a full beagle because we got him from a rescue, but we're pretty sure he is.

We did tons of research, books and talked to breeders.

I did a lot of research and I had always wanted an Australian Shepherd. Therefore when I did the research and they fit my personality, then I went and bought one from a very reputable breeder.

I did lots of research one mine.
I am getting an American Staffordshire Terrier (omg I can't wait!!) and I think he'll be perfect for us. They needs lots of attention and excersie BUT they are so loyal and so good with kids with so many pros.

I was obsessed with getting a dog when I was little and so much research, but my aunt's golden retriever ended up having puppies and she gave me the biggest one. He was a most excellent dog.

i'm uber thrilled to hear that people really research before getting a dog! I know that there are a lot of impulse buying of puppies out there, and thats why I rescue, its absolutely necessary to help save all those poor impulse buys that end up having 'too much energy' or 'need attention' or 'has gotten too big' or 'isn't great around my cats'. Perhaps if you did a smidge of research, you would have figured that out before hand!!

We did a lot of internet research before finding a breed that fit both of our expectations, then we bought books on amazon about the breed, origin, standards, and joined an online forum about the breed to talk to owners before hand.
We chose the shiba inu based on size, temperament, shed schedule and our ability to deal with it all. so we found our first as young as we could find in rescue, and now the breed is my passion! I love it!

Eventually, I would love to rescue an adult Akita, but I don't think I'm quite ready for that.. someday!

I really wanted a Boston Terrier, my best friend had them and I was around them a lot. But I really wanted to get a dog from our humane society and they didn't have any. We went inside and saw B-Bop. He was So sweet I couldn't leave without him. I hadn't expected to get a doxie, but luckily I knew a lot about them (an ex's mom had FOUR). After we brought him home, I read alot about them. Because he's a mix he doesn't have all the traits, but he has a lot.

I wasn't wanting a dog (but my then husband was), but the second I met an acquaintance's Italian Greyhound I knew I had to have one. I did a lot of research on them just to be sure, and then got Myko!

aussies came into my life after a lot of research and talking to breeders and other show people. an aussie is not for everyone and it's best to know what you are getting yourself into before bringing one of those gorgeous puppies home. however, my next dog will be another sheltie. my sheltie was my first dog and i got him because shelties are known to be great competition obedience dogs - and this has shown to be very true. i love the herding group ... all future dogs will probably be shelties and aussies.

Well the first dog I got was a "accidental pregnancy". She was running down the street and I saved her from running into the street. Just a puppy. We actually thought she'd get a lot bigger than she did. We fought about keeping her, too. The compromise was we'd make every effort to find the owner, but if we couldn't, we'd keep her. Guess what happened!

My second dog was planned. I did a lot of research and wanted something that would fit into our lifestyle. I really wanted a small dog like a pug or pug mix, but our fence is easily escapeable if the animal is small. We decided on a GSD/pitbull mix. He's a handful (and still learning), but overall an excellent dog and I wouldn't trade him for anything. He's very unique.

I knew when I got a pitbull mix that I would get some flack. I was completely prepared for this. Research helped a lot.

I wanted a dog too for about a year but wasn't sure what breed I wanted. I knew I wanted a small dog that could fit on my lap but had to be hardy and have enough energy for all the things I love doing. I was between a pug and a cocker spaniel then I saw the puggle on MSN.com and I knew once I found out it was a cross between a pug and beagle I had to have it. I could't resist that face!

I decided on a pit because they tend to comprise the majority of shelter dogs and are less likely to find a living home.

Of course, I did a ton of research on the breed and prepared my self for a lot of flack from people. But I would never trade my pup in for anything!

Thinking back on when I got Princess, it could have been a horrible choice. I had been complaining to my boyfriend about wanting a puppy for the longest time, and one day we were going to the store and saw this crowd of people so we decided to see what was going on. There were a million people crowded around this tiny shivering chihuahua, passing her around while she was clearly trying to get some sleep! Ugh. Well she was super cute and I felt awful for her so I bought her from the owner for super cheap but with no papers or any recourse. Thankfully she checked out healthy at the vet and is now totally the love of our lives, and rolled up in a ball sleeping on my lap as I type this out

I originally wanted an English bulldog, but they don't live very long. I'd seen Frenchies at the park and really liked them, so I looked into the breed. Saw Auggie monster with his tiny puppy body and his big giant head, and that was it. Frenchies for life.

I wanted a big dog, as I was raised with them. I figured for my first dog, I should stick to what I knew...and I know retrievers. They're good with kids, other animals, cats, etc. They are good learners and easy to train (most of them anyway)...and they love water. Those items alone make them a great larger dog to fall in love with.

So now I have my little dreamer Sawdust (click this link to see my beautiful boy) http://mdesignboutique.typepad.com/meliciouswonders/my_pets/index.html

I've had him for a year and he's beyond my dreams. If you sneeze he brings you a tissue! He's ridiculously trainable. Smart and gentle.

My boyfriend wants to add an English Bulldog to the family, but I don't know about that combo...anyone have anything to say about that? We're not dead-set on it...and I think another Lab would be good in a few years...when Sawdust is a little older and more mellow.

I'm across the board with breeds that I've wanted from corgis to dalmatians to greyhounds, but I knew I'd have to stick with a small-medium sized dog since we live in an apartment. We wanted to rescue a mutt, but we couldn't get past the application process (unmarried couples living in an apartment just can't get a rescue in CA, which is ridiculous) and were a little nervous that a mutt that wasn't anticipated to get big might get huge. When I finally convinced my boyfriend to get a dog (it took two years!), I had seen an ad in the paper for basset hounds. We did a lot of research on the breed and though we knew we were taking a chance on him getting up there in pounds, he'd still stay the size of a medium dog. We looked into their temperament (lazy and kind) and weighed the downside of the howling, and got a book on the breed that said "good apartment dogs", so we went for it. Our guy luckily has stayed pretty small (under 50lbs), but as far as "lazy" goes he's quite the opposite. Of course I wouldn't have it any other way- he was a perfect breed for us.

I did a lot of research before picking a Boston Terrier. My boyfriend and I knew we wanted a small dog that could live in an apartment, one that was too girly, and one that wouldn't require a ton of exercise. We couldn't decide between a French bulldog or a Boston for a while, but I fell in love with a little white faced Boston. It's funny because he's a little stockier than the average Boston and because of his untraditional markings, he looks more like a cross between a Boston and Frenchie.

I've wanted a Chihuahua for as long as I could remember.
(Well, after I went through my younger Dalmatian phase...ha!)
My boyfriend's sister "accidentally" bred her 2 Chihuahuas with their brother's male Chi,
and ended up with two litters of 4...eek!
I wanted one of them soooo badly,
but I was still living at home, and my mom didn't want to deal with it.
My boyfriend & I moved in together, and decided to find a Chihuahua.
Boy, I'm glad I didn't get one of his sister's dogs.
Because I did a lot of research before getting Bella,
and found out that personality is definitely related to genes...
and the pup's mom's are the worst dogs.
They have horrible behavioral problems, even with extensive training.
And the funny thing is, two of the pup's are still in the family,
and they are exactly like their parents.
Anyway, long story short - we got Bella from a reputable breeder,
and she's the absolute best dog I could have asked for.
She's not the typical barking, scared, Chihuahua stereotype...
and we love her to DEATH!

Many years back, I rescued my first cat, a Himalayan Seal Point girl, from my local Humane Society. I had been looking for a cat for a while, but hadn't found "the one." Then I saw this skinny, long-bodied, billiantly blue-eyed creature, complete with the worst lion cut ever given. She looked like a sad ferret that had been catapulted face first into a wall. (Smooshie!) I've been happily hooked on the Himalayan/Persian breed ever since!

A LOT! In fact after my sister's old dalmatian (or DAMNATION as we came to call her) bit me twice and attacked my baby nephew then continually attacked my dog I started reading books on the specifics but canine breeds. I wanted to know if this was normal behavior or what.

I was shocked by the info about breeds of dogs that I thought were kid-friendly, or just plain friendly and dogs I thought were vicious. My what I thought I knew about dogs was total wrong.

Which is why I said yesterday I like big dogs and the smallest dog I'd go with is an American Cocker Spaniel or beagle. Breed and the traits of the breeds are extremely important to me.

I wanted a dog for about four months before I adopted. I went to the shelter one weekend, thinking that if I saw a nice friendly Labrador I'd make the leap. But then I saw this friendly pup with big brown eyes and floppy ears.... he won my heart instantly. Parker is a boxer/hound mix. I had friends growing up who owned boxers so I felt kind of familiar with the breed, but mostly it was a "puppy love" connection!

I had a terrible little Westie (which was an impulse buy from the pet store) and after he bit my boyfriend on the face, we had to give him to westie rescue. But THEN, after doing a little more research and convincing the BF otherwise (he wanted a Boston), I got the best SHIH TZU in the world!! I researched for maybe a month, and we argued a bit back and forth because my BF didnt want a froufy girly dog. Then we found our little Gizmo in the paper from a man who'd supposedly just bought him from a breeder and decided he could not take care of him b/c he didnt have the time. So he was cheap and turned out to be such a great dog! Now my BF LOVES him and he is proud of his froufy dog!!!

I had a terrible little Westie (which was an impulse buy from the pet store) and after he bit my boyfriend on the face, we had to give him to westie rescue. But THEN, after doing a little more research and convincing the BF otherwise (he wanted a Boston), I got the best SHIH TZU in the world!! I researched for maybe a month, and we argued a bit back and forth because my BF didnt want a froufy girly dog. Then we found our little Gizmo in the paper from a man who'd supposedly just bought him from a breeder and decided he could not take care of him b/c he didnt have the time. So he was cheap and turned out to be such a great dog! Now my BF LOVES him and he is proud of his froufy dog!!!

Mutts are the best!

hottpink - I agree! I'll take whatever! What I look for are qualities such as personality, intelligence, whether the dog is a natural stinker (some dogs are constantly stinky even after a bath!), size (smallish for me), etc. I don't care so much about the breed or how it looks, but whether his/her personality and physical size would fit with my lifestyle. I've got the poster child of mutts (whom my bf would describe as "ugly"), but everyone agrees that she's one smart dog!

I gave my choice great thought I wanted a large dog (when I got my first German Shepherd) I read about the breed to make sure I was going to have the dog I wanted and one that would fit in my family with the kids and all. I liked that they were smart easy to train, and good watch dogs, I was a single mom at the time. Since then I have owned 5 and love the breed!! I never thought I would be a shepherd lover...I am SOLD!!

I wanted a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel since 1996. At the time I was only 16 years old, so I wasn't able to get a dog myself. Then as the years passed I couldn't have a dog for various reasons.
I finally got my Cav earlier this year! I have to say after all of my waiting and consideration I couldn't be happier with her!

I did a lot of research before I got my doxie I knew I wanted a dog that could fly under the seat on the plane and had a strong personality. That is how I got my little Nooddle Love Cuba. He is the smartest dog and I love him to death!

My boyfriend and I wanted a dog, but we didn't know what kind. So we were talking one day, and he suggested a boxer. I was not familiar with them at all, and I started looking at pictures and researching and I fell in love.
My boyfriend plays poker and a couple months later he was playing in a tournament and asked me what I wanted if he won, and of course I said a boxer puppy. The very next day we got Zero from a breeder.
Oh, and we were living in a place that didn't allow dogs just cause of the location, but we had just given notice. We tried to hide Zero (dumb I know) but our landlord saw him one day and just said "Oh what a cute puppy!" He didn't even care cause Zero was so freaking adorable!

It was always a border terrier for me. I love their rough but cute look. Very intelligent dogs too, not much phases them and they are incredibly loyal. I've wanted my own dog since I was a child so already had all the books & researched everything to death for 10 years!

I was raised with Shelties and I never really cared for them because I thought they were too hyper and neurotic (turns out, not ALL of them are like that, just the two we had at the time, lol). So when I was 16, I started doing some research on dog breeds that I thought would appeal to me and I went to the shelter and adopted a Lab/Rottweiler mix. Because of her size and because she was a fairly headstrong dog, it was good that she wasn't my first dog. But it turned out that she had the absolute PERFECT temperament for me...not hyper, not clingy, not bark-y. My next dog will probably be either a Rottweiler or a Rott mix because they mesh well with me and my husband.

My husband had a basset hound when he was younger, and since I'd never had a dog, he thought one would be a good starter dog for me. We found Toby at the first basset hound rescue house we visited.

I want to get a pekepoo because they don;t shed and there little

I have always wanted a little fro fro dog but I looked for months researching types and temparments and and pictures. I got my malti-poo b/c I fell in love with Jessica simpson's daisy and my havenese b/c they were rare and extremely smart. I love my little guys and they're my first dogs that are all my own.