The sole purpose of a pet is companionship, however many breeds of dogs that are currently kept as pets were certainly not bred to be “pets” by that definition alone. When people select a new puppy to be their pet the biggest mistake they make is breed selection. When a person can understand that not all dog breeds are intended to be pets, a person might realize they need to do more breed research before getting dog.

Smart Dogs

Often people think they want a smart dog as their pet, but smart dogs are not good pets for most people. Most of the smart dogs are destructive as pets because they require constant mental stimulation and when they do not get this, they look for things to do.

Some examples of intelligent dogs are border collies, Australian shepherds, German shepherds, and pretty much any dog that was bred to herd sheep or other livestock. These dogs need a purpose, if you do not give them one they will find one. They might decide to spend their time digging in your yard, or destroying your sofa, or even herding your cat.

Smart dog breeds do well in homes where the owner can be with the dog a lot and can keep it mentally stimulated, such as doing agility, search and rescue, or herding livestock.

Hunting Dogs

Although many people have, and love, terrier dogs, they are not a type of dog that is suited for everyone. Terriers were bred to hunt and kill vermin. They tend to like to chew things and are mouth aggressive (this is not the same thing as being mean, it just means they use their mouth a lot more than other dogs). Terriers will chew shoes, children's toys, and whatever they find if they are bored and not given proper chew toys.

Terriers also tend to bark when they are excited or frustrated. They are smart, although not quite to the extent of the herding dogs, and can be a bit much for a person who only wants a “pet” dog.

Terriers are not the only dogs that were bred to hunt, beagles and several other breeds of dogs were bred to be active hunters. These dogs often love to dig, run, or do stuff! These dogs will also be destructive if their mental needs are not being met.

Scenthounds and sighthounds are also dogs that were bred to hunt, and may want to be active. Of particular note the scenthounds may wander off when something catches their nose, the sighthounds may try to kill your cat, or will dart off if they spot anything moving in the distance, and may even chase small children.

One thing to be aware of with any hunting dog is that they have a strong natural prey drive. They were bred to be keen and observe body language, in some cases some dogs were even used to attack bulls or mules for sport, so you must take into consideration that the dogs were bred to be powerful, tenacious, and ferocious at certain times.

Hunting dogs can, and do, make great pets, for the right people but are not a dog for everyone, in fact they were bred to be friendly with people. Of the hunting dogs the ones with the most patience are the ones that were bred for flushing or retrieving (mentioned below).

Retrievers

Amazingly enough although dogs that were bred to retrieve were not bred to be pets, many make excellent pets simply because some of the same traits that make them good retrievers also make them good family pets.

Retrievers were bred to have soft bites so that they could pick up a shot duck and bring it back rather than tearing it apart, or puncturing it. This translates to the fact that they are more gentle in terms of not using their mouth to the same degree that a terrier might.

Retrievers were also bred to be patient, another trait that makes them a good pet.

You might be thinking that only dogs such as the golden retriever, and Labrador retrievers fit this group, but poodles, and many spaniels were also bred to retrieve.

Guard Dogs

Some dogs were bred to be guard dogs, either for livestock, property, or personal protection. Some of these dogs, can tend to bond with a few people only and be generally distrustful of strangers.  Guard dogs may be good as pets but only if socialized correctly.

Other Dogs

There are certainly other dog breeds who were bred for other purposes and anyone getting a dog from any breed should see how the traits that a dog was bred for fit with their lifestyle. A husky, for example, will not be happy with a leisurely family as they need to have a long run nearly every day.

True "Pet" Dogs

Pekingese dogs from photos8.com

There are certainly many breeds of dog who were specifically bred to be pets. These dogs are often said to be lower intelligence, but just think “ignorance is bliss” and you will understand why these dogs are happy-go-lucky. They are not stressing about what they should be doing, or trying to “read” every person who passes them by. They just want to be a pet.

Some of the best known dogs who were bred for generations to be nothing but pets are the Shih Tzu, Pug, and Pekingese. In fact many of the toy dogs have simply been bred to be house pets.  Some are also non-shedding, which tends to be a popular demand for people wanting pet dogs.

You may have heard it said that pet stores sell "Pet Quality" dogs, but this does not mean all their dogs are suited as pets for every lifestyle.  Pet quality just means the dogs are not "Breeding Quality", as you may find better quality dogs from a reputable breeder.

Authors Note: I should remind anyone who is looking for a pet dog to also consider mutts. Mutts are any unregistered dog and many make terrific pets. You should try to determine what breeds are common in the dog to have a guess at what its personality or behavior will be like.

Animal shelters are often crowded with mutts and other dogs who greatly need homes so please always look there first if you are considering a new dog. The staff are there to help suggest what breed of dog would fit your lifestyle best.

Further Reading

How to Pick the Best Dog for Me