Decide what you need
The first step in choosing the right dog is to decide exactly what you want and need. Pets can fulfill a wide variety of needs including being a watchdog, an exercise companion or just a family friend. Knowing what you will expect from your dog can help you narrow your choices. Take for example the very popular breed, the Golden Retriever; these dogs are great for families and are very social animals but are not good watchdogs. It has been said by a prize-winning breeder that a Golden Retriever will invite a burglar in and show him where to prop his feet up for a simple scratch behind the ears.

Also, consider your living environment and lifestyle. If your family lives in an apartment or a home with a small backyard, a miniature or small-sized dog may be your best choice. Calculate an approximate number of hours your dog will spend alone versus the number of hours it will spend with the family. Some breeds are more social than others and require more human contact.

Decide whether you want to start with a puppy or an older dog. Some of the advantages of getting an "experienced" dog are that you may be able to get one already trained and past the chewing stage.

Finally know about how much want to spend on a dog. Some purebred animals can be very expensive and when all of the necessary vaccinations, food and pet supplies are added in, it can put a bite into the family budget. Long-haired dogs will also require regular brushing and grooming, which can add up quickly.

A great resource for helping your select a dog breed is the Waltham Center. You can find their web site at: www.Waltham.com . This web site has a listing of all breeds and even a multiple-choice questionnaire to help you find the breed best for your home.

The Denver metro area is fortunate to have a resource like the Denver Dumb Friends League (www.ddfl.org), which provides education for both pets and owners and information both online and through leaflets with valuable tips and guidelines.

Finding the right dog
Now that you have considered which breed or type of dog is best for your family, you are ready to start looking for a dog. When you are ready to go look for a dog, it is a good idea for the parents to go and leave the children at home. It is hard enough for adults to resist the urge to get a cute squirmy puppy, so just imagine the temptation children must feel. Whether you decide to get an animal from the animal shelter or from a breeder, choose one or two puppies or dogs you think would best fit your family situation. Then, you can take your children back with you and observe the reaction of both your children and the dogs. Make your final decision according to which one plays and adapts the best to the noise and energy level of your children.

Also, don't think that getting a puppy and paying a lot of money to a professional breeder is the only way to get a good dog. Thousands of great animals are rescued each year and many of them are purebred, registered dogs. Please find a list of links for many of the area rescues in the Miscellaneous Links section.

Now, for a personal experience story, when my husband and I married more than 10 years ago, he came with a black Labrador retriever named Jeremiah who was by far the best dog I had ever been around. Jeremiah was an important part of our family and our children absolutely adored him.

Our second dog, a beagle named Annie, was his best friend and the two were an inseparable pair. In August 2000 at the age of 16, Jeremiah passed away, leaving our family and Annie devastated. We were positive Annie would not make it much longer without a companion, so we knew we had to get another dog quickly. After searching extensively through web sites and various other sources, we came across the Lifeline Puppy Rescue Organization, www.lifelinepuppy.org. One Saturday morning, we made the drive to Brighton and found the Lifeline Puppy Farm. Cages of puppies waited for us. We knew we wanted a Lab or a Lab mix so we went straight to the cage full of squirmy black puppies.

We did bring our children along which is one of the reasons I recommend not doing so. As soon as our kids saw the puppies, we knew we would be going home with at least one.

My husband and son picked out a black female because she had a white cross on her chest. We filled out the paperwork, paid our $90 adoption fee and brought "Josie" home. Of course, we had all of the puppy horrors and lost countless crayons and toys to puppy antics, but Josie has been an incredible addition to our family. She is the sweetest dog and absolutely adores our children. She has attached herself to our son and is now his best friend.

She is also a wonderful companion to our older dog, Annie and the two get along like best friends. This was definitely the right choice for our family and I am grateful to have been able to rescue a "doomed" puppy. I highly recommend the Lifeline Rescue Organization because of their rescue efforts and commitment to making sure the right puppy is chosen for your family. They even followed up with us several times to make sure Josie was adjusting all right and that we were happy with our selection. They also have affiliations with a large network of veterinarians throughout the metro area who provide discounted services for Lifeline puppies.

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