Breed tells you something useful about a dog and considerably less than people assume. It is a reasonable guide to size, coat, exercise needs and the health conditions a dog is predisposed to. It is a poor predictor of individual temperament.

What breed predicts well

Size and lifespan. Large and giant breeds live shorter lives and age earlier: a Great Dane is geriatric at six, a small terrier at eleven.

Exercise and mental needs. A Border Collie and a Bulldog have entirely different requirements, and mismatching this is one of the most common reasons dogs are given up.

Coat and grooming. A Poodle needs professional clipping every few weeks; a double coated breed needs undercoat removal and must not be clipped short.

Health predispositions. This is where breed knowledge matters most, and it is covered below.

What breed predicts poorly

Individual temperament. Within any breed the variation between individuals is large, and early socialisation between three and fourteen weeks, together with later training and experience, shapes the adult dog more than the label does.

Judging a dog by its breed, in either direction, leads people to expect a family dog to raise itself and to expect trouble from a dog that has none in it.

Working breeds need work

The most frequent mismatch we see is an intelligent working breed in a home with nothing for it to do. Border Collies, Malinois, Huskies and working line German Shepherds were selected to work all day.

Under-stimulated, they develop barking, destructiveness, obsessive behaviours and anxiety. These are not training failures; they are a dog doing something with capacity that has no outlet.

Twenty minutes of scent work or training tires such a dog more than an hour of walking.

Health by body shape

Some of the most important predispositions follow from how a dog is built.

Flat faced breeds such as Bulldogs, French Bulldogs and Pugs have shortened airways. Many struggle to breathe under exertion and in heat, and heatstroke risk is high. Snoring and noisy breathing are signs of obstruction rather than charm. Many need surgery to breathe comfortably.

Long backed breeds such as Dachshunds are prone to intervertebral disc disease. Keep them lean and discourage jumping down from furniture.

Large and giant breeds are prone to hip and elbow dysplasia and to gastric torsion. Deep chested dogs in particular should be watched for a swollen abdomen with unproductive retching, which is an emergency.

Giant breeds also have a higher rate of bone tumours.

Questions worth asking before you choose

How much exercise and mental work does this breed genuinely need, on a wet Tuesday in February? What will grooming cost, in time and money? What conditions is it predisposed to, and are the parents screened and tested? Can I meet the mother with the puppies? Does it suit the space, the hours and the people in this household?

Whatever you choose

A complete diet appropriate to age and size, current vaccination and parasite control, neutering discussed at the right age for the breed, annual health checks and twice yearly in older age, dental care, weight kept lean, and socialisation and training in the first months.

Weight is the single largest modifiable factor in how long a dog lives well. It applies to every breed.