11 People Describe Their Ideal Dog

Everyone is different, and each person has a different lifestyle, so it’s important to know what your ideal dog is, when trying to find the perfect dog to fit you, your lifestyle and your family dynamic. Before you get a dog it’s important to take into account your temperament, activity level, love (or hate!) of the outdoors, sociability, and any other pets or humans that live in your household — or may in the future if you want kids or other pets.

In order to find out what people’s dream pets would be, we thought it would be insightful to ask people to describe their ideal dog. Some have a laundry list of wanted traits, others favor a specific breed, and some have already found their ideal dog. Here are their answers:

1. “My ideal dog is playful, patient and kind and probably older than a puppy. My ideal dog gets along with kids and other dogs. I have horrible allergies so my ideal dog has hair instead of fur. My ideal dog can be trained to run with me. Ideally we train together so that we can run 5km almost every day. My ideal dog is chill. He or she can hang out with me anywhere. My ideal dog loves to cuddle and has all the wonderful traits dogs tend to have. I can’t wait to one day meet him or her.” – Vivian Lily

2. “My ideal breed is the Standard Poodle. They’re hilarious and goofy. They’re dramatic, velcro dogs who prefer one person but love everyone. They’re high energy, high prey, wicked smart, and easy to train. Definitely don’t let these little monsters get bored, they are planners, will find something they want and can wait days until they have the opportunity to get it.” – Raynbow Redish

Dolly Parton, the 9 year old Standard Poodle.

3. “My ideal dog is a Doberman. They’re incredibly intelligent and very alert and intuitive, you’ll rarely ever find Benny not paying attention when something happens. They’re good listeners with big vocabularies, and physically strong and capable enough to be great helpers, mine carries home both the cat food and kitty litter in his backpack when we visit the pet store. They’re extremely bonded to their owner, and sometimes weary of strangers because of their natural tendency to guard, but show their friendly lovable side once introduced and comfortable. They’re very versatile dogs who love any adventure as long as they can be by your side for it.” – Kirsten Elizabeth

4. “My ideal dog is a dog that will remain by my side no matter what will happen (and I, the same), a dog that can be my partner/confidant rather than be a pet, a dog that listens to what I say but also goes the extra step, a dog that can be active with me and on my lazy days “force” me to run with him to get that daily exercise, a dog smart enough to make decisions for himself while agreeing with my rules (and making a few of his own), a dog that understands me and yet loves me for who I am, not for who I wish to be, a dog that loves me the way I love him. A dog, by the name of Jax” – @aurora_the_ragdoll

5. “My ideal dog isn’t just a dog, but so much more. He is my confident. He is the friend who never judges me, for better or worse. I don’t judge him for imperfections, but instead we choose to help one another enjoy the good and bad days, and be the best we can be. He doesn’t give up on me, even when I give up on myself. He knows I will never give up on him. We get one another, without ever having to say a word. I can talk to him, and feel like he understands me, or at least is listening. He is the perfect confident, for he simply listens without judging, and who keeps secrets better than a dog?

He cuddles with me and gives kisses when I’m down. He loves to be where I am, doing whatever I am doing, as much as he can. He gets me up and out of the house, and we go on all kinds of great adventures together. When I’m gone, he misses me and waits for me to return. He is so excited to have me come back to him! I hate leaving him behind with the sitter and miss his presence when he’s gone. When I feel alone and down, and reach out, I’ll find his paw. He reminds me that even in the darkest of times, he will be my light. My ideal dog is my fur-baby, and best friend. His size means nothing, for his heart, bravery and love for me could not possibly be bigger. He stands up to all who would seek to harm me, and would protect me just as fiercely as if he were a Rottweiler or Shepherd. My ideal dog is a Chihuahua. My ideal dog is Toshiro!” – Jen Keats

6. “My ideal dog is one that I can share all aspects of my life with. She would love going on adventures, exploring new places, and meeting new people and dogs. She would love to stick by my side and be my partner in work and play. Both of us would look forward to training as she would be smart and eager to learn everyday. She would also be comfortable and relaxed being on her own, but love to snuggle up when we’re home. Above all else, my ideal dog would be one I share an unspoken connection with that only exists between the two of us. Luckily I have found almost all those qualities and more in my pup Rosie! Except the part about loving new people, but we’re getting there 😂” –Kate Schreiter, The Dog’s Life

7. “My Ideal Dog?…not a weimaraner!! I actually own a rescued one, we’ve been together 7 years and I adore her. But I wanted low(er) energy, low anxiety, easygoing, doesn’t bark at everything that moves… And Molly is definitely the opposite of that! – Amelia Spinelli

8. “My ideal dog is one that can transform from dog to Alien in less than 3 seconds” – Chelle Fernandes Fox

9. “Reindeer chihuahua: they’re curious, loyal, and travel-sized: you can bring them into the cabin of a plane and if they escape from their carrier none of the passengers get upset. Also they are exceedingly accomplished at Netflix and chill.” – Adam Wilson