About PickADogBreed

Who We Are

PickADogBreed is run by a small independent team of dog owners, breed researchers, and data enthusiasts who got tired of the same problem: every breed description online reads like it was written by someone trying to sell you the dog. Breeders write marketing copy. Kennel clubs write idealized standards. Nobody writes the honest version.

Our team has direct experience with over 30 breeds across sporting, working, herding, and toy groups. We cross-reference breed club health surveys, veterinary research, AKC registration data, and documented owner experiences to build profiles that reflect what living with each breed is actually like — including the parts breeders don't advertise.

All breed ratings, comparison scores, and editorial content are produced independently. We don't accept payment from breeders, breed clubs, or pet product companies to influence our assessments. Our revenue comes from display advertising and clearly labeled affiliate links — neither of which changes how we score a breed.

Why We Built This

Choosing a dog is one of the biggest lifestyle decisions a person can make. You're committing to 10–15 years of daily walks, vet visits, training, feeding, and companionship. And yet, most people choose their breed based on looks, a friend's recommendation, or whatever shows up first in a Google search.

We built PickADogBreed because we believe the decision deserves better information. Not marketing copy from breeders. Not vague descriptions that make every dog sound perfect. Real, honest data about what it's actually like to live with each breed — the shedding, the barking, the vet bills, and the personality quirks that make each breed genuinely unique.

What We Do

PickADogBreed is a free, independent resource that helps people find the right dog breed for their lifestyle. We provide:

• Detailed breed profiles for 100+ breeds, covering temperament, size, health issues, cost of ownership, grooming needs, and lifestyle compatibility
• Side-by-side breed comparisons that honestly highlight the differences between popular breed pairs — including the things breeders don't advertise
• A breed finder quiz that matches your living situation, activity level, and preferences to breeds that actually fit your life
• Cost calculators that estimate the real cost of owning each breed — purchase price, food, vet care, grooming, and more — using 2026 pricing data
• In-depth blog articles tackling the questions that come up when you're seriously researching breeds — written from the perspective of real owners

Our Approach to Data

Every breed on our site is rated across 15+ attributes on a standardized 1–5 scale. These ratings are based on breed standards from the AKC, FCI, and The Kennel Club (UK), combined with veterinary research and documented breed characteristics. We don't inflate ratings to make popular breeds look better, and we don't sugarcoat health issues.

When we say a Bulldog has a health robustness of 2/5, we mean it. When we say a Border Collie needs 5/5 exercise, we mean you'd better be ready for 90+ minutes of intense activity every single day. Our goal is to prevent the heartbreak that happens when a high-energy working dog ends up with an owner who wanted a couch companion. You can read exactly how each attribute is defined on our methodology page.

What We Believe

We believe the right match between a person and a breed leads to happier dogs and happier owners. We believe honest information — including the downsides — helps people make better decisions. And we believe that better decisions mean fewer dogs ending up in shelters because of a lifestyle mismatch.

We don't sell dogs. We don't promote specific breeders. We don't accept money to rank breeds higher or hide their health problems. Our revenue comes from advertising and clearly labeled affiliate partnerships (like Amazon product recommendations), which never influence our breed ratings or comparisons.

Get Started

Not sure where to begin? Here are the most popular ways people use our site:

Contact Us

Have a question, found an error, or want to suggest a feature? We'd love to hear from you. Visit our contact page or email us directly at pickadogbreed@gmail.com.