Hi! It's Melissa from Twin Oaks Family Farm/Twin Oaks Farm Poultry. Thank you for watching & commenting! Following are just my opinions to answer the great questions you presented! For all future dog owners, I just mainly recommend keeping in mind a dog is definitely a long-term commitment & needs daily attention & care, & there is definitely a financial commitment to the dog's physical needs, too. Also, they should consider the size of dog & activity level that can realistically be integrated into the household; that will probably influence if they want a big dog or a small dog. They want to keep in mind that most dogs shed, too, so dog hair will be everywhere alot of the time, but non-shedding types are available; however, non-shedding dogs do need regular grooming. Finally, puppies especially have a tendency to chew on things until they grow up some, so be prepared to 1, provide them things acceptable for chewing on & 2, constructively teach them not to chew on everything in sight. I have another tip for future dog owners that might be a hands-on way of becoming familiar with different breeds or types of dogs...I've never done this myself, but I think it would be a super way to help dogs while learning about a wide variety of types & temperaments & ages of dogs...I think volunteering at an animal shelter would be a great way to become familiar with a variety of dog breeds. The dog breed my household is most comfortable with is the Labrador Retrievers. They are big dogs, though, & they do shed alot, & they are typically pretty active dogs, so their size & activity level should be taken into consideration. The Dachshund seems to like to be active like Labs are, but being a much smaller dog, the Dachshund seems to require less space. Our Dachshund loves to go outside & run, but he's also very happy playing fetch indoors with a tennis ball. The Dachshund does shed, but the shedding doesn't seem as heavy as shedding from a Labrador Retriever. Those 2 breeds are our favorite breed choices for family dogs, but often times mixed breed dogs have great temperaments & would make an awesome pet; it's a great idea to look at animal shelters, too, & see if there's a dog that can be adopted from a shelter. We also have a Teddy Bear dog that is a mix of Bichon Frise & Shih Tzu, & he is a sweetheart. He doesn't shed, so he has to be groomed. We also noticed he has less homing instinct than Labs & Dachshunds, so he was harder for us to train to come when called than the Labs & Dachsund. We have a beagle, too, & he was bred for rabbit hunting, so he has a different temperament than a dog that's strictly a pet...the beagle is loving & a great dog, but his hunting instinct to follow a rabbit trail is always on, so he has to be housed & handled slightly differently than the Lab & Dachshund & Teddy Bear. There are definitely differences in breed characteristics. On the last thought, about getting a dog familiar with a new home, there are some things we think are helpful to do...have a pretty consistent routine for the basics like feeding times & potty training efforts & the household's sleeping patterns, give the dog plenty of opportunities to play & expend energy, give the dog a crate or a small room or dog pen & use it overnight or a little bit each day so the dog does have kind of its own safe space (we had a Lab break a leg once & he had already been crate trained, & he actually limped as fast as he could go to his crate when he got injured b/c he felt that was his safe space...we were able to get him to a vet for emergency surgery to repair his broken leg & he's still with us, but he showed us how much a dog can really appreciate his safe space), be with the dog as much as possible the dog's first week in a new home, & be patient. Really, that's such an important thing with puppies or dogs, & I really call it the 3 p's of puppyhood...patience, persistence, & perseverance. We've found the more time we can spend with a dog, the better that dog becomes. They want attention, & they love to spend time with their people. It's great to train dogs to sit, stay, lay down, come when called, & work & walk off-leash, but at a minimum, start with sit, & do teach the dog to walk on-leash...I see alot of folks never teach a dog to walk on-leash, & there are times it's better for the dog to be on a leash, so that is a really good skill for us to help our dogs learn to do well. Thank you for asking great questions. I love working with dogs. I hope some of these ideas are helpful! Blessings to you, & have a great week!