The healthiest dog breeds: an overview and tips for choosing

When a person chooses a dog for himself, he rarely thinks about what difficulties one may face if a dog with fragile health and frequent illnesses is chosen. A pet's illness is accompanied by anxiety in the household, and veterinary services and medications are expensive today. Therefore, there is nothing strange if a person chooses a puppy for himself from the standpoint of assessing his potential health.

The health of a pet largely depends on its breed, but its belonging to a particular breed is not the only criterion that allows you to predict how strong and hardy a dog will be, how long it will live and what the quality of life will be in the end. Dog grooming, proper nutrition, adequate physical activity - these are three principles on which a dog's health is based. Therefore, it is not necessary to “write off” everything only on the breed. As for certain breeds, the healthiest dogs are animals, in the evolution of which man did not interfere at all or did it infrequently, a little and delicately. Bred "artificial" dogs get sick more often than others, which is quite normal. The health status of a dog determines its heredity (in your case, also the decency of the breeder). If there was no kindred mixing of blood in the family (sometimes puppies are obtained for the sole purpose of getting rich), if both the dog and the mother of the puppies are completely healthy, then the probability that you will get a puppy with strong immunity and reliable health is always higher.

Small dogs, representatives of small breeds can also have excellent health, despite the fact that many of them appeared due to human selection.

• One of the longest-lived is considered bichon frize... This is a small, very lively, active and charming doggie. He is unpretentious and can live up to 22-24 years. Careful grooming requires a dog's coat, as it is very thick.

• Another "pocket" long-liver - shih tzu... This dog is very cute, very sociable, contact. Its only "weak point" is the skin. With inadequate care, it can become inflamed, peel off, and problems with the condition of the coat may appear.

• They are famous for good health mini schnauzers... This is a great option for a small apartment, since such a dog does not require a lot of space. He is ill infrequently, lives for about 15 years. And if you meet such a dog in the veterinary clinic, then with a high probability it can be argued that its health was ruined by the owners themselves. The breed is very fond of eating.

• Maltese (Maltese lapdog) many consider it to be something artificial, bred to decorate the interiors of pampered beauties. No, this dog is a very ancient breed that has long been used to hunt one of the most dangerous creatures on the planet - rats. That is why the small white maltese is a representative of the canine genus with excellent health and strong immunity. Of the minuses - character. The lapdogs have him rather nasty, capricious, the Maltese do not like the company of children.

• Yorkshire terriers Is another great option. They are healthy, hardy, adequate, do not suffer from allergies, rarely get sick, but at the same time they are quite curious. They can get hurt because they often crawl out of sheer curiosity where they shouldn't.

• Chihuahua - these are quite strong dogs, although they give the impression of greenhouse plants. For them, it is only important not to overcool. If the owner dresses the dog warmly during the cold season, then there will be no other health problems for the pet.

Consider the brightest representatives of medium-sized dog breeds.

• The healthiest among medium-sized dogs are considered poodles... They are active, inquisitive, very fond of children, quite smart. And with all this, they practically do not create reasons for visits to the veterinarian. The only vulnerability of this breed is a weak pancreas.

• In second place in terms of health strength among medium-sized dogs are dachshunds... These amazing pets, with adequate care, rarely visit a veterinarian, unless they come for routine vaccinations. And health problems are not peculiar to them. The elongated spine and endocrine system are considered weak points. In the first case, injuries are possible, and in the second - obesity, because the dachshund will never refuse to eat, even if the piece is clearly superfluous.

• Blue healer - a breed that will delight the owner with activity and mobility until a ripe old age (and such dogs live for more than 16 years). Weak spots are the hip joint and the retina of the organs of vision.

• One of the healthiest representatives of medium breeds is beagle... These dogs live more than 15 years and have no significant health problems. The only thing that can shake their condition is obesity if the owner overfeeds the pet.

Among large dogs, there are a lot of those who have excellent characteristics in terms of the strength of the immune system.

• The undisputed leader is considered Turkmen wolfhounds (alabai)... These dogs perfectly tolerate heat and frost, can eat both natural and dry food, while they do not suffer from allergies, intestinal problems, or obesity.

• In second place - Caucasian Shepherd Dogs... They also do not require anything specific, they practically do not get sick. But both Alabai and Caucasians require adequate training, otherwise mental health problems may arise.

• On the third place - blue eyed husky... These handsome men come from northern latitudes. Sled dogs are able to withstand extremely low temperatures, they are hardy and do not require gastronomic delights. Therefore, nature itself helped them become stronger and healthier. The only problem that owners of such dogs may face are behavioral problems.

• Persian greyhound (saluki) only looks thin and unhappy. In fact, it is difficult to find a stronger and more resilient creature that is capable of developing tremendous speeds while running. If you can provide the dog with a lot of activity, jogging, hunting, then there will be no health problems.

Canine health professionals (veterinarians) do not take into account the dog's origins, but the frequency of clinic visits. And, of course, there are certain statistics that show which breeds are more likely to come to an appointment with problems, which - less often. Experts tend to believe that all terriers have excellent health. Whichever representative of this dog family you choose, you will not go wrong - the pet will be healthy.

When choosing a puppy, be sure to evaluate the appearance of the father and mother of your future pet, examine the tongue, teeth, coat condition. A healthy puppy has a shiny coat, it is soft, moist mucous membranes, white teeth, uniform color. The behavior of the puppy also indicates the health of the puppy. Experts advise watching the puppy - active and mobile dogs are usually healthier than drowsy and lethargic. Finally, do not hesitate to ask the breeder for veterinary documents for the puppy and his parents.

You can learn how to choose the best puppy in the litter by watching the video below.