11,828 answers about dogs
From a puppy’s first feeding schedule to a senior dog’s comfort care, dog owners ask it all — this page gathers the dog library of KinsLe Answers in one place. Browse by topic below, from feeding and training to health, grooming, safety and travel. Every answer is original, written by KinsLe, and tied to a real KinsLe feature.
2,117 answers in Choosing & Adopting — page 54 of 89
Basenjis make alert watchdogs but poor guard dogs, and the distinction matters if you are choosing one. A Basenji notices a stranger at the gate quickly, stands tall, and watches intently, yet this famously barkless breed signals with a yodel, a chortle, or restless pacing rather than a loud volley of barking. Expect…
Basenjis can be good dogs for some older owners, thanks to their small-to-medium size, clean habits, and quiet nature, but they are not a low-effort breed. They are strong for their size, famously escape-minded, need a real daily walk and mental stimulation, and can be challenging to train because they think…
Basenjis are typically aloof with strangers rather than friendly, and they show it quietly. A Basenji will usually observe a new person from a distance, decide whether to investigate, and walk away if uninterested — barking is not their style, since the breed is famously unable to bark, though they do make other…
Yes, Australian Shepherds are high-energy dogs who need substantial daily exercise and mental work to settle well indoors. A healthy adult Aussie typically needs a long daily outing plus training, play, or problem-solving, and adolescents need that structure most of all, when their stamina outruns their self-control.…
Australian Shepherds are often good with cats, especially when raised with them or introduced slowly, but their herding instinct needs managing around a cat who runs. Most Aussies learn that the household cat is family, not livestock, and many end up sharing beds and supervising the house together. The work is in the…
Yes, Australian Shepherds make effective watchdogs in the alerting sense: they are observant, territorial about their home, and quick to bark at arrivals and unusual sounds. Most will watch a stranger carefully and look to their owner before relaxing, which deters casual intruders and means you hear about every…
Australian Shepherds can be excellent for people who work from home, provided the workday still contains real exercise and clear off-duty signals for the dog. Being home all day suits a breed that wants to be near its person, and breaks can double as training and play sessions. The trap is assuming your presence…
Yes, Australian Shepherds are among the best companions a runner or hiker could choose, once they are fully grown. They have the stamina for long trail days, the footing for rough ground, and a strong instinct to stay close and check in rather than range far away. The limits are age and heat: young dogs should not run…
Australian Shepherds can suit older owners, but only a specific kind of match: an active, experienced older person who can meet a herding dog's daily exercise and mental-work needs, or who has reliable help doing so. A calm adult or senior Aussie is a very different prospect from a frantic adolescent, and many older…
Australian Shepherds are usually polite but reserved with strangers rather than openly friendly. Most warm up after a proper introduction and take their cue from their owner, but an Aussie who hangs back, watches, or barks at a new person at the door is showing normal breed temperament, not a problem. Puppies who meet…
Yes, Australian Cattle Dogs are genuinely high-energy, in both body and mind, and they stay that way well past puppyhood. Bred to work cattle all day in harsh country, an adult typically needs a substantial block of exercise plus training, problem-solving, or a job-like activity every day, not just a weekend hike.…
Australian Cattle Dogs can live with cats, but it is one of the trickier breed pairings and rarely works by simply putting them together. Their herding instinct includes chasing and nipping at heels, and a running cat can trigger exactly that sequence in an untrained dog. Success is most likely with a confident indoor…
Yes, Australian Cattle Dogs are alert, loyal watchdogs who notice strangers, unusual sounds, and movement near the home quickly. They were bred to work closely with one handler, so they tend to watch their own people and territory closely and bark to raise an alarm rather than greet every visitor. Expect a dog who…
Working from home suits an Australian Cattle Dog's need for company, but it does not reduce the breed's need for work, and that is the trade many owners misjudge. A cattle dog will happily spend the day near you, then interrupt meetings with a ball, a bark at the window, or a herding nudge unless exercise and mental…
Few breeds match an active runner or hiker better: Australian Cattle Dogs were built for all-day work in rough country and have the endurance, sure footing, and devotion to stay with you mile after mile. An adult, gradually conditioned cattle dog handles long trails and steady runs superbly, though puppies must not do…
For most older owners, an Australian Cattle Dog is a difficult match, and it is kinder to say so plainly: this is one of the most demanding breeds in energy, intensity, and training needs, bred to work cattle all day in harsh country. A fit, experienced older owner with an active rural life and daily time for training…
Australian Cattle Dogs are usually wary with strangers rather than warmly friendly: this herding breed bonds intensely to its own people and tends to assess newcomers carefully, sometimes positioning itself between a stranger and its family. That suspicion was useful in a dog bred to work around unfamiliar stockhands…
Akitas are better described as moderately active than high-energy: they need a solid daily walk and some purposeful activity, but a settled adult is usually calm and quiet indoors rather than bouncing off the furniture. The catch is that an under-exercised Akita does not get hyper so much as bored, stubborn, and…
Akitas are one of the more challenging breeds to keep with cats, because a strong prey drive sits close to the surface and a chasing cat can trigger it in a second, with a serious size difference behind it. Some Akitas raised from puppyhood alongside a confident indoor cat do live peacefully with that particular cat,…
Yes, watching is one of the things Akitas do most naturally: they are territorial, quietly alert, and quick to notice anything out of place around the home, yet most bark sparingly rather than sounding off at every passing sound. An Akita's size and steady stare are themselves a deterrent, and the breed tends to place…
An Akita can suit an experienced older owner who wants a calm, loyal companion and can still manage a large, powerful dog safely, but it is a demanding match rather than an easy one. Indoors, Akitas are often quiet and tidy, yet they need real daily exercise, shed heavily in seasons, and can pull hard when something…
Most Akitas are not unfriendly with strangers so much as uninterested in them: this is a reserved, dignified breed that typically stays polite and aloof with new people while saving real warmth for its own family. An Akita will usually watch a visitor calmly rather than rush over for attention, and forcing greetings…
Yes — Bloodhounds are famously gentle, patient and tolerant with children, and their calm indoor manner suits family life well. The cautions are physical rather than temperamental: a dog of 80 to 110 pounds can knock a toddler over with a friendly lean, so supervision, a child-free retreat for the dog, and clear rules…
No — a Scottish Terrier is moderately energetic rather than high-energy: expect around an hour of purposeful walking a day, short bursts of play and hunting games, and then long, dignified rests. Scotties are independent and easily bored rather than hyper, so the exercise needs variety and something for his brain, or…
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