Do your homework when picking a pooch

Looking for that perfect pooch? As certain breeds fall out of favor or, worse, are altogether banned, others come into vogue or, worse, appear in Vogue. But dog shopping isn't shoe shopping. Dog shopping is equal parts homework and personal preference. And once that's done and it's decided, he's yours. Lucky you!

Think of it this way: This is the first time you can choose your own relative. In order to make the most of that, you'd be wise to have a handle on a couple of things: Know yourself. Know what you're getting yourself into. For the next 12 years or so, you'll be the proud parent of a perpetual toddler — with sharp teeth.

In some circles and in the news, designer dogs are all the rage. Labradoodle. Schnoodle. Puggle. Shorkie. No, you don't need to run those through Google translator. Those are the names of the newest canine citizens.

What's all the hype about hypoallergenic? The theory is, cross a poodle with just about anything, and you get less shedding, an odd name — Goldendoodle? — and, with a little luck, no sneezing or wheezing when your dog walks into the room. A good thing, in a sense, as many pounds and shelters cite "allergies" as a reason for why people ditch their dogs. But what about the dog's personality? What about the health consequences of that particular foray into crossbreeding?

Every dog walking the planet has its own unique personality and its own genetic makeup. Just like people. So you have to do your homework.

On my Web site, www.unclematty.com, you'll find several personality "tests" you can easily give your potential pup to get a feel for whether or not he's compatible with you and your lifestyle: How independent is he? How responsive? How sensitive is he to touch, to being tugged on, hugged or manhandled — by your small children or any you may want to have in the next decade or so? How does he react to noise? What does he do when you wave your hand in his face? If he doesn't like it, he may have been hit. Obviously, this wouldn't make him a bad dog, but it might mean he's had to deal with a bad person. Or an ignorant person. Not his fault, but something you'd want to be aware of.

In bucking the trends and researching larger dogs, you might have come across the recent story of one family in England. Five-year-old Ellie Lawrensen died on January 1 from wounds inflicted by her uncle's pit bull, Reuben. This incited a slew of pit bull "arrests" in the area and outcry around the globe to rid our communities once and for all of this "killer dog." Predictable demands for a breed ban arose, but pit bulls were already banned in that area. So the question is: If a ban on pit bulls were the answer, how did this happen?