The first step in choosing the best dog for the family is understanding your own lifestyle. This may seem silly--of course, you know your lifestyle, after all you're living it every day.

But often people don't really look at the things they do everyday, but imagine how fun it will be to play with the dog on the weekends. A dog isn't a bike or boat that you can just use on the weekends or vacations. A dog is an animal that needs the security of a pack and the leadership of confident pack leaders.

So, if your idea of a good Saturday is resting around the house, be sure to get a dog with a low energy level. If you want to run every morning and bike all day on your day off, find a dog with the strength and will to run like a sled dog breed.

A high energy family needs a high energy dog. A laid back family needs a low energy dog. Although various breeds have special abilities, different levels of energy can be found in all types of dogs.

Some terriers are high energy, others are low and moderate energy. Just as within families, there are high, moderate and low energy members, so it is within dog breeds as well.

It's vital to find a dog that will mesh with your family and your lifestyle. If your family has members of differing energy levels, a dog with moderate energy might be the happy medium you're all seeking.

Another consideration is the primary caretaker of the dog. Even though all the humans in the house, from the youngest to the oldest, need to be leaders to the dog, and the dog submissive to all people, the energy level of the person who mostly interacts and walks the dog can be the deciding factor in choosing the best dog for the family.