I got a dog last year, a lab. To start with, you want one with a temperament that suits you. My dog is very mellow, no aggression at all. Make sure you get to s

I got a dog last year, a lab. To start with, you want one with a temperament that suits you. My dog is very mellow, no aggression at all. Make sure you get to see the puppy with its mother. That will also tell you if the seller is legit. You have to have time to train it. Both for the practical stuff like not pooping inside, but also behaviour so the dog does what you want. Try some different foods, toys and leads. It's interesting how one variety works while the others don't. Eg I got a front leader for the leash and she's much easier to walk. Similar with food, some things she likes for whatever reason. I also found that dog manuals are like baby manuals. Lots of unsubstantiated advice. Who knows whether anyone has tested it. All you can do is think whether it seems likely that there's been enough observations that someone with no statistical knowledge would get the right conclusions anyway.