The best dog breeds are, in essence, the breed of dogs that are best for you.

A list of dog breeds might help give you some ideas on dog breed characteristics and dog breed identfication from the point of view of either AKC dog breeds or shelter dogs, but choosing a dog breed is a very personal thing.

Many types of dogs are good dog breeds for children, which is obviously something you'll want to take into account if you have children or are planning to have them, because you'll definitely want a dog breed that's compatible with your family.

Other than that, you'll need to consider the size and type of back yard you have. A list of large dog breeds is not going to be very useful to you if you live in a tiny condo or similar. But miniature and toy dog breeds could suit you.

Many dog breeds need a good amount of exercise. Even small dog breeds often benefit from daily walks. So you'll need to be prepared to go walking with your dog, even if you're selecting from a list of small dog breeds, but particularly so if a large dog breed is more to your liking.

Following are a list of a few of the more common miniature and toy dog breeds:

Miniature Poodle

Toy Poodle

Pomeranian

Maltese Terrier

Shih-Tzu

Jack Russell Terrier

Giant dog breeds are far fewer than the miniature dog breeds, toy dog breeds and even the medium sized and large dog breeds. Here is a list of a few of the giant dog breeds:

Great Dane

Old English Sheepdog

Saint Bernard

Mastiff