Labrador Retriever is dog with great reputation. But there are some still disadvantages of owning a Lab. The best thing and advantage of Labrador Retrievers is their personality. They are affectionate, intelligent, eager to please, easily trainable and patient dogs. They are also very friendly - towards everyone, even towards strangers and other animals.

The one thing i do not like about owning a Labrador Retriever is their shedding. They shed all year long and they shed a lot. You will have to vacuum all the time, otherwise you will have their fur everywhere.

Another bad thing is, that they eat a lot and they eat everything. They especially like trash, poops, but also some dangerous and toxic stuff like mushrooms. My Labrador Retriever Andy was once poisoned by muhroom he ate in the woods, but luckily, he survived.

Two sweet dog breeds, that hail from Switzerland. They look very similar, but there are some differences between those two breeds.

SHORT BERNESE MOUNTAIN DOG DESCRIPTION
The Bernese Mountain Dog originated as a farm dog, but these days he’s most often a beloved companion. Berners were used as an all-purpose farm dog, to guard property and drive dairy cattle from the farm to the alpine pastures.
This dog is sensitive, loyal, extremely devoted, gentle with children, and often reserved with strangers. The male measures 25 to 27 inches and the female 23 to 26 inches tall. Both have a sturdy build and are usually longer than they are tall. Their weight ranges from 75 to 120 pounds.
The Berner, as he’s nicknamed, has moderate exercise needs. In general, plan to give him a walk of at least a half hour daily, plus several shorter trips outdoors throughout the day.

SHORT GREATER SWISS MOUNTAIN DOG DESCRIPTION
Large and powerful, this breed is slightly longer than tall. A double coat consists of a thick undercoat and dense outer coat, about 1 to 1¾ inches long. They originate from Switzerland where they date back almost 2000 years, making them one of Switzerland’s oldest breeds.
These days, the Greater Swiss is primarily a family companion or show dog, beloved for his gentle, easygoing temperament. Like any dog, Swissy puppies are inveterate chewers and because of their size can potentially do more damage than puppies of other breeds.
The dog requires daily exercise, either a good long walk or vigorous romp, and especially enjoys pulling. The coat needs brushing once weekly.

Some people prefer big dogs and some prefer smaller breeds. Both categories have pros and cons and today we will look at the advantages of owning  a small dog breed.

Lets start with the money. Dog food and treats is one of the biggest expense of owning a dog. And with small dog you will save a lot of money on these two items. You will also save money on dog accessories, you will need smaller bed, crate and toys. And smaller means cheaper.

Its hard to transport large dogs. Especially if you are using public transport. But you can fit small dog under your seat or to your dog carrier purse. Even in the plane, a lot of time, small dogs can be taken with you without paying extra.

In nature larger animals live longer than small ones. Whales or elephants live much longer than mice. But this is not the case with dogs. Larger dogs have shorter lifespans than small dogs. If you want companion for 15 years, you should choose a tiny breed.

I guess that all of you, who are reading this article, are dog lovers. But we must respect, that there are people that are for some reason afraid of dogs, or they just dont like them. But most of the time, these people are scared only of big dogs and they do not have problems with small dogs. So if you have someone in family who you are visiting very often and who is scared of dogs, it will be better for them if you get small breed. They might be okay with that.

If you do not need guard or protector, you dont need your dog to be powerful. For a lot of people it is actually a benefit, if their dog is weaker. Its very easy to pull your dog away from garbage or some other nasty and dangerous stuff. They are overall much more managable thanks to the fact, that they are not that strong.

Generally, larger animals like elephants live longer than small animals like mice. But that is not the case with dogs. Larger dog breeds have much shorter lifespan than small dogs. Average life span of all dogs is between 12-13 years. But all the ten dogs in this list have lifespan shorter than 10 years. We actually do not know, why large dogs have such a short lives. There is a possible explonation, that they have a significantly shorter lifespan simply due to the fact that their bodies have to work extra hard to maintain that giant posture. For example, their heart must make bigger pumps to fill the whole body with blood. Large dogs often times have problems with heart and joints. You must be prepared for it when getting giant dog breed.

The most popular dog from this list is Rottweiler. And they are one of the most popular dogs of all breeds despite their short life span which is around 9 – 10 years. Rottweilers are not only used as companion dogs, but also as by police, customs and armies all around the world, but mostly in Germany, Switzerland, Norway and Denmark.

Giant Bullmastiff is pretty low active dog breed that adapts greatly to most home environments. But due to its large size, they most often live in houses with yards. Their average lifespan is 9 years. Bullmastiffs are very strong and powerful dogs that make great guards.

Everyone knows the Great Danes. Next to the Irish Wolfhound, this is one of the two largest breeds in the world. Great Dane named Zeus is actually Guiness World Record holder as a tallest dog in the world. These sweet and loyal companions have very short lives – between 8 – 9 years.

Mastiffs looks menacing and terrifying due to their enormous size, but they are very good natured and docile dogs. This is one of the heaviest dog in the world, sometimes they can weigh up to 220 pounds. Unfortunately, his very large size may contribute to his shorter lifespan.

Dogue de Bordeaux or French Mastiff is probably the dog with shortest life span – between 5 to 8 years. If you have 8 years old Dogue de Bordeaux you are very lucky, its pretty unusual that they live that long. But in the short time they have on this world, they are most of the time very loving, easy to maintain and loyal companions.