When researching what breed is best for you, and later figuring out what your dog is like, I always recommend reading the breed standard for your dog. A breed standard is a description of the ideal dog of that breed. It is a starting point for making adoption, purchase, training, and breeding decisions.
I especially read the parts that refer to 1.) ideal temperament; and 2.) disqualifications. What tendencies does this breed have so I can use them for the benefit of the dog? What are the health and temperament tendencies to avoid? Sometimes variations are normal for the any breed, and those variations might disqualify the dog for breeding, but aren't indications that something is wrong with your dog. For example, sometimes a short haired purebred dog (Belgian Malinois) might deliver a puppy with long hair (Belgian Tervuren). Everyone knows that can happen, and it is not a problem. If your dog has a variation, a good breeder will be able to explain what that indicates. On the other hand, sometimes a puppy would be born with a birth defect that might be reflected in the type of coat or eye color. Genetic indications are very interesting and any deviations of the standard should be researched.
Here is the link for the French Bulldog, one of the most popular breeds in the US. The words in this description were carefully selected. I often use a dictionary for each significant word to help me clearly understand what is being said.
If I am working with a mixed bred dog, I also look at the breed standards for the other breeds. Some of each breed will come out in the resulting dog. Sometimes when you can't explain what is going on with a dog, it becomes clearer if you understand what might have been bred into the dog and understand how those traits might interact.
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