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Choosing Your Puppy
Use Your Head Puppies are like children — they are all cute. But they do eventually grow up to be adults. If you prefer a specific breed over a mutt, choose a puppy with the potential to grow up healthy, properly-sized and proportioned, and with the correct temperament distinctive to the breed. Never be taken in with excuses about the condition of a puppy or its behavior; and never, ever buy a puppy just because it's the last one left and/or you feel sorry for it. There is nothing necessarily wrong with the last puppy, that just should not be your reason for buying it. Ideally, you arrive early enough to have a choice and to inspect the entire litter for over all condition and health. It is often said that puppies choose their new owners, rather than the other way around, and there is much truth to this claim. Disqualify the shy puppy, as it may have socialization problems later. The puppy that comes forward from the litter, asking to be chosen, is probably the right one. Signs of Good Health Examine all the puppies briefly to ensure that they have been well cared for. If one puppy looks ill, the others are most likely infected. The puppies must be alert and have bright, clean eyes, with absolutely no discharge. Soreness or inflammation of the rims of the eyes, or eyes that are not completely clear, may be serious signs of present or potential disease. Forgive a scratch or two on the face — puppies sometimes play a bit roughly. The puppies noses must be clean (except maybe a little crust of food) and free of discharge. There must be no sign of a runny nose. The inside of the ears must look pink and shiny, without inflammation or wax. Each puppy's coat must be clean and pleasant to handle and smell. There must be no sores or grittiness on the skin and coat. A puppy's coat and skin should feel loose and soft. Black "coal dust" is usually flea dirt — fleas themselves are more difficult to spot. Sturdy, strong limbs are a must for any puppy, although if you fancy an Italian Greyhound, you'll have to judge sturdiness proportionately. Puppies should have clean bottoms. Signs of diarrhea are obvious from a quick examination behind. The whole litter should be examined. Go with quality Breeding Breeders of show, working, and sporting dogs generally offer health guarantees, an indication of a confident, well-considered breeding. The passion these breeders have for their breed helps them continue their journey to produce genetically sound dogs. Puppy mills and commercial kennels are the main contributors to pet shops. Their goal is to produce lots of puppies for profit. Puppies are treated as a commodity, like furniture or carpet. Puppy mills are often raided by animal control for horrid, deplorable conditions. Quality and humane treatment is not a concern in this part of the industry. Puppies are often sold to pet stores at wholesale prices and resold to the public at "show" prices. The cost of overhead, especially mall rental property requires the store owner to charge exorbitant prices for their "products." Compulsive buyers and the high degree of foot traffic supports these establishments, as well as the fact that they offer instant financing. Before making a financial and emotional commitment, prospective buyers should contact the area's humane society and Better Business Bureau for information on the establishment in question. "Backyard breeders" are also a contributor of lower quality puppies. This term only applies to breeders with little knowledge of bloodlines, breed standard, or proper temperament and structure, not to the fact that they have dogs in their backyard. Many fine breeders raise dogs in a home environment, i.e., a backyard, rather than in enclosed, impersonal kennels. The idea here is to be aware that some people just breed for profit, without concern for quality. Their dogs are not screened for genetic defects prevalent in the breed, nor are the dogs proven under the well-educated eye of a judge in the show ring or at a trial. Key phrases such as "champion bloodline," "excellent bloodline," "German or European bloodline," "oversized," or "rare colors" are often selling points in their ads. "Rare colors," advertised as unique, may be major faults according to the breed standard, such as parti-colored poodles. And usually, if someone is breeding primarily for color, temperament and soundness severely suffer. "Excellent bloodline" is nothing more than a family tree if the breeder has little or no knowledge about bloodlines. Many backyard breeders confess that they are breeding "just pets" and have no interest in rigorous attempts to eradicate health problems or to maintain proper type or temperament.
AN INVITATION TO CONTRIBUTE: DOGSCAPADE is inviting you to write articles of real
value for people on this particular dog topic. We want to know everything you know about dogs, including all about your dog-related organization. Who should be involved with the kind of dog or activity you represent? Who should not? What special requirements
and considerations does this breed or specialty require? How and why did you get involved? We're looking for
stories and first hand experiences rather than standard reports, although facts and figures are fine too. So, if you have something worthwhile to offer, we'd love to hear from you!
In exchange, we will host an EXCLUSIVE featured section on our website for your dog kennel, club or organization! We accept well-organized (we will help with editing), genuinely useful, informative articles related to dogs for inclusion. While we do review all contributions, we don't guarantee acceptance. For more information and to contribute articles, please contact us at contribute@dogscapade.com. DOG WEBSITES & SEO: We are also offering an amazing opportunity to have a very affordable, high-quality website for your dog kennel, club or organization — designed, hosted and optimized for search engines. This offer is available to all dog breeders, dog clubs, rescues and associations. There are some limitations involved, so please write for details at tech@dogscapade.com. |
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