How To Pick A Puppy

Making a decision to bring a puppy into your family should be a decisive one. What begins its career as fluffy, cute bundle of fur can rapidly grow into something that demands a lot of attention, both emotionally and financially.

Puppies should never be brought home on an impulse, or given as a gift, but as part of a long term commitment. Once this fact has been decided upon, then the next stage is to decide what kind of puppy the family wants, and if they will be looking for a pedigreed breed, how and where will it be bought.

If the family have decided that a mixed breed is out of the question, then to make life easier, it is always worth narrowing down the specific breeds of pedigree dogs that are available. If for example the family have previously owned a specific breed of dog in the past, and know all its characteristics and are comfortable with them, then the chances are that the family will opt for the same breed next time too. They may even be aware of a good dog breeder where they can find quality pups, sometimes a relation of their previous pet. If the family is undecided on which breed to introduce, then scanning the internet will give a good idea of the various breeds available, their nature and how they will turn out as adults.

For parents of young children, it might be a good idea to make a preliminary sweep of dog breeders alone. Children tend not to be objective, and will fall in love with just about every puppy dog that they see. Narrow down the field, even to a specific puppy, before bringing the children into the picture.

Before deciding where to buy, you should thoroughly check out who you are about to do business with. Pedigree dogs can be expensive and if anything goes wrong, the emotional pain will be very hard to take, especially if the puppy is being bought to replace a much loved family pet that has passed away.

Nowadays the market has become saturated with small businesses known as puppy brokers or puppy mills. They will all represent themselves as reputable breeders, but how many litters do they have a year? How old are the dogs when they start breeding? How many litters has each dog had? What are the temperaments of the parents really? You won't get real answers to these questions, so ask around to find out who the respected breeders are. Visit dog shows and ask people when they are doing their information booths, etc. Puppy mills breed their dogs in bulk, with little regard for the health or well being of the pups or the dame. Steer clear of these organizations, and instead seek out serious breeders, where you can check out the background of the parents and even get to see them. This should be the pre-condition of any purchase, as a respectable and genuine breeder will be more than happy to do this for you.

Next, what kind of lifestyle are you bringing this little creature into? Do you have an active life? Will they get lots of exercise and attention? Are you looking for a pet, a working dog or a show dog? It's important to try to match the lifestyle of the dog with the kind of environment you will provide.

A skilled breeder will know the personalities of the pups you are meeting. They have temperament tested them. This means the pups have been evaluated for things like their social attraction, social dominance, sensitivity to touch, sound, sight, restraint, willingness to follow, retreiving, emotional stability, physical structure, etc. These should all be considered in finding the right "match."

Once you have settled on your new puppy, no matter what pressure you come under from the family, it should remain with its mother till it is eight weeks old. In fact, breeders who understand what they are doing will not allow pups to go eariler. Soon the day will arrive when your new pet will come home, and you will have all the time in the World to pamper it, play with it and enjoy the pleasures that owning a dog can bring.