HOW TO CHOOSE A PUPPY
Take your time. Research what you want and never buy on impulse. Read http://www.getpuppysmart.com/
Temperament is as much to do with puppy upbringing as nature. During the age
of three to 7 weeks puppies need to meet lots of humans and get used to cars,
washing machines, vacuum cleaners, etc. Puppies brought up in kennels don't
have these experiences and may always be nervous.
Pedigree is no substitute for a good upbringing.
BUY A PUPPY WHICH LIVES IN THE HOUSE.
Only buy a puppy from a breeder that keeps the mother and her pups in the
house. A busy noisy household is best. You should be able to see the whole litter
with their mother in the kitchen. Note the mother's large teats. If she has
none, she is not the mother. Avoid unfriendly or frightened mothers - she will
have taught the pups to be wary of humans.
Never buy a puppy from a pet shop. No decent breeder sells to a shop! Only puppy
farms sell to shops. Never buy off a farm with a sign outside - it might be
a puppy farm. Working border collies, often sold by farmers, make very difficult
pets.
Avoid kennels, even if these are run by show breeders. A posh pedigree is no
substitute for a well brought up puppy. As you drive in if you see lots of dog
kennels, drive out again. You want house dogs not kennel dogs.
There are now some very fancy kennels, which sell puppies from Irish puppy farms,
so don't be fooled by nice surroundings. Other places to avoid are puppies sold
out of barns or sheds or railway carriages. Any place offering more than one
breed is doing mass breeding.
Ask rescue shelters if they socialise their puppies. Some rescues, particularly
smaller ones, are still bringing up puppies wrongly, keeping them mainly in
kennels. Good rescues are Dogs Trust, Blue Cross, Wood Green Animal Shelters , Battersea Dogs Home, and most RSPCA shelters. Smaller rescues vary from the wonderful to the shocking. So check up.
Report any bad puppy establishments to the RSPCA.
WHAT TO ASK THE BREEDER
Ask your breeder how she has "socialised" the puppy - and if she looks
as if she doesn't know what this means, avoid her. Bad breeders will tell you
this doesn't matter - but a breeder who says that is more interested in selling
dogs than making sure they will be good pets. (Some breeders, even a few who
win at Crufts, are shockingly old fashioned)
Has the puppy met cats? Has the puppy met children? Has the puppy travelled
by the car? Has the puppy heard the vacuum cleaner, dishwasher, etc? Have the
puppies been left alone without their mother at times, in order to learn to
be left?
Avoid adolescent dogs that breeders have "run on" for a few months,
unless you are good at rehabilitation. This often means the puppy has grown
up and turned out not good enough to show. Not being perfect in looks doesn't
matter but these dogs are often kennelled rather than kept in the house and
may have behaviour problems because of poor socialisation. Some of these dogs
have never been left on their own and may suffer from separation distress.
Ask about hereditary diseases. There's also a reasonably independent website which might help - www.dogbreedinfo.com There is another useful website, produced by Cambridge University, where you can search by breed, is http://www.vet.cam.ac.uk/idid/search.php
A breeder who hasn't heard of hereditary diseases may be ignorant! If a
breeder says her breed has no problems at all (most breeds have some problems),
go elsewhere! A breeder who admits to problems is far better than one who denies
that any exist in the breed.
Check on hip score.
WHERE TO START
Ask local dog trainers if they can recommend a breeder. They - rather than vets
- usually know the bad ones because they have to deal with the results. So they
can warn you off the bad ones.
You can get a pedigree puppy by ringing the Kennel Club who will send details
of litters in your area on www.the-kennel-club.org.uk. It is essential only
to buy from a breeder who is on their accredited breeder scheme. These are breeders
that socialise puppies, offer phone advice, and take part in health screening
schemes. Even so, go and look before buying. I am not sure how well this scheme can be policed.
Some puppy farms produce false pedigree documents.
Get details of local puppy playgroups. A puppy needs to learn how to get on
with other dogs of all ages, and you need to learn how to become its guide.
If you skimp this, you may never have a really reliable dog.
The Dogs Trust has information - Which Puppy, and A New Dog in the Family, Having
a Sociable Dog, - www.dogstrust.org.uk
.