Choosing A Puppy? Take you time!

Tomorrow feels like Christmas to me. I’ll be on my way to pick up a new puppy!  Well, actually now as I finish this post up, it will only be a few hours!

Choosing a puppy is really about choosing a dog that will live with you for about 15 years and be a part of your family. It is much like choosing a friendship, a spouse, a new hire, etc. because the dynamics of the family for the next 15 or so years will be affected. It’s really about doing all you can to find the best fit.

But how? Follow these steps:

Step 1: Determine what you want!

Identify the qualities, characteristics and care that will fit in best with your family. I have very specific characteristics I want that involve structure, working ability and temperament for agility, but also have characteristics that are important to blend in with my family. For example, think about:

• Playfulness
• The level of affection
• Ease of training
• Tendency for protection
• Activity needs
• Grooming needs
• Size
• Mouthiness
• Tendency for barking
• And many others

Step 2: Research with Books and Websites:

Breed books and websites which are a good place to begin. Read about the use, needs and quality of breeds that interest you. Most people think this is enough, but remember, this is for 15 years or so! Don’t stop there! It isn’t enough.

Step 3: Go To Breed Shows:

The next step is to visit a breed show and see the dogs for yourself. At a large AKC show, they often have a “Meet the Breed” event so you can talk to some owners and breeders directly. If not, in addition to watching them compete in the ring, if you are courteous, being careful not to interrupt them at the wrong time, you can also walk around and talk to owners and/or breeders at the show. Typically, they love to talk about their breed and are honest. They want the dogs to succeed too. We all know how many dogs need fostering. It is much more difficult to go through placing a dog than it is to get the right one in the first place. Now are you done researching? No.

Step 4: Talk To Friends:

If you already do a dog sport or have friends with the breed that interests you, ask them about their dog. They can tell you about their line and breeder, possibly providing you with a name. Let them talk and you’ll find out what they like and what they might want to be different next time they choose a dog. If you have narrowed it down to the breed and just a few breeders, go to the next step.

Step 5: Find and Talk To Specific Breeders:

This is the most challenging piece. Each breed line is different depending on the area in the country, the use of the dog line and the breeder themselves. Getting in touch with certain breeders can be difficult but worth the trouble. In addition, they may have high demand for their dogs and you may need to submit a history of your achievements with another dog or a personal recommendation before they will consider you. Sometimes they don’t advertise yet have a long waiting list. I know of one friend who has waited over a year for a cross to take place with the dogs she wants.

These types of breeders are in high demand and aren’t being arrogant in most cases. Instead, they are just deeply care about their dogs and want them to go to a good home. It is practical also, because a good breeder recognizes their commitment to their dogs and does not want to get them back!

Talking To Breeders

Before You Talk To A Breeder

Before you talk to a breeder, decide what you want to do with your dog. Do you want a lap dog or one that will accompany you jogging? Do you need one that will be good with children or in other words, with lots of activity? Are you planning on doing conformation, obedience, freestyle, taking up a sport; even competing with your dog? This goes the first step but after doing the other research, it is best to revisit your list.

Talking To Breeders

Ask about their lines…

When you do talk to them, find out how they describe their line; for example, their temperament or if they are intended to be used as “working lines” or “show lines”? If so, what kind of work or show?

They should be able to tell you not just if their line will fit your needs but also what cross is best for you. In addition, they will be just as picky about you as you are about them.

What Breeders Want To Know

Breeders may ask about your home, such as if you have a fenced yard but good breeders will also ask about your intentions. If they are breeding for performance, they want to be sure your dog will get the exercise and mental challenge they need. Otherwise, that energy can get channeled into behavior you definitely don’t want. They can’t ever promise you won’t get a pet quality temperament when they choose a performance puppy or vice versa, but they are your best chance are getting the dog you want.

What You Can Expect From A Breeder

In addition, a great breeder, because of their commitment to their dogs, will usually support you with medical and behavior issues. I am not saying a breeder will necessarily pay for all or even any problems, but they know their dogs and can help you by providing a history of their line and also advice. At times, they will pay for testing or a hereditary problem but that is outlined in your contract. Make sure that you do get a contract. In some cases, they may even take the dog back to care for it or place it in another home. Of course, no one wants to have problems, certainly not the breeder so that is why it is so important to choose each other wisely.

You will need to ask but some other things a breeder may provide, include your puppy’s :

• first physical
• screenings for possible hereditary conditions, when available
• first set of vaccines in the puppy series, depending on age
• worming
• flea and/or heartworm prevention (if so, usually only the first dose)
• microchipping
• registration papers
• information on feeding and possibly a sample of the food
• a guarantee against hip dysplasia or other medical issues
• note too, that they may have restrictions on how or if you can register your puppy, about spaying and neutering as well as breeding

A special benefit with experienced breeders:

Another potential benefit is the community of owners fostered by some breeders. If you haven’t been lucky enough to have the experience, I can’t adequately put into words how much fun it is to follow your pup’s littermates, share in the fun when they have a big win or accomplishment and make the lasting friendships that often result; especially through Facebook. Because of Facebook, I am now connected to people all over the country and even a couple internationally through our dogs.

Even learning that the pups share the same idiosyncrasies makes me smile, like when I found out that the same cross seems to produce a dog that loves, not just water, but loves to put their front feet in and paddle even in the water bowl! What a mess!

Community Support:

The community also supports each other when there are question or problems. Forming these relationships has been one of my favorite things about having my dogs and have become a key element in my search.

More News Coming!

I’ll blog a bit more often while I am getting this puppy home so you’ll learn more about my search. All searches are their own adventure!

Have you or are you part of a community of owners? Have you made friends this way? If so, I’d love to hear about it so leave a comment below.