Simple Tips To Choosing your New Puppy

You see those cute little puppy eyes and all you can think of is how you have to take that little cheeky chappy home and live happily ever after!

This is a bad way of choosing a dog, both for you and for the animal, particularly when a dog will be with you and your family, in fact become part of your family for possibly twenty years!

Before you rush into buying a pet, think very carefully about what you are looking for in a pet and what you and your home can provide. Frequently, pets bought on impulse end up as problem animals which create a great deal of disturbance and upset and it sadly very true that many dogs bought for Christmas presents end up in shelters or abandoned soon into the New Year!

Think very carefully about your own life and how you will be able to commit to looking after a dog. If you are frequently away from home you are going to find it difficult to look after a dog as they ought to be; dogs are social and spatial animals. They need a social environment and bond with the owners and family very strongly which means that you will have to be around them a great deal. Being spatial animals means they need exercise and cannot spend their lives cooped up indoors; even a small dog needs regular exercise and this means walkies! for both of you and in all weathers.

Ask yourself, how will you and your family react to a young puppy tearing its way through your home, chewing on furniture, eating your books and magazines and leaving the odd odious present for you to clear up at least until you have house trained them?

If you are not deterred by this so far, then read on and you can start considering what type of dog you are likely to be able to give a good home and life to. The larger the dog, he more exercise and space you are going to need; a Great Dane is not likely to enjoy living in an efficiency apartment in the city while you may find a toy dog breed is more appropriate but not in keeping with your own image so you must consider what breed of animal is going to adapt to your living conditions as well.

If you have children this will also be a factor in your decision; if you have young children you are going to have to deal not only with looking after the puppy but also in dealing with young children who are likely to think, quite naturally, that your dog is just another new toy that can be pushed and pulled about. This is a recipe for disaster but some breeds of dog are far more compatible and tolerant of children than others so research carefully the kind of breed that may be more child friendly.

You will also need to decide whether you are going to buy a mongrel (mixed breed) or pedigree (or purebred) and there are advantages and disadvantages with both.

Purebreds have know characteristics so even though you have a small puppy, you know what the size of the fully grown dog is going to be and you will be able to ascertain what its likely character traits are going to be in advance. On the downside, certain breeds of purebreds do have a propensity for medical problems which are as a result of the breed itself, Labradors have particular problems with their hips for instance, and this translates into expensive veterinarian bills and lengthy treatment as well as the emotional distress for all involved.
Mixed breeds offer the opposite benefits and drawbacks, but no matter whether you are buying purebred or mixed, you should always try to find out the history of the dog and typically that means, seeing both the mother and father of the puppy. This is not always possible and you will then need to see what history is provided by documentation and from the seller directly.

Every puppy is different as is every new owner; you are the one making the decisions however and the first step towards responsible dog ownership is examining your motives for buying a dog and your own suitability for looking after an animal that may be living with you longer than your children.

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