by Nancy E. Holmes
copyrighted
April 2001
Puppy Buyers -
If you require a puppy that
Isn’t noisy and doesn’t chew,
Won’t pee on the carpet,
Or one who
Will never fight,
Or make a mess,
Will never bite
Under severe duress,
There is only one breed
That will bring you Joy
Its the All-American,
Plush Stuffed Toy!
neh ‘88
What to Look For
First you must look at yourself. Do you have the time, the space and the finances to appropriately care for a dog or raise a puppy?
Next look at your other obligations. What consideration must you give your family in choosing the dog of your dreams? Is anyone allergy prone? Do you have other pets? Does anyone besides you have the time or the desire to add a dog to the family and care for it? Will any of this change in the near future? Or in the next ten to 15 years? If you rent, will your landlord permit you to have a dog?
Finally, assuming all is a green light for taking the plunge into dog ownership, you must outline what your expectations of the dog are. What do you want the dog for?
You might be looking for a couch potato, a hunting companion, a protector, or a playmate for the kids. Think about what the needs of you and your family are and discuss with them the kind of dog you want.
Many people see a movie or a TV show with a dog in it and want one just like that. The bad news is that these dogs are all highly trained to seem wonderful - often they are high-energy problem dogs unsuited for an average pet home! These dogs rarely depict normal breed behavior and the high energy, that is a must for repeating scenes over and over again, usually is annoying in the home. Many of these dogs were rescued after being dumped by their owners for misbehavior - even the first Lassie was found like this!
Breeds of dogs were developed for a purpose. By looking at that purpose, you can help decide what breed is right for you. The same goes for mixbreds if you can figure out what the ancestors were!
People who buy Golden Retrievers should not be surprised the dogs chase things and bring them back --again and again and again. Folks with a Labrador shouldn’t be surprised when the dog comes in soaking wet and muddy. A Beagle that wanders off following its nose if left unfenced, a Terrier that digs holes in the garden or lawn, and a Doberman that barks at strangers should be no surprise either.
The AKC splits the dog breeds into seven groups of mostly similar dog types. The seven groups in the AKC registry are Working, Herding, Sporting, Hound, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and there is also a Miscellaneous group for dog breeds not yet fully accepted into the AKC Stud Register.
The dogs in the Working Group include the dogs that worked by being family protectors or guard dogs and others that once worked as draft or sled dogs. Most of the breeds related to the Mastiffs fall in this category including such dogs as the Bullmastiff, the Great Dane, the Boxer, the St. Bernard, the Rottweiler and the Newfoundland. Other large breeds such as the Giant Schnauzer, the Doberman, the Malamute and the Akita are found in this group.
The Herding Group represents still more working dogs but these dogs were designed to round up, guard and move other domestic animals such as sheep and cattle. This group includes the Collies, the German Shepherd, the Bouvier Des Flandres and the Corgis among many others. The guardian behavior may be transferred to the family, so many of these dogs are also trained in protection work. Dogs with strong herding instincts may transfer this ability too and attempt to herd kids, bicycles, or more dangerously cars.
The Sporting Group is where you will find the gun dogs, the retrievers and the spaniels. These dogs were bred to help man hunt birds and bring back the game he shoots down. The Golden, the Labrador, the Chesapeake, the Curly Coat are all retrievers developed as the best dog for particular hunting conditions, as were the spaniels, such as the Cocker, the Field, the Clumber and the Brittany. Their soft mouths, created for bringing back birds gently, and their desire to please, which lets the dogs hunt for and give their birds up to anybody they work with, help make many of these breeds beloved companion dogs too.
The Hound Group includes the Beagle, the Basset, the Wolfhounds, the Dachshunds and the Bloodhound among others. Each breed was developed to be the best at trailing the chosen game over miles of terrain. They have special scenting abilities and strength of character to keep them on the trail. Most also have a loud and carrying voice to help their owners tell where on the track they are. Some of these breeds hunt by sight and moving objects may prove irresistible temptations to the chase.
The breeds in the Terrier Group were mostly developed for hunting game that went to ground and for ‘sport’ fighting. They tend to be smart, tenacious and scrappy; as they would have to be to survive underground fights with foxes, rats and badgers, or above ground fights with bulls, bears, or other dogs. Terrier means earth dog and it should come as no surprise to find many are built well for and love digging. The wiry coats serve as good protection from the dirt and brush they hunt through. Terrier coats shed very little but they must be groomed to remove dead hair. The short-coated terriers may shed.
The Toy Breeds were bred down from full size dogs. While used now mostly as companion dogs, many still have all the instincts of their larger cousins. The Italian Greyhound likes to run. The Yorkshire and Silky Terriers, the Affenpinscher and the Miniature Pinscher may surprise their owners with dead mice! Most toys will perform as excellent alarm dogs, warning their owners of intruders into their territory. Small enough to snuggle, exceptionally adept at seeking affection, cheaper to feed, and easier to exercise, the toy dogs have many supporters. They are easily spoiled and may become noisy tyrants if not trained.
The Non-Sporting Group has a collection of dogs that seem to make nonsense of the group’s name. The Poodle was developed as a hunting/retrieving dog, the Chow Chow was used for hunting bear, the Bulldog went into the arena and baited bulls, the Boston Terrier was a ratter, and the Shar Pei was used for dog fighting. This is the show group either for breeds that do not fit into the other groups, think of fire engine chasing Dalmatians, OR dogs that did not want to face the tough group ring competition in the other groups. When introducing a new breed to the AKC show world, you give it every advantage to become a popular winner that you can! This group includes interesting, unusual, dissimilar dog breeds in it.
The Miscellaneous Group consists of a changing group of dogs, usually the rarer breeds, that are not yet considered fully recognized by the AKC. In recent years the Shar Pei, the Border Collie, and the Chinese Crested have spent time in this group and gone on to full recognition and showing in other groups.
Non AKC Purebreds
Jack Russell Terriers(now AKC!), Toy Fox Terriers, the Blue Heeler (now AKC! as the Australian Cattle Dog), most Coonhounds and many other breeds such as the American Eskimo (now AKC!) are not registered with the AKC. Some breeds do not want the popularity of such registration to ‘spoil’ their breed. Some are too new and too few to be recognized. Some are registered with the UKC, or with a private registry/stud book of their own. Information on these breeds and their breeders is harder to come by. Dog World, Dog Fancy, and Dogs USA magazines may supply you with leads to locate these clubs or ethical breeders - be wary, they may also lead you directly to puppy mills.
Hypoallergenic Dogs
Some people claim their breed is hypoallergenic and has hair instead of fur. This is not true! What is true is that the breeds that shed very little belong to the group of dogs that need frequent grooming and are more often kept clean, brushed, bathed and free of dander. What people are allergic to is the proteins in the dander or the saliva of the dog. Breeds, such as any of the Poodles or Schnauzers, the Maltese or the Bichon Frise and many of the terriers or toys, that shed very little, may be safest for an allergic person to have as a pet. Some of the bigger breeds also have low shed, wiry coats if a small dog just won’t do. Another range of choices might be the hairless dogs ranging from the AKC recognized Chinese Crested to the rare (and larger) Peruvian Inca Orchid. These dogs require special care, but not brushing!
People are often less allergic to a neutered dog than an intact
one. Some people even seem less allergic to one sex or another, one breed or
another, or adults instead of pups. It is worth looking at more than one breed
if you have allergies, to choose the best for you. For an allergic person who
just can’t live with or be without a dog, the desensitization shots work very
well to reduce or eliminate allergic reactions.
If your child becomes allergic you may not have to give up your pet. Make sure first that the child is actually allergic to the pet and not some other allergen. Doctors often immediately ask for the removal of all pets, but will change the recommendation if you do not immediately agree. Especially with asthma, which has links to emotional stress as well as allergens, the removing of a pet from the home may actually worsen the child’s condition. Do not of course put your child at risk over the family pet!
Purebred or Mixbred
No matter which you decide upon people will agree with you! There are advantages and disadvantages to either choice.
As in any decision you need to weigh which considerations are the most important to you and your family.
Purebreds
There are different types of purebreds. Some purebreds are AKC registerable and some are not. Some are registered with other registries such as the UKC or their own studbook. Rare breeds (mostly these are breeds just uncommon in this country) frequently have more than one competing registry or none at all.
Advantages:
The biggest advantage in choosing a purebred over a mixbred is predictability. The WHOLE purpose in breeding purebreds AT ALL is that the puppies will be like the parents. For the past hundred years, and for many breeds much longer than that, people have been producing dogs that serve a particular purpose better than the average dog does and making sure they mated only with similarly desirable dogs. Has this worked 100% of the time perfectly - nope! It has established breeds of dogs where most of the dogs are similar in looks, size, temperament and behavior making it easier to see how they could fit your home.
Most purebreds have some potential for hereditary defects - the advantage is in purebreds the good breeders test for and work to eliminate problems so you can increase your odds of getting a healthy dog.
Purebred litters are more likely to be planned and carefully cared for during their early life.
Disadvantages:
One major disadvantage in choosing a purebred may be cost. In general, purebred puppies cost far more than mixbreds. Though it costs the same for the general care and feeding of either one!
You may be unable to find a purebred of the breed you desire locally which makes choosing more difficult.
In many breeds poor breeders abound and telling the good ones from the bad ones can be difficult.
In some breeds of dogs hereditary defects/problems are common. Knowing what they are and how the breeder should be testing for them is part of learning how to choose a dog otherwise you could make a poor choice of puppy when you have actually picked the right breed.
People frequently fall ‘in love’ with a breed of dogs based on the perceived ‘cuteness’ or ‘beauty’ of members of that breed and end up unhappy with their choice’s natural behavior or attitudes.
Mixbreds
Mixbreds come in more than one variety too! Some mixbreds are actually crosses of two well known breeds, others have so many different ancestors no one can guess how many breeds have been added to produce them. Some mixbreds are accidents or unplanned for and others have been done deliberately. Some mixbreds are not purely dog but have had wild strains such as wolf or coyote added.
NOTE: The addition of wild blood to domestic dogs
undoes 10,000 or more years of domestication! All
those years of selecting for dogs that can
adapt to, and live with man in his changing world, is destroyed
in one generation by this cross. Wolf or Coyote mixes should not be considered as
pets. Among other
problems, there is no proven rabies vaccine developed for wolves, coyotes
or their mixes. While they
may be very doglike as puppies or young
adults, many mature (at age 3 and up) into animals with wild
behavior patterns which do not fit safely or
acceptably into human lifestyles. In NH such mixes may not be
bred or sold. Though you may keep one if you
have it you must plan to have it for life!
Advantages:
The biggest advantage in choosing a mixbred may be initial cost. Mixbreds are usually available for a low or no purchase price.
You may also feel you are saving a life by providing a good home for a mix.
Mixbreds are available almost everywhere and can be easily found without searching hard.
You end up with a dog like no (or very few) others, a
unique, individual member of your family.
Disadvantages:
Unless you know both parents (and sometimes not even then!) there is little predictability about a mixbred, especially how a puppy will turn out. Any mix can inherit the problems of its variety of ancestors, plus some that come from a poor genetic mix of personalities and physical features. People who produce mixbreds rarely give them the quality of care needed for the best start in life. Mixbreds can have more genetic defects than a purebred does! There is no truth to the myth a mixbred is healthier than a purebred – a mix might well have all the health or temperament problems of BOTH parents or all the grandparents!
You’ve Decided on a
Breed NOW What?
Why a Breeder not a
Pet Store?
A breeder is the person who owns the mother of the pups at
the time the breeding took place. This usually is also the person who owns the
pups when they are born. The purpose
of breeding purebreds is to produce pups like the parents. Unless you get to
see the parents of your particular pup you can have no true idea of their looks
or temperament. Visiting a breeder, for a purebred or a mixbred, allows you to
at the least meet the mother of your pup to judge how well you like her and
sometimes to also meet your pup’s father. With a mixbred seeing the mother can
help you decide if the pup will have the approximate size, looks and
temperament you want to share a home with. All pet stores selling pups sell
dogs from puppy mills, if they say otherwise they are just lying to you as no
caring, responsible, breeder would ever let a store have their pups to sell to
just anyone with cash or a credit card.
See www.nopuppymills.com for more
information.
Picking the Breeder - Purebreds
First you need to find a good or better yet a great breeder! Your veterinarian might know one, your friend, who has a dog just like you want, might know one, or you might find one through a dog club, a dog show, an office bulletin board, an Internet connection, or a classified ad!
Hallmarks of a good breeder - they are NOT anxious to sell you a dog - any dog! They ask lots of questions about you and your family and your ability to care for their precious pup! They tell you all the bad points about the breed in general and maybe their dogs in particular - first! No fenced yard at your house? - you might not be able to buy a dog from many good breeders. A good breeder may ask for references or insist on visiting your home before a sale goes through. They want to make sure their dog ends up in a perfect home more than that they get lots of cash from you! A good breeder requires all pets to be spayed and neutered and only sells pets with limited registrations. A good breeder health tests all the breeding stock and encourages you to check your pet and report back any problems. Good breeders offer guarantees - in writing. A good breeder will ALWAYS take back or help rehome a dog of their breeding. You may have to wait to get your special pup as good breeders don’t ALWAYS have puppies.
Good breeders care about the puppies they produce forever!
Picking the Breeder -
Mixbreds
There are two kinds of mixbreds, random bred and deliberately mixed. For the deliberate mixes, try to find a breeder who matches the ideal for a purebred breeder. They too are producing pups for sale and they should take equal care in finding the right homes for their pups and in ensuring the pups are healthy ones.
For random bred dogs it is far more difficult to discover who the father was. As you approach the home where the pups are available scan the neighborhood for likely culprits. In a random bred litter each pup could potentially have a different sire if there are lots of free roaming dogs. Usually though, only one, or maybe two dogs are strong enough to be the winners of the contest.
Check out how the pups are being raised. Barn pups usually have a poorer start in life than pups raised in the kitchen. This start can be easily overcome, but if the mother isn’t good enough to be a house dog you might wonder why. There are good reasons, including one of the pair of owners who doesn’t like animals in the house, but you might wonder if the mother was exceptionally hard to housebreak or had some other objectionable habit. Pups need early handling to make the best pets and may not get this if raised outside.
Ask what the pups are being fed and if they have been wormed. Ask about the health care of the mother and what kind of a dog she is to live with. Ask about past litters. A dam who gets ‘accidentally’ bred every heat will quickly run out of the nutrients needed to produce healthy pups as each litter runs her body down more and more. If the dam is a mixbred ask if the owners know what kind of a mix she is to help you determine potential inborn behaviors. Try not to pick your pup based only on color and markings or cuteness!
Even if the puppy owner acts like you are nutty, do the puppy tests outlined below to check out temperament! If the pups are under 7 weeks old the puppy tests will be less accurate. Also unhealthy pups will not test out as accurately as healthy pups would.
NH state law requires that no pup or kitten be sold or given away before the age of eight weeks. It also requires that any dog or cat or pup or kitten have a health certificate before they are transferred.
If the pups are being kept in poor conditions and seem unhealthy, rather than saving one yourself, report the breeder to the nearest humane society and save them all, including the mother. If there is no local humane society that can help, the State Veterinarians Office can be contacted and they will look into the situation.
Picking the Puppy
Many good, experienced breeders will not allow you (the novice dog owner) to pick out your own puppy, rather they will pick the pup they think is best suited for your home, others may let you pick from a litter or several pups designated as the pet pups in the litter. In a show litter pet pups are the ones with the wrong markings or tails too low or ears too high etc. for the show ring. In a good show litter the differences will be ones you may not be able to see at all! If you get to pick out your pup yourself there are some simple tests you can do to help decide which puppy is best for you.
Too many people fall for the big pup who rushes them saying ME ME ME with every wiggle. This dog often grows up to be big, and pushy, and hard to handle. Others choose the little, pathetic, shy one in the corner and get a shy, fearful adult that cannot participate easily in all aspects of family life. For an active home full of strong-minded people, the first dog might be perfect. For a quiet home, the second might be fine. Each puppy comes with inborn character traits, which you can use to help pick the right personality for your home, on top of those traits the pup’s breed is known for.
Puppy Temperament
Test - Quick Version - for puppies at least 7 weeks and under 12 weeks old
Each pup should be tested away from the litter and mom in an area that is new to the pup if possible.
1) Pick the puppy up using your hands around the chest and hold it suspended in the air for a minute
The puppy may: Relax immediately
Struggle a bit and then relax
Continue to fight and struggle until it is put down
2) Roll the puppy gently on its back and hold it there with a hand on its chest for a minute
The puppy may: Relax immediately
Struggle a bit and then relax
Continue to fight and struggle until released
3) Play gently with the pup and a toy and then making sure the puppy sees it throw the toy a short way
The puppy may: Stay with you playing with your hand or snuggling
Chase the toy and bring it back
Chase the toy and refuse to bring it back
Run back to its littermates
if the pup brings the toy back see if it will let you have it with out too much of a struggle
4) After paying lots of attention to the pup (petting etc.) get up and move away from him
The puppy may: Stay where you left it
Follow you
Run back to the litter
if the pup stays where you left it, see if calling it gently will encourage it to come along with you
None of these tests
show ‘good’ or ‘bad’ pups! These tests indicate potentials for future training
and handling needs. Just as you deserve the right pup for your home, so each
pup deserves to be in a home where its needs will be met and its natural
inclinations will mean success instead of disaster.
Exercises 1 and 2 show you the puppies that are submissive or fearful - submissive pups are willing to let you be in charge, they relax when you restrain them. A fearful pup on the other hand may relax and then pee on you!
The dominant pups are the ones who refuse to let you restrain them. They may even bite and snarl when you try exercises 1 and 2. These pups are a poor choice for a novice dog owner.
Most families want a medium pup - one that struggles at first and then relaxes and allows you to be in charge. The more submissive pups need gentler handling and training to be good pets and the more dominant ones could use a doggy expert to bring out their best.
Exercise 3 shows you how the pup feels about people and playing or its social attraction and natural friendliness. A dominant pup will chase the toy and never give it back - its HIS!
A shyer pup may not chase the toy at all, and neither will a pup who would rather have more human attention than play with any toy. For some people, this latter attitude is an attraction, for others a dog that won’t play is a big disappointment.
A pup that brings the toy back to continue play is a good choice for most families. This pup has the self-confidence to move away to get the toy and the desire to share the fun with you once he has it.
Exercise 4 also indicates social attraction. A pup that wants to be with you will follow along. At this age a pup that expects you to follow him will probably grow up to be a handful!
A shy pup may run away from you, or go flat, when you stand up tall, or follow you while crouching low.
In both exercises 3 and 4 a pup that wants only its littermates, and is not interested in you, is a poor choice for a pet. Unless you are getting it as a companion for another dog more than yourself you want a dog that will like being with you.
Each personality has its pluses and minuses depending on who you are and what you want. I, for example, would choose the headstrong, dominant, bonehead over the submissive pup as a better companion for me!
Finally, the right pup for you is the one that despite all the other considerations looks you in the eye and forms an instant bond. This is not something subject to testing, or sense, but it does happen! Just make sure the pup that pulls this whammy on you is not the dominant pup who does it to everybody! Anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of this ‘I pick YOU!’ will know what I mean.
Adult Dogs
You may have decided you want an adult dog. There are some things you can do to check out the temperament and behavior of an adult dog too. The first step is, of course, meeting the dog.
In adopting from a former home or foster home, if the dog threatens you as you enter and then relaxes and is friendly when it sees you are welcome, that is fine. A dog that remains suspicious of you and hard for the owner to calm will be difficult to live with at your home too. Once the dog is comfortable with you, ask to take the dog on a short walk away from its home, without the owner, to see how the dog is when the owner is not there.
At a kennel or shelter, you will find most dogs may bark and act aggressively from inside their cages, but will become their true friendly selves outside of the cage. If you are interested in a dog, listen to what the shelter workers say about it. Ask to visit with the dog in an area away from the stress of the cage and the kennel. A kenneled dog may not be able to pay attention to you at first if brought outdoors or into a play yard or new room. Wait until the dog has had a chance to relieve itself outdoors and check its new surroundings, before expecting any great interest in you. A dog that likes you right off is a bonus! Try to
remember people have come and gone before you. The dog doesn’t know you might adopt him.
Handle the dog all over once it is used to you. Pick up feet, feel the tail, rub the belly, and the ears. Watch the dog as you do this. Be ready for any sign of aggression, or objection to being handled. Ask if you can offer the dog a treat and see how it takes it. Bite inhibition is an important thing best learned by dogs in puppyhood. An adult dog that takes no care in how it uses its teeth might be a hazard in your home.
If you have children, watch how the dog reacts as they move around and talk. Some dogs have had bad experience, or no experience, with children and may react too inappropriately to be your chosen pet. Fast movements and high-pitched voices are often triggers for dog aggression. If the dog takes a treat well from you, see how it handles a treat from your child. Throw a toy around and see if the dog resents the child playing with it too. Make sure your whole family meets and likes the dog before you bring it home!
While you are doing all this, find out as much about the dog’s history as you can. If you have children and the adult dog has NO history (i.e. was a stray and no one at the shelter has taken an interest in watching its behavior) and you cannot tell if the dog likes children, look for another dog. This one may be fine or may have hidden problems. It’s not worth risking it with your children.
No matter if you get a pup or an adult dog plan on doing training with it. Even a well-mannered adult dog benefits by going through training with his new owners. It helps the bonding process along.
Puppies should start out with puppy kindergarten and continue on with their education through and sometimes beyond their adolescence. For almost every dog, praise-training methods work better than force training methods.
Picking A Breed
Rescue
A breed rescue is usually an individual or small group working hard to save members of a particular breed that they know well. These dogs may have been strays rescued from shelters, dogs that were given up by owners, or dogs rescued from poor living conditions or puppy mills. Sometimes rescues do get puppies but most often the rescued dog is an adolescent from 6 -18 months old that was more than its original home bargained for in demanding time, attention and training, or an older dog 4 and up who’s family ran into circumstances that forced them to give the dog up. Divorce, death and changing finances are just as apt to cost a dog its home as unruly or undesirable behavior.
Like everything else in life breed rescues vary depending on the people running them. Some require paperwork and some don’t. Good ones check out the dogs carefully and are equally careful in checking the potential new homes for the perfect match for dog and new owner. Like good breeders, good rescues want to make sure that you get the right dog, for your sake and the dogs’ sake too! Be wary of rescues who will place an unknown dog with an unknown new home and just hope for the best. Most rescues charge a reasonable fee for vet work, which they do before you get the dog. A good rescue will provide a dog that is up to date on all shots, neutered, and heartworm tested. Many will also provide a dog crate and collar and leash. Average adoption fees are currently around $150. Older dogs may have lower fees and younger ones higher. This fee barely covers vet costs. Most rescuers end up subsidizing food and care costs. On the rare occasion that a quick placement of a healthy well cared for dog allows a profit it seldom balances out the expenses on the other dogs.
A good rescue will be there to consult with on behavior problems or will want to hear happy progress stories. A good rescue will take back or rehome any dog if the placement does not work out or the owners life changes unexpectedly forcing the surrender of the dog.
Some unscrupulous brokers and puppy mills represent
themselves as rescues. These people charge exorbitant rescue fees and often
have lots of puppies or pups of several breeds available.
Just as with a breeder you should be comfortable with the
people you are getting a rescue from. They should be informative and helpful
while still being careful to make sure you will provide a good home for one of their dogs. Beware the rescue that
tries to force you to take an unsuitable dog or that tells you the breed has no
problems or bad points. Good rescues will not place dogs that have bitten
people.
About looking at mixes
Try to learn as much as you can about the parentage of the mixbred you are considering. Lets take a Lab mix for example. This is a common mix as there are lots of labs around who are happy to help with mixing! Not too long ago Time Magazine ran an article on purebreds vs. mixbreds that ended up claiming mixbreds were better than purebreds and a lab/shepherd mix was the best mix for a healthy family pet! It sounds real good until you learn that labs and shepherds both suffer from high incidences of hip displasia and that each breed has individuals in it with temperament or energy levels that could combine poorly! You could end up with a loyal, healthy, trainable friend or a displastic, hyper, aggressive horror.
I would expect a lab/golden mix to be very different in personality from a lab/chow or lab/husky mix. Saying that pups are lab mixes is really only half the truth at best! Even a lab/golden mix might be a poor choice, if the litter you are looking at belongs to a hyperactive hardheaded lab and an atypically aggressive golden! Maybe you’d get the long coated, retrieving, happy, fool who prefers to bring back tennis balls from the deep muck in the swamp all day long! Or maybe you’d end up with a dog that runs all day and hates kids.
Most often the best mixes are ones where the dogs are similar in personalities, or were designed to do the same type of job to begin with. Cockers and Poodles are both bird dogs as are Labradors and Goldens. Dobermans and German Shepherds both have strong protection drives and do well with training. Collies and German Shepherds are both herding dogs. But again, poor quality, poor health, or poor temperament dogs as parents can ruin even the best of mixes.
Some mixes look very cute as pups, but are in general a bad risk for family pets. Husky or Malamute crossed with a Chow makes really cute and cuddly, fuzzy pups, but the mix of independent, wild heritage, active northern breeds with the hard to socialize, dominant Chow can be a prescription for disaster. Think about the worst, in your opinion, qualities of each of the breeds in any mix, as well as the best ones, when considering a mixbred pup.
Local Shelters - local shelter phone numbers are often found in the yellow pages under animal shelters or humane societies and the local animal control officer and dog pound is listed in the white pages for many towns and cities
Not so Local Shelters - you can find phone numbers at www.bigyellow.com or www.anywho.com or other online phone directories. A search of the internet will find many breed rescues, www.petfinder.org will connect you with many of your local shelters and show pictures of available animals.
Your local library is a great source for a wide number of phone book resources.
Breeder Referral - This is a free service often run by local dog clubs. Look in the pet column in the classified sections of the larger local news papers. Sunday papers often have the most listings for these type of services. In the Boston area the Globe has such an ad from local dog clubs and in NH the Sunday NH News carries the ad for NH dog club breeder referrals.
The AKC via their 900# (check with 900 information for the number) or a direct call to 212-260-6230 or written inquiry to the offices in New York or check out www.akc.org for breed and breeder referral info.
AKC also has the national breed club and rescue contact for just about every AKC breed online too.
Many dog magazines list the breed clubs in their classified ads and the Oct. or Nov. issues have lists of national breed rescues who can help you find a local person
Breed Rescues - these numbers are often available at local shelters, through your veterinarian or breeder referral
Adoption Days at Pet Supply Stores
Good breeders, breed rescues and shelters
help you choose the right dog instead of trying
to get you to take any dog they have
available.
Where You Might Find
the Right Dog
Newspaper Ads
The Local Animal Control Officer/Dog pound
Classified Ads in Dog Magazines or advertising booklets like the WantAd or Classified Guide
Through the Internet - in advertising at various websites and in newsgroups like
rec.pets.dogs.rescue or rec.pets.dogs.breeds and best of all rescue websites like www.petfinder.org
Friends, Neighbors, Co-workers, Groomers, bulletin boards at pet supply stores/vet offices etc.
Getting a dog from these sources will take
even more effort on your part to check the dog
out as being the right pet for you
Where NOT to Find
Dogs
All of these rely on impulse buyers falling for a cute puppy or empathetic people ‘saving’ one of
their shelf stock items. The dogs are merchandise, not living, breathing, entities to these folks.
Buying/rescuing a pup from them means a continuing life of horror for the puppy producing
parents. Only the forceful economic pressure of no sales can put an end to this kind of mass
production of
companion animals. Personally, I refuse to buy
anything from a store that sells
puppies and/or kittens as part of their always available merchandise.
For more information on this subject see www.nopuppymills.com
About Breeders of
Show Dogs
Some breeders of show dogs do their best to produce top
quality dogs with sound minds and bodies.
Others seek only to produce a show winner. This can result
in dogs that look beautiful but are considered
brainless, or high strung, or hyper. If you want a dog to
show in the breed ring and have as a
pet, look for
a breeder who enjoys the dogs as household companions, as
well as show winners. Dogs raised in a kennel
environment may not make quite as good a companion as one
raised in the home from the first.
Remember champion
does not always mean a great dog to live with, only a pretty dog that looks the
way a number of judges think the breed should look. Even
many obedience titles on the parents may not
indicate good pet dogs, as top competing obedience dogs may
be more active than the average home needs. Obedience titles can indicate a
dog’s trainability or an owner’s
determination!
Newspaper Ads - how to read them - Many people get their pets from an ad they see in the newspaper under the pets for sale, the miscellaneous, dog adoptions, or even the free columns. There are things to watch out for, both good and bad, when scanning the ads looking for a dog to be your pet.
The good stuff:
To good or approved homes only- usually means the person parting with the dog or pups has some concern for the animals future. Expect questions from this kind of owner and helpful information too.
The letters HC stand for health certificate - this means the pups/dogs have seen a vet and had first shots as NH state law requires. Look carefully at the puppy health certificates to see any medical problems noted.
Indications that health testing has been done on the parents, such as OFA or CERF, with the first meaning that the parents have been screened for hip displasia, and the second meaning the parents have been screened for inherited eye diseases, are a plus. It means the breeder is aware of the flaws in the breed and is trying not to produce them. There are many such tests for different inherited problems.
Family/home raised - this might be good - it should mean the pups were raised inside the house with lots of positive attention from all family members.
AKC or CH Parents - if you are looking for an AKC registerable purebred the Ch. means champion. An AKC registration slip or the parents registration info should come with an AKC pup/dog at the time of sale.
Watch out for the many scam registries supported by puppy millers who lose the right to AKC register their dogs.
Call for more information - the person knows more than they can fit in an ad - a much better person to call and ask questions of than the one who states interested parties only (i.e. no cash - no talk)
Things to Question:
From Hunting/Working/Herding lines - if you do not want a dog that NEEDS to work but just want a pet you may not want one with this strong of a desire to do their job. WORKING may mean one or both of the parents is trained for protection work or herding. This may not be the best ancestry to choose if you want a mellow home companion. If you want and can train a working companion this is the way to go.
Very protective / good watchdog - How many people has the dog bitten or nearly bitten? Or does the dog bark ALL the time? A good question to ask is how protective is the dog? or what does he bark at?
Moving can’t keep - what is the real problem? Yes, some people move to countries where dogs cannot easily be brought in, but if someone loves their canine companion, why would they move to local housing that does not permit them to take the dog along? There are some good reasons for this, but make sure that’s the case with this dog. Often housebreaking, barking, destructiveness, or aggression is the real issue.
Deliberate crossbreeds - most people who deliberately do mixes, like cockapoos or pekapoos, don’t care about the quality of the parents used in the breeding. No reputable breeder will sell a purebred to a home that wants to crossbreed (AKC frowns on this!). This limits the potential quality of the parentage. Pups might be great or might have terrible temperaments, hereditary health problems etc. The health and temperament of the parents should be investigated closely if a mix such as this is your choice.
Lots of breeds in the same ad. Give this one a complete miss! It is either a pet store trying to toll the public in to pay the highest prices for the lowest quality pups, or its a local puppy mill or wholesaler trying to do the same. Buying here supports the kind of industry that shows like 20/20 report on! Watch also for many ads with the same phone number. Some breeders do this to hide their ‘business’ from the public.
Exception: Some breeders of quality dogs raise a big breed and a small breed or two or three similar
breeds. Examples: all 3 sizes of poodles, both sizes and all coats of dachshunds, more than one terrier
or toy breed, Greyhounds and Whippets, Dobermans and Miniature Pinschers etc. etc. Still a good breeder
limits how many pups they try to raise at any one time so all can get proper attention.
Out of state ads in local papers - frequently these ads are placed by puppy mills looking for new clients. Sometimes a rare breed will be advertised over a wide area, as the demand is low. To pay for lots of ads a breeder must produce a lot of puppies, which usually results in poorer quality care in raising each litter.
Needs room to run - Is this a wild, high energy dog that likes to run away? or an untrained adolescent?
No Small Children - this dog already knows it doesn’t like kids and has in some way or another shown it - not a best first choice for a pet unless it is a toy breed so small the owner worries that kids might hurt it. It could indicate rowdy and untrained or aggressive dogs. This dog could be an insurance hazard.
Great with children - is the dog OK with adults too? Some dogs learn early that adults are dangerous and to be avoided or treated with aggression. Does this dog like kids other than the ones it was raised with?
Rare or Rare Color - someone may be trying to get big bucks trading on a fad breed or color. Rare color is one way mismarks are marketed to get the most money for the lowest value dog. Often health problems go along with odd colors, and rare breeds usually are not popular for some good reason. Be careful!
Too BIG – Dogs that are ‘too big’ for their homes seldom actually have a physical size problem. More often these dogs are really too big in personality or dominance levels for their owners. Or they have too
much adolescent energy and too little training to make their owners comfortable with them. If you can provide training and exercise this dog might work for you. But make sure its not too big for you too!
Rabies Warning - if you go looking for a free puppy, make sure that the dam of the litter has had its rabies shots. Find this out BEFORE you handle the pups, preferably over the phone! Even if there is no puppy health certificate like the breeder is supposed to supply in the state of New Hampshire, this is one essential health item you should not ignore. If the mother was free roaming enough to get pregnant, she was free roaming enough to be exposed to rabies too. If this happened, the pups would all be exposed through their mother’s nursing and cleaning of them. It is not worth the risk to your family to get a free pup (or kitten for that matter) whose mother was not protected against rabies as required by state law.
Puppy Mills and Pet
Stores
Most pet stores no longer admit they get pups from puppy mills. There have been too many exposés on the horrors the animals go through before the puppy gets to market. Pet stores do not buy directly from mills. No reputable breeders will sell pups to a pet store as anybody good or bad can buy one there. So where do the pups come from? Bunchers/brokers go around to the puppy mills and collect lots of pups, sick and healthy, old enough and too young, purebred and kind of pure, and bring them to the central location for shipping to the wholesalers. Either the buncher or the wholesaler puts shots in the pups so they can be crammed into crates and shipped to the retail locations. Often its too late and the pups are already infected.
Unweaned, overcrowded, weaker, ill and frightened puppies die. Surviving puppies frequently sell for over ten times the price the mill was paid for them. Most pet store pups actually cost more than pet pups from a good breeder. Purchasing any of these pups means the store will ‘restock’ them and the cycle continues. I for one will no longer buy anything from a store that supports these awful practices.
Back Yard Breeders
There are good breeders and bad breeders out there creating puppies for sale. Back yard breeders can fall into either category but most fall into the last one. These are the people breeding any two dogs of the same breed to get pups to sell. Their only breeding plan is to have lots of puppies and sell them quickly. Others want to have pups to make some quick money. Essentially they are small time puppy mills. Frequently they know little about their breed or breeds and will tell you only how wonderful the breed you seem interested in is. They know nothing of health problems or health testing and often claim the breed has no problems. They often have the lowest price in any advertising. Some claim championship lines in their dogs but when you look at the pedigree there are only one or two champions many generations back. These folks are more concerned about your money than the quality of home you can provide. You can get a good pet from a backyard breeder. You can win at Atlantic City too. It all depends on how lucky and how skilled you are.
Mill Distributors – These people often advertise that they are veterinarians or vet techs or even nurses. They only have the pups on their ‘country kennel’ premises and no parents. What they are is a distributor for puppy mill puppies who keeps the pups in kennel runs or their homes instead of pet store cages. They often offer all breeds and let you use your credit card to purchase the pup. These places are no better than pet stores as they also sell the pups from very poor beginnings for far too much money and support the mill industry with their profits.
Try to meet both parents of
any pup, purebred or mix bred, to see if you like both of the dogs that contributed
to your pup’s genetic heritage. If you do
not like one or both of the adults, walk away no matter how cute, cheap, or
pathetic the puppies are. (Hint: leave your wallet home for the first visit.)
Some of what your puppy will become is dependent upon its parents. The rest depends upon your care and effort to make this pup the best one in the world. Plan and budget to train.
Don’t patronize pet stores that sell live animals.
Don’t pick a puppy or a
breed on looks, markings or cuteness. Instead look first for the adult dog’s
size, temperament, and behavior to determine its suitability to fit into your
home and lifestyle.
Temperament test the litter
and try to pick a pup with the right personality for you or let the breeder
help you do this. Temperament is far more important than looks in a family pet.
You’ll grow to love the looks of your special pet anyway!
Adult dogs can be trained to
become the pet you want in terms of manners, if you are willing to put in the
effort. An advantage to getting an adult is that you can see the personality,
size and coat type you will be dealing with.
Adults usually learn faster than pups though ‘untraining’ an adult of
learned undesirable behaviors can be difficult. There are good trainers out
there who specialize in helping families do this with their new pet. Even for a
perfect pup or dog, find yourself a great trainer – training is great for
owners and pets!
Puppy or adult, make sure
that you lay down the rules when you first bring a dog home. Changing the rules
a week or two after the dog joins the family is confusing. i.e. Don’t allow the dog on your bed now and
expect him to stay off of it later!
Choosing carefully in the beginning, and then following up with appropriate care and training, is the best way to make the next 10 to 15 years happy ones for you and your new canine companion.