How to Choose the Right Puppy for You
by: Gary Nave
AWWWWW…who can resist the innocence of a
small puppy? Puppies can provide so much joy and
companionship in a person's life. As they say, dogs are
man's best friend. Doing some research before getting your
puppy could save you a lot of aggravation and unnecessary
frustration. If you plan properly, you will be very happy
with your choice.
Some of the questions that might be
important to you could be: are you planning to breed the
puppy, are you planning to show the puppy, will this breed
of puppy be good with children (if there are children or
will be children in the house), what purpose would you have
for the puppy, whether it be for hunting, guarding the
house, or simply a house dog, these are all questions that
you need to think about.
Visiting some pet stores to see if they
have the breed available would be a start. Checking online
for particular breeders would be another option. Checking
your local SPCA would really be a help not only for the
puppy, but also for the facility.
Puppies with AKC (American Kennel Club)
papers can be very costly depending on the breed and the
line from which the dog came from. Puppies that are for show
must be certified with papers, so if you are planning to
show the dog, you have no other alternative but to purchase
your puppy from a breeder or pet store that provides papers
for him. If your puppy is for your child, and not for
showing, it would be a better choice to either adopt from
the SPCA or buy one without papers; the cost will be greatly
reduced.
Once you find the puppy you wish to buy,
immediately take him to your veterinarian to have his shots
and check-up. Secondly, sign him up for puppy training
classes, this way, as an adult dog, he will have manners and
possibly know a few tricks!
Be sure you get the same kind of puppy
food that the previous owner (whether it is from a breeder
or a pet supply store) fed the puppy. If you want to change
his food, do so gradually by mixing some of the current food
with the new kind you want to switch to. This not only helps
to avoid diarrhea, but doesn't shock the puppy's system.
Also, be sure to register him for a
license for the state in which you live. You must register
each dog you have on an annual basis. The fee is minimal
(especially for the dog that is sterilized) but the
violation or citation if you are caught with an unlicensed
pet is extremely costly. Be sure to also buy some
personalized identity tags for the pet with his name, your
name, address and telephone number. You will be thankful you
did in case he happens to dig a hole under your fence and
wander around the neighborhood.
Have lots of fun choosing your puppy, he
will be part of your family for a long time!
Thanks for visiting go-pets.com
- it's a pet's world.