Buying
a Puppy/Adopting a Dog ...
ACQUIRING A NEW DOG
Before buying or adopting a puppy or adult dog, what you
should know....
The
acquisition of a dog should not be an impulsive action.
Shelters and Rescue groups are full to bursting with dogs
bought for the following wrong reasons.
1) Your children want one. Young children are not responsible
enough to take care of a puppy, and older children have very
full social lives and will soon be on their own in the world
or going to college. This means that the parents will initially
and always bear the responsibility for feeding, grooming,
training and cleaning up after the puppy. Only buy or adopt
the pet if YOU want it.
2) You are in the midst of emotional upheaval, such as a
divorce, move, marriage or death, and you want a companion.
Once things settle down and life becomes normal again, you
may not have time to take care of a dog. Wait until the dust
settles and then decide.
3) You are giving it as a gift. You may want to make up
a gift certificate for someone entitling him/her to a dog, but this should really
be discussed with the potential owner to make sure the dog is something he/she
wants.
Dogs are living creatures with needs very similar to our
own: food, shelter, love, and family. Give owning a dog as
much thought as you would to having a baby, or buying a house.
All these actions make profound changes in your lifestyle
and you should be as prepared as possible to deal with the
changes. Most of the dogs bought on impulse or given as surprise
gifts are dying by the thousands every day in shelters across
the country.
BACKGROUND AND PREPARATION
1) Educate yourself on the breed(s) you have chosen. Read
books, but more important, go to dog shows and talk to breeders,
talk to pet owners, talk to people doing breed rescue. If
you have a computer, join a discussion list for that breed.
Meet as many dogs, pet and show alike, of this breed as possible
to become familiar with it. If you are looking at a mixed
breed, educate yourself about the breeds it came from. Do
not choose a high energy dog if you are a couch potato, and
vice versa.
2) Find out what genetic and health problems are associated
with the breed. All breeds have some problems.
3) Make sure this
breed will fit in with your family and lifestyle. Make
sure all family members are aware of the
breed’s traits and are in agreement on the breed. A
dog is a 10-20 year commitment, and you should be no less
committed to your dog than you would to children. Both are
dependent upon you for food, shelter and a loving environment.
4) Imagine different scenarios that could occur in the future
and how they will be handled. Are you prepared to deal with
the early destructive behavior? All puppies chew, some until
18-24 months. Large breeds grow very quickly and things that
were safely out of reach are easily grabbed. Be prepared
for uprooted plants, huge holes in the yard, chewed anything
the puppy can get its mouth on.
5) If you do not have a fenced yard, then remember you will
be walking the dog in all weather, rain, snow, heat.
6) Are you prepared
for the cost of doggie “accessories”?
A dog crate can run from $150-$300. There will be a least
one leash, several collars until the puppy reaches full size,
obedience classes, not to mention food and supplements. Check
into the price of these things in order to have a good idea
of what monthly/yearly costs will be.
7) Are you prepared for dog hair over everything during
shedding season? For muddy paw prints all over the house
when it rains? To brush, shampoo, cut toenails, or to pay
for those services?
8) What about vet costs? Yearly shots, heartworm tests and
heartworm pills can cost as much as $150-$250. What about
emergency visits? There are dog health insurance plans that
will cover most of that cost. Yes, you may never have an
emergency run with your dog, but if you do the cost financially
and emotionally can be devastating.
9) What will you do if you move? If you are renting, finding
an apartment or house that allows large dogs can be very
difficult and expensive.
10) What if your marriage breaks up? Who will take the dog?
11) What if you have children? Merging a dog and children
can be a little time consuming and energy intensive initially,
but pays off in big dividends. Be prepared to teach the dog
to respect the children, but also for the children to respect
the dog. There are some dogs who may never like children,
and these may have to be rehomed.
12) What if your hours at work change and are longer? What
if you have to start traveling for your business? Do you
have family, friends or neighbors who can walk or care for
the dog when you are not there? Pet sitters and kennels can
help in these situations, but they are not cheap.
The importance of prior research and careful planning cannot
be emphasized enough. If you think ahead and make contingency
plans, you may save yourself and the dog the heartbreak of
going to a shelter or rescue group.
WHERE TO GET THE DOG?
Decide if a puppy or adult will better fit your lifestyle.
The best place to acquire a puppy or adult dog is from an
ethical breeder, rescue or animal shelter, not a local pet
store. Why?
At a Pet Store:
1) You cannot
meet the parents of the puppy that is being sold. Meeting
the parents and seeing what their temperament
is like will give you an idea of what the puppy’s temperament
may be like. Temperament has a definite genetic component.
2) Puppies in
pet stores come from big “puppy mills” to
whom these little dogs are nothing more a saleable product.
There is no genetic testing done, and no prior thought or
planning goes into their breeding program. They just put
two dogs of the same breed together and Voila! Puppies, little
moneymakers.
3) Breeding mothers may be kept in small cages and bred
each heat cycle until they are worn out, then discarded.
4) Many of the puppies in pet stores are taken from their
mothers too early and are shipped across country at a this
very young and impressionable age, are kept in little cages,
and when they grow older, have physical, emotional and mental
trauma from such a poor start in life.
5) No reputable breeder will send puppies to a pet store
to be sold
It
is, to use an old expression, akin to buying a “pig
in poke”. You support and perpetuate this horrendous
puppy processing plant when you buy a puppy from a pet store.
If you decide to go to a breeder or rescue group, do your
research.
THE BREEDER
1) Call and talk to him/her. Ask for references from previous
puppy buyers.
2) Talk to other breeders, pet owners and rescue about that
breeder and his/her dogs.
3) Beware the
breeder who puts down everyone else’s
dogs while insisting his are perfect.
4) Good breeders if they have nothing available would be
willing to recommend another breeder or rescue
5) The breeder should be very interested in the potential
puppy buyer and ask many questions about lifestyle, home
and family, or have a questionnaire for the potential buyer
to fill out. This will aid them in matching up the best dog
to its new home.
6) The breeder
should assess the puppy buyer’s knowledge
of the breed and proceed to further educate them on all aspects
including temperament, and health problems in the breed.
7) Some breeders will want to come out and do a home check
also.
8) Any good breeder will not be put off by questions and
in fact, will welcome them. They are happy the buyer took
the time to do some research.
9) A good breeder will also tell you of the problems inherent
in his lines (and there is no such thing as a perfect dog,
so all lines have some type of problems, some more that others),
but more importantly, what he is doing to eliminate them.
Acknowledgement of problems and honest efforts to rectify
them is the sign of a good breeder.
10) The buyer should be told that acquiring a dog from this
breeder means the breeder would be part of his life as long
as he has the dog.
11) A dog is a 10-20 year commitment; the breeder should
not pressure the puppy buyer to make an immediate decision,
but let the potential owner think things through, even though
it may involve several visits and numerous phone calls. A
good breeder will remain gracious and helpful whatever your
decision.
One or both parents
should be on the premises. The puppy buyer should be able
to approach and pet the parents, with
them showing no signs of aggression. Any breeder who does
not want the buyer to come to his kennel, who wants to meet
the buyer somewhere to give him a puppy, who will “drop” the
puppy off at the buyer’s home, is breeder to avoid.
QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT THE BREEDING PROGRAM
-What can you tell me about the breed standard? Can you
show me using one of your dogs? The breeder should be familiar
enough with the standard to cite most of it without using
a reference. If they use their dog to demonstrate, see if
they point out how their dog does or does not meet the standard.
-Why did you breed this litter? There should be some goal
or purpose other than just having puppies. Best answers:
To correct a fault in their line to bring their dogs closer
to the breed standard, whether it is a physical fault, or
to improve temperament. The breeder should point out the
good and bad aspects of the sire and dam, and explain how
he is trying to improve upon what he has.
-How long have you been in the breed and how long have you
been breeding? If this is their first litter, are they under
the guidance of someone more experienced? If so, who? Is
that person available to talk to?
-How many litters have you bred? If the breeder only has
one female, more than one litter a year is too many. There
should be 1 to 2 years between litters. If they have 5 or
6 females with litters on the ground, use caution.
-How old are the sire and dam? In large breeds, they both
should be at least 18 months, preferably 2 years old.
-May I see a pedigree?
Most breeders have at least a 4 or 5-generation pedigree
available to puppy buyers. There may
be many champions in the background, but don’t be fooled
by the hype. Just because there is a Champion several generations
back does not mean this breeder is producing champion dogs,
nor are they a guarantee of health and soundness.
-Are both parents AKC registered? This is important if you
plan to show in conformation or obedience.
-Do you show your dogs? If so, how many champions do you
have or have you produced? This guarantees nothing, but if
they do show, and have produced champions, they are at least
interested in producing dogs that meet the breed standard.
-Are you a member of the National breed club, a local breed
club, or a local kennel club? Most clubs have a code of ethics
that all members agree to and sign when they become members.
Once again, this does not guarantee anything, but it is a
step in the right direction.
-Have
you ever been suspended from the AKC or any kennel/breed
club to which you belong? If the answer is yes, find out why. BUT this should raise
a cautionary flag.
-If buying a show puppy, ask if the breeder will teach you
to show or show your dog for you. If so, ask about fees.
-Do you show in obedience? If so, are any dogs titled? Dogs
titled in obedience generally have good temperaments and
a willingness to learn and obey. Your breeder should strongly encourage you to take a puppy to puppy and
adult obedience classes.
-Do
you have the names of puppy buyers; both show and pet quality
that I can contact for references? Any breeder reluctant
to do so may have something to hide. They may ask to contact
the previous puppy buyers first for permission to give out
their numbers and or have the owner call the puppy buyer.
Either way is fine. When speaking with owners ask if the
breeder has been responsive to their calls and assisted them
in a timely manner when they needed help. Ask how the puppies/dogs
are currently doing and if they have any health problems.
HEALTH ISSUES
-What genetic
testing have you done? In large breeds, the dogs’ hips should have been x-rayed and certified by
OFA*. An x-ray is the only way to verify if the dog has dysplasia.
Watching them walk or run is not a reliable method of ascertaining
the dog is free of hip problems. The eyes should have been
tested and certified by CERF**. The eye certification is
good for 1 year, so check the date. At the very least, they
should have a copy of the ophthalmologist’s report
showing that the dogs have had an exam in the past year.
The breeder should have researched the backgrounds on both
parents to avoid genetic defects, should be able to explain
his search, and what he is doing to avoid any possible problems
that may surface. Ask to see the certification papers or
vet reports.
Ask about any
genetic problems exhibited by the parents’ siblings
or the grandparents. If mom and dad don’t have it,
and others in their family do, it could be passed on to the
puppies.
-What other health checks have you done? The sire and dam
both be tested for thyroid and brucellosis just prior to
the breeding and should be up to date on their vaccines.
Ask to see written proof from the vet.
-What vaccines and vet care has the puppy/dog received?
Puppies should have a fecal check at 6-8 weeks and if necessary,
should be on a regular worming program recommended by the
vet. Heartworm preventative can be started as early as 10
weeks, depending on what part of the country the breeder
lives in. Puppies get vaccines at 6-8 weeks, 10-12 weeks,
and 14-16 weeks. Adult dogs are vaccinated once a year for
DHLPPV, and every three years after the first two shots for
rabies. Some vets are re-thinking yearly shots and may have
the animals on a two or three year regimen.
There are some breeders who prefer a more holistic or natural
approach to rearing. They may not vaccinate at all, they
may use homeopathic nosodes, or they may use nosodes in conjunction
with a moderate vaccination schedule. Frequently they feed
raw, whole food instead of commercial kibble. If a breeder
uses any of these approaches, ask them to explain their approach,
and to recommend reading material to further investigate
their methods.
Natural rearing
should NOT be an excuse to avoid vaccinating!! Most people
who use this approach have done extensive research
prior to implementing it. If the breeder seems unable to
provide a logical explanation for his beliefs, then perhaps
he is not truly practicing “natural rearing”,
and should be avoided.
You
can verify the dog’s OFA status at this website
Http://www.offa.org/
You can verify their CERF status at this website Http://www.vet.purdue.edu/~yshen/cerf.html
Some breeders use Pennhip at the University of Pennsylvania
instead of OFA
THE KENNEL SET UP
If the dogs are kept outside, there should be shelter from
the elements such as a doghouse, and trees or a sunshade
over the top of the kennel. The doghouses should provide
sufficient protection from rain and cold. The kennels should
be clean and the dogs should have water available.
Indoor kennels should also have fans or air conditioning
for the summer and heat for the winter. The kennels should
be clean, and the dogs have water.
Some keep their dogs indoors. The house should be fairly
clean, with no obvious feces or urine around. If they are
crated, the crates should be clean with no feces or urine
in them.
All the dogs should look healthy, clean, and if not friendly,
at least be polite.
The puppies should be in a separate area and be clean and
healthy looking, not too fat, not too thin, with clear eyes
and noses. The breeder should encourage interaction with
the puppies and visitors as a form of socialization.
THE CONTRACT
Read the Contract. This is something you may have to utilize
one day. Know what you are signing.
The
contract should cover the following items:
- When outdoors, the dog should be provided with shelter
from the elements, be in an enclosure, or fenced yard, and
be given clean water.
-Should require the dog be given regular veterinary care,
medical and dental for the rest of its life.
-For pet puppies, that no papers will be issued or only
a limited registration given until the puppy is spayed or
neutered
-That as far as the breeder is able to tell, through testing
and background knowledge, the dogs bred were free of genetic
conditions or diseases.
-That, if for whatever reason the puppy owner can no longer
keep the dog, it can and should be returned to the breeder
at any age instead of being taken to an animal shelter or
humane society.
-For show quality dogs, that the dog must be shown, and
be given all the testing clearances prior to breeding, and
not bred before adulthood.
-All puppies should
come with health and soundness guarantees valid until a
reasonable age (1 ½ -3 years) against
conditions such as crippling hip dysplasia, knee problems,
blindness, heart defects, uncontrollable epilepsy . (Most
of these diseases will have manifested themselves by then).
If any of these occur, the breeder should offer a replacement
puppy or a full refund without the owner having to return
or euthanize the original dog.
- Show puppies should come with guarantees to clear OFA
, CERF, patellar exams, etc, and that the puppy has no show
disqualification.
- Should have a stipulation that the buyer have the puppy
independently checked by a veterinarian within 48-96 hours
of purchase. If it is found to have health problems, the
puppy accompanied by the vet report should be returned and
the buyer receives a full refund.
- Acknowledge that autoimmune problems affect this breed,
and while the seller cannot guarantee against their appearance
when the dog is older than stipulated above, the breeder
is available for assistance at any time.
-There should be a blank area to be filled in with any special
agreements or arrangements agreed upon by the breeder and
puppy buyer.
The
breeder should supply information such as diet, vaccination,
and worming records as well as four-generation pedigree and
registration papers.
RESCUE GROUP OR ANIMAL SHELTER
RESCUE OR HUMANE SOCIETY
Most rescue dogs
come from shelters and have no papers. Therefore the dogs’ background is unknown. Rescue groups
make every effort to ensure the dogs are healthy and free
from defects and that they have a good temperament. If they
have a health problem the potential owner should be told
right up front. Many rescuers have contact with the dogs
on a daily basis and can tell you all about the dog’s
personality and its’ individual quirks. An owner who
does not want a puppy can often find a loving companion in
rescue.
Rescue personnel will talk with the potential owner about
the breed to find out their current level of knowledge and
then try to further it. They will discuss lifestyle, work
hours, children, other pets, living situation all in an effort
to match the right dog to the right owner.
Most rescue groups require the potential owner to fill out
an adoption application, and sign a contract. Many require
that references are checked and a home visit completed prior
to introducing the prospective owner to the available dogs.
Because rescue is staffed with volunteers, who have to fit
rescue duties into their normal lives, this can take between
two and six weeks.
The rescue group
should make it clear that they will be available to the
owner for any assistance with health and
behavior questions for the rest of the dog’s life
QUESTIONS TO ASK
-How long have you been involved with the breed? Someone
with more years of experience will be better able to evaluate
dogs as to their placeability.
-How long have you been involved in rescue? If only a short
while, ask if they have a mentoring group and if you may
contact them.
-Do you have the names of previous adopters for references?
They will either give names and numbers, or contact previous
adopters for permission to give out the name and number,
or have the previous adopter make the contact.
-Do you have the names of shelters or humane groups for
references? They can tell you how well the rescue works with
them and how their placements are.
-Do you have some kind of formal temperament testing?
CONTRACT
-Should give the dog ample time (4-6 weeks) to make the
adjustment to the new home
-Should stipulate the dog be returned to rescue at any time,
and not be taken to a shelter or humane society, nor given
away to someone else.
-Should stipulate the dog cannot be used as a guard dog
for any agency, firm, corporation, or organization, nor should
it be attack trained.
-Should stipulate the dog is a house pet, not to be kept
outdoors all the time.
-Should require the dog be fed a high quality food.
- When outdoors, the dog should be provided with shelter
from the elements, be in an enclosure, or fenced yard, and
be given clean water.
-Should require the dog should never be left chained up
unattended, indoors or out,.
-Should stipulate the training collar (choke) chain should
not be on the dog unless it is being trained or walked.
-Should require the dog be given regular veterinary care,
medical and dental for the rest of its life.
THE DOGS
-should be up to date on shots and heartworm medicine.
-should
be spayed/neutered prior to adoption (preferable) or the
provisions should be made to spay or neuter the dog
within a certain period after adoption.
-should be clean and healthy looking, with good temperament.
ANIMAL SHELTER
The original purpose of animal shelters was to house stray
dogs and cats for a mandated period of time so they can be
claimed by their owners. If unclaimed they are put up for
adoption. Unfortunately, so many people misuse shelters as
a dumping place for unwanted animals that they are overwhelmed
and many dogs and cats are euthanized because of lack of
space to keep them.
-Most require adoption application.
-Most require spaying or neutering within a certain time
period if not already done.
-Ask if they do any type of temperament testing.
-Ask about heartworm testing and shots.
-Most require a signed adoption contract.
Jodi Marcus. January 2004
I want to thank everyone who contributed information to
this article. I knew which way I wanted to go, but having
never been a breeder, solicited and received very good information
about contracts, testing, and vaccination schedules as pertains
to breeding pairs and puppies. A big thanks to Linda Walker
of Sunapee Akitas, who was especially responsive.
Permission
is granted from the author to reprint this article.
