Tips for Choosing a Dog

Choosing a dog to become part of your family shouldn't be taken lightly. If you've made the decision to acquire a furry companion, you're making a commitment that will hopefully last for years. This is an important step, so you need to do a little homework before you go puppy shopping. Research different dog breeds to find which ones best match your circumstances. Do you honestly have time to exercise a high-energy breed? Do you have room for a big dog? If you have children, which dogs best tolerate kids? Which is the best dog for you? Once you've decided on a specific breed, it's time for choosing a dog. Choosing the right dog can mean the difference between a great pet and a bad pet. Since most people buy dogs as puppies, that's what I'll focus on here.

Are you ready to buy a puppy?

Make sure you're ready to buy a puppy. Owning a dog is a commitment that will last for years. Before you buy a puppy, make sure you're willing to invest the time, money, and effort it will take to properly care for a dog. Dogs and other pets are not disposable.

If you ever get to the point where you can no longer care for the puppy or dog, give it away. Just make sure the prospective owners will take good care of the dog. If this isn't possible, turn in into a shelter or rescue group. If the dog is purebred, there are many breed-specific rescues that will probably be willing to take your unwanted dog.

Hopefully, this will never happen. If you've done your homework and have carefully examined and accepted the responsibilities of dog ownership before you buy a puppy, this will probably never be an issue.

Choose a reputable dog breeder

Once you've decided on a dog breed, locate reputable dog breeders in your area. Make sure the breeder is not running a puppy mill. Try to talk to someone who has purchased a pup from the breeder and get feedback from them. If you can't find anyone who has purchased a dog from the breeder, you might be able to get some information online.

If you can't find a reputable breeder in your area, make the drive to another city. The time and miles you invest will be worth it in the long run. After all, you're choosing a dog - not buying a loaf of bread!

Which is the best puppy?

When you visit the breeder, chances are that you will have several puppies from which to choose, including litter mates. They all look so sweet and cuddly. How do you pick the best one? How do you know you'll be choosing the right dog?

Watch the puppies at play. Does one seem more aggresive than the others? Does it seem like the boss? You don't want this one. He thinks he's the alpha dog and will be more difficult for you to train.

Does one of the puppies sit in the corner, away from the other pups? You don't want this one, either. He's too shy and might be difficult to socialize properly.

After you've watched the puppies play together, call them to you. A puppy that comes to you boldly, with head and tail held high, is more assertive and could turn out to be more aggressive in nature. Don't choose this one. Again, this puppy wants to assume the role as pack leader, which should ultimately be your position.

A puppy that hangs back and is unwilling to come to you is too fearful, so you don't want this one, either.

You should choose a puppy that comes to you willingly, with its head slightly lowered and its tail held level or below its back. Chances are very good that this pup will be trainable and easily socialized.

Once you get your hands on the pup, hug its head closely to you. It should remain in this position for a couple of seconds, submitting to your embrace, and not try to break your hold. The pup should have a covering of flesh over its ribs but should not be overly fat. Its eyes and nose should be free of drainage and matter. It should appear alert and happy. Look at the puppy's gums. If they're pale, the puppy probably has worms or other parasites.

Get a health check for the puppy

Ask the dog breeder for a health certificate, or have her agree to letting you take the puppy to your vet for a health check before purchase. A reputable breeder with healthy puppies should have no objection to this. Also, make sure you get any vet records from the breeder. Depending on the age of the puppy, it should have already received wormings and its first round of vaccinations.

Before introducing the puppy into your home, make sure it's completely healthy. You don't want the family to fall in love with the little guy before he gets the OK from the vet. There are terrible diseases, like Parvo, that can kill a puppy in a short period of time, so it's better to be safe before giving your heart away.

We adopted a puppy from a shelter several years ago, went to the pet store and bought all kinds of supplies, brought it home, and fell in love. The puppy seemed fine for the first couple of days, but after that, it was obviously sick. We took it to our vet and discovered that it had Parvo. It died, and we were heartbroken.

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