Website design By BotEap.comSo you want a Puppy! Does the whole family accept this idea? Experience has shown that if one or more are against a pet, bringing an animal into that environment can cause considerable family friction and stress.

Website design By BotEap.comHave you weighed the financial and time implications? These can be considerable, owning a dog is a serious commitment and should never be taken lightly.

Website design By BotEap.comYou have to take into account your health, age and general time constraints, do you want an active or sedentary animal? Some dogs demand and require almost constant attention, lots of exercise, and mental stimulation. Others are more relaxed; therefore, you need to research which dog will follow your family’s outlook and lifestyle which includes living arrangements. For example, if you live in an apartment and are short on time, a Border Collie or Springer Spaniel-type dog would be insane and will most likely cause you serious behavioral difficulties. Not just for the dog!

Website design By BotEap.comMany people buy a dog because they like its appearance, that is, for aesthetic reasons, without taking into account the needs and temperament of that breed. You need to research both the positive and negative sides of your chosen breed and make sure that what you are looking for is suitable for your environment and lifestyle. Make sure you have fully decided on the breed before you start looking for your new addition to the family.

Website design By BotEap.com PUPPIES: WHERE TO BUY

Website design By BotEap.comIf you’ve decided on a puppy, there are some fundamental things to do and some places you should never buy, and rules you must abide by, regardless of what the breeder or seller tells you.

Website design By BotEap.com Rule 1. Never buy a Puppy from any place or person without being able to see at least one or preferably both parents. There are places called Puppy Farms that are absolutely deplorable. Just check out this link for more information and to report a possible farm dog puppy. http://www.puppywatch.org.uk Puppies from these farms often have major problems throughout their lives. This is mainly due to poor parenting, unsanitary conditions, cheap food, etc., and they are usually separated from their mother and siblings too soon, leading to socialization problems with people and other dogs.

Website design By BotEap.comDon’t let the word Farm give you the wrong impression. It may not be a farm, but light, airy and light kennels, and at first glance it looks like a professional establishment. If you can’t meet at least one of the parents or there are many different breeds of puppies then don’t even consider buying a puppy, you will live to regret it.

Website design By BotEap.comVery often they will buy the whole litter for say £45 from puppy farms in Ireland or Wales and then sell it to you for £450.00 with a false pedigree certification.

Website design By BotEap.com rule 2 Never buy a puppy from a pet store or any other similar outlet; other animals are fine, but not dogs. You could be supporting the horrible trade in dogs raised as puppies. I have even seen puppies being sold at car boot sales.

Website design By BotEap.com rule 3 Never buy on impulse or because you feel sorry for a scared or timid puppy.

Website design By BotEap.com rule 4 Never take the word of a breeder or any seller who tells you that they can’t know any of the parents, or that they dodge your questions about the parents. Commonly used excuses are sick or unavailable mothers or friends or they are selling a puppy for someone else.

Website design By BotEap.com Rule 5. Don’t automatically think your dog is a pedigree. Just because they’ve provided a certificate, especially if the parents can’t see each other, some of these certificates aren’t worth the cheap paper they’re printed on. I have a puppy in my classes at the time of this writing, with a full pedigree certificate, sold as a Cocker Spaniel, but he is clearly and without question an English Springer Spaniel.

Website design By BotEap.com Rule 6. Unless you are an experienced dog owner/handler, then don’t pick on the pup that jumps at you and pushes everyone else out of the way in your rush to catch up. This is normally the most dominant of the litter. Also don’t go to the other end of the scale and go for the midget or the scared one, because you feel sorry for yourself, you’re getting yourself into a lot of trouble if you do, most dog attacks are based on fear. our aggression. It is much better to choose a puppy from the middle classification. The breeder, if worth it, should be able to advise you on this. Alternatively, he can hire a behaviorist or specialist who can test the puppies using specialized puppy evaluation tests.

Website design By BotEap.com Rule 7. If you’re looking for puppies, don’t automatically think that if you go the Kennel Club route, those dogs and breeders have been personally vetted or vetted by that organization. This is not the case, although an excellent and well-intentioned establishment does not really have the facilities or the ability or the time to verify the credentials or good faith of all breeders on their books.

Website design By BotEap.comYou may be better off going to the breed clubs for the type of dog you’re looking for, as they generally know each professional breeder individually and respect each other’s ethics and work. Contact the secretaries and they should be able to point you in the direction of quality puppies available.

Website design By BotEap.com CHOOSE THE PUPPY AND TAKE IT HOME

Website design By BotEap.comNow you have established what you want and where to buy it. I would recommend that you visit the puppies at least twice, at 4/5 weeks and again when you pick up the puppy. The best age to bring the puppy home is 7 weeks, see my Psychological Changes in the Growth of a Puppy. NEVER accept a puppy under 7 weeks of age, it is vitally important that they are with their mother and siblings until this age, and puppies over twelve weeks should be avoided if possible, however this will depend on where they are kept ie, if they are kept in a home that is not an outdoor kennel with no human contact, if it is a loving home with a lot of contact with the breeder’s family, then they can be considered.

Website design By BotEap.comCheck the appearance of the mother and pups. Do they look healthy; clear and bright eyes, free of any discharge? Are their coats shiny? If possible, obtain confirmation of eye and hip scores from both mother and father. If the breeder allows it, always pet and cuddle the parents, check their temperament, look for signs of aggression, fear, nervousness or ‘neurotic’ symptoms such as paw chewing, tail chewing or skin damage, if the dogs walk in a side to side etc This is especially important in the mother, since the puppies are in close contact with her. It has been shown that it is the mother that shapes the future behavior of the offspring, genetics can load the gun, but the environment triggers.

Website design By BotEap.comBe sure to handle the puppies if they become distressed or run away, this could mean they have not been properly socialized. If puppies have been properly socialized, they will adapt and accept potentially stressful situations. Then you should end up with a well-balanced, happy dog ​​at maturity.

Website design By BotEap.comBefore you bring your new dog home, make sure your yard is ‘safe and secure’. Buy a collar, leash, bowls and dog tag with name, address and phone (maximum fine £5000 by law), bed, toys and treats etc. Check with the breeder what he is feeding the puppies, a good breeder will provide some food. and give you a feeding table. Leave out a small blanket or towel on her first visit, to catch the dam and litter’s scent, this should give her some comfort for the first week or so home. Check with other dog owners about the best vet in your area. If you live near me, check out the local links section as I have recommended what I think are the best vets in our area.

Website design By BotEap.comWhen picking up the puppy, take an indoor crate/kennel or cardboard box with you and cover it with newspaper, take spare newspaper as the puppy may be sick and will almost certainly urinate and defecate during the journey, especially if is any distance

Website design By BotEap.comWhen you get home, put the bed or crate near a warm place, if you are using a crate and I wholeheartedly recommend it, cover the crate with a blanket or sheet to make it more comfortable, like putting the puppy in the crate gradually and positively. my article on Going to the bathroom with a box.

Website design By BotEap.comIf you have a clock that ticks loudly, put it near the bed or cage, you can also put a hot water bottle; mimic the warmth of mothers and siblings and the ticking of the clock the beating of the heart, leave a radio on in another room, make sure it is tuned to a talk station and not music. 97.3 LBC is my favorite and the one I always choose. Not sure what the pup is thinking?

Website design By BotEap.comIf the puppy continues to be distressed, you can take him to his bedroom, although I would normally only recommend this when using an indoor crate/kennel, as you can gradually move him away over a period of time, once the puppy has settled in. You can also put a hot water bottle; this will mimic the warmth of the mother and siblings during the first few nights. Make sure it is well covered or you can get a very wet litter/cage.

Website design By BotEap.comYour new puppy will need a lot of sleep, just like a human baby, so too much interference with this pattern will be detrimental. Rough handling by children or adults could affect your new puppy’s behavior and attitude, and could have a lasting effect as the dog matures. However, insufficient contact and gentle handling will also have a negative effect on your dog, so finding the right balance is vitally important.

Website design By BotEap.comA puppy can be an absolute joy or an absolute nightmare, the one you get can be affected by the effort you initially put into your research, decisions, training, and ongoing socialization. It is vitally important to book your puppy into a good socialization class, make sure they have no more than 8/10 dogs in a class and that the puppies at the start of the course are no older than 18 weeks, and the trainers do not allow Since the puppies simply jump on each other at the beginning of the class, the integration of the puppies into the class must be careful and slow to avoid long-term problems and bad manners in later life.

Website design By BotEap.comPuppies need a lot of time, care and patience. Follow the guidelines above and your efforts will be positively rewarded with what I personally believe to be the best companion in the world. “UN Chien”.