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Buying a puppy?
There are a myriad of reasons why
people decide to add a dog to their family. They find themselves
faced with the first question of "What type of dog do I choose"?
They may be looking for a replacement for a lost, faithful and
trusted canine companion, they may be living alone and long for
canine companionship, they may have a child or children who long to
add a dog to their household, something to interact with and teach
them responsibility and compassion at the same time, they may long
to fill a void of a childless home believing a dog is the right
choice, or they may wish to add a status symbol to compete with the
family next door who attracts so much attention with their striking,
fashionable dog. There are as many reasons as there are breeds of
dogs, whatever the reason for wanting a pet, no-one should rush into
acquiring one. You should not only consider your own interests as
prospective owners but, first and foremost, think of the happiness
of your future companion.
If you choose your dog with care, your life will be enriched for
years to come by a friend who will give much love and satisfaction
and cause little annoyance. If on the other hand you choose
your breed without forethought or only because of the way it looks
you risk being bitterly disappointed. Time spent researching breeds
before purchasing will place the odds smartly in your favour of a
great partnership.
A dog placed in unsuitable
surroundings will feel unhappy and may be robbed of the chance to
ever explore it's true character. It may become sullen and start
misbehaving, perhaps even becoming so undisciplined and aggressive
that it proves unacceptable to it's new owner, who will no doubt
blame the failure on the animal or it's breed instead of admitting
that the fault lay in their ill-considered choice.
In keeping a pet the owner is
taking on a considerable responsibility, and if, for instance, the
pet is only wanted as a status symbol, it would be better to think
again.
Remember that any living breathing possession that brings joy
involves care and responsibility. When you have considered all the
pro's and con's of dog ownership and you still have an unquenchable
desire to own a dog your next problem will be to decide what kind of
dog to choose.
A dog is no less an individual than a human being, and any dog,
purebred or not, will have its own personality. A mongrel can be
just as playful, faithful, affectionate, friendly or lazy, shy,
aggressive and stubborn as a purebred dog. The pedigree dog has a
great advantage because it's appearance can be predicted (to a
degree) and it's character has traits selectively bred for such as
hunting, retrieving, boldness and guard instincts.
The acquisition of a mongrel incurs the same degree of
responsibility as the purchase of a pedigree dog. There is a
widespread misconception that a mongrel will be stronger and more
resistant to disease than a purebred dog. Those who have worked in
dog's homes know better.
It is a well known fact that many mongrels are owned by people who
never use Vets, therefore they do not get counted into the
statistics. (Of course there are many who have fantastic owners too)
Pedigree dogs have usually cost a considerable amount of money, if
purchased from a responsible breeder the owners will have registered
with a Vet soon after purchase, they will have been told about
inoculations and health checks, signs of disease etc. So as you can
see the statistics are stacked against the pedigree dog from the
start.
There is also a very maligning belief that purebred dogs are
responsible for more bites to humans than mongrels/mutts. A trip to
a hospital with my daughter when she was bitten in the park by a
mongrel opened my eyes to this misconception. When filling out the
accident report, we were asked to identify the breed responsible for
the bite, I answered truthfully, saying mongrel, I was pressed
further to describe what breed it most resembled, when I said it was
possibly a border collie cross spaniel type (seen frequently in this
area), I was shocked to find that my daughter's bite had been added
to the border collie list of bites. I questioned this and was told
that "Spaniel type" was not detailed enough but
Border Collie was identifiable and they HAD TO name the breed on
the hospital incident record. I insisted that they remove the
description I gave from the record and replace with my original
answer of mongrel. This is where the figures you read in your
newspapers come from, so do not be mislead. That recorded
GSD bite may have been any large, erect eared mongrel.
When you have decided if your dog is to be mongrel or purebred, the
next consideration is the actual dog. Do you want hours of daily
grooming which can accompany a heavily or long coated breed? Do you
want a huge dog which may demand many hours of on lead exercise due
to your small apartment and no garden? Do you want a tiny dog who
will easily be intimidated by the kids and other pets? It's all
about horses for courses. If a mongrel is your choice, take a trip
to the local dogs homes, these dogs are as varied as pedigree dogs
in type, leave a brief description of your requirements with the
kennel if you fail to find your ideal companion, they can contact
you when something suitable comes in.
If your choice is to be a pedigree dog, it would be a good starting
place to contact a Club run for that breed, (click
here for dog clubs listed by breed & county) ask the Club
officer as many questions as you can (it is worthwhile having a list
of questions at the ready).
Whatever you choose to do, visit as many places as possible, leave
your wallet and purse at home. This gives you the time and space
needed to truly assess your priorities. Every puppy you see will be
beautiful, regardless of it's resemblance to your ideal adult.
Puppies are puppies, I have never seen one yet that didn't melt my
heart on the spot. Beware the Breeder wearing “Rose tinted
Spectacles” -they usually have a kennel full of self described
“Stunners” and use hard sell tactics, they almost hold you hostage
until you pay a deposit.
When you have decided on the type of dog, your next question is,
should I have a male or female. Ask about the differences in
character or size of the males and females, some breeds have a vast
difference in the two sexes whereas others are almost unnoticeable,
knowing about your intended breed's sexual differences (other than
the obvious ones of course) will benefit you so that you can be even
closer to your choice of ideal companion.
If you never want to breed from your companion it would be wise to
have your dog altered. Hormones responsible for possible mood swings
in males and females are complications you need not endure. They are
no less masculine or feminine in appearance after spaying/neutering.
There are no queues of admirers at the gate waiting to accompany you
and your female for your exercise when she is in season. Your dog is
not so eager to climb the fence when the Jones' female in the next
street is in season.
A common misunderstanding is that a female should have a litter
before she is spayed, this is absolute rubbish, there is no gain
whatsoever for the female in having a litter at all.
Another commonly heard excuse for not having a male neutered is that
he would be less a male, and that he would miss his 'bits'. Again,
this is rubbish, a dog who has never mated has no idea what he is
missing at all, the only time he will think about his amorous needs
with any concentration is when a female in season is nearby, if he
is neutered the scent may still mean something, but he will not be
spending his life thinking about how to get to that female at all
costs, this is a very poor excuse for not neutering. If you select a
naturally dominant breed of dog, neutering will not entirely change
his character, but it should certainly assist him to maintain a
steady character at all times, an in season female will arouse parts
of his character you have not seen previously and you may not want
this displayed up close and personal. Whatever you decide, make it
an informed decision. Do the best for you and your dog's well being,
a happy partnership will last far longer than an unhappy one.
Talk to as many
breeders as possible, look at their kennels, learn their reasons for
breeding and what their qualifications are to be a breeder. How many
litters a year do they have? Are these folks commercial breeders
that are doing this for profit, or do they truly love the breed and
are trying to better it? Are they sincerely interested in the breed?
A good way to meet these people is at Championship shows, you will
have the names, address and telephone numbers of all exhibitors in
the catalogue and you will see your potential breeder amongst his or
her peers. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about their ethics, and
use their peers as references. After all if their intentions have
always been honourable, they should have no fear from their
opposition. Bear in mind that it is their Ethics you want an opinion
of and not their stock. Your own judgement will attract you to the
correct breed type and what is preferred for your taste may not be
preferred by all breeders you speak to.
If you intend to
exhibit your puppy, take a good long while before selecting a
breeder. Use common sense when assessing the wins at some shows. An
Akita who wins one CC, or one class in a whole season of exhibition
and is relegated to the bottom of the class line-up or unplaced at
all others may have been alone in his class the day he won or may
have had a close link with the Judge on his winning day. (As happens
in any competitive sport, there are always cases of discreditable
judgement). The key word is consistency! There are far better
attributes to be found in a dog who places 2nd at 20 shows than a
dog who places 1st at 1 show and fails to get higher than 5th at the
other 19.
Will the breeder give you references of those who have purchased
their animals so you can ask if this breeder has been helpful to the
new
Akita
owner? If their last litter contained 5 Akitas, contact all 5
buyers. Being selective about which buyers they allow you to know
should set alarm bells ringing. The same courtesy should have been
extended to all their customers not just 1 or 2 from each litter.
Before choosing a pup, have you looked at the conditions of the
breeder's kennel, seen the Dam and possibly the Sire of the litter,
studied their current health clearances for compliance and noted the
general health of the litter, as well as that of the parents and the
other dogs in the kennel? If the kennel conditions are not clean,
the animals obviously not healthy and well cared for, the dogs seem
to lack interest in the breeder or show fear of them RUN, DO NOT
WALK, to the nearest exit.
Whatever you decide, we hope it is a choice which you will have made
after exploring all there is to know. Dog ownership is very
rewarding, people who love animal companionship are the nicest
people in the world. Their love should be as unconditional as their
companions and their loyalty to each other knows no boundaries.
Good luck on your quest, we hope we have helped in some small way.
If you have decided that you cannot accept the huge responsibility
of dog ownership, you may still have close touch with an extended
family member's dog or a neighbour's dog. At least you have not
jumped into ownership without thinking, thereby preventing a failed
placement, you may not be a future dog owner but you are without
doubt a responsible dog lover and we have the utmost respect for
you. (View all puppies for sale)
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