Thinking of getting a new puppy? The definitive guide!

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Cedars

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Been reading through all the old threads on here, and noticed that SO many (!!) ask for advice on new puppies. So I thought (whilst I'm sat at home) we'd start the definitive thread so that everyone looks in one place!

Please add anything I've forgotten, alot of you are alot more experienced than me!

Choosing Your Puppy

1. Find a reputable breeder. Kennel Club website is a good place to start - but word of mouth works wonders too. No matter how sad it is, do NOT buy from dodgy people, because you will just support their horrific business.

2. Take a list of questions with you - including things like when they had their vacs, what socialising they've had, and hips and eyes scores. Also ask for their vets number who has seen the puppies - if they're dodgy about giving it, ring the number to check they have actually been seen!

3. Watch mum with the puppies, and under NO circumstances take a puppy without seeing mummy. See point 1! Also ask who dad was.

4. Consider which puppy (if any - you dont have to pick from the first breeder you see!) suits YOUR lifestyle. E.g. Yes they're all mad hyper now, and that's really cute, but if you're going to leave it alone whilst you're at work, will you think its so cute when its ripped apart your sofa? If its very quiet, is it going to be scared of your horses? If you have kids, take them with you and SAFELY get them to play with mum and the puppies - see how it reacts with children.

5. If you're going to insure, ring the insurance company to get an idea of how expensive its going to be, so you don't get any nasty suprises!!

Preparing Your Home

1. KITCHEN ROLL! STAIN REMOVER!

2. If you're going to crate train, set up the crate with a bed of sorts in it. Our local pet shop sells on a massive roll a mat with soft padding on the top that is washable which has been great. It also helps to pad out the sides - use old towels, or old socks stuffed with newspaper.

3. You will not need lots of toys! I recommend buying things such as cow hooves (empty to start), and all toys MUST be wipe down - we threw out about £60 worth in the first few weeks cos every time she had an accident her toys got destroyed!

4. Have a quiet part of the house prepared to bring them home into - made puppy safe!

5. Have food ready for puppy - ask the breeders what they're feeding her, and buy that - no food will kill them, so its best to get her home before you start messing around changing food! On this note, when/if you do decide to change their food, ask for lots of opinions - and be aware to bias (our vets are obsessed with ProPlan.....they're sponsored by them!!).

Bringing Puppy Home

1. Collar and lead! Dont spend money on expensive ones, they grow like weeds. The expandable ones are best. Also have a tag ready on the collar - its against the law to have an animal without a tag on it.

2. Be prepared in the car! Put waterproof lining down, bring lots of towels - puppies can get carsick, and some might wet themselves with stress. We found it was best for one person to drive and one person to sit in the front passenger seat, pushed right back, and place puppy between your legs on the front seat. You can then hold them still round corners.

3. When you get them home, start with toilet training straight away! Take them to where you want them to start weeing, and use your command (we use "Wee Chlo" but anything will do so long as you're consistent). If they dont go, wait until they do but if they really wont go, try again in a bit.

4. Bring them into the quiet prepared room, and let them sniff around their environment. We found it was best to sit with her whilst she sniffed round the room, and round us! Introduce all new people quietly and calmly, and supervise with kids obviously!

The First Night

This is going to be tough, so its best to have a plan! Take puppy for a walk during the day so they're tired, and then when its time for bed, take them to their crate or wherever they're going to sleep, say goodnight (we say "night chlo, love you") then shut the door, and walk away. GO TO BED! No matter how much noise they make, you MUST leave them to it - they need to learn from day 1 that bed time means bed and you WONT go back to them. Only change to this is if they sound like they're injuring themselves - in which case, walk in, ignore them, remove whatever they could be injuring themselves on, and walk out. NO FUSS! This is the hardest night.

The First Few Weeks/Months

They will have accidents! Don't punish, rub their noses in it, or anything similar. Clean up, use odor remover so they can't smell it again, and don't make a fuss. Put them out every half hour/hour, and also straight after dinner, straight after play, first thing in the morning, just before bed. Chloe still has accidents occasionally at 9 months - patience is key!!

Fall into your normal routine as soon as possible. If you are intending to leave them during the day when you're at work, simulate this even when you're not going - i.e. put coat on, open and shut door - so they learn you ARE coming back (and you can check they don't destroy anything!)

Get them microchipped asap. All good vets will let you bring them in for trips just to give them treats etc - its really important they aren't scared of the vets!

Socialise them with other dogs and encourage them into other environments quickly. The first time we took Chloe into town, she wouldnt walk at all, she just cowered to the floor, and we literally had to take one step at a time, but now she walks like a pro
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as with everything, its all about patience!

As a rough rule, 5 mins walking for every month they've been alive. SO, 3 month old, 15 min walk.

Think thats it - please add anything else guys!

Hannah xx
 
Do your research - check if your chosen breed or the parents of your cross puppy are prone to hereditary conditions and ask to see if the parents have been tested accordingly.

Buying a cross does NOT cancel out hereditary health problems.

Puppy and training classes are very helpful

Do not overfuss a puppy that is scared - you will reinforce that it was correct to be scared in the first place and could imprint a fear association with the 'scary thing' that could last a lifetime.

Start focus training ASAP - if a dog is looking at you and paying attention to you, it will be infinitely easier to train.
Dogs which learn to pay attention to their owners above all else are much less likely to later display aggression to other dogs, cats, livestock and recall training will be much easier.

Introduce a 'no' command (whatever word you think is best) as soon as possible - it may save your dog's life.

Do not overfuss puppy when leaving home and coming back - this heightens anxiety and can lead to lots of problems in the long run.

Do not accept 'can deliver' - see the puppies in their home environment and do not accept being brought one out from behind closed doors.

If the breeders appear to put the same dog to the same bitch every time she is open - I, personally, would steer clear.
I also dislike 'ready for Christmas' and pups being allowed to go before eight weeks - but again, personal preference.

Puppies should be clean and clear eyed when seen.

Do NOT encourage lead biting/toy possesiveness/food possessiveness and nipping people in pups - it is funny when they are young, but it is not funny when they are full grown. Children especially should be told this.

For larger working breeds, keep an eye on them when they hit 12 months, especially in entire males - adolescence can be an annoying stage!

For larger, weight-bearing breeds, especially those prone to joint problems, do not over-exercise. Free running where possible is fine for the first few months. Do NOT ask such breeds to jump more than necessary or over-exert themselves until 12 months.

Try and pick a puppy that is in the middle - not cowering at the back (however cute it looks) and not jumping at you and biting your ankles.
Confident, but not too bolshy - however I will be picking an ankle-biter next time round
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Dont leave your puppy in the room with your inlaws brand new £800 table when they're in a chewing phase.....*cries*
 
Be prepared for the third degree from the breeder - any decent breeder will want to know what kind of home their puppy is going to. If they have no interest, approach with care.

Make sure the breeder will take the puppy back if it doesn't work out - again any decent breeder will do this so if they say yes you can take it as a good sign.

Do NOT pick a breed because it looks pretty or your mate has one - pick one that will fit in with you, your family and your lifestyle.

Do NOT encourage a puppy to do anything you wouldn't want an adult dog to do. Yes, a little puppy jumping up and pawing at your knee is cute. A gurt hairy lump of a dog dripping with mud and cows**t jumping up and knocking your front teeth out is not.... but the dog won't understand the difference!
 
I wrote a "Before you buy a dog test" that I've posted on here before but maybe it can be worth posting it again.

A dog-knowledge-test for those interested in buying a puppy/dog, you may only choose one in every following pair of statements.



1
a Lassie/Other movie-dogs was born educated.
b Lassie/Other movie-dogs was trained, and probably by a very professional trainer.



2
a A neighbour/uncle have a well behaved dog, so I'm buying what they have.
b Well behaved dogs are well trained dogs and I must ask how much and what sort of training it took.



3
a Dogs are bred to be good human companions, therefor you could buy any breed whose looks you like.
b Some breeds looks makes me slobber but they don't suit my eating-account/exercise level/lack of sheep...



4
a I work 9 to 5, drives to + from work takes 2 hours, have several hobbies and need something to keep the children occupied.
b I have the time and interest for daily dog walks, puppy class etc. If the rest of the family wants to help, it's a bonus.



5
a I'm not interested in showing, so I could save money by buying a pure breed without pedigree papers.
b No papers = parents might not fulfil breed requirements, either way the breeder doesn't do it to save me money.



6
a If they have a kennel name, bred one champion (15 years ago), seem to know a lot about dogs... They're a good breeder
b A good breeder offers support after delivery, shows me health check result, have questions for me to answer...



7
a If a breeder has bred numerous champions, you know you're buying quality from someone who knows everything about dogs.
b Looking good doesn't = good mentality, running around in a circle and making a dog stand doesn't = superior dog know-how.



8
a In mongrel-breeding, you only need to think about how the adult result between the breeds might look.
b Pure breed dogs with disqualifying faults could have been used, mentality from NR 1-hunting grandfather could turn up...



9
a Mongrels temperament isn't breed specific, so what breeds is used isn't important. It's a mix, period.
b The ones selling Border C/Golden R/Dalmatian puppies, maybe need a dog that herd waterbirds with stamina to work a whole day...



10
a I can't afford veterinary bills, so I need to buy a mongrel, because their innate vitality = no veterinary visits.
b Mongrels could be hit by a car, get old age diseases, need vaccination and maybe get sterilized, just as pure breeds.



11
a If I can save one puppy from a crappy breeder, I must save it from it's misery.
b Though heartache, I wont support crappy breeders by giving them my money to continue their BAD work.



12
a Bad brood bitch mentality towards humans/puppies, doesn't mean much. 50% of the DNA comes from stud dog, and they say he's nice...
b If I don't want the bitches temperament in my home, I'm not buying. Genes matters, but mum is their first tutor.



13
a The environment where the puppy have been raised, doesn't affect the puppies mentality/adjust-ability to your home.
b Puppies with entertaining/challenging in/outdoor environment, have better mentality/adjusts easier to your home.



14
a A dog only seems to be a shame when you come home when they know they've been naughty, so then it's okay to lecture them.
b A dog only seems to be a shame when you come home, because they want to smooth your irrational homecoming behaviour.



15
a The only happy dog is the full dog. Being overweight doesn't kill a dog.
b Happy dog = full dog = crap. Obesity makes the lifespan shorter, and dog lives are short enough as it is.



16
a My aunts best friends cousin has a dog that refuses to go for walks if it rains, I'm going to teach my dog that to.
b I realise that whether I have a cold, the weather alternate between rain and downpour, a dog need walks or activation.




If you've always chosen the b alternative : you'll probably turn out to be an okay dog owner.
If you've chosen a in number 4 : You're either just kidding or you're serious. If it's the later, buy a cuddly toy.
Otherwise one or two chosen a : you maybe also could turn out to be an okay dog owner.
Three or more a alternative : If you want lots of outdoor walking, have you tried golf?




Before you make your first visit to any breeder/rescue or who ever you have thoughts about buying a puppy/dog from, learn these following mantras :
There's lots of puppies/dogs for sale/in need of a home out there.
Not buying this one, doesn't equal living for ever without.
It's my money, time and emotions on the line, not the sellers.




PS The Border Collie/Golden Retriever/Dalmatian puppies were advertised in my morning paper last autumn (2008). Described as cute, suitable for anyone and with modest exercise needs...
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[ QUOTE ]
Make sure the breeder will take the puppy back if it doesn't work out - again any decent breeder will do this so if they say yes you can take it as a good sign.

[/ QUOTE ]

Of course a good breeder should offer to take a puppy back if it turns out that f.ex. you've bought a for you unsuitable breed, truly are allergic, that something makes it not work together with your other animals or that your children aren't nice to it.

But a good breeder would also be reluctant to sell a puppy to somebody who sounds like "if our children doesn't think its funny anymore to have a puppy after a week or so, can we return it and get all our money back?" or "well if we/our children happens to break the puppy during the first week, then we can return it and get all our money back can't we, since it must have been something wrong with it from the start if it's that fragile?"

So choose your words and make certain that you don't sound like someone with a careless attitude that wouldn't take good care of a puppy, when you ask about if the breeder have any taking back policy.
 
Awesome, Finny
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With regard to pt 15 - and as mentioned on another forum I visited the other day - there is NO benefit from a dog carrying any extra weight than it needs.

AND - on a similar theme to Hen, and as I mentioned last week, dogs that 'look cool' and draw admiring looks, comments, attention, 9/10 times are working/active/high drive breeds which need tonnes of exercise, stimulation and more often than not, some sort of 'job' or specific training - please think about this when buying a puppy!!!

And thanks to Hannah for putting together the OP
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That is very true, I probably didn't word that very well.

I have seen quite a few breeders which put something on their website about how if the puppy for some reason is not suitable, it MUST be returned to them, as a condition of them selling a puppy in the first place, so maybe that would be a starting point.

Which reminds me:
Lots of breeders have websites, BUT the possession of a whizzy website does not automatically make a breeder reputable, and conversely the lack of a website is not a reason to avoid a breeder!
 
I only thought about it since somebody wrote about getting such a question from a potential buyer in Soapbox a while back and saying that she would wait for a better buyer for the puppy. Which made some member of HHO reply wondering if not all good breeders would be willing to take back a puppy and me, MurphysMinder and others did our best to explain that yes of course a good breeder would take back a puppy but they also wouldn't consider selling in the first place, when it sounded as if the potential buyer was looking for a living toy that they could borrow for a week or two.






I would also like to add :

Look at pictures of adult dogs of the breed/breeds involved, that you're interested in buying. Your puppy will only look like a puppy a few months of its life, it will look like an adult dog for years.



Never let the distance you've had to drive to the breeder, have anything to do with deciding to buy the puppy once you're there.



A good breeder spends time with the litter, making the puppies used to humans and being handled, therefor even a shy puppy should feel comfortable around/show an interest in its breeder.



F.ex. if the puppies have just played with each other, they might be tired when you come for a visit but once awake, healthy puppies should be perky and interested of their surroundings. (Personally I've had a puppy buyer visit at 14 o'clock on a really hot summer day, after 5 to 15 minutes all the puppies had disappeared to the coolest places they could find and laid there completely knocked out.
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Oops, at least their mother showed that their adult fur isolates better against heat than puppy fur.)



If you're interested in the sort of intelligent dog breeds that learns things fast, do you realise that they learn the wrong things just as fast (if not faster) than they learn the right things?
Yes f.ex. a Border Collie will probably learn the basics faster than f.ex. a Spitz but once it knows sit, lay, recall and to not pull in the lead, <u>their brains doesn't stop functioning!</u> So instead of needing to spend a little more time learning them the basics, you will need to spend even more time on learning them new things or letting them do some sort of work.








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= several years with
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There is only one rule in this definitive guide:

Don't get a puppy, get a rescue dog!

I have had rescues for years now, and it drives me nuts when people come up with lame excuses why they cant have one
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Splotchy, whilst rescuing dogs is without a doubt probably the most morally correct option, people (including me!) still buy puppies so I thought it was best to do this.

xxxxx
 
No need to leave Splotchy, your point is a valid one.
We have always gone for slightly older pups in recent years 6-9mths, ones that didn't make the grade for showing usually.

When the time comes again I will either get a puppy from working lines, a young adult to retrain or I will contact GSD Rescue across the water because they do have animals from working lines, you can see it to look at them and/or you can see it when you read their reasons for rehoming - too high-octane to be a quiet house pet!

But I do agree, I have read some 'interesting' reasons why people don't go to a rescue.
Cute puppies don't stay cute and aren't puppies for very long
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a couple of things I learnt...

Don't use things not made for dogs, children's stairgates have wider openings and can be dangerous to a dog.

Most buses and trains will allow dogs on, and they go free. Take advantage of this during socialisation. We spent many happy hours going on buses and trains, learning to sit still by my heel...

LOADS of chewy rawhide bones, rawhide shoes, pigs ears etc... it will save your furniture.

When out walking with your pup take a squeaky toy and lots of treats. If another dog approaches you can get them to look at you (not the other dog... which can lead to pulling / jumping/ excitement) by squeaking the toy "look look, what's mum got?? wow!!" they look at you, keep walking, "Good boy" treat. Teach your pup from the beginning that when out and about YOU are the most exciting thing in the world. Recall will be so much easier.
 
[ QUOTE ]
There is only one rule in this definitive guide:

Don't get a puppy, get a rescue dog!

I have had rescues for years now, and it drives me nuts when people come up with lame excuses why they cant have one
crazy.gif


[/ QUOTE ][ QUOTE ]
Splotchy, whilst rescuing dogs is without a doubt probably the most morally correct option, people (including me!) still buy puppies so I thought it was best to do this.

xxxxx

[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Opens mouth......pauses....closes mouth again
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OK, I shall shut up and leave the thread now then....

[/ QUOTE ]

I hope you read this Splotchy because I don't think I have lame excuses, maybe my reasons seems or perhaps are selfish or lame but they are reasons and not excuses.

I bought a mongrel (a Doberman cross breed) when I was about 17 years old and when we had to euthanize her barely 2 years old because of problems caused by a so called breeder using dogs not suitable for breeding, I promised myself to never have a crossbreed again, from then on I only want a dog with a pedigree certificate where I can check up what health checks that has been done and not.

I do enjoy going to dog shows and I am interested in breeding (one litter in over 19 years of dog owning is hardly flooding the market is it?) and for me personally, both those interests are only possible with a purebred dog.

Admittedly I do enjoy the puppy time, they're still my little doggies when they're adults but I do enjoy being there and doing that trip from puppy-hood to adulthood with them.



And last but not least I feel that by buying from responsible breeders that are interested in doing what is best for their breed, that tries to breed well functioning and healthy dogs, I support those that breeds the sort of dogs that I want people to buy.




I also have some thoughts about that if irresponsible breeders sells their dogs to unsuitable owners, without taking them back when it doesn't work out and instead rescues steps in and take care of their problem, I don't have a better solution than rescues but inevitable it does work great for the backyard breeders too because they can continue to breed more dogs.


I hope you still like me Splotchy and that what I have said have not been detrimental to your mental health.
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[ QUOTE ]
Splotchy, whilst rescuing dogs is without a doubt probably the most morally correct option, people (including me!) still buy puppies so I thought it was best to do this.

xxxxx

[/ QUOTE ]

First of all I want to say that your text makes me a little confused, do you believe it without a doubt or do you believe it probably is the way you say? Either way I wrote this reply due to how I interpreted what you wrote.



Having thought about it over the night I really don't agree with you saying that rescuing is a more morally correct option, making it sound as if it should be more noble to buy a rescue than a puppy.

When I was almost 16 years old I spent months going through breed books before having selected a few dog breeds, then me and my family went to a dog show to look at/meet adult dogs of those breed before making up our mind. A while after my sixteenth birthday I bought my first Norwegian Buhund, a well thought out decision that though having its bumps on the way, was a very good decision.

The year after I was hit by youthful recklessness and thinking that environment and upbringing always means much more than any inheritance, I bought the Doberman cross, which in one way I don't regret because I loved her with all my heart and it taught me a lot but on other hand it still wasn't well thought out, the trouble we went through along the way and the euthanasia decision I had to make due to her inherited condition/mentality broke my heart.

Since then I have kept myself to making well thought out decisions before buying a new puppy, why in all world should acting responsible in the first place, doing my best to find a breed that will suit me, my personality and lifestyle, be less noble than buying a rescue?




Why diminish yourself as a, what I hope, responsible owner of dogs that you've bought as puppies, by saying that rescuing is a more morally correct option? To me that sounds like saying that a person that makes a responsible choice to keep themselves away from drugs from the beginning, is making a less noble decision than the drug addict making the responsible choice to stop with drugs.


Anyhow I don't care if anybody reading this believes I have the moral of a slut, I still don't believe that there is any moral difference between those making a well thought out, responsible decision to buy a rescue dog that they believe will suit them and those making a well thought out, responsible decision to buy a puppy that they believe will suit them.

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Hi FL, thanks for your reply!

What I meant was that I think people view adopting rescue dogs as the morally right thing to do - but people still buy puppies, so I wanted to do this thread!

We bought Chlo (purebred Lab) as a puppy, and I'll admit it was mostly completely selfish reasons - we wanted something we could shape, something that could grow with us and we could grow up with too!!! We didn't rescue because firstly they'd never have let us - Chloe spends more than 3 hours alone during the day, it suits us but I totally understand why we wouldnt be allowed a rescue, but also because we wanted her! For selfish reasons i guess. Clearly I must have morals of a slut too!

We chose a pup with the temperment we wanted, that'd suit our lifestyle, etc etc.

Anyway, back to the original point of the thread!

From a young age make sure YOU control their food and their toys. Its YOURS, not THEIRS! You need to be careful they won't nip when you take stuff off of them.

xxxx
 
Okay then I understand you.




Although I don't completely agree about making sure you control their food and toys from a young age. Hypothetically let us say that you come for a one month visit to me in Sweden. How would you feel if once you had arrived, I only speak Swedish with you and in the middle of the dinner, I take your half-full plate away. Would you feel confused? What if it continues, every meal you eat, I take it away before you feel full. Will you understand that I think you need to learn that it is my food and not yours?

Let us imagine a different scenario, you still come to Sweden, I still only speak Swedish with you once you've arrived but when we eat dinner I only put a small amount of food on your plate. Before you're finished, I put some more food on your plate, a while later I put yet a small amount of more food on your plate and so on and you leave the table feeling full. I suppose you would still feel confused but would you feel you had any reason to try and protect your plate against me putting more food on it the next time we eat?

Yes we do control their food and toys but why should they trust us if we first haven't taught them that they can? If a puppy nip at you when you try and take something from them, it could very well be because they don't trust you enough. If a puppy is laying surrounded by lots of gnaw bones, chewing on one of them, it is less likely to feel any need to protect it against you and you'll probably be more successful in being allowed to take their gnaw bone, have a quick look at it and then give it back.
Eventually you keep it longer and longer, you exchange it to another gnaw bone/toy or you say "Forget the bone, we're going for a walk"...

Admittedly some dogs becomes so called "problem" dogs because their owners haven't taught their dog any boundaries but I also know that some dogs that comes to Swedish dog psychologist does so because of problems caused by owners believing that they must quickly learn their puppies to accept to have anything taken from them at any given time.
 
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