Tips On Purchasing A Puppy
It is a big step to decide to add a puppy to your life. The commitment will take a lot of your time, but will also provide you with years of love and joy. Proper care of a dog requires providing a nurturing environment, routine veterinary services, feeding your dog nutritious meals, daily exercise, grooming and training.
Dogs are pack animals. They live intimate lives with the rest of the dog pack. You are going to be the dog's "pack" or "family", and you must accept the dog into your family in the same way. You must live with them, nurture them and protect them. Dogs thrive when they live with their family.
Training your puppy is a big job. It will take at least an hour each day for the first few months but, if you put in this work while your dog is a puppy, you will be rewarded in the long run.
Places You Might Find A Puppy
The first place to look for your new dog is at the local animal shelter or humane society. Always rescue when possible!
There are a number of groups that are dedicated to re-homing specific breeds. They can be found on the web, using a search engine. We will start including links to these groups as soon as possible.
There are many excellent breeders from which to choose. To decide about a breeder, always look at the facilities in which they keep their dogs. Look for breeders that are primarily interested in breeding for behavior and genetic health. Breeders that are primarily interested in looks are not ones you want to use to acquire a puppy.
Finally, many people buy dogs from pet stores. As a general rule, this is not a good idea. The "chain" pet stores tend to be the businesses that support the puppy mills - places that inhumanely breed dogs for money. They are kept in horrible conditions, showing little regard for the dog's health and welfare. Puppy mills don't worry about genetics and health. Dogs from puppy mills often have genetic problems. There are some smaller, conscientious pet stores that do try hard to provide quality puppies, and these stores often help re-home unwanted dogs.