Getting a puppy

Buying a puppy from a breeder

There may be a reason why you can’t or don’t want to adopt a rescued dog, although you should consider this option first in any event even if you are set on a particular pedigree breed as each breed has a rescue organisation which rehomes dogs of that breed. If you are set on buying a puppy from a breeder though, there a few guidelines you should be aware of.

If the breeder is only interested in the cash, unconcerned whether you have experience [with dogs generally or with that breed] or uninterested in why you want a dog, and fails to ask even basic questions, you should avoid buying a dog from them. Basically they are running a business and don’t care what happens to the dogs they breed. These breeders are the major reason why so many dogs end up in rescue centres; even expensive pedigree dogs are ill treated and abused once the unsuitable owners find they are too much bother. There are plenty of breeders who don't care, and many of them will sell litters to puppy farms - the wholesale trade - and they will be further abused before they are sold on. They may also be abusing their females by making them have too many litters, leading to many health problems and a worn out dog at five. These also often end up in rescue centres.

A good dog breeder will ask a lot of questions before they hand over one of their pups to a stranger; to them they are not a commodity to be sold without a thought, they are living beings with emotions and needs, and a caring breeder will want them to be happy and loved.

puppy

Never buy a puppy from a pet shop

NEVER buy a puppy from a pet shop. It doesn’t matter if it’s a huge chain or a small high street shop, they should not be selling live animals, especially dogs. There is no check on buyers, and equally, you don’t know where the puppy has come from or its breeding or pedigree. It may have come from a puppy farm, which is where most pet shops which sell dogs get them, and will thus be already traumatised. A shop is no place for any animal, with strangers constantly staring into the cage, which will inevitably be too small, poking them and generally causing them stress, and then they are left alone all night when the shop shuts. Please don’t even consider a pet shop if looking for a puppy; by doing so you are only encouraging this vile trade and you will be as responsible for its continuance as the people doing it.

Pet shops are where you buy dog food and toys, they should not even be allowed to have goldfish, but until the law is changed it is up to every individual to act responsibly and refuse to have anything to do with sales of live animals from a shop. If your local shop is selling puppies, you should speak to the manager and make it clear that not only do you disapprove strongly of them doing so, but that because they do, you will never buy dog food or anything else from them. That way you do your bit to make clear that it is not acceptable to treat living animals as shop stock.

german shepherd puppy

Never buy a puppy from a puppy farm

Many people will not know what a puppy farm is. It’s like a factory farm, and they are often on livestock farms as a sideline for the farmer. They sell to dealers who are just dog wholsealers, buying litters from all suspect breeders across the country who want to offload them as fast as possible, they are kept in cages in barns with little light, fed a minimum to keep costs down, are not exercised or given any loving care, and are sold to anyone without checks, usually before the puppies should be separated from their mother. These people are the lowest of the low, care nothing at all for the animals they trade and are often abusers as well; the bitches will be bred from far too many times and will have health problems as a result. When they are at the end of their ‘productive’ life, often no older than five or six, they are shot or strangled.

Many dogs who end up in rescue centres are the result of puppy farms. To buy a puppy from one of these people makes you complicit in the abuse and part of the problem, you are encouraging it to continue.
Puppy farmed dogs can be identified by the ads that are often run in local newspapers for puppies of several breeds all in the same ad. They will often be offering as many as a dozen different breeds, a clear sign of puppy farming as pedigree breeders only sell one breed. If you spot one of these ads, call the newspaper and complain they are encouraging animal abuse and should refuse to carry them; often the staff of the newspaper will be unaware, so they need telling. Other things you can do are write to your MP and ask her or him to pass on your concerns to the minister responsible, or write to the minister yourself. This is easily done these days with emails, and you can get the details of your MP here.

Puppy farms will often want to hand a puppy over somewhere away from their premises such as at motorway service stations or car parks, as they don’t want anyone seeing the conditions the dogs are kept in or even to know their address, many are in barns in rural areas, merely a supplement to a farmer’s income, and farmers are not renowned for kindness to animals. You should ask if you can see the puppy with its mother, if they make an excuse as to why they can’t do that, don’t buy the puppy. Lots more information on puppy farms here.

There are many online ads and websites selling puppies, but be aware that puppy farms operate through these also, and you must be extra careful to check where they come from and how they have been bred. Many advertise 'cheap puppies for sale' others 'free puppies' but you always have to ask why?

Home reared is always best

Puppies who are home-reared should be your first choice. This means the mother isn’t being abused as a puppy/profit machine, but is a family pet who has had a litter. The pups will as a result be happy, balanced animals without the behavioural problems associated with other, less fortunate ones. They are also likely to be healthier, have had all their vaccinations and be old enough to live an independent life away from mum and siblings without separation anxiety, which can haunt a dog long after they reach adulthood, causing behavioural problems that are often intractable.

Socialising your puppy

So, you have your puppy and after the first fun-filled poopy days you are getting used to having this bundle of furry fun in your life and home. What next? If a puppy isn't socialised by around 14 weeks she can have problems later on with fear of strangers, both canine or human, and the possibility of fear-aggression later on.

Again, a pup coming from a breeder where the mothers and pups are kept in kennels will be more likely to need socialising than a pup born and reared in a family home. The latter are likely to be more confident and friendly, able to play, and to meet strangers without fear. One thing to remember though, make sure your pup has been vaccinated before mixing with others dogs, or she could catch a potentially fatal disease [they can be vaccinated at between 6-8 weeks old, and the second one at 10 weeks]. Until fully vaccinated and safe, carry your pup around in a bag so she can meet other pups who have been vaccinated, and people. Don't under any circumstance allow her to touch the ground, whether pavement or earth, as disease germs can exist for months or even years in crevices. Check with your vet if there have been any recent outbreaks of canine distemper, toxacara worms or parvo in the area, but in any event, keep them off the ground and only meeting other dogs who have been vaccinated.

Socialising your puppy includes getting her used to common daily experiences such as meeting people of all kinds, animals such as cats, sheep, cows and horses [less need for these if you live in a city and she is never likely to encounter them] and events such as the postman calling, traffic, visiting the vets and household appliances such as vacuum cleaners and washing machines which can be scary as they make a lot of growling noise! Reassure the pup but don't pander to any fear as this reinforces it. Just behave normally and they should become used to noise, even loud noises such as fireworks and doors slamming.

Brushing is also a good way of socialising a puppy. Daily brushes, especially for long-haried dogs, are essential to keep their coat clean and fresh, and it's an ideal time to socialise them and get them used to being handled. Run your hands over their body and legs as well, talking quietly all the time. Examine their feet, claws, teeth, gums and ears, this makes going to the vet easier as they will be more used to being handled and the experience will thus be a pleasant one rather than stressful. You don't need to bath a dog unless it gets itself filthy, for instance by rolling in muck or cow pats. Normally, as dogs don't sweat through their skin like we do, they don't need bathing, a daily brushing is all that's necessary to keep their skin and coat smelling sweet.

Toys and play

Be aware that puppies need to chew! This means that anything within reach is at risk, so take precautions, put anything you value out of reach. Puppies can destroy things quite rapidly, including telephones, plastic objects of all kinds, paper and card, even clothes. It isn't destructiveness, but instinct. They have to both find out what is good to eat, and have to exercise their teeth and jaw muscles. If a pup is bored, they are much more likely to chew things they shouldn't, so try not to leave them for extended periods of time alone, and give them plenty of toys so their natural urges are satisfied. Apart from dog toys, they love cardboard tubes, boxes, sticks and balls; tennis balls can be bought in tubes of six and, although they don't last forever, are probably one of the best toys for a dog as they can be chased, fetched and chewed. Cardboard tubes such as kitchen roll tubes or postal tubes don't last at all, but are free and give pleasure whilst being shredded!

Dogs Trust have a selection of useful free pamphlets on aspects of dog ownership; such as Your New Puppy, Basic Dog Training and Guide to Behaviour Problems which can be downloaded from their website as PDFs for onscreen reading, or printed versions by post.