Choosing a Puppy - Part Two
Bringing home a puppy is a lifetime commitment that comes with many responsibilities to consider including the time and monetary expense.
Veterinary expenses In an ideal world, a puppy would require veterinary visits for only the most routine vaccinations and checkups.
Unfortunately, some dogs tend to be more prone to health issues.
If you are considering a purebred dog, be sure to carefully research breed specific health concerns such as joint, heart, eye, skin, and breathing issues.
A client of mine welcomed a beautiful, wrinkly English Bulldog pup into her family with all of the high hopes one would expect from a new puppy parent.
Unfortunately, within the first six months she had to make upwards of twenty visits to the veterinary and to veterinary specialists as the pup developed severe skin and breathing issues.
While she adores her dog and is committed to providing all the care he needs, she says that she might have chosen differently had she known that the breed tends to suffer from these issues more so than many others.
While a dog of any breed or mix may someday require extensive veterinary treatment (which you should be prepared to provide), some types of dogs have the odds against them in regards to long-term health issues.
Food Providing a dog with a high quality diet is one of the fundamental responsibilities in regards to their overall well being.
The difference in cost for a medium versus large sized dog is probably not vast.
But, the cost of feeding a 5-pound dog versus a 120-pound dog surely is.
Head to your local pet store and make a calculation of what a monthly supply of food will be for the size of dog you are considering and be sure you can comfortably budget for this for the next 15 years.
Grooming For years I shared my life with Gordon Setters.
I really enjoyed the time spent grooming them and was proud when people would comment on their beautiful, flowing black and tan coats.
But, not everyone is prepared to commit the time for at home grooming or the expense of hiring a professional groomer to maintain a coat like this.
Grooming is an essential part of helping to maintain any dog's overall well-being, but some require a much more diligent commitment.
So, be sure you choose a dog whose grooming requirements you can meet.
Mixed Breed or Purebred? I was quite pleased to find that all but one of the dogs that had been called in to audition as a spokesdog was a mixed breed.
While I adore dogs of all shapes and sizes, and have a particular passion for understanding the history of breeds, I am thrilled when people choose the adoption option.
I have found that many people are gravely disappointed when they choose a purebred dog they saw in a movie, or commercial and it doesn't live up to the idealized image presented in the media or in the breed standard.
After all, few Collies are as apt to consistently save a little boy's life as Lassie and few German Shepherd Dogs are as heroic as Rin Tin Tin.
While there is certainly a predictability factor to choosing a purebred, it has most to do with looks.
In regards to temperament and behavior, some breed generalizations ring true (after all, we developed breeds to highlight specific behaviors).
Unfortunately, many of these generalizations result in people choosing a dog in the hopes that it will live up to this idealized reputation with little or no guidance from them.
In reality, even those breeds that are believed to be great with kids, or relatively quiet, or easy to train, require the guidance of a loving family to help them reach their full potential.
There is no such thing as a push button or ready-made family dog.
Once you have chosen a dog that has the general characteristics you believe are best suited to your family, it is your responsibility to help guide the pup towards its full potential.
Furthermore, within a breed, and even a litter, there will be a wide range of personalities.
Much like how two children from the same family will have two unique personalities.
So, if you choose a particular breed, be sure to spend plenty of time getting to know the adult dogs in the breeder's line and the pups in the litter you are choosing from.
Veterinary expenses In an ideal world, a puppy would require veterinary visits for only the most routine vaccinations and checkups.
Unfortunately, some dogs tend to be more prone to health issues.
If you are considering a purebred dog, be sure to carefully research breed specific health concerns such as joint, heart, eye, skin, and breathing issues.
A client of mine welcomed a beautiful, wrinkly English Bulldog pup into her family with all of the high hopes one would expect from a new puppy parent.
Unfortunately, within the first six months she had to make upwards of twenty visits to the veterinary and to veterinary specialists as the pup developed severe skin and breathing issues.
While she adores her dog and is committed to providing all the care he needs, she says that she might have chosen differently had she known that the breed tends to suffer from these issues more so than many others.
While a dog of any breed or mix may someday require extensive veterinary treatment (which you should be prepared to provide), some types of dogs have the odds against them in regards to long-term health issues.
Food Providing a dog with a high quality diet is one of the fundamental responsibilities in regards to their overall well being.
The difference in cost for a medium versus large sized dog is probably not vast.
But, the cost of feeding a 5-pound dog versus a 120-pound dog surely is.
Head to your local pet store and make a calculation of what a monthly supply of food will be for the size of dog you are considering and be sure you can comfortably budget for this for the next 15 years.
Grooming For years I shared my life with Gordon Setters.
I really enjoyed the time spent grooming them and was proud when people would comment on their beautiful, flowing black and tan coats.
But, not everyone is prepared to commit the time for at home grooming or the expense of hiring a professional groomer to maintain a coat like this.
Grooming is an essential part of helping to maintain any dog's overall well-being, but some require a much more diligent commitment.
So, be sure you choose a dog whose grooming requirements you can meet.
Mixed Breed or Purebred? I was quite pleased to find that all but one of the dogs that had been called in to audition as a spokesdog was a mixed breed.
While I adore dogs of all shapes and sizes, and have a particular passion for understanding the history of breeds, I am thrilled when people choose the adoption option.
I have found that many people are gravely disappointed when they choose a purebred dog they saw in a movie, or commercial and it doesn't live up to the idealized image presented in the media or in the breed standard.
After all, few Collies are as apt to consistently save a little boy's life as Lassie and few German Shepherd Dogs are as heroic as Rin Tin Tin.
While there is certainly a predictability factor to choosing a purebred, it has most to do with looks.
In regards to temperament and behavior, some breed generalizations ring true (after all, we developed breeds to highlight specific behaviors).
Unfortunately, many of these generalizations result in people choosing a dog in the hopes that it will live up to this idealized reputation with little or no guidance from them.
In reality, even those breeds that are believed to be great with kids, or relatively quiet, or easy to train, require the guidance of a loving family to help them reach their full potential.
There is no such thing as a push button or ready-made family dog.
Once you have chosen a dog that has the general characteristics you believe are best suited to your family, it is your responsibility to help guide the pup towards its full potential.
Furthermore, within a breed, and even a litter, there will be a wide range of personalities.
Much like how two children from the same family will have two unique personalities.
So, if you choose a particular breed, be sure to spend plenty of time getting to know the adult dogs in the breeder's line and the pups in the litter you are choosing from.
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