When you decide you want to add a new puppy to your family, make sure it will fit into your way of life. If you live in a town flat you do not want a large boisterous dog that will take up too much room. If you have a lifestyle that does not leave you enough time to take a dog for regular long walks, don’t buy a Springer Spaniel or a Border Collie. If you have children make sure the breed is child friendly. Make sure you read up on the breed you like and see if that type of dog will match what you want from a dog. Do not set your mind on a breed. Set out the pros and cons that you require from a dog and then match them to the breed. This will hopefully save you a lot of hard work and heartache in the future.

 

If you decide you want a cross breed or a mongrel you will need to find out the breeds involved and read up on them or you could end up with twice the trouble. Although usually you will have fewer health problems with these types of dogs and fewer Vet bills.

 

Check out the breeders properly. Ask to see the bitch and also if possible the dog. Always insist on seeing the puppy in its environment before you choose. Do not let the breeder choose the puppy for you by them saying that “this is the puppy for you” because this is usual practice with unscrupulous breeders.

 

Do not allow them to bring the puppy to your house or meet in the pub or on the Motorway Service Station or a car boot because then you will not know where they live and then you are stuck with the puppy.

 

Another trick is to show you the “last two pups of the litter” and make it hard for you to leave one behind. You can bet they have more pups in another room. In any case it is not a good idea to buy two pups from the same litter because in time they could form their own pack and not need you then you could have double the trouble.

 

The breeders rely on the fact that once you get home and find out you have a problem with the pup, you will have become so attached to it you will not want to take it back and so you are stuck with any problems it has.

 

Ask to visit as many times as possible before you bring it home so that it can get used to you and you to it, this will help with bonding when you do bring it home. If the breeder won’t let you, don’t buy from them. 

 

Do not buy a puppy from a pet shop, because you do not know the puppies’ history and it may be very stressed because of the way it has arrived at the pet shop. This can make it poorly and could lead to large Vet bills when you get it home. Do not feel sorry for these puppies, I know they may be hard to resist and once again this is what the pet shop owner is relying on, but please proceed with great caution if you do go along this route, as you could end up with a problem dog, if not straight away, certainly when it starts to mature.  

 

When you do bring it home do not make a fuss of it but let it wander around its’ new surroundings. When it is ready, it will come to you, but do not make a fuss until it has quietened down. This also applies every time you come home. When you walk in, do nottouch it, talk to it or look at ituntil it has calmed down. I know this will be hard to do at first, but it is only until it becomes used to knowing what it has to do.

 

Sometimes with puppies when you greet them with a fuss they may wee. This is because of excitement and if not nipped in the bud, could carry on into maturity so just wait until it has calmed down and then greet it.

 

Decide where you want it to sleep and make a bed for it and let it know that this is where you want it to sleep by putting a blanket and some toys for it to play with and something to chew on, but make sure you don’t give it any old shoes etc., because it won’t know the difference between them and your best ones. You could also put an old tee-shirt or cardigan that you have worn but not washed into the bed so that it will have your smell which will comfort your puppy.

 

Also make sure that whichever room your puppy is allowed into and stays for any length of time, there is a bed for it to lie in, because it must have its’ own space in that room. 

 

Make sure the room is puppy friendly, that is, remove as many things as possible that it may chew, out of reach, such as shoes, clothes, etc. be especially careful with electric cables. 

 

Be very careful when you buy your new pup because you will have it for a life time. You can never be 100% sure you get the right one for you but you can eliminate most of the problems if you follow this programme.

 

Good luck and enjoy your new friend.