To buy or not to buy?

When buying a car, most people will take time to research their decision carefully. They will get brochures and investigate different makes and models. They might think about fuel efficiency, safety features, appropriate size to accommodate their needs and maybe speed if they like an adrenalin rush! Getting the right car is often a big decision and people will take the trouble to ensure they buy the right one.

When many people buy a puppy, they buy the cutest or perhaps most fashionable and take it home, having bought a bed and some food from the supermarket.

Too often, that’s where the research begins and ends for potential dog owners.

However, unlike a car, a dog is a living creature and a great deal of time and care must be taken when choosing which dog is right for you and your family.

OK, you say, so what should be I be doing then?

Well, there are many, many things to consider before adding a dog to your family, some of which are more obvious than others. The general rules when you are looking at puppies are as follows:

1. A puppy should not leave its mother until at least 8 weeks of age.
2. Always see a puppy with its mother and preferably both parents. This is essential. If the mother is not available for viewing, walk away. Never, ever buy a puppy where you cannot meet at least one of the puppy’s parents. Sadly, puppy farms are still much too common and it is more than likely if someone shows you a puppy without its mother, it comes from a puppy farm. If you are in any doubt about how awful puppy farms are, check out the Dogs Trust website.
3. Ensure you see the rest of the litter and do not accept being shown the puppy without its litter mates.
4. Ensure you can handle the puppies.
5. Remember, if you are in any doubt about the puppy’s health when you view or collect it, walk away. This is often easier said than done, but in doing so you could be preventing unscrupulous breeders from continuing their cruel trade.
6. If you buy a puppy from a puppy farm, you are helping to finance these dreadful places, so be extremely wary about adverts in the paper or puppies in pet shops.
7. NEVER, EVER, EVER buy a puppy over the telephone and allow the breeder to deliver it to your door. Goodness knows what condition the poor mother is in, if the ‘breeder’ even had the mother at all. These puppies are often taken from their mother in other parts of the country when far too young and ‘shipped’ down to unsuspecting members of the public. They often come from unsanitary conditions and are carrying parvo virus, which is usually fatal and extremely expensive to treat.
8. A good breeder will often have given the pup its first vaccination and 6 weeks free insurance.
9. If you are buying a large breed, eg Labrador or German Shepherd, a conscientious breeder will also be more than happy to provide you with copies of the parents’ eyes/hips/elbows scores, proving the breeder has done their utmost to ensure healthy pups.
10. It is better to buy a puppy from a home rather than a kennel as they will get more socialisation and access to day to day experiences.
11. The breeder should be following a good worm and flea programme and you must ask what they have been using.
12. The breeder should be using a good quality puppy food and offer you a supply of what the puppy has been eating to ensure as little disruption to its digestive system as possible.
13. Remember also that being a Kennel Club registered breeder does not guarantee they are a reputable breeder. You must do your homework.

There are also important considerations when choosing the right breed for your lifestyle. For example do you really want a Great Dane if you live in a one bedroom flat with no garden?! OK, that is a slightly extreme example, but think about how much time and energy you have to offer your dog for the next, if you are lucky, 15 years.

If you are out at work for any length of time, is it fair to have a dog at all? If you have a busy family life making demands on your time, is it appropriate to get one of the more intelligent, working breeds that needs lots of exercise and mental stimulation, for example a German Shepherd or Border Collie?

Spend time being really honest with yourself about how much time you have for exercising and training your dog. Both these activities are an essential part of having a happy, healthy dog who is a pleasure for people to meet rather than an under stimulated, untrained dog who is much more difficult to be around.

Read as much as you can about the different breeds, their requirements and possible health issues. Think also about how long they are going to live and the ongoing costs for all those years. Flea and worm treatments must be used regularly and vaccinations annually, so think about the regular, preventative treatments too.

Unless you have savings to cover any unexpected events, it is also vital to insure your pet. We cannot recommend individual insurance companies, but we can say get a lifelong policy rather than an annual policy and always read the small print!

Getting a puppy is a lifestyle choice – make sure your lifestyle is suitable for a puppy and you will enjoy many years with a wonderful companion. Neglect to do your homework and you are setting yourself up for heartache.

Please talk to our Practice Nurses if you need any further information. You can call them direct on 01903 223137 or call the main Hospital on 01903 234866. You can also check out our website and the BVA Animal Welfare Foundation for further guidance. All the puppies in these pictures are from reputable breeders and are now happy, healthy adult dogs.