Dog Days of Summer
August 16, 2011Woof…Boo!
October 14, 20114 Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Choosing a Puppy
Have you and your family been thinking about adding a new puppy to your family? Are you ready to make the leap into the abyss of puppy raising? Here are some common pitfalls to avoid when selecting a new puppy.
Once you’re sure you’re ready to adopt a puppy, first consider whether to buy a purebred puppy or adopt a mixed puppy. Adopting a puppy is an honorable way to add a member to your family. There are many mixed and purebred puppies that are available for adoption. Take your time and do as much research as you can. Some good things to know about a new puppy are: how old were they when they were taken from the litter, were they with the entire litter and the mother up until that time, did any traumatic events occur, and were the puppies abandoned or found on the street. The answers to these questions help determine what the pup’s personality may be like as it matures into an adult dog. Unfortunately, most shelters do not know much about the dogs that come into their shelter. It will be up to you and your comfort level as to whether you want to adopt a dog that you know absolutely nothing about. Being supplied with information is much easier to obtain when buying a purebred puppy from a breeder. It is much easier to predict the physical characteristics and temperament of an adult dog when buying a purebred puppy from a breeder.
Whether you get a puppy through the shelter or a breeder, here are some common pitfalls to avoid in getting a new puppy:
- Don’t get one that is too young. According to Steven R. Lindsay in his book, Handbook of Applied Behavior and Training, says, “Puppies provided with poor socialization or deprived of environmental exposure often develop lifelong deficits and dysfunctional behaviors.” From birth until six weeks of age, puppies are developing rapidly. During this period puppies begin to open their eyes, begin to hear, begin to walk, respond to taste and smell, general learning of how to be a dog begins, learns to accept discipline from mother and begins submissive postures, learns to not bite too hard, learns how to interact with litter mates and develops a pack hierarchy through play. By seven weeks the puppies are completely weaned. Most breeders place their puppies in “forever” homes by seven weeks of age. From the seventh to the sixteenth week is when most rapid learning occurs. This is the time when the greatest impact is made on the pup for future social behaviors. It is critical to a puppy’s proper development that they are with their litter and mother until six or seven weeks of age.
- 2. Avoid impulse buys. We have all done it. You walk into a pet shop and the most adorable ball of fur catches your attention and you’re in love in an instant! Next thing you know, you are walking out the door with a puppy you know nothing about. I have heard this story all too many times and the majority of the time the owner brings me a “lemon” dog. Most pet shops buy from brokers who get their supply of puppies from puppy mills. Puppy mills are large breeding “factories” in which dogs are bred in huge masses without any attention to the quality of breeding. Things such as health, temperament, or genetic lines that most professional breeders spend much time agonizing over before breeding, is not thought of by puppy mill operators. Pet shops will never admit to purchasing their “inventory” from such a place and will usually claim that they buy puppies from local breeders. Even if this is true, a local breeder does not mean that they are a good breeder. Breeding dogs is truly an art and takes time, experience, and is a big investment. A typical good breeder has a long list of buyers for their pups long before their dog is pregnant. There is no need for them to sell to a pet shop at a deep discount. It is questionable at the least when a breeder sells their stock to a local pet shop. As the consumer, you have no idea where the dog really came from, what the mother and father’s temperament was like, any hereditary genetic health issues that may be present in the dog’s lines, and the quality of time spent with its mother and littermates. The same applies for the “free” puppies given away in front of retail stores. A responsible, legitimate breeder would never give their puppies away to random people that walk up to get one. Bottom line: don’t buy a pup without considerable time spent in research.
- Don’t choose a puppy because he is cute. As I have already pointed out, it is crucial to take time to research different breeds of dogs and their temperaments. Finding the right dog for you is akin to finding a spouse. You shouldn’t be picking one just because they are “cute”. Look for temperament and training traits that compliment your lifestyle. A Scottish Terrier may appeal to you physically but once you learn they were bred to dig you may reconsider bringing one into your beautifully landscaped back yard. A good book to help you discover various breed’s strengths and weaknesses is Your Purebred Puppy by Michele Welton. On each breed, she highlights the dog’s trainability, sociability, indoor & outdoor energy level, and more. You will be much happier ten years from now when you took the time to figure out what breed of dog matches your lifestyle.
- 4. Don’t get more than one puppy at the same time. It is a huge mistake to acquire more than one puppy at a time. And I mean HUGE! Some breeders will attempt to convince well-intentioned, good dog owners with buying two or more of their puppies at the same time. Don’t do this! Dogs are pack animals and you are an extension of their pack. When given the option to develop a primary bond between a human or a fellow dog, their bond will of course will be stronger with a dog. If you have two puppies at the same time, they will bond very closely to each other. In fact, often times they will bond so closely to one another that they have difficulty acquiring separate identities apart from one another. Down the road as they mature and grow into adult dogs, they will have difficulty being separated. Severe separation anxiety occurs when one is taken away from the other, even for short periods. Overall their allegiance is first to one another and then secondarily to their human pack. The best way to assure a proper bond with a pup is to have one at a time. Spend time socializing, training, and bonding with the new pup for about a year. This pup will grow into a mature, adult dog with a close bond to its human pack. After about a year, get a second pup and spend just as much time with your new pup as you did with your first dog. Avoid allowing the new pup to spend all its time with the now adult dog because you will encounter the initial pitfall of having him bond primarily to the adult dog and then secondarily to the human pack. Have the pup spend only about twenty percent of his time with your adult dog and eighty percent with you. This might mean having one dog outside while the other is inside, or taking one for a walk while the other stays at home-giving them turns with one-on-one walks with you. Don’t neglect your adult dog either during this time. Make sure to make time with her as you did before the new pup’s arrival. If you do get two puppies at one time, in order to make the pups grow up into well-balanced, well-adjusted adult dogs, you must give them a great deal of individual time with you and keep them separated seventy to eighty percent of the time. In either case, as they mature and respond well to training, you may decrease the alone time and increase the together time.
Whether you adopt a puppy from the shelter or buy a purebred pup from a professional breeder, avoiding these common mistakes will give you a leg up on successfully raising a good canine citizen. Look for part II of this article next month to learn how to pick the right puppy out of a litter.