Bringing Home A Puppy

Now that you and the family have decided to acquire a puppy, what do you do next? That depends on whether you have decided to acquire a purebred, or a “Heinz 57”.

If you’re looking for a puppy of any particular breed, check with your local kennel club for a list of responsible breeders. You might also try your veterinarian, since they would care for some breeders animals, and might know who currently has puppies. Visit two or three kennels, if the opportunities present themselves. See how the animals are kept, what their temperaments are like, and whether you can have a copy of their pedigree and contract to look at.

These kind of visits help in getting to know the breeder personally, and to see what their breeding philosophies are. It also gives you an idea of how their animals are cared for, and perhaps how much support you can expect from them in the future, should you have questions or concerns.

Once you’ve settled on a dog, and a breeder, the chances are that you will have to wait for a puppy. Many responsible, and recommended breeders, have waiting or reservation lists, and you will have to take your place on one. But don’t be discouraged. As I can personally assure you, sometimes those reservations vanish when you start calling names to tell them a litter is available. It is possible that you may be asked for a non-refundable deposit at the time of reservation. This is not uncommon, and is often done in order to discourage just such a scenario as I mentioned above, about vanishing reservations. It’s very frustrating for a breeder to have a list of perhaps 15 names, for a litter that might number 10, and then to start turning people away, only to find out that they have six serious buyers when it comes to calling the list. Reservation amounts vary, anywhere from 10% of the purchase price to higher amounts. Consider carefully, whether you want to put a large amount of money “up front”, particularly if the deposit is not refundable. Make sure you read the contract thoroughly, so that you are aware of the requirements.

If you have decided to go with an “ordinary” dog (and who really has an ordinary dog? Don’t we all have the best, smartest, and cutest dog there is?) then you can look at newspaper ads, or consider going to your local shelter. Each year, countless thousands of puppies and dogs are put down, because their parents were not altered, they were unwanted, and shelters are overcrowded.

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