or buying a purebred dog is that you’ll know much of what you are signing up for beforehand. You won’t be shocked when your Dogue de Bordeaux puppy tips the scale at 120 pounds (54 kg). Likewise, you will expect your Pekingese pup’s coat to grow long over time. You can keep it shorter if you prefer, of course, but those grooming bills won’t catch you off guard.
Different qualities attract people to certain breeds. Perhaps you love the looks of more exotic breeds, such as the corded Komondor or the hairless Xoloitzcuintli. Maybe you prefer the Golden Retriever due to its steadfast reputation as the quintessential family dog. You might not even be able to articulate your reasons for fancying a specific breed. No matter what draws you to one breed or another, just make sure that all of its qualities—and needs—suit your lifestyle before making your final decision.
Whether it’s herding sheep or catching Frisbees, the bright, active Border Collie needs a job to do.
How to Find a Breeder or Breed Rescue
The first place many of us go to find information these days is the Internet, and for good reason. Nearly all businesses and organizations have websites or a social media presence these days. Dog breeders are no exception. These electronic resources offer potential dog owners efficient ways of researching and gathering valuable details. A breeder’s website will probably list whether he or she has or is expecting a litter of pups, and the breeder may also share breed-specific advice on general care, grooming, and training. It is important to remember, though, that not everything is always as it seems online.
Dog breeders are different from most other businesses in that their job is raising live animals. A responsible dog breeder’s job is to produce pups who will grow into healthy adult animals with sound temperaments. The best breeders also strive to adhere to their breed standard, which is an official description of a breed’s desired physical and temperamental traits. A dog does not have to match his standard perfectly to make a good pet, but the best breeders want their puppies to match the standard as closely as possible. This goal takes a great deal of time, patience, and planning to accomplish. Breeders who merely produce dogs as quickly as possible to meet demand are much less likely to be putting health and temperament at the top of their priority list.
The best dog breeders are hobby breeders. These are people who breed first and foremost because of their love for a particular breed. Few people can afford to breed dogs for free, of course. Breeders need to make money just like everyone else, but after doing some research, you will likely be able to discern a responsible hobby breeder from a commercial breeder who is mainly interested in profit.
Breed rescues are another great resource for finding a purebred dog. These nonprofit organizations work to rehome dogs who have been displaced for various reasons. Rescue organizations help by placing these dogs in volunteer foster homes until they find new homes for them. Many dogs in rescue are surprisingly young, but older dogs can also make excellent new pets for the right people.
Online searches and links provided by the breed’s “parent club” (national breed club) are the quickest ways to find breed rescues in your area. Your local humane society may also recommend nearby rescue organizations. Many breed rescues are devoted to a single breed or AKC group, but some work with a variety of dogs. I found my dog Jemma, a mixed breed, through Maine Lab Rescue. The night Jemma joined my family, the director shared with me that the rescue group had actually been started with the rescue of a cat!
Dealing with Allergies
If one family member is allergic to dogs, the family must address this problem before getting a pet. Some breeds, like the Labradoodle and Miniature Schnauzer, are classified as hypoallergenic, meaning that they are unlikely to cause allergic reactions in people. In many cases, choosing the right dog can make all the difference, but it is still essential for the allergy sufferer to spend time with a particular animal before assuming that the problem has been averted; some allergic dog lovers can experience symptoms even with so-called hypoallergenic breeds. If this is the case for you or one of your family members, see a doctor. In many cases medication can help, but postpone making any decisions until you know if this is the case in your situation.
What to Expect When Visiting a Breeder
Once you have identified a breeder within driving distance of your home, call or email to arrange a visit. If you can’t find a breeder within a reasonable distance, some breeders are willing to ship puppies by plane. In rare cases, this might be necessary, but finding a breeder you can meet face to face is ideal. If you cannot visit the breeder’s facilities, you won’t know for certain if you are buying a dog from a responsible breeder or a puppy mill.
Schedule your visit in advance, and do not be offended if the breeder wants to wait until the pups are a few weeks old. Breeders often limit visitors when their pups are most vulnerable to catching serious illnesses, such as parvovirus. Well-intended dog lovers can carry this disease in on the bottoms of their shoes without even realizing it. While parvo usually doesn’t cause serious illness in most dogs, it can be deadly to a mother dog and her young puppies.
The breeder’s facilities should be clean, but expect to see toys and other items strewn here and there. Caring for a litter of newborn puppies is much like caring for human infants. What matters most is that the pups get what they need. Cleanliness is a sign of a responsible breeder; neatness is optional.
Being able to meet the dam—and the sire, if he is owned by the same person—can be especially helpful when choosing a puppy. A pup’s parents are the best indicator of what kind of adult dog he will become. Training and nurturing certainly play a role in the development of a dog’s personality, but both physical and temperamental traits are often inherited. The friendliest dogs usually produce the best tempered puppies.
Certain aspects of purebreds are predictable. For example, you can be reasonably certain that your Golden Retriever will enjoy romping and splashing at the beach.
Adopting from a Shelter or Rescue
Adopting a dog may require just as much planning and research as buying one from a breeder. First, you will need to decide what kind of dog you wish to adopt. The answer might be as simple as wanting an active dog who enjoys the outdoors or as detailed as wanting a specific breed within a certain age range. Whatever qualities you seek in your future pet, knowing what you want before you start your search will be helpful in finding an animal that meets this criteria.
Sometimes, people do not have a specific breed or type of dog in mind, and this is fine, too. Perhaps you are confident that you will know the right dog when you meet him; sometimes a person and a dog just “click.” This can work out well, too, as long as you try to get as much information about the dog as possible before making your final decision.
Animal shelters offer a clear advantage when it comes to assessing one’s rapport with a potential pet. Although you can certainly scroll through all of the online photos and write-ups of the dogs available for adoption, you can also meet them all in a single day at the shelter. Breed rescues, on the other hand, typically keep their animals in foster homes. Some rescues regularly hold adoption or meet-and-greet events at pet-supply stores and other public places, but you may need to schedule an appointment or wait for a certain day to meet a particular animal.
Once you have found the dog you want to adopt, the next step will be filling out an application. This process may sound a bit intimidating, but it is an important step in matching each dog with his ideal owner. Bear in mind that dogs in shelters and rescues have already lost their homes. Some have never had real homes at all. The people who
