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(Published in the 2002 Annual Issue)
Pick of the Litter
Selecting a healthy puppy with just the right personality requires patience, research, and good judgment
By Scott and Ann Springer
You're finally ready to do it. After deciding on the breed that's right for you and your family and finding a good breeder, it's time to choose the actual puppy to call your own.
As you can imagine, picking out a healthy, good-tempered puppy isn't as easy as deciding what color of sweater looks best on you or purchasing the safest minivan. The consequences of a poor choice of puppy can be considerable. If you make a wrong choice with a sweater or even a car, selling it and buying another is not too complicated. A puppy, however, is an important facet of the family and is potentially a 10- to15-year commitment. Bringing home an unhealthy puppy or one with a poor temperament can turn your puppy dreams into puppy nightmares.
Fortunately, thousands of puppy owners have followed a few simple strategies for ascertaining a pup's health and determining its temperament in order to make a successful choice. With a little time and learning, you can, too. Signs of a Healthy Puppy
You're not a veterinarian, and you haven't purchased a puppy before. How do you examine a puppy and determine whether it's healthy? First, get close. Don't rely on a cursory examination from a standing height. Hold the puppy in your lap, or sit next to it and look it over. Then, look for these easy-to-spot features.
Haircoat: Is it shiny or is it dull and flaky? A shiny, non-flaking coat is a good indicator of a well-nourished puppy.
Muscle tone: Does the puppy appear plump or well fed, or does it look limp and underweight? Can you see its ribs? Go with your gut feeling—does the puppy look strong to you?
Eyes: Are they alert and active, or are they sunken and dreary? Goopy and watery eyes can point toward an allergy or an infection.
Stool: Is it solid, or is loose and watery? Has the puppy had diarrhea?
Odor: Is there an unpleasant scent to the dog or its surroundings? Usually this indicates an unhealthy environment, or at the minimum, a puppy that has not received the hygiene care it needs.
In addition to making your own assessment about health, make sure you obtain copies of all of the pup's health records to see that it has been tested for relevant genetic diseases and treated for worms and other parasites.
Naughty or Nice?
Just as important as checking for physical health is assessing the prospective puppy's personality. The best way to determine a puppy's temperament is to observe it as it interacts with its mother and with its littermates. If you know what to look for, you will learn more about your puppy with your own eyes than you would from asking a hundred questions. "In general, you want one that is well socialized with the litter and with people," says Drew Allen, DVM, of Brickyard Animal Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah.
This starts with the puppy's parents. How social are they? Do they show signs of aggression? Do they reflect the personality you are seeking in a puppy? Are they healthy dogs? "You will want to see both parents of the puppy because that will give you an idea of its personality and health," says Dr. Allen. "Make sure the puppy's parents reflect the personality you are after."
Visit the breeder's facility two or three times to watch the puppy, preferably at different times of the day. Phillip Paris, a dog trainer at Capital Area K-9 Consultants in Georgetown, Texas, recommends spending at least one half hour at each visit. If multiple trips aren't possible, an hour is usually sufficient to observe the puppy in action, says Shirley Barker, owner of the retail store Puppy Love Haven in Mexico, Missouri.
Notice how the puppy responds when you walk in the room. Does it greet you? Drop a ball and see how it responds to stimulation. Monitor how the puppy plays with its littermates. Is it push or nippy? Is it clingy or shy? How does the puppy react when you play a game with it? How does it act when you pick it up? Does it fight to get down or does it appear comfortable? Occasionally, the breeder will allow you to take the puppy home with you overnight. This is the perfect opportunity to see how it reacts to your home and around your family members.
If you seek a social puppy—to live with a family, for example—select one that instinctively plays a game with you and frolics with its littermates. If your home life can't sustain an energetic animal, and you are looking for a more reserved dog, a cuddly puppy will be a good fit. An aggressive puppy that responds quickly to stimulation tires quickly of physical interaction and even nips a bit at strangers is more likely to grow up to be a guard dog.
"If the puppy looks scared to death, it probably is," Paris says. "You want a dog that is confident enough to go outside of the den and explore on its own and not be dependent on its mother or on the other dogs." According to Paris, the average person is looking for a companion dog and needs a puppy with a temperament that's "middle of the road to slightly confident."
If you are indecisive or uncertain about your puppy choices, you may opt to have your breeder choose a puppy for you. Some puppy owners request their breeder's help in selecting their pets because breeders are more likely to correctly match breeds and living situations. For example, a breeder would be unlikely to recommend a Lab or a Dalmatian to older people because these breeds require considerable exercise. Instead, such prospective owners would probably be steered to a lap dog such as a pug or a Maltese. A family that wants an aggressive animal might also send up a red flag to an astute breeder.
Picking a Purebred from a Rescue or Shelter
Another option to buying from a breeder is to pick your dog from an animal shelter or rescue group. The puppy selection will likely be scarce, however. In the 14 years since the Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue was founded, President Lynn Erckmann says she has had only five puppies pass through the organization. "Our average dog is 3 to 5 years old," Erckmann says. "However, in more common breeds, we might get a puppy."
If you do find your perfect puppy from a rescue or a shelter, be aware that this animal already has a history. "It's a coin toss on what kind of dog you are getting," Paris says. "You don't know what the conditions and the standard of living have been for that dog, and you have no idea what it has been subjected to. The dog could be wonderful, but it could also be overly aggressive."
The advantage to adopting an adult dog is that any prominent health problems will have already appeared by that age, something you can ascertain with a thorough veterinary examination. Most shelters will allow you to take the dog home for this purpose. Another advantage is that the dog has already grown to its full size, and its temperament has already been established.
Analyze carefully whether this dog fits your family's personality, as well. Erckmann says she is hesitant to place a rescued dog in a home with children under age 6. If you have small children, be sure to bring your children to the shelter to expose them to the dogs. Create an environment that is as close to home as possible and observe the dog's behavior.
The shelter or rescue group's personnel will be a great resource in learning more about the puppy because they are committed to creating a successful match. Their knowledge is limited, however. The Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue carefully screens all incoming dogs, but they can't ascertain the health history of abandoned animals, Erckmann says. What they do tell prospective owners is how the puppy interacts with other dogs, what is energy level is like and how it has responded to training.
Fortunately, most dogs in shelters and rescue groups aren't animals that have wandered the streets. Rather, they have been left by owners who didn't have time to care for them. This is also true for puppies. These dogs typically can be trained as quickly as a purebred from a breeder because they have been in a home for most of their lives. "Most shelter dogs have behavior issues, not obedience issues," Paris says.
When your perfect purebred puppy is finally in your home, your hard work will be worth it. If you followed the guidelines in selecting a puppy and trusted yourself throughout the process, the excitement you felt when you made the big decision to buy a puppy will always e with you.
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