Selecting The Right Breed For You

What Breed Do You Want?

The first thing to decide is what breed of dog is best for you, your family, and living situation. Don't get hung up on just looking for appearance, size, color, etc. Read books on all the breeds. I recommend, "The Right Dog For You", by Dr. Daniel Tortora. Pay particular attention to how much exercise is required of the breed you like, the grooming requirements, temperament, trainability, and familiarize yourself with the health problems associated with that particular breed. You can do research about health problems on the internet. Remember, you want to find a breed of dog that fits best with you, your family, the available time you have, and your living arrangements.

Once you determine what breed(s) you like the best, contact dog resources. The best place to start is your veterinarian, owner of a boarding kennel, dog trainers and/or dog training facilities, groomers, and a local all-breed club. You can even go to some dog shows and talk to the people that are there showing their dogs (just wait until they are finished showing - not right before they are to go in the ring). Talk to all these people about your breed choice(s) as they have contact with these breeds of dogs every day. Be very clear and let these people know your preferences and ask them for their opinions based on their experiences with different breeds of dogs.

Now it is time to go visit breeders.

Assuming that you are not experienced at purchasing a puppy it is best to visit 5-10 breeders (or more if you need to) and look at many dogs and puppies. Let these breeders know that you are "not going to buy a puppy at this time". A reputable breeder will not try to push you into buying a puppy. They are more concerned about placing their puppies in the "right" home with the "right" people. However, if you plan to go to more than one breeder in a day, make sure you change your clothes so as not to spread any possible disease between kennels. It is a good idea to spray down your shoes with a bleach and water mixture in between visits. Mix 1 part bleach to 30 parts water and spray your entire shoe, top and bottom. Wash your hands thoroughly.

While at the different kennels, you should look at, and observe, the adult(s) and the puppies that the different breeders have. Look for a temperament and manner in the dogs that most closely matches what you are looking for to fit in with your household and lifestyle. If you have children, have the breeder's dogs and puppies been exposed to children? If the breeder does not have children, what do they do to expose the puppies to children? While it is not advisable to cart young puppies around, a reputable breeder will have taken steps to insure that their puppies have met children - like have neighborhood children come and visit. They may have an arrangement with the local school, whereby they can take a few puppies at a time to the school in order to socialize them to children. Don't just look at the breeder's dogs and puppies to see if they are the type of dog you are looking for, but pay attention to the breeder themselves. Does it feel right what they are saying to you? Do the premises look clean and well-cared for? What type of written guarantee(s) does the breeder offer for health problems that may affect that particular breed of dog? What do you get when you purchase a puppy from a particular breeder (i.e., puppy packet, food, health record, vaccinations, wormings, registration paperwork, pedigree, etc.)?

These types of things are what most responsible breeders provide to a new owner. Beware of a breeder who does not REQUIRE a puppy buyer to spay or neuter their pet. The only reason that a dog should be sold as a breedable animal is if the owner plans to show or participate in dog events that require a dog to remain intact and have had some prior experience doing this or have been going to shows to learn about showing. A puppy sold to a pet home should be sold with a "limited" AKC registration. A limited registration is one whereby the puppy is fully registered with the AKC and can even be shown in some AKC events. However, the puppy can never be shown in AKC conformation classes and any offspring that puppy may "accidentally" have would not be registerable with the AKC. A limited registration and a spay/neuter agreement is not meant to eliminate "competition" to the breeder, but it something that responsible breeders insist upon, because they have worked long and hard to build a good reputation and they want to protect that reputation. Most of the dogs that end up in the pound or shelter are not from the buyer that purchased a puppy from a breeder, but the puppies that are the result of that puppy. Most puppy buyers just do not have the means, and or the knowledge that it takes to find responsible owners for their puppies. It takes time and commitment to find "forever" homes for puppies.

Do you want a male or female?

In my experience, in general the bitches seem to learn more quickly and are more consistent with their training at a younger age than the males. However, sometimes they can be a little more protective of their home and the children as they view children as "puppies". An unspayed bitch can become "temperamental" before, during and after her heat cycles. She can also remain temperamental past her heat cycle due to either a "false" or real pregnancy. During this time, bitches can have problems with bladder and bowel control. It is best to have a bitch spayed. It eliminates the possibility of unplanned pregnancies, temperament problems during heat cycles, and studies have shown that bitches who are not spay have a higher rate of mammary cancer. Additionally, a bitch does not have to go through her first heat cycle prior to being spayed - that is a wives' tale.

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The males tend to be bigger than the bitches and more closely resemble their particular breed's breed characteristics. In my experience, the boys tend to stay emotionally younger a little longer than the bitches - they just seem to take a little while to grow up. I have always advised my puppy buyers that having a male requires that one have a sense of humor during his puppyhood and adolescence as they are little like a bull in a china shop. The male German Shepherd Dog will have attained their full height by the time they are around 8 months of age, but they just do not have the emotional maturity to go along with it. That being said, I find that the males tend to make better pets. They can be more laid back, more tolerant to children and other dogs and animals. This assumes, of course, that the dog has been neutered. Unneutered dogs are prone to wander, show aggression (if not properly trained), independent, resistant to control by their owners and even show mounting behavior towards other dogs and people. Neutering will usually cure him of these types of behaviors - assuming that the dog is neutered prior to 6 months of age. There is evidence that unneutered males have a higher incident of testicular cancer than neutered dogs. Why take the risk?

All dogs require socialization and obedience training, not just puppy kindergarten.

Picking out your puppy.

Most reputable breeders have a good idea of the personalities of each of their puppies. Trust that knowledge. If they have interviewed you properly, and you have communicated to them what you are looking for the breeder can help you choose the right puppy for you and your family. Many breeders nowadays, utilize "personality testing" which assists the breeder in placing the right puppy with the right puppy buyer/home. For more information on this testing, please visit follow this link.

In Colorado, state law requires that no puppy can leave the breeder until 8 weeks of age. I strongly advise you to not get a dog from a breeder if they let their puppies go to new hones prior to 8 weeks of age. If you get a puppy over 12 weeks of age, make sure that puppy has had sufficient individual time away from his siblings and his mother - otherwise he will have begun to attach himself to canines and won't really want much to do with people. A responsible (read knowledgeable) breeder is aware of this, and will have separated the puppies and their mom. You want a puppy that PREFERS the company of people rather than the other dogs. When observing the litter, do not even consider the lethargic, hiding or "loner" puppy - unless you enjoy a challenge because these puppies are unsure of themselves and it is harder to train them as they need lots of reassurance, you cannot use a harsh/hard voice, and you cannot be demanding of them or you will ruin their temperament. These puppies can easily turn into a puppy that exhibits "submissive" urination or other undesirable behaviors. Conversely, avoid the "boss" or alpha puppies (i.e., the one who comes running to you). These puppies will have strong wills and will be much harder to train - they will require a great deal of training and time. If you have or plan to have children, taking on a "challenge" for a puppy may well spell disaster for you and the puppy.

Now that you have become educated about the breed that is right for you, visited breeders, and perhaps even picked out and/or brought home your puppy, it is time to become better educated on how to train and socialize that puppy. You have invested a lot of time and money finding the right puppy for you, now it is important that you ensure that you do the "work" (i.e., training and socialization) so that puppy can be with you for the length of his life.

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