Thinking of getting a dog?

The first question many people ask is should I get a rescue or a purebred dog?

Many feel that rescuing from the shelter is the option everyone should consider first. While it is a great idea to rescue a dog from possible euthanasia, there are several things to consider. When you have a mixed breed dog, if he is still a puppy, you may have no idea how big he will be, how much he will lose, or what his temperament will be like. It is a myth that you can tell how big a puppy will get by the size of its legs.

Older dogs should always be kept in mind, as while puppies are invariably cute, it’s really just a very, very short part of their life and by adopting an older dog, you can usually skip the housework , teething and spaying or neutering. You will also know what size and type of coat he has. That said, some older dogs in shelters come with their own “luggage.” They may have been abused or simply allowed to grow up without training, they may have aggressive tendencies that you are not aware of at first or without knowledge of the rules, limits and limitations, as César Milan, famous Whisperer of dogs. As he’s shown many times, you can really teach an old dog new tricks.

If you have the time to properly overcome this type of baggage … and truly, ANY dog of any breed, any age requires a genuine investment in training, you will be more than rewarded for your time by accepting an older dog from the shelter. We also found that many of the volunteers at the shelters, while having the best of intentions, have little knowledge of purebred dogs and it is quite common for people to adopt a dog and be told that it is a breed type that it is not. .

The advantage of buying a purebred dog is that you will know exactly what you are getting in terms of size, temperament, coat type, shedding, grooming needs, etc. The most important thing to consider when buying a purebred dog is NOT to buy in stores or on the Internet. Most people have heard of the horrors of so-called “puppy mills” and while most people would never intentionally buy a puppy in such a situation, they don’t realize that NO ethical breeder would sell puppies in a store. . In fact, it is grounds for dismissal from most purebred parenting clubs, to which most of the responsible breeders belong.

The internet has become a boon for these disreputable breeders as they give puppies a bath and a cute bow and people fool themselves into thinking it came from a responsible breeder. A quality purebred dog is not cheap, but ironically, you can almost always get a good one from a good breeder for less than a store. The ones on the internet are much cheaper for a reason. No health clearances are given to the parents, there are no championship titles to prove their merit in their breed, there are no long-term health guarantees, and they can simply charge a lot less when they breed by the hundreds with little or no investment in its care and maintenance.

If a purebred is the right choice for your family, find a breeder that you can visit. If they show dogs, even better. Then you can be sure that they are investing in producing the best representatives of the breed who are also healthy and of good temperament. Be prepared to be put on a waiting list for a quality puppy, in addition to being asked to sign a spay / neuter contract, as most breeders try to protect their breeds from unethical or misinformed breeding resulting in poor specimens of the breed as well as possibly introducing hereditary health problems. In addition, the breeder will ask you a series of questions so that they can determine if you can provide the right environment for the dog. If the seller doesn’t care about your lifestyle and the conditions the dog will live in, this should tell you that you are not a quality dog ​​breeder or seller.

If you search the Internet for the breed of your choice, you should be able to find the local members of the national parent club for that breed. They can also point you in the right direction if you want to rescue a purebred adult of that breed.

Whatever your decision about your new addition to your family, be sure to take your time, do your homework on what would work best for your situation, and be prepared to take the time to train your new dog and help him become a person of for life. loving part of the family.