Getting a puppy is an exciting time for you and your family. However, you should ensure you’re ready to care for a dog for its entire life. Puppies will need love, care, and attention for 10-15 years. They also need space, exercise, food, and grooming to be healthy.
Socialization
Buying a puppy for sale is a big responsibility; you must ensure your chosen pup is healthy. One of the best ways to do this is to visit a shelter. These organizations take excellent care of their animals and have a rigorous health screening process. Choosing a puppy from a shelter also allows you to see how the pup interacts with other dogs and people. If you cannot find the perfect puppy at a shelter, try looking in your area for breeders who provide full health backgrounds and let you visit with the puppies and their parents.
This will allow you to review the living conditions and ensure the puppies are raised in a clean, safe environment. The best thing you can do for your future puppies is to socialize them with various people. This is important because it helps to prevent behavioral problems. Puppies isolated from people and other environments are at a higher risk for developing aggressive, fearful, or anxious behaviors.
To expose your puppy to different types of people, start with family and friends and then move on to acquaintances. It is essential to have your puppy experience people of different ages, genders, races, and ethnicities. Also, have your puppy interact with children so that they learn to be gentle with dogs.
Health
The puppies’ health is one of the most important things you can check when visiting a breeder. Look for bright eyes with no redness or discharge, a clear nose and throat, clean ears free of wax or foul smells, thick fur, solid legs, sturdy backs, healthy skin without scabs or sores, and a firm and dry bottom. Puppies have much to learn about the world and need lots of exercise, entertainment, and socialization.
They must be taken on daily walks (in any weather) and given suitable toys, chews, bedding, belly rubs, and playtime. They will also need a good amount of grooming. If you are considering buying a puppy, ask the breeder if you can see its mother and any siblings. When you’ve arranged the date and time to collect your new puppy, ask the breeder to book a vet health check within 48 hours of the date agreed on. This legal requirement will help you avoid getting a dog with any hidden problems you would not have known.
Training
Puppies are very active and have a lot of energy. Their behavior is a good indicator of how much exercise they need to keep them happy and healthy. Some high-energy puppies can be too much for people unprepared to meet their physical and mental needs. A reputable breeder should have a history of selling their puppies to people who love them. Ask for references from past buyers and check out the breeder’s reputation online.
Look at the puppies and make sure they are active, have clear eyes without redness or discharge, clean ears free of wax or debris, have soft fur that is not dry and flaky, have sturdy legs and feet, and have no signs of giardiasis, dehydration or parasites. Also, watch how the puppies interact with their mother and littermates.
Puppies should be comfortable when handled and be able to lay still for pedicures and nail trims. Also, if you are considering buying a male or female puppy, ensure they will be spayed or neutered. Unspayed female dogs will bleed during their “seasons,” they may be attracted to unneutered male dogs and have accidental litters. This is a severe health issue for both the dog and humans.
Exercise
Buying a puppy is a considerable and 10-15-year commitment. You want to ensure you choose a puppy that will be a good fit for your family. This will help you avoid the heartache of giving up a dog because they were not the right fit. To start, do your research on the different breeds of dogs. Although they may share similar physical traits and namesakes, each breed has unique needs. Also, consider if your lifestyle will meet the exercise and grooming needs of the breed you are looking for.
Responsible breeders will have contracts that outline rules, restrictions, and responsibilities for their puppies. It would be best if you asked to see this contract before purchasing. Puppies will require food, beds, toys, and treats. It would be best if you were prepared to buy pet insurance and puppy-proof your home. This includes ensuring cabinets are closed, poisons and cleaning products are not on the counter at puppy level, and that any cords are covered. You should also search your house and yard for hazards, such as sugar-free chewing gum (which contains xylitol) and other small items that dogs or cats could swallow.
