Things To Consider When Looking For A Puppy
Owning a puppy is wonderful, but it is also a responsibility. The following are some basic questions you should ask before getting a puppy. Some answers will help you decide if you're ready for a puppy or not. If so, other questions will help you decide what kind of puppy to get and how to prepare. You should also read our New Arrival section to get a sense of what you will need to do to bring a puppy into your life.
Why do you want a puppy?
Answering this question can help you decide if you are really ready for a puppy and what types of puppy to look for.
- A companion should like to do the same things you do. Don't get a toy breed if you want to go jogging.
- A playmate for the kids should be calm and not prone to aggressiveness.
- A guard dog needs to be loyal, easily trained and able to protect your home.
- A show dog will need to come with a pedigree.
Don't get a puppy just because it's "cute." This puppy will need to be a member of the family and will need to have a place in your home.
Do you have enough room for a puppy?
Even large dogs can live in apartments if they get out for proper exercise. Make sure there are arrangements in place for your puppy to get to play and eliminate. Small dogs are usually better suited to smaller spaces. Also think about yourself and your family. Your puppy might be happy in a smallish space, but you might start to feel cramped.
Do you have enough time for a puppy?
You should be there for your puppy. Young puppies need to be fed and get outside several times a day. Either someone needs to be home or needs to go home over lunch to care for your puppy. And don't forget the daily walk.
Also, good training and socialization requires interaction. Plan to set aside at least one and preferably two 20-30 minute play and training sessions each day. If you need to, break them up into five or ten minute chunks. These periods can include a walk, training or play of all types.
Can you afford a puppy?
You're going to have to pay for food, veterinary visits, vaccinations, a crate, toys, leashes and many other supplies. While many of these things are one-time costs and caring for a puppy is within the means of almost all families, you will have to budget for food and vet care throughout a dog's life.
Are you ready for puppy ownership?
A puppy is a new family member. Young puppies will need to get up in the middle of the night. You will have to feed and care for them. While the rewards of puppy ownership are well worth the effort, make sure it fits your life and lifestyle.
Is your home ready for a puppy?
Puppies want to explore every corner of your house, and they want to put everything in their mouths.
- Secure all poisonous substances: household cleaners, laundry soaps, bleach, disinfectants, insecticides, cleaning fluid, fertilizer, mothballs and more.
- Get down on all fours and look around. Are there any dangling electical cords, loose nails, or other tempting objects?
- Know the house plants that can cause problems for your puppy. Tomato vines, for instance, can make him sick.
For more information on poison control and home preparation, read the Health pages in our New Arrival section.
What kind of puppy should you get?
If you have decided a puppy is a good fit for your life, congratulations! You are ready to embark on a wonderful experience. Now you have to decide what kind of puppy to get.
Choosing the Best Dog for You
Dog owners usually know when they’ve found the dog for them. Not all dogs, however, turn out to be easy keepers - especially if the person with whom they’re “matched” is a poor fit. In order to increase the odds of a successful life-long relationship between dog and person, it pays to do a little research. What information do you need? It helps to think of all the variables here: Should you adopt a mix or a particular breed? If the latter, which breed would best suit you? Should the puppy be male or female? For that matter, should you look for a puppy or offer your home to a homeless “teen-age” or adult dog? It pays to do a little self-exploration and some reading before answering these questions and ultimately finding the best dog for you.
Dog Breed
Though out the ages, man has designed dogs that could hunt, guard, or herd according to his needs. Today there are 147 registered breeds. Every breed is assigned to one of seven groups, based on the uses for which the breeds were developed.
Find information on appearance, care, temperament, fun facts, for each breed in this helpful Marriage point Pakistan Article! Learn about the seven breed groups.
1. Herding Group
2. Hound Group
3. Sporting Group
4. Non-Sporting Group
5. Terrier Group
6. Working Group
7. Toy Group
Herding Group
The Herding Group, created in 1983, its members were formerly members of the Working Group. All breeds share the fabulous ability to control the movement of other animals. A remarkable example is the low-set Corgi, perhaps one foot tall at the shoulders that can drive a herd of cows many times its size to pasture by leaping and nipping at their heels. The vast majority of Herding dogs, as household pets, never cross paths with a farm animal. Nevertheless, pure instinct prompts many of these dogs to gently herd their owners, especially the children of the family. In general, these intelligent dogs make excellent companions and respond beautifully to training exercises.
Breeds within this Group
Austrailian Shepherd
Australian Cattle Dog
Bearded Collie
Briard
Belgian Malinois
Belgian Sheepdog
Belgian Tervuren
Border Collie
Bouvier des Flandres
Canaan Dog
Collie
German Shepherd Dog
Old English Sheepdog
Puli
Shetland Sheepdog
Welsh Corgi (Cardigan)
Welsh Corgi (Pembroke
Hound Group
Most hounds share the common ancestral trait of being used for hunting. Some use acute scenting powers to follow a trail. Others demonstrate a phenomenal gift of stamina as they relentlessly run down quarry. Beyond this, however, generalizations about hounds are hard to come by, since the Group encompasses quite a diverse lot. There are Pharaoh Hounds, Norwegian Elkhounds, Afghans and Beagles, among others. Some hounds share the distinct ability to produce a unique sound known as baying. You'd best sample this sound before you decide to get a hound of your own to be sure it's your cup of tea.
Breeds within this Group
Afghan Hound
American Foxhound
Basenji
Basset Hound
Beagle
Black and Tan Coonhound
Bloodhound
Borzoi
Dachshund
English Foxhound
Greyhound
Harrier
Ibizan
Irish Wolfhound
Norwegian Elkhound
Otterhound
Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen
Pharaoh Hound
Rhodesian Ridgeback
Saluki
Scottish Deerhound
Whippet
Sporting Group
Naturally active and alert, Sporting dogs make likeable, well-rounded companions. Members of the Group include pointers, retrievers, setters and spaniels. Remarkable for their instincts in water and woods, many of these breeds actively continue to participate in hunting and other field activities. Potential owners of Sporting dogs need to realize that most require regular, invigorating exercise.
Breeds within this Group
American Water Spaniel
Brittany
Chesapeake Bay Retriever
Clumber Spaniel
Cocker Spaniel
Curly-Coated Retriever
English Cocker Spaniel
English Setter
English Springer Spaniel
Field Spaniel
Flat-Coated Retriever
German Shorthaired Pointer
German Wirehaired Pointer
Golden Retreiver
Gordon Setter
Irish Setter
Irish Water Spaniel
Labrador Retreiver
Pointer
Sussex Spaniel
Vizsla
Weimaraner
Welsh Springer Spaniel
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
Non-Sporting Group
Non-sporting dogs are a diverse group. Here are sturdy animals with as different personalities and appearances as the Chow Chow, Dalmatian, French bulldog, and Keeshond. Talk about differences in size, coat, and visage! Some, like the Schipperke and Tibetan Spaniel are uncommon sights in the average neighborhood. Others, however, like the Poodle and Lhasa Apso, have quite a large following. The breeds in the Non-Sporting Group are a varied collection in terms of size, coat, personality and overall appearance.
Breeds within this Group
American Eskimo
Bichon Frise
Boston Terrier
Bulldog
Chinese Shar-pei
Chow Chow
Dalmatian
Finnish Spitz
French Bulldog
Keeshond
Lhasa Apso
Lowchen
Schipperke
Shiba Inu
Tibetan Spaniel
Tibetan Terrier
Terrier Group
People familiar with this Group invariably comment on the distinctive terrier personality. These are feisty, energetic dogs whose sizes range from fairly small, as in the Norfolk, Cairn or West Highland White Terrier, to the grand Airedale Terrier. Terriers typically have little tolerance for other animals, including other dogs. Their ancestors were bred to hunt and kill vermin. Many continue to project the attitude that they're always eager for a spirited argument. Most terriers have wiry coats that require special grooming known as stripping in order to maintain a characteristic appearance. In general, they make engaging pets, but require owners with the determination to match their dogs' lively characters.
Breeds within this Group
Airedale Terrier
American Staffordshire Terrier
Australian Terrier
Bedlington Terrier
Border Terrier
Bull Terrier
Cairn Terrier
Dandie Dinmont Terrier
Fox Terrier
Fox Terrier (Wire)
Irish Terrier
Kerry Blue Terrier
Lakeland Terrier
Manchester Terrier
Minature Bull Terrier
Minature Schnauzer
Norfolk Terrier
Norwich Terrier
Scottish Terrier
Sealyham Terrier
Skye Terrier
Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Welsh Terrier
West Highland White Terrier
Working Group
Dogs of the Working Group were bred to perform such jobs as guarding property, pulling sleds and performing water rescues. They have been invaluable assets to man throughout the ages. The Doberman pinscher, Siberian Husky and Great Dane are included in this Group, to name just a few. Quick to learn, these intelligent, capable animals make solid companions. Their considerable dimensions and strength alone, however, make many working dogs unsuitable as pets for average families. And again, by virtue of their size alone, these dogs must be properly trained.
Breeds within this Group
Akita
Alaskan Malamute
Anatolian Shepherd
Bernese Mountain Dog
Boxer
Doberman pinscher
Giant Schnauzer
Great Dane
Great Pyrenees
Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
Komondor
Kuvasz
Mastiff
Newfoundland
Portuguese Water Dog
Rottweiler
Saint Bernard
Samoyed
Siberian Husky
Standard Schnauzer
Toy Group
The diminutive size and winsome expressions of Toy dogs illustrate the main function of this Group: to embody sheer delight. Don't let their tiny statue fool you, though - - many Toys are tough as nails. If you haven't yet experienced the barking of an angry Chihuahua, for example, well, just wait. Toy dogs will always be popular with city dwellers and people without much living space. They make ideal apartment dogs and terrific lap warmers on nippy nights. (Incidentally, small breeds may be found in every Group, not just the Toy Group. We advise everyone to seriously consider getting a small breed, when appropriate, if for no other reason than to minimize some of the problems inherent in canines such as shedding, creating messes and cost of care. And training aside, it's still easier to control a ten-pound dog than it is one ten times that size.)
Breeds within this Group
Affenpinscher
Brussels Griffon
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Chihuahua
Chinese Crested
English Toy Spaniel
Havanese
Italian Greyhound
Japanese Chin
Maltese
Miniature Pinscher
Papillon
Pekingese
Pomeranian
Poodle
Pug
Shih Tzu
Silky Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier
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Pets Information Center Pakistan
