Most people, when they think of getting a dog they want a puppy, a cute six to eight week old bundle of joy. Before you go out to the nearest pet store and make your purchase think about this. Most dogs that are available for sale in pet stores come from puppy mills. I am not a supporter of puppy mills, and most animal lovers I know will not support any type of animal mill.
If you insist on buying a dog from a pet store, don’t be afraid to ask where the puppies came from (do the people even know?) and ask if you can get the information on the breeder. This is so you can contact the breeder of the puppies to see if you should be aware of any hereditary medical conditions that may not have been informed to the store.
The best option I can give you is to go to a shelter in your area and look at the beautiful dogs that have been left on the streets. You may be pleasantly surprised at the fact that a three year old pit-bull has captured your heart. Shelter dogs do come with their own problems, yes, I can’t lie about this. They may have been abused or neglected. There are also plenty of dogs that are there simply because the previous owners did not want the dog anymore and couldn’t find it a home on their own.
When I go to get a new dog, I bring my current dogs with me. This is so they can greet the new member, and see how they react with each other. Right away I can tell if the new puppy will be a good fit by the way Seraphim will sniff it out, and play. If there is aggression shown the two clearly aren’t going to get along and I do reconsider it. I am not qualified to train one dog to stop aggression, and I know this. Always take on what you feel confident with handling.
If you don’t want to adopt a dog, or buy from a store look at reputable breeders in your area. Never order a puppy over the internet. You need to be able to meet it before you bring it home, and make sure that the two of you will get along. Sadly this can also be a scam to get your credit card number as well, people prey on our emotions that we link to a cute little puppy pleading for a home.
I’ve paid cash for my dogs, Mouse came from a local puppy mill. We know the owners of the mill, and while I don’t condone mills it was better than what could have happened to him. They told my husband Mouse wouldn’t live past his fourth month. Mouse is now almost a full four years old. Had he been left at the mill I do believe they would have euthanized him because he is not a true designer dog. He is tiny, doesn’t have the correct fur texture or coloring, over all they knew he would not be a dog they could sell for near seven hundred dollars.
Seraphim we got from a lady who was trying to get rid of her. She doesn’t look like a traditional husky, even though if you get to know her you realize that she favors her husky roots. She is brown, black and white, her eyes are chocolate, and her ears don’t quiet stand up yet. Her brothers and sisters looked more like their husky roots and I felt for her. If she didn’t find a home they would have sent her away.
Butter is a black retriever mixed with collie. Her family previous to us had three of their own dogs, plus the eight puppies from Butter’s litter. She is such a sweet puppy who is happy and go lucky. My husband always wanted a retriever for the fetching, and the collie is wonderful to train, she grasps the concepts rather fast. Just needs some reminders and leadership skills.
In any case, do your research, what dogs will fit your lifestyle? Don’t just go for a designer dog because you like their looks, what will fit your energy levels? Can you honestly handle a stubborn rotty when they resist training? Can you really handle the fact that your husky will get lonely and depressed without you? There are days where I just toss my hands in the air at Seraphim, she gets anxious and upset when I leave without her, but this is a husky trait, they are so pack orientated they would die for their pack, and are very emotional. This means I have to be on top of my game at all times. When I leave her in her kennel because I can’t take her it does break my heart to hear her scream and wail. I know she will be okay this doesn’t hurt her and eventually as I continue to show her I am the alpha in the pack this will become a less of a heart wrenching experience, and more of a positive exercise every day.
I have been thinking of getting a dog in the future. I never thought to ask some of these questions or to even think of adopting vs buying
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