1. Don't buy from a pet shop - they often buy their puppies from puppy farms where dogs are kept in appalling conditions and bitches are forced to produce litter after litter.
Absolutely agree. They are almost always from puppy farms which would break your heart if you went to see how the dogs are kept in them.
If you ever have any spare money, please donate to RSPCA to enable them to continue trying to wipe these dreadful places out.
2. Buy from a breeder, but if possible go and view their premises - to make sure it is not a puppy farm
Agree again, but not everyone wants a purebred dog. I have always only had German Shepherds and would not consider buying from other than a registered breeder.
If you decide on a purebred dog, you will find (in addition to dogzonline which is very good), results from the breed shows for the last few years. Just Google the breed and "Show Results" until you get it up. This will show you the breeders who have consistently won prizes for best of breed, best puppy etc.
That way you can be sure you will not be buying rubbish or anything from a puppy farm.
If you decide to go for purebred, you should have detailed discussions with the breeder about the temperament of the potential puppies. However, this is no guarantee of getting what you want. A breeder's view of a 'calm and placid nature' may be quite different from yours.
Best, as Ruby has suggested, to go to see both the parents before making a choice. Do not make a choice on the basis of a six or eight week old puppy.
They are all totally gorgeous but that's very little guide to the appearance or personality of the mature dog.
My now 13 month old Shepherd was a quiet, amenable little thing from 8 to 10 weeks, but then she was the puppy from hell until about 10 months.
This despite the breeder assuring me she would be calm and placid!
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Yes, great advice. But still go to see the parents and look around the breeding area. It should be clean and the dogs should have plenty of room to run freely. Do not buy from a breeder where the dogs are caged.
I went to one where all the dogs had been debarked and they were shut in concrete enclosures, climbing the bloody walls in their frustration.
Have u consider RSPCA shelters? I read somewhere that they get heaps of good pups after xmas/new year when unwanted gifts are dumped.
Yes, that's so true. And you can get lovely mixed breed dogs from a shelter.
And they are usually tougher (healthwise) than pure breeds because of less inbreeding. I have two friends with mixed breed dogs that came from a shelter, and - although they're pretty ugly - they both have very sweet and affectionate natures.
If you do this, though, I'd suggest getting a dog six months or so old, rather than a little puppy because when they are a little older you will have more idea of what sort of temperament they will have.
You can always encourage a quiet, reserved young dog and give it confidence. It is way harder to tone down an exuberant, boisterous, stroppy animal. Believe me, I so know this to be true!!!
If you get a puppy, you will need to know how to easily and quickly housetrain it. Happy to help with this via proven method when the time comes. It's really important to get this right from the start, to save anxiety and trauma (and puddles) for both the puppy and the owner.