Buying a Dog: Where to Start?

Buying a dog is not something you should ever do on impulse. Welcoming a dog to your home is a major commitment and not one that should be taken lightly.

A major decision
If you live alone then it’s your individual responsibility to care for any pet you buy. If, however, you’re thinking of buying a dog for your family you need to spend time discussing and thinking about what this will mean for each member of your family. Puppies and very young dogs require considerable attention and training. Who in the family will take the responsibility of caring for and training the dog? It’s important to remember that parents should never buy a pet for a child. A child should not have the responsibility of being the primary career for dog: it’s not fair on the child or the dog.

If you’ve never owned a dog before talk to friends or family who have. If at all possible, offer to doggy-sit a few times to give you a better idea of what’s involved.

Which breed?
If you really have set your mind on owning a dog, it’s important that you choose a breed that will suit you and your family/lifestyle. The American Kennel Club is a good place to start: they provide an overview of all the registered dog breeds.

Don’t just think in terms of how a dog looks; think about what you want a dog for (companionship, exercise, guard-dog, etc) and then look at the breed descriptions. For example, if you’re looking for a dog to keep you company if you work from home, why not look at dogs that are breed for companionship. A working dog will require lots of stimulation and masses of exercise.

We run a small basset hound kennel and always invite prospective puppy owners home to us so they can see what a basset is really like. That means showing them the drool on the walls, letting the dogs drool on their clothes and even getting them to come out on a walk with the dogs.

We look to see that prospective owners have done some research on the breed and know something of a basset hounds characteristics. We also expect them to ask informed questions, to show that they are checking out how serious we are. A reliable breeder won’t sell a pup to a buyer if there’s any suspicion that the prospective owner has not thought this through very carefully. This is because breeders know just how hard it is to re-home an adult dog.

Useful tips:

• Visit dog shows and talk to breeders about breeds that interest you
• Contact breed clubs and see what they have to say
• Once you settle on a breed, talk to several breeders. It’s important that you get on with your dog breeder as you’ll return to them for help and advice during the years
• Familiarize yourself with the breeds major health problems