Frequently Asked Questions
- Am I ready to own a dog? Seven Questions for Potential Dog Owners
- Should I get get a puppy or an adult dog?
- What breed or mix should I get?
- Where do I find a puppy or adult dog?
- How can I recognize and avoid puppy mills and other unethical breeders
- What kinds of questions should I ask the breeder? What questions will the breeder ask?
- Can you provide a list of reputable contacts?
- I want to breed my dog. What should I do?
- What is rescue? Rescue and Adoption Information
- What training classes are available?
- Where can I board my dog? What about a pet-sitter or doggy daycare?
Adding a Dog to Your Family: Seven Questions Potential Dog Owners Should Ask Themselves
- Are you aware that having a dog is not all pure pleasure?
- Are you not only willing, but also able to spend a considerable amount of time with your dog?
- If you live in an apartment or rent a house, do you have your landlord's written permission to keep a dog?
- Are you prepared to take at least one longish walk a day in addition to the shorter outings necessary for the dog to relieve itself?
- Do you have enough time, patience, and affection for animals to play with your dog every day?
- Are you aware that a young dog, especially a puppy, should be supervised all the time, especially in the presence of children?
- Are you in a financial position to assume the expenses of keeping a dog, including grooming, supplies, food, training and veterinary expenses?
Deciding to bring a puppy or older dog home is an important decision. Commitment of time and attention is crucial. Make certain you're ready to take on responsibility for the dog for the rest of its life. Now is the time to be honest with yourself and the breeder before going any further. If you're hesitating about the responsibility or the possibility of unexpected expenses (medical expenses and care increase as dogs develop some of the ills of aging, such as, arthritis and cardiac problems), or if you don't have enough time, don't buy a puppy or older dog now. Wait until you're truly ready.
Adding a Dog to Your Family: Should You Get a Puppy or an Adult Dog? (courtesy AKC)
Almost everyone loves puppies. They're cute, and almost always entertaining. Raising a puppy gives you the opportunity to bond with him from the start, and to train him in your own style.
Puppies should not be separated from the litter before 7 weeks of age. They need this time to socialize with their litter mates and mother. After 8 weeks, the puppy is ready to move to a human family. You can begin to socialize the puppy to respond calmly when approached by visitors, vets, children and other dogs.
Puppies also need to be housebroken, and during this time they will have a few accidents in the house. Puppies also like (and need) a great deal of attention. Some may even chew on furniture, because they are bored when you're not around to play. (Crate training may be a solution here!)
Puppies will also need a series of shots. Its important to go to the vet and find out what you need to do to ensure your puppy's good health.
An adult or older dog who is already housebroken may be a better choice for people who work and don't have time to raise a puppy.
In addition to being housebroken, an adult dog may be less prone to chewing on furniture, may be more serene than an energetic puppy, and might already know the basic commands of sit, stay, come, heel and down.
But, adult dogs have special needs too. Adult and older dogs may be unpredictable in their behavior. For example, every time a dog hears a horn beep he may get upset and bark a lot. This could be because he had a bad experience in the past that makes him behave this way. You might not know the history of an adult or older dog, but you may be able to change behavior with special training and attention.
Questions to ask yourself:
- Will the older dog be able to adapt to a new home?
- How much time can I spend training my dog?
- Do I have the patience needed to meet a dogs needs?
Getting a dog is an important decision. Make a decision that will be good for you, and most importantly, for the dog. If you do decide to get an adult dog, you might consider rescue for your breed/s or breed mix of choice.
Adding a Dog to Your Family: What breed or mix will best suit me?
Once you've determined that you are ready, willing, able and committed to adding a dog to your family, you need to find out which breed or breeds will fit your family and lifestyle. Even if you are planning on getting a mixed breed, you should do some research on the different types of breeds that fit your lifestyle. Knowing the breed traits can help you predict the dog's personality.
Become familiar with the breed standard, common genetic disorders in that breed, and general temperament by reading as much as you can about the breeds you are looking for.
If you're not sure what breed is right for you or your family or where to begin, we regularly recommend the following two books for prospective puppy/dog parents (available at your local library or bookstore):
- Choosing a Dog for Dummies® by Chris Walkowicz, John Wiley & Sons, 2001
- Your purebred puppy: a buyer's guide by Michele Welton, H. Holt 2nd edition, 2000
The following links may also be of help to you:
- Dog Owner's Guide Topic List: Choosing the right dog
- Cindy Tittle Moore's FAQ: Getting a dog
- Amy Hendrix's FAQ: Selecting a Dog Breed
Finding a Puppy or Adult Dog and How To Recognize and Avoid Puppy Mills and Other Unethical Breeders
You can purchase a puppy or older dog from a variety of sources, which is the best?
The problems of puppy mills, puppy brokers and irresponsible breeders are receiving more coverage in the media lately. The public is becoming more educated on the importance of buying a puppy/dog from ethical, responsible breeders in order to avoid both the health and temperament problems associated with dogs from poor sources. Everyone selling puppies proclaims himself or herself to be a responsible breeder, even those selling puppies from puppy mills! It is up to puppy buyers to determine whether or not someone trying to sell them a puppy is a responsible breeder.
A well-educated consumer is the best weapon against puppy mills' indiscriminate breeding, animal neglect and abuse. Visit our Puppy Mills page to read the articles, "How To Recognize a Puppy Mill," "Undercover at a Puppy Mill," and "The Truth About Puppy Mills," which originally appeared in the Madison Pet Gazette as a three-part series in the February, March, and April 1998 issues.
In "The Truth About Puppy Mills", author Sharon Savage writes, "Be aware that many puppy mills claim to be 'no-kill animal shelters' in an attempt to sell used-up breeding stock to kindhearted people. If you want to save a life without lining anybody’s pockets, adopt a dog from your local humane society or from a recognized purebred rescue club. The only way to shut down puppy mills for good is to stop buying there!"
An excellent site, the Dog Owner's Guide, offers help with finding a dog by discussing the pros and cons of the various sources for obtaining a puppy including a section on rescue organizations. Acme Pet offers some additional tips on choosing a quality breeder. And Club member, Sheryl Bolton, offers several signs of a responsible breeder and possible signs for concern.
How do you find a responsible breeder or rescue organization? Locating responsible breeders and rescue contacts can be difficult. You won't often read their ads in the local newspaper, nor will you see their puppies at a pet store. But don't get discouraged, you've already come a long way!
An all-breed club like the Badger Kennel Club can be an excellent resource for referrals to responsible breeders and rescue contacts. Other dog owners (of the breed you're fancying), veterinarians, and purebred dog registries, such as the American Kennel Club (AKC), United Kennel Club (UKC), and American Rare Breed Association (ARBA) can also be good starting points.
Visiting Breeders
The very first thing you should do is read as much as you can about the breeds you are looking for. You should be familiar with the breed standard, common genetic disorders in that breed, and general temperament. Then contact the breeder and ask them for an appointment to visit with them and their juvenile and adult dogs--even if they don't have any puppies for placement; after all, you won't have a puppy for long... they do grow up. In fact, visit as many different breeders as you possibly can (just not all in the same day). The more you visit, the easier it will be to compare and contrast them, thus finding the best source for your new puppy or dog.
If the breeder raises their dogs in a kennel building, one or more of your visits should include a tour. You will notice in talking with a responsible breeder, the many personal questions they will ask of you. BKC member, Cheri Faust, offers a rule of thumb: "The more thoroughly a breeder quizzes you, the more he or she wants to know about where the puppy or dog is going to live and how much you know about keeping dogs, the more confident you can be that everything possible was done to raise the puppies well".
If the breeder has invested a great deal of love, time, and energy in raising a puppy or dog, they will take their time to find the ideal home for that animal. In turn, if you are faced with a breeder who tries to "hard sell" you a dog, thank them for their time and leave. Pressure sales are a tactic of appliance salespeople, not responsible dog breeders.
Undoubtedly, a responsible breeder will ask you about your family, your previous experiences with dogs, your house and yard, and your daily schedule, etc. Following the above rule of thumb, review some common questions that breeders ask and why, courtesy of Cheri Faust:
Local and National Referral
The BKC Breed Information Directory lists individual breed contact persons along with topic areas they can help you with. Here you will find members who can help you with general breed information, breeder & rescue referral, puppies/adult dogs/rescue dogs available occasionally, stud service available, grooming, handling/training, and boarding.
For additional referral to rescue organizations in the Wisconsin area, please visit our Wisconsin rescue page.
Breeding
"I want to breed my dog."
First, please read through Cindy Tittle Moore's FAQ: Breeding Your Dog which reviews the basics of breeding and will be a good starting point in helping you to decide whether or not you really should breed your dog and how to proceed.
In addition, go to your local library or bookstore and request the following books/videos. Read them from cover to cover--you can never be too prepared or educated. If you decide that you really are committed to breeding a litter, purchase them.
- Book of the bitch: a complete guide to understanding and caring for bitches by J.M. Evans & Kay White, Howell Book House, ©1997
- Breeding a litter by Beth Finder Harris, Howell Book House, ©1993
- Whelping and rearing of puppies by Muriel Lee, ©1997
- Successful dog breeding by Chris Walkowicz & Bonnie Wilcox, Howell Book House, ©1994
Prior to breeding, your dog should be screened for genetic disorders inherent to its breed. Every breed has faults, some may have a genetic or inherited component. Hip dysplasia and inherited eye disorders such as juvenile cataracts and progressive retinal atrophy are all too common in many breeds. Consult with your veterinarian about getting your dog's hips radiographed (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals OFA) and/or PennHip examined and having his/her eyes examined (Canine Eye Registration Foundation CERF), and any other testing that's advised for your breed.
For more information about common canine genetic diseases, see:
Again, read as much as you can. Weigh the benefits and risks. Talk to as many local breeders of your breed (these are the people who are dedicated to your specific breed and probably exhibit their dogs at local events ie. conformation, obedience, schutzhund, earthdog, coursing, etc.) as you can and try to find one who will mentor you if you decide to breed your female or male. You may run into problems--a mentor can help you along the way.
Boarding Kennels, Pet Sitters and Daycare
The following resources can help you to locate and choose the canine care service to fit your needs.
Last modified:
December 10, 2006
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