A guide to responsibly adopting a puppy
If you have arrived on this page you must be thinking of going through the process of buying a puppy. It is not a straightforward topic and defiantly you are taking the right steps by finding this site. Although we are a site to help all new puppy owners we always recommend looking at rehoming a dog and giving them a second chance from a licenced shelter like The Dogs Trust, RSPCA and many other good local specialised shelters.
Taking on a puppy or rehoming a dog needs serious research and consideration. This decision is going to affect both you and your family’s lives for the next 10 to 16 years depending on the breed. The only other decision of the same magnitude is to start a new family and have a baby, and if you have already had a baby you know how hard work they are? Yes, they give you lots of joy, but a lot of hard work goes into it. This is the same as adopting a dog or puppy, a lot of time and effort will need to be put into looking after, nurturing and training your new family member. You get out what you put in. More effort that goes into training, the more joy both you and the dog will get out of it. As the old saying goes, “a dog is for life, not just for Christmas” this should be updated to probably say additionally “a dog is for life, not just for lockdown!!!".
I remember when we started to think about adopting a dog. Our initial thoughts were to rehome a dog and give it a second chance, and we still have discussions today if we should or not? Before we adopted our puppy it was at least two years in the making. We would dream and talk about all the nice things we would do together, but reality also kicked in to look at all the negatives too, and this is where you should start your journey. Start listing the pros and cons, and think about the amount of time you will be able to spend with it. How much does it really cost to home a dog, there is insurance, food, crates, bedding toys and the list goes on. Do you really have the time and money to invest in a dog? Who is going to look after the dog when you go to work or out on a night out? So start that list of pros and cons, if the pros outweigh the cons, then it’s time to move on to the next stage.
What sort of dog would we like? What sort of lifestyle do you have? Do you do a lot of walking, running or exercise? Are you housebound or cannot get out much? You wouldn’t want to buy a spaniel if you were not prepared to walk them for at least 2 hours a day, neither would you take on a Yorkshire terrier if you wanted to go dog sledging. Other things to take into consideration are things like do you have any allergies that certain types of dogs may trigger? I found out that I was allergic to some dogs’ fur and saliva. I only found this out by mixing with different types of breeds. Some dog saliva after having my hand licked brings me out in hives, so before we choose our breed of dog, I was having all types of dogs lick my hand!!!
Additionally, you must assess whether your home has sufficient space to support your dog once they are fully grown. The space that you have to offer will be a determining factor when deciding upon the size of dog you will get.
The next thing to consider is when would be a good time to take a dog on. Is lockdown really a good time to take a dog on, for some, yes it has been. They have had loads of time to commit whilst they have either been off work or working from home. As the world returns to some sort of normal when would be a good time to take on a dog? Maybe it is the summer holidays especially if you have 7 weeks off for the summer. Is Christmas really a good time, only you can answer these questions. It just shows you how important it is to do your homework in advance.
A lot to take on board and that’s before we even mention where to buy your puppy from.
So you still think it right for you to take on a puppy? Then you should now be talking to other dog owners of the breed you like to see who they have purchased there are from and back street puppy dog farms should be AVOIDED at ALL costs. Just because you have seen a lovely little puppy on a website looking cute and at a reasonable cost should you jump to it? The people who are breeding these dogs on puppy farms do not care for the welfare of the dog, as long as they survive the period of you picking them up and paying them the money. They are normally bred in poor conditions, cramped, smelly and just totally unacceptable conditions.
During the Covid pandemic, the price of a dog has risen by four times than they were before the pandemic. Supply and demand you may say, but at what cost to the puppy?
Would you really buy a dog from someone you have to meet in a layby on the side of the road just to keep the kids quiet? Well, I would hope you wouldn’t as all you are doing is feeding the rise in crime of dog thefts which sadly has become a major problem all around the globe.
You should be looking for a licensed breeder who should be registered with their local council and display a licensed number. Licensed breeders are inspected initially by a vet and by the council every three years. They should be able to provide you with documentation at the point of sale health certificates, veterinary reports and records of insurance microchip documentation and vaccination card as well as a sales document. In England, this is all covered in “The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018”. There are other regulations similar around the UK and the world. If any of these are missing this should start ringing bells.
Avoiding or declining requests to view the mother of the litter alongside her puppies, instead of asking to meet you somewhere other than their birthplace or home. This could imply that the puppies are produced at a puppy farm as opposed to a genuine home environment.
If it doesn’t feel right, then it probably isn’t and you should be prepared to walk away. If you do have evidence that it is an illegal puppy farm, I would always recommend that you report it to the RSPCA or equivalent in your country if you are outside of the UK.
Always have a list of questions you want to ask the breeder, suggested questions are:
* If they are a licenced breeder do they have proof or evidence of this licence?
* Can I see them with their birth mum at the birthplace?
* Will I be able to visit them more than once?
* Have the parents of the litter been screened for a health condition, and provide the evidence?
* How many litters have the mother had in the past?
* What food will you be feeding the puppy before they hand them over to you? This helps you in purchasing the puppy food in advance of picking them up.
Never be ashamed of asking as many questions as you feel necessary, and a good breeder will be more than happy to answer them, and if they have anything about them, they will be more than pleased that you are asking the questions. Again, don’t be afraid to walk away if it doesn’t appear to be right.
A breeder has the right to ask for a deposit for the puppy to avoid time wasters and the commitment you want the puppy, but I would question if a breeder asks for all the money upfront. Ensure that you are provided with, or at least request written confirmation or receipt of this deposit, along with the conditions of this transaction.
When you go a pick the puppy up, don’t forget to collect all the relevant documentation and veterinary checks? Have they received worming treatments and their first vaccinations? Microchipped and number?
Once you have decided that ‘this is the one you will need to think in advance of all the essentials you are going to need in advance. The list below is not exhaustive but will give you a good start.
· Dog Food
· Toys
· Pepper
· Dog Bowl
· Dog Tag
· Blankets
· Towels
· Poo Bags
· Dog Lead
· Kong
· Whistle
We hope this blog has been helpful, and we hope you now feel prepared ready for the challenge to take on a puppy or give a dog a second chance in rehoming them?
Comments