Thursday, April 30, 2009

Good Family Dogs

Picking a family dog should begin with creating "the dog family." What this means is, you will need to make the family aware of the responsibilities of having a four legged, furry family member. The family will need to decide who will be responsible for feeding and keeping water down, how will the new dog get exercise, where will the dog sleep, who will be do most of the house-breaking. Just like picking a family doctor, you will need to pick a family veterinarian to take care of medical issues for your new dog.

Good family dogs fit in with the dog family needs and imitations. If there are family members who are very young a small dog could be in trouble just because of rough handling by a toddler. A Huge dog could injure a small child just by getting excited about playing. Does anyone in the house have a problem with loose dog hair? There are breed which do not shed. Are there older members of the family that may be knocked over by a large dog. A medium sized family dog is almost always a safe bet.

Should the family dog be a purebred or a mutt? Purebred dogs are bred for certain personality and physical characteristics.Muts are a mixture of breeds but they still have personalities and problems just like a purebred but they are much cheaper to buy. Which ever type of dog you choose remember, they will be living with you for many years to come so take your time when picking your next family member. Remember, it is the only time you will be able to choose a family member!

Our kids are grown now and living on their own but our memories always include our four legged members. Our kids all have their own dogs and kids to make their memories with and we still have three furry members living with us so there is no such thing as an "empty nest" when you have four legged "kids" at home to take care of you. We are all part of "the dog family" and happy to be so.

For more information Please CLICK HERE!

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

The Right Puppy To Bring Home!

When your family has decided on a breed and a breeder, it is time to meet the parents of the litter you are interested in and try to learn if the parents
are of the right temperament you are looking for and have the physical characteristics you want. It is often best if there are several litters available for you to compare. Remember, the puppy you choose will be a member of your family for many years so taking some time to evaluate is time well spent!

Most breeders will require a deposit in order to hold a particular puppy. Six to seven weeks is about average before you should be able to bring your puppy
home. It is best to get to see the litter as soon as the breeder will allow to get to know the individual puppies. You should try to make your pick as quickly
as you can so the breeder will hold that particular puppy for you. Many breeders have waiting lists for their puppies if they are reputable.

A good breeder will spend a lot of time with you going over the temperaments and physical characteristics of the individual puppies. A good breeder will be
able to tell you if there are any physical short comings of the puppies and if those are considerations for long term health. Most good breeders will not
knowingly sell a puppy with major health defects.

The breeder should help pick a puppy for you by learning about your family members, activity levels, available time at home, type of home and exercise area and many other intangible factors as he gets to know you and your family. Breeders should be very concerned about proper placement of the puppies and in many cases if the placement does not work out will either take the dog back or be very involved in finding a new home.

As cute as all puppies are you will need to get your selected pup away from the rest of the litter and make sure it is active and squirmy when you pick him
up the first time. He should have straight legs and a strong build. Check to make sure he does not have an overbite in his jaw and clear eyes. Also check teeth and gums to make sure the teeth are straight and the gums look health. Make sure when your puppy is away from the litter he is active and curious about
his surroundings.

If the puppy you are looking at does not seem interested in his surroundings and is not curious about things that move around him and does not react to the sound of your voice pick a different puppy! If you take your time and evaluate each puppy in the litter you will usually be able to pick a companion for your family that will be with you for years and show you the love only a well cared for family member can show.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Puppy Breeder Options

When you start your search for a new puppy, your first decition will be where to find the puppy. The process of picking a healthy pet starts with the person who is selling the puppies. You will have to trust them but you also need to be proactive in researching the litter and puppies parents.Look for signs of hip weakness in the parents and ask the breeder if there is any history in the dogs family tree.Look also at the conditions all the animals are kept in.
There are several options available as to where to find puppies. We will evaluate several of the main sources of puppies.There are some possitives to each source but some sources you will need to stay away from.
Pet store or pet dealer You have probably heard the term "puppy mills,"A pet store is usually where these puppies end up. The breeders are not concerned about breeding possitive traits into the animals, just breeding as many puppies as possible. The animals are usually not handled well and are raised in poor locations. The chances of getting a puppy that either has personality problems of physical difficulties is high. I would suggest you stay away from these sources.
Animal SheltersThe local animal shelter can be a good source for puppies. You will need to be very carefull when picking a puppy from a shelter because in most cases the animals have not been well taken care of and you will not be able to learn anything about the puppies parents. Most shelter animals are mixed breed so you need to spend a lot of time with the puppies to get a feel for its personality. If you do pick a puppy from the pound make sure one of your first stoos is at your vets to let him check out the puppy for any problems and to make sure the animals shots are current.
Amature dog breeders Amature breeders are in most cases another source to stay away from.They are generally people who have a dog and just think it would be fun to have a litter of puppies to sell.They are not conserned about breeding in good traits or out bad ones. The puppies are just a way to make a little money so they are not taken care of the way they should be.
Show breeders A Show breeder usually pays more attention to the traits of the dogs they are breeding. They usually show at least one dog in competitions and know what to look for in a breed. They take pride in their litters and are concerned about getting good homes for the puppies. Most give the puppies their first shots and in many cases ask that the new owners get the puppy fixed when it is old enough. If there is a puppy that they feel is not going to be healthy they will not sell it.
Show breeders take responsibility for each one of their puppies, and they stand behind each and every one. This is your best option you have for getting a puppy that is health and strong and represents the breed well.

For More information Please CLICK HERE!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

All types of dog blogs

Welcome to our blog. We are dog lover and will post blogs on all types of dog subjects in the future!