choosing

Choosing a Puppy and Taking it Home

Stan Rawlinson

At this stage you should have now set out what you want and where to buy your puppy from. I would recommend you visit the puppies at the very least twice, at 4/5 weeks and again when you pick up the pup. The best age to take the puppy home is 7 weeks. NEVER ever accept a puppy less than 7 weeks of age, it is vitally important they are with their mother and siblings up to this age, and puppies over twelve weeks should be avoided if possible, however this would depend on where they are kept, ie, if they are kept in a house not in a kennel outside without human contact, if it is a loving home with plenty of contact with the breeders family then it can be considered.

Check the appearance of the mother and puppies. Do they appear healthy; eyes clear and bright, free of any discharge? Are their coats shiny? If possible get confirmation of the eye and hip scores of both the mother and the father. If the breeder allows you, always stroke and fuss the parents, check their temperament, look for signs of aggression, fearfulness, nervousness, or 'Neurotic' symptoms such as chewing feet, tail, or skin damage, are the dogs pacing etc. This is especially important in the mother, as the puppies are in close contact with her. It has been shown that, it is the mother that shapes the behavioural future of the offspring, genetics may load the gun but environment fires it.

Make sure you handle the puppies if they become distressed or shy away this could mean that they have not been properly socialised. If the puppies have been socialised correctly, then they will adapt and accept situations that are potentially stressful. You should then end up with a happy well-balanced dog in maturity.

Before bringing your new dog home, make sure your garden is 'Safe & Secure'. Purchase a collar, lead, bowls, and dog tag with name address and telephone, dog bed, toys and treats etc, check with the breeder what she is feeding the pups, a good breeder will supply you with some food and give you a feeding chart. Leave a small blanket or towel on your first visit, so that it gets the mother and the litter smell on it, this should provide some comfort in the first week or so at home. Check with other dog owners as to the best Vet in your area.

When you pick up the pup take a dog crate, indoor kennel or a cardboard box with you and line it with newspaper, take spare newspaper with you as the pup may be sick and will almost certainly urinate and defecate on the journey, especially if it is any distance.

When you get home place the bed or crate near somewhere warm, if you are using a crate and I heartily endorse them, cover the crate with a blanket or sheet to make it more den like introduce the puppy to the crate gradually and positively.

If you have a loud ticking clock put this near the bed or crate, you can also put in a hot water bottle; it mimics the mothers and siblings heat and the tick of the clock the heartbeats, leave a radio on in another room, make sure it is tuned into a talk not a music station. 97.3 LBC is my favourite and the one I choose every time. Not sure about what the pup thinks though?

If the puppy continues to get distressed you can take it into your bedroom, though I would only normally advise this when using a crate/indoor kennel as you can gradually move this away over a period of time, once the puppy has settled in. You can also put in a hot water bottle; this will mimic the heat from the mother and siblings over the first few nights. Make sure it is well covered or you may get a very wet bed/crate.

Your new puppy will needs lots of sleep, just like a human baby so too much interference in this pattern will be detrimental, rough handling by children or adults could affect the behaviour and attitude of your new puppy, and could have a long lasting effect as the dog matures. However not enough contact and gentle handling will also have a negative effect on your dog, finding the right balance is of vital importance.

A puppy can be an absolute joy or an unmitigated nightmare, which one you get, can be affected by the effort you initially put into your research, decisions, training and ongoing socialisation. It is a good idea to book your puppy into a good socialisation class, make sure that they do not have more than 8/10 dogs in any one class and that the pups at the start of the course are not over 18 weeks old, and the trainers do not allow the puppies to just jump on one another at the start of the class, integration of the puppies in the class should be careful and slow to avoid problems and long term bad manners in later life.

Puppies need lots of time, care and patience. Follow the above guidelines and your efforts will be positively rewarded with what I personally believe is the best companion in the world - "A Dog".

Stan Rawlinson - Full time Dog Behavioural Consultant and Obedience Trainer. You can visit his website at www.doglistener.co.uk for further information.