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Buying a Puppy
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Puppies need a lot of attention and must be constantly supervised.
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A puppy/dog is a responsibility 365 days a year. This includes vacations, holidays, etc.
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A dog is a long-term commitment (10 to 15 years on the average).
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A puppy should be a permanent part of your family.
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A puppy is not a toy, it is a living being. It is not something to be put in the backyard to be played with only when you feel like it.
Puppies and children are not always a good combinations. Bringing a dog into a family that has children should be done only after a lot of thought and planning. Small children should never be left unsupervised with a dog or puppy. Children are rough on animals and even the best children can be abusive by hitting the dog or teasing it. Do not buy a pet for a child until the child is old enough to understand how to care for the animal and be gentle with it. It is not fair to put an animal in a situation and then punish it for defending itself when it is being hurt.
A puppy is an expense. Like anything else, don't buy one if you can't afford to properly care for it (i.e. spay/neuter, vet care, quality food, training). If you do not feel you have the time for a puppy, consider adopting a rescue dog.
Do not buy a puppy for the following reasons:
- You saw the puppy in a pet store and felt sorry for it.
- Christmas present.
- You want your child to have a dog - puppies and children are so cute together.
- You saw one (on T.V., at the park, at your neighbors house) and you fell in love with it.
- Someone had a litter of puppies and you just had to take one home with you.
Chinese Crested
Dog Rescue Dog Rescue Resources
Finding a rescue centre
'All-breed' dog-rescue centres throughout the UK and Ireland can be found here grouped by area at Dog Pages with breed-rescues listed separately according to breed. Nearly one thousand contacts areincluded so thereshould be one near you.
While the larger charities are well known, there are many smaller rescue organisations, operating on small budgets but still doing a fantastic job. Not all these organisations have websites but these have been included where available. The larger charities, the Dogs Trust (formerly NCDL - National Canine Defence League), Battersea Dogs Home, the RSPCA and the Scottish SPCA, all have new online sites.
Chinese Crested
Dog Books
The Dog's Mind: Understanding Your Dog's Behaviour
Synopsis
"Quite simply this is an excellent book. It is well-written, with snatches of
dry humour. It should be mandatory reading for anybody who keeps a dog or has
intentions of so doing." R. W. F. Poole, Daily Telegraph How do dogs perceive
the world about them? How do they see, hear, learn, relate to their owners? How
large are their brains, what is their emotional makeup? Why do they suffer from
stress and how can it be coped with? Over the last few years a substantial body
of knowledge has been built up about the psychology of dog behavior. Combining
more than twenty years of practical experience as a veterinary clinician with a
personal knowledge and understanding of the latest international research, Dr.
Bruce Fogle has written the most inclusive and relevant book on how the canine
mind works. From the Back Cover The Dog's Mind "Quite simply this is an
excellent book. It is well-written, with snatches of dry humour. It should be
mandatory reading for anybody who keeps a dog or has intentions of so doing."
--R. W. F. Poole, Daily Telegraph How do dogs perceive the world about them? How
do they see, hear, learn, relate to their owners? How large are their brains,
what is their emotional makeup? Why do they suffer from stress and how can it be
coped with? Over the last few years a substantial body of knowledge has been
built up about the psychology of dog behavior. Combining more than twenty years
of practical experience as a veterinary clinician with a personal knowledge and
understanding of the latest international research, Dr. Bruce Fogle has written
the most inclusive and relevant book on how the canine mind works.