Your dog's life before you get him will affect his health and behaviour once you have taken on ownership. Therefore, you should choose where to get your new pet from very carefully. Do not act on impulse and buy the first dog that you see. Talk to other people with dogs to find out where they came from. Avoid pet shops and local newspaper advertisements (see below). By choosing well, you will have a dog who will be an asset to your family. Choose badly and you may spend a fortune on veterinary bills and behaviourists.
Many thousands of dogs are put up for rehoming each year, many through no fault of their own. Most rescue centres will take in a wide variety of crossbreed and purebreed dogs of all ages. There are often quite strigent questionaires and home visits to undertake. These are all to ensure that the dog's welfare will be looked after in its new home. So whatever type of dog you are looking for, make your local rescue centre your first port of call. For more information, visit the dog rescue pages.
Most breed societies will also have rehoming procedures for unwanted pedigree dogs. If you have your heart set on a particular breed, contact the breed society secretary who will put you in contact with the relevant person. Dogs rehomed in this way will tend to be adults. For breed society details visit the relevant page in the breeds section.
Getting a puppy from a registered breeder is the best way of getting a well-bred pedigree animal, however there are some 'bad breeders' around who care little about the health and welfare of their animals.
The best way of ensuring that you have a healthy puppy is to buy from a Kennel Club Accredited Breeder. This scheme recognises breeders who perform the relevant health checks for their breed on their breeding stock and/or puppies (as required) and provide good after-sales advice. Although not infallible, this scheme is well worth supporting to promote the future of healthy pedigree dogs.
When getting a puppy from a breeder, bear in mind the following:
To find a breeder, visit the relevant breed page in the breeds section or visit the Kennel Club 'Find a puppy' site.
Put very simply - DON'T! Puppies in pet shops are likely to come from puppy farms where dogs are produced on a large scale with little concern for their health, welfare and socialisation. Dogs sold as pedigrees may not come with any documentation and as they grow up may look completely different to the breed you thought you were getting. However irrestible a puppy in a pet shop looks, harden your heart as but softening, you will be supporting this disgusting trade and encouraging it to continue.
Dogs are fairly frequently advertised for sale in local papers. As with those in pets shops, these may well come from puppy farms so should be avoided at all costs. If you do respond to an advertisement, always make sure that you see the mother with the puppies - and check that she is really the mother! NEVER agree to pick a puppy up from a service station or such-like. You should see the puppy with it's mother and siblings in the environment where it has been reared. If any of the puppies in the litter look sick or the environment is dirty, steer well clear. Do not buy a sick puppy because you feel sorry for it as you will be encouraging these puppy farmers.
For information about choosing your new dog, visit the 'How to choose' page.
