KNOW THE BREED

This can take years to do properly. At least read up a little on the breed and find or its good and bad points. The second may be hard to find as the specialist books very rarely criticise their breed. If you can't locate a reasonable book, ask your vet - the problem usually ends up on their doorstep.

  If you are buying a show puppy, it is especially important to try to find out as much as you can before you buy; even so, the first puppy you buy is the one you usually learn the ‘ropes' on and make all the mistakes with. Always go to several people before you make up your mind. If you find after doing your homework that a particular breeder has exactly what you want, be prepared to put an order in and wait. If the delay expected is too long, look outside your local area - this, too, can have its problems. If what you want is not available at the time, you may have to take 'second' or 'third' best (which may eventually prove to be the pick of the litter), for the value in the bloodlines that may be unobtainable otherwise. It can mean keeping the animal even if it does, not shape up to top quality. This applies mainly to bitches, rarely to male dogs, unless it is of a numerically small breed. Always try to go for soundness of mind and body as well as type.

  Occasionally you may hear the expression 'Pick of the litter' being used and wonder precisely what this means. Pick of the litter means that you get first pick of the puppies within that litter - often it may be pick of a particular sex. Your pick of the litter may differ considerably to that of the breeder.

When you have pick of a litter and you are not completely confident that you will choose the best puppy, ask the breeder which one would be their choice. If the breeder is giving you pick, he/she usually wants you to have at least a respectable puppy as it will invariably be shown and they want a good one to be exhibited. If you do not particularly like that puppy, take another person who is experienced in the breed and (hopefully) is good at choosing puppies and they will give you another viewpoint of the puppies. If you take another person, out of courtesy, always ask the breeder beforehand if he or she would mind.

Information contained from - "The New Dog Owner's Manual" - Written by Dr Karen Hedberg