What points should I look for when buying a puppy?

First of all, resist the temptation to choose the poorest-looking specimen (the runt of the litter) just because you feel sorry for it. Such an animal begins life less well nourished and with less immunity to disease than average, and because of the treatment it has received from its litter­mates it may grow up to be excessively timid, or in some cases very aggressive. Any puppy that has little or no contact with other dogs during the important socialization phase of its life (an orphaned puppy, a single puppy or one which has been kept alone for a long period in a pet store cage) will respond abnormally to other dogs. For example, it will usually be very nervous of them and refuse to mate with them, and often it will fight dogs at the least provocation.

Choose a friendly, alert puppy which is neither the most extrovert and pugnacious in the litter, biting all its littermates, or the most timid, which shrinks from human contact. Ideally, it should play happily with its littermates, show an interest in what is happening around it and not be unduly distressed (struggling and crying) when it is picked up and examined. Nervous individuals will be very upset, even panicky, if turned on their back or stared at, or if they hear a sudden noise. Dominant animals, that can prove very difficult to control later in life, will show their resentment at being handled by continually struggling and biting. A well-balanced future pet will tolerate most handling, after only a momentary struggle, without any undue alarm or aggression. If you are able to observe the litter at feeding time it will be easier to spot the most dominant and the most submissive members.

Read the rest of this entry »

Is it better to get a puppy from a recognized breeder?

Wherever possible a puppy should be bought directly from the breeder – it will not cost any more, and avoids many of the problems that can affect animals bought from shops, dealers or ‘puppy supermarkets’. Where puppies from different sources are brought together for sale on the same premises, there will inevitably be an exchange of the bacteria and viruses which all of them will be carrying. As a result, they can easily encounter organisms new to them, against which they have not acquired any immunity from their mother. Puppies which have had to travel long distances in crates from the breeders to the pet store may suffer from stress due to cold and poor feeding which lowers their resistance to infection and thus increases their chances of becoming ill.

Another important reason for direct purchase is that a single change of home and diet before the age of three months is enough for any puppy; further changes only serve to confuse it and may even disturb its growth. Having said this, it is only fair to point out that there are many well-run pet shops who do the best they can for the animals they sell, and that some of these will even help you contact breeders directly. But never buy from an unclean or badly run pet store or, worse still, from street traders, no matter how sorry you may feel for the puppies; you will simply be buying trouble.

Read the rest of this entry »

Would a puppy make a good Christmas present?

No, Christmas is not a good time to bring a puppy into the household. It is probable that everyone will be too busy and distracted to concentrate fully on looking after the animal, and the general excitement and disordered routine is not conducive to a quiet settling in. There is also the danger that children may regard it as simply another plaything.

Soon after Christmas would be a more suitable time to purchase a puppy, although probably even better would be later in the year, which would allow the puppy to spend a lot of time in the garden without getting cold, wet or muddy. However, the time of purchase should be related to your summer holiday, assuming that you intend taking one and that the animal cannot accompany you. Putting a puppy into kennels within six months of moving to a new home will have a very unsettling effect on it and in particular will upset its training. In any case, few boarding kennels will accept dogs under six months of age.

Read the rest of this entry »

Should I get a puppy, or would an older dog who needed a home eventually fit into our family?

As a general rule it is better to take on a puppy rather than an older dog. Bear in mind that the existing owners of an older dog usually want to find it a new home because of some defect in its temperament or behavior, which could constitute a risk to children. Even when you know that there is a good reason for its needing to be re-housed (e.g. because the owner has died, or has moved abroad or into accommodation where dogs are not permitted), it may still have habits that you dislike and find difficult to eradicate. Older dogs take longer than puppies to accept new premises as their home (two or three months as a rule) and during that time they may make determined efforts to escape and return to their previous quarters.

Dogs that end up in dogs’ homes or animal shelters are often confirmed wanderers, or else dogs that have been abandoned because of some behavioral defect, e.g. aggression or being dirty in the house. Many of them will not have mixed adequately with humans during the important ’socialization period’ (four to twelve weeks of age) so that they shrink from human contact. Some will have been neglected or ill-treated as puppies, and for this reason can be fearful of humans and even aggressive. If they have been kennelled for long periods, animal shelter inmates will often have got into the habits of barking and jumping up to attract attention. Also many of these abandoned animals will not have been vaccinated and may be incubating an infectious disease.

Read the rest of this entry »

What is the most unusual breed of dog?

Amongst the great variety of breeds which have developed there are a number with unusual characteristics. But probably two breeds of dog would tie for the title of the most unusual: the Mexican Hairless (Xoloitzcuintli) and the Basenji.

The Mexican Hairless is an extremely rare, indeed almost extinct, breed thought to have originated in Asia. It stands about 18 inches (45 cm) high at the shoulder and apart from a short growth of coarse hairs on the top of the head it is indeed quite hairless. It also differs from other breeds in having no premolar teeth, a much higher body temperature of 105 f (40.5 c) and by making a crying noise in place of the conventional bark.

The Basenji (or Congo Dog) from Central Africa, which is of similar size, is also reputed not to bark and is frequently described as voiceless. However, when very frightened these dogs will make a few, low-pitched barking sounds. It is more common for them to make a sort of yowling or yodelling noise, and they can also growl and whine. Like wild species of dog, but unlike other domesticated breeds, Basenji bitches generally come into heat only once a year, during the autumn; although in recent years much more variation has been seen in the timing of heat periods than formerly. The Basenji is known to metabolize iodine much faster than the European breeds, it is much better at climbing than other dogs, and it uses its paws to ‘wash’ its face in the same way that the cat does. It is a formidable hunting dog and forms a very strong attachment to its owner, from whom it dislikes being separated. However, since all the Basenjis in Europe and North America have a common genetic base of only about twelve dogs it is perhaps not surprising that they suffer from a number of inherited disorders. These can produce haemolytic anaemia, opacity of the lens in the eye, malabsorption of food, umbilical hernia and certain renal defects (Fanconi syndrome) which progress to kidney failure.

Are some breeds much more subject to inherited diseases than others?

Quite definitely this is so. There are seven breeds which it is known can each suffer from twenty or more different disorders of genetic origin: the American Cocker Spaniel, Beagle, Boston Terrier, Boxer, Bulldog and the Toy and Miniature Poodles. A further ten breeds are each subject to at least ten separate inherited diseases: the Chihuahua, the Collie breeds, Dachshund, Fox Terrier, German Shepherd Dog (Alsatian), Great Dane, Labrador Retriever, Pekingese, St Bernard and the Shetland Sheepdog.

In fairness, it must be pointed out that these breeds are some of the most popular, so that much more is known about them compared with many of the rarer breeds. In fact it is this very popularity which has contributed to the appearance of these defects, by encouraging indiscriminate breeding to satisfy public demand. In the case of some diseases, for example progressive axonopathy in Boxers (a degenerative nervous disorder), the condition is rare and limited to dogs bred in one country, in this instance, Britain. With co-operation between breeders and the breed society, the family lines which have produced affected dogs can be identified, so that by avoiding matings with these families it may be possible to prevent the birth of further individuals suffering from the disorder.

Are some breeds of dog more prone to certain illnesses?

Unfortunately, most canine breeds are likely to suffer from one or more specific types of disorder, some of which are definitely known to be inherited. If dogs suffering from these genetic defects are used for breeding, the problem can be expected to recur in following generations. In many cases, the defects have arisen through excessive inbreeding, particularly in the more exotic breeds which have been established from relatively few individuals.

Sometimes the breed standards have deliberately encouraged the selection of animals showing undesirable features, such as excessive skin folds in the Bloodhound which interfere with its sight, a massive skull in the Bulldog which causes difficulty in giving birth, small eyes (micro-ophthalmia) in Chow Chows and the diamond eye of the Bloodhound, which causes abnormal exposure of the haw, or third eyelid. In Britain meetings have been held between representatives of the dog registration body, the Kennel Club, and the British Veterinary Association to persuade certain breed societies to amend their breed standards and thereby eliminate the worst excesses. However, many of the inherited abnormalities are not connected with breed standards at all.

Read the rest of this entry »