The Ultimate Guide to Dog Care. Tammy Gagne

commercial breeder who is mainly interested in profit.

      Breed rescues are another great resource for finding a purebred dog. These nonprofit organizations work to rehome dogs who have been displaced for various reasons. Rescue organizations help by placing these dogs in volunteer foster homes until they find new homes for them. Many dogs in rescue are surprisingly young, but older dogs can also make excellent new pets for the right people.

      Online searches and links provided by the breed’s “parent club” (national breed club) are the quickest ways to find breed rescues in your area. Your local humane society may also recommend nearby rescue organizations. Many breed rescues are devoted to a single breed or AKC group, but some work with a variety of dogs. I found my dog Jemma, a mixed breed, through Maine Lab Rescue. The night Jemma joined my family, the director shared with me that the rescue group had actually been started with the rescue of a cat!

      Dealing with Allergies

      If one family member is allergic to dogs, the family must address this problem before getting a pet. Some breeds, like the Labradoodle and Miniature Schnauzer, are classified as hypoallergenic, meaning that they are unlikely to cause allergic reactions in people. In many cases, choosing the right dog can make all the difference, but it is still essential for the allergy sufferer to spend time with a particular animal before assuming that the problem has been averted; some allergic dog lovers can experience symptoms even with so-called hypoallergenic breeds. If this is the case for you or one of your family members, see a doctor. In many cases medication can help, but postpone making any decisions until you know if this is the case in your situation.

      What to Expect When Visiting a Breeder

      Once you have identified a breeder within driving distance of your home, call or email to arrange a visit. If you can’t find a breeder within a reasonable distance, some breeders are willing to ship puppies by plane. In rare cases, this might be necessary, but finding a breeder you can meet face to face is ideal. If you cannot visit the breeder’s facilities, you won’t know for certain if you are buying a dog from a responsible breeder or a puppy mill.

      Schedule your visit in advance, and do not be offended if the breeder wants to wait until the pups are a few weeks old. Breeders often limit visitors when their pups are most vulnerable to catching serious illnesses, such as parvovirus. Well-intended dog lovers can carry this disease in on the bottoms of their shoes without even realizing it. While parvo usually doesn’t cause serious illness in most dogs, it can be deadly to a mother dog and her young puppies.

      The breeder’s facilities should be clean, but expect to see toys and other items strewn here and there. Caring for a litter of newborn puppies is much like caring for human infants. What matters most is that the pups get what they need. Cleanliness is a sign of a responsible breeder; neatness is optional.

      Being able to meet the dam—and the sire, if he is owned by the same person—can be especially helpful when choosing a puppy. A pup’s parents are the best indicator of what kind of adult dog he will become. Training and nurturing certainly play a role in the development of a dog’s personality, but both physical and temperamental traits are often inherited. The friendliest dogs usually produce the best tempered puppies.

      Certain aspects of purebreds are predictable. For example, you can be reasonably certain that your Golden Retriever will enjoy romping and splashing at the beach.

      Adopting from a Shelter or Rescue

      Adopting a dog may require just as much planning and research as buying one from a breeder. First, you will need to decide what kind of dog you wish to adopt. The answer might be as simple as wanting an active dog who enjoys the outdoors or as detailed as wanting a specific breed within a certain age range. Whatever qualities you seek in your future pet, knowing what you want before you start your search will be helpful in finding an animal that meets this criteria.

      Sometimes, people do not have a specific breed or type of dog in mind, and this is fine, too. Perhaps you are confident that you will know the right dog when you meet him; sometimes a person and a dog just “click.” This can work out well, too, as long as you try to get as much information about the dog as possible before making your final decision.

      Animal shelters offer a clear advantage when it comes to assessing one’s rapport with a potential pet. Although you can certainly scroll through all of the online photos and write-ups of the dogs available for adoption, you can also meet them all in a single day at the shelter. Breed rescues, on the other hand, typically keep their animals in foster homes. Some rescues regularly hold adoption or meet-and-greet events at pet-supply stores and other public places, but you may need to schedule an appointment or wait for a certain day to meet a particular animal.

      Once you have found the dog you want to adopt, the next step will be filling out an application. This process may sound a bit intimidating, but it is an important step in matching each dog with his ideal owner. Bear in mind that dogs in shelters and rescues have already lost their homes. Some have never had real homes at all. The people who run rescue organizations simply want to do everything they can to ensure that a dog’s next home will be his last.

      Applications ask for general information about you and your family, along with your past experience as a pet owner. A shelter or rescue may also ask for details that will help the volunteers determine how well you can fulfill a particular dog’s needs. Some dogs may do best in homes without cats or other dogs. Other dogs might lack the temperament to tolerate young children.

      A rescue or shelter will also ask you if you own or rent your home. Renting will not keep you from adopting, but the rescue volunteer will want to contact your landlord to make sure that you are allowed to keep a pet on the property. Additionally, many rescues require a home visit prior to approving a prospective owner’s application regardless of whether that person owns or rents. This step may seem a bit intrusive at first, but it is usually a quick and simple process that confirms the information you provide on your application. Everyone who lives in the household should be present for the visit.

      A good breeder stands behind every puppy that he or she produces.

      What to Look for in Any Puppy or Dog

      Whether you prefer a puppy, a young adult dog, or an older pet, you should look for a healthy animal with a good temperament. But how will you know if the dog you choose fits this description?

      The healthiest dogs have bright, clear eyes and cool, wet noses. A dog’s nose will not always feel cold, but an extremely warm nose can sometimes be a sign of an issue. Red or cloudy eyes or discharge from the eyes or the nostrils often signals a health problem. Ears should be clean and free of odors. Head-shaking and tenderness around the ears are both red flags as well because they can indicate an infection or ear mites.

      The dog’s coat should be clean and free of mats, and his skin should show no signs of irritation. Excessive dryness, sores, or scratches are symptoms of numerous health problems—from external parasites to a thyroid imbalance. Even if no skin abnormalities are visible, persistent itching is often a sign that something is awry.

      When you meet the dog, run your hands gently over his body. Doing so can offer insight in more ways than one. First, a dog shouldn’t have a negative reaction to being touched. Second, this step allows you to check his body for anything unusual. A swollen abdomen might mean that the dog has worms or an umbilical hernia. Both problems can be fixed—the former more easily and inexpensively than the latter—but it is better to know about any problems beforehand and make your decision with this information in mind.

      Watch the dog as he moves around. Does he show any signs of discomfort when walking or running? Does he get up from lying down with ease or show signs of lameness or weakness? Neither issue is necessarily a deal-breaker, but it can indicate an orthopedic issue. Arthritis is common in older dogs, and although it can be a chronic problem, it can usually be managed. More acute problems, such as patellar luxation or hip dysplasia, may require