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BUYING A DOG |
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DOG BREEDS AND MONGRELS |
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Hopefully you are
going to spent many, many years with your dog. It is therefore very
important that you buy the puppy / dog from someone you trust. The business of selling puppies is "unfortunately" very big, and this is exploited to the extreme by unscrupulous dog dealers. Here the puppies are mass produced, and growing up without the necessary steps towards upbringing and health concerns. Small pitiful puppies are also imported by the dozen from for example Eastern Europe, where these dogs have been produced under appalling conditions. It is extremely heartbreaking to see these pathetic creatures sitting in their steel cages with frightened eyes, but the best we can do to "help" those who leave them there. DON'T EVER BUY THEM! If you buy a puppy, it will immediately be replaced by a new, equally pathetic puppy. The suffering will continue. One can only hope to stop these unscrupulous people by destroying their business. If they can not sell the puppies, we can only hope that they will stop producing them. The fight against dog trafficking is infinite, but by destroying their sales opportunities maybe a small battle can be won. Buy your puppy from an organized breeder. That is, someone who is a member of a recognized organization. Once you have decided which puppy you want, then go and visit it several times during upbringing. Check that the conditions are good. Is the place clean and nice? How is the mother? Does the puppy have contact with humans? If not than you should not buy the puppy. Interaction with humans is very important in the new puppys life. The puppy must be socialized by humans from the beginning. Unless this is done, it will never gain confidence in people. It can be compared to a door that is closed. The door is open in the puppys first weeks. Here it is taught to be "a dog" and to co-exist with other animals and humans. At one point around 12-14 weeks of age the door closes, and can not later be opened again. If the puppy has not learned to be social in this time, it will not be able to learn it later. Sometimes you see very frightened and insecure dogs, who even sometimes bite. this is typical of dogs that are poorly or inadequately socialized. They are living a hell of uncertainty and anxiety. And you can not correct it. Therefore it is extremely important that when you see your new little puppy, or fetch it, then it should come to greet you and appear to be pleased by the situation. All the puppies in the litter should look happy and comfortable. If there is a single puppy from the litter sitting back in the corner and looking suspicious it is not necessarily a lack of socialization, as it has probably had the same attention as the rest of the litter. It may just be its temperament to be a little cautious. It may turn out to be a fine dog, but it should not be sold to a first time owner, as it will require a little more insight and knowledge. |
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