Ron Hines DVM PhD 6/6/04
Choosing and choice of the right pet dog for your family is a crucial
decision. Choosing and choice of the right dog requires input from all family
members. Choosing and choice of the right dog depends on the temperament and
life style of all family members. Some people would do better choosing a cat or
another pet than a family dog. The choice of a breed of dog should be based on
its traits rather than its appearance. Choosing and choice of large breeds of
dogs require a lot of space and activity. Intelligence may be a factor in
choosing and choice of a breed of dog. Choosing and choice of a mongrel dog from
an animal shelter may make sense to you. Choosing and choice of more than one
dog may be what your family needs.
Please remember that this article was written by a veterinarian. People tend
to bring me sick, problem animals , not healthy, animals - so my outlook and
experience with dogs will not be the same as yours. Also, you probably did not
have your physician pick your wife or husband. Love is not dependent on good
health or temperament. That said, my favorite family dog is a black Labrador
retriever. When I was a kid, it was easier to choose a dog – because so few of
the “new” breeds were available. Labs represented the working breeds –
dogs that were bred for a cheerful nature, outgoing personality good health and
a love of children. They had relatively few breed-specific illnesses; they were
not subject to skin problems and were relatively plentiful on the market. These
breeds also strongly imprint their positive traits when bred to another race of
dog. Another breed that share similar attributes to Labradors are the golden
retrievers, Rhodesian ridgebacks, and boxers. Dog’s personalities are highly
influenced by their family genetics. That is, the most important factor in
obtaining a loving pet is that it was bred from a dame and a sire that had these
characteristics. This is why it is so terribly important that you choose your
puppy after observing both the puppies’ parents. If the breeder will not let
you spend time with both parents, do not purchase that puppy! This is why you
must never purchase a dog through a third party such as a pet shop. A
conscientious breeder will be more than willing to introduce you to the
puppy’s parents. All puppies look cute, but they will grow into adults whose
temperament and health are quite like their parents. If a parent is aloof, shy,
aggressive, fearful, dominant or submissive, hyperactive, mentally dense, or
forgetful then the puppy will grow up to share these traits. The same goes for a
dog’s health. If a parent has bone or joint disease, allergic skin disease,
bad teeth and gums, ear infections, eye problems, separation anxiety,
destructive behavior, tender feet (cutting toe nails), oily musty skin odor,
coprophagy, liver, heart or kidney disease, bladder stones, asthma, fatty
tumors, poor physique or coordination, umbilical and other hernias or another
disease, then the puppy is at least ten times as likely to inherit these
problems than a puppy from healthier parents. Important – but less so – is
the generalized temperament of the bred of dog you select. It is easy to fall in
love with a puppy the instant you see it. Often the weakest pups in the litter
are the most appealing. But remember, you will have 12-18 years with this animal
a member of your family. Do you want the vet bills that puppy will generate? Do
you want the family tension it may provide? Do you want the guilt associated
with owning a sickly pet? These are the reasons I never suggest a child be taken
puppy shopping. It is a decision best left to the most practical member of your
household. I also do not recommend buying a puppy for as a present for special
occasions such as Christmas and birthdays. Christmas and birthdays pass – but
the puppy becomes a dog and remains with you. So when you go puppy hunting,
spend more time with the parents of the pups than with the pups themselves. Once
you decide you would be happy with either parent, begin looking at the pups. Do
not pick puppies from a litter where the first half have already been sold and
left the premises. The best pups usually sell first. Do not buy puppies from a
bitch’s first litter – ideally it will be her third litter by the same stud
and you can visit some pups from her first two litters. You are never certain
how they will turn out. Do not buy the largest or smallest puppy in a litter.
Look for litter size – generally the more puppies in a litter the healthier
they will be. So when you have satisfied yourself on these general points, start
looking at the pups themselves. I generally keep some cockleburs in my pocket
that I can stick on the puppies I like to find again. Look for puppies that are
playful and curious about your presence – not forlorn and apathetic. The puppy
should come up to you and begin to play. It should be clean. There should be no
fleas or tapeworm segments on the pup. The owner should willingly supply the
name of her veterinarian and satisfied customers from prior litters. Look at the
general cleanliness of the operation. Don’t pay attention to awards, show
circuit medals, excuses for problems (“her skin broke out yesterday because
she got into some fire ants” etc). The puppy should remain calmly in you arms
for thirty to sixty seconds and not attempt to squirm away. The puppy should not
vocalize, nip or scratch because you are holding it. Do not buy or accept a free
puppy from anyone who apologizes for its behavior by stating that it or its
parents were abused. Abuse does not account for an animals innate traits. Some
of the most loving puppies and dogs at your humane society came from atrocious
conditions. Breeding animals should not be a profitable business. If it is, it
is because the owners are scrimping on something, quality diet, breeding a bitch
too often, breeding dogs whose health or temperament is undesirable, ignoring
medical conditions, buying their drugs at a feed store and administering them
themselves, or going to the “El Cheapo” veterinarian that all communities
have.
Because most of these puppy mill operations are seedy, their owner often try to
wow you with brick-a-brack shelves of trophies and long A.K.C. pedigrees on
their dogs. I personally would not want a pet that would stand motionless for
hours on a table before a group of dog judges. Paradoxically, breeders refer to
their cull puppies as being of “pet quality” and of lesser value that
“show quality” stock. I would not purchase anything from a breeder who shows
this attitude. I particularly like to find breeders that still work their dogs
in the dogs traditional role. Such as field trial Labradors, and working breeds
that still work in the area they were intended. Show judges never look for the
signs of a quality pet. They judge based on arbitrary, perfidious and trendy
criteria that are often antithetical to good health and temperament. I am going
to make a pitch now for adopting your next young dog from your local SPCA.
First, what you see is what you get. Dogs that have their permanent fangs
halfway down are approximately 6 months of age. By then, the cuteness of puppy
hood has worn thin and you will see the dog you will end up with. I would insist
that the shelter allow you to have a pre-adoption examination by a veterinarian
of your choice. I would disregard most information provided to you by the
shelter – their job is to place all animals in homes so that they are not
destroyed. Their job is not to find the best pet for your household. I have
looked through some of my books and surfed the Internet to find you a list of
dog breeds. Generally, the “rarer” the breed, the more subject it is to
health concerns. This is because the gene pool of these rare breeds is quite
small. That is they are all inbred and closely related. They are often plagued
by the same inbreeding-related diseases that plague small human communities –
such as the Amish.
Consult With Dr. Hines
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