So, now that you're ready to take the next step, what are you looking
for in a dog and more importantly, what can you offer in return? Are you an Action Jackson looking for a dog to keep
up with you or are you Homer Simpson's lazy brother? Are you somewhere in between and don't know what you want?
You must honestly consider what type of dog will blossom in your home. If you live on the road, maybe a smaller dog
would be easy to take along. If you are a trucker, maybe you'd like a protection dog to ride along. If you work,
then maybe an older dog that's already trained is the one for you instead of a puppy. If you have a family, maybe that
puppy is the best choice. Something to grow along with the kids. What is your financial situation? Smaller
dogs do eat less and are easier to medicate. Their crates cost less.
How much time do you have to exercise your pet? Are you willing to get a dog
with a contunously-growing coat or a thick, shaggy coat that will require grooming? Can you handle a more aggressive
dog or need one that's not going to challenge you?
Here are your choices.
Reputable Breeders
Notice that I said reputable. I'm not talking about the idiot (for
lack of a better word) who has two mediocre rottweilers and breeds the female three times a year or even two regularly.
I'm not talking about any person who has two papered dogs who breeds them for the money. You know the type. Their
puppies are often $250.00 to $350.00 and the parents have been having a litter every year, and they can't tell you where last
year's litter even is. You don't think this is irresponsible? Ask yourself, how many dogs of that particular
breed (whichever breed it may be) can go out into the local community before it's saturated? Remember, the ASPCA itself
has found that 25% of its shelter dogs are purebreds. I only ask that you don't buy a dog from anyone who can't tell
you where the last couple of litters' members are and how they are doing presently. Believe me when I tell you, a good
breeder will follow his or her pups' lives even if the owners are on the other side of the country. And, most
often than not, a "decent" purebred dog is going to cost well over $350.00.
The Classifieds "free" section
Many times a family decides to move, and for whatever reason doesn't take the dog
with them. Follow the free ads and you will often find a purebreed if that's what's important to you. I'm south
of Seattle, and I see free ads for purebred dogs all the time. You might find a wonderfully-trained and loved dog this
way. People who take the time to put an ad in the classifieds to place their pet may care more where their pet goes.
And, the dog might have its shots and be already registered, another cost that you won't have to bear.
Another thing to consider is that whatever type of dog it is, the owner will know
its temperament and if it's good with children or if it's not. While dogs may undergo a period of adjustment, taking
in a free-ad dog has many advantages, and knowing what to expect from that particular animal is one of them.
Even if someone puts a dog up in the paper because it soils the house or chews, ask
questions such as how often the dog was taken out and what type of entertainment it was provided. I've seen people in
the military bemoan their dog's behavior or house-soiling only to find out no one lets the dog out and gives it nothing to
chew! Jeebus people, what do you expect? A trail period most often possible if a certain puppy or dog steals your
heart.
Rescues
This is one of my favorite ways to get a dog! Here you have dedicated people
taking dogs in that often have nowhere else to go, dogs with medical needs, abuse cases, abandoned dogs and puppies, and they
give these animals a second chance at life. Rarely will you find a puppy in a rescue; I most often see older dogs,
and this breaks my heart. Can you imagine giving a dog away because it's gotten older? My God! Here is an
animal that's given you its entire life, and you dare to abandon it when its senior years come. GatorX is approaching
his senior years (he turns six next month as I write, April of 2006), and I wouldn't dream of giving him away. He's
my best friend. In rescues, you have the chance of adopting someone's turned out best friend.
There is almost always a fee to adopt a rescue dog, but you are usually getting a
dog that's been spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and has recieved medical attention. To spend money on a rescue dog,
in my opinion, is a noble thing.
Shelters and The Pound
Your local shelter or pound always has puppies. I can practically see puppies
in your local pound right now, the result of an unplanned pregnancy because someone didn't have their dog spayed or under
wraps during estrus. Of the dogs brought into the pounds, most of them are euthanized healthy and able to be adopted
out. There simply aren't enough homes. But, you could save one, and that's a wonderful thing to do.
Shelter dogs are usually skittish and afraid. If you go this route, be sure
to ask to see the dog in a separate room outside of the kennel and away from all its noise. There are tests that you
can perform on a dog to determine its temperament. You will most likely have to pay a fee for a shelter dog also, but
again, it's going to be much smaller than paying for even a mediocre purebred dog.
