How to pick your children’s first puppy
time with both parents of your puppy: genetics have a strong influence on a puppy’s temperament. If both adult dogs are gentle, calm, goodnatured dogs, then there’s a high chance that the puppy will turn out similarly. Puppies that have been properly socialised since they were young are more likely to turn out well, so ensure that the breeder has exposed the puppy to a range of different human interactions: a litter living with the busyness of a human home around them may be ideal.
When looking at the litter of pups to select your chosen individual, don’t make the mistake of choosing the most lively, bouncy one: a growing dog with an ultra-high level of energy can be more of a challenge for children. Instead, choose a calm, friendly dog; one that is not afraid to come forwards to greet you, but doesn’t try to hog all the limelight. Spend some time interacting with different members of the litter, and choose the dog that seems to have a personality that you feel will work best in your family.
Make an early veterinary appointment with your new puppy: 8
So you’ve done your best to choose a healthy pup: what next? An early appointment with your local vet makes sense. First, a thorough veterinary examination of the animal is important: some puppies have physical issues that are undetectable to a lay person. Examples include heart murmurs, hernias and dental problems. Rarely, these problems can be so severe that the vet may recommend that you return the pup to the breeder. It’s far more likely that the vet will give you a clean bill of health for the puppy, and this in itself will be reassuring. This visit to the vet will bring other benefits: the vet will take you through a check list to ensure that you are covering all the various aspects that need to be addressed for your pup to settle well into your home, including vaccination, parasite control, and nutrition.
9 10 Focus on early socialisation and training:
There’s plenty of research that shows the influence of early experiences of puppies on the psychological and behavioural outcome in the adult dog. When pups are reared in isolation (e.g. in a sterile, puppy-farm type environment), they are far more likely to turn out to be fearful, anxious adult dogs. You can’t change what your pup has already been through, but from when the pup arrives in your home, you can take steps to ensure that they have pleasant, calm interactions with everything around them.
From the noisy vacuum cleaner to the beeping microwave to the blaring television, the aim is to get them gradually used to their surroundings. If they ever show fear, then back off, and try again, more gently, at another time. They should also be introduced to a range of humans, including men with beards, women wearing hats and any other types who are around. The more diverse the better, so that the pup learns as much about the world as possible.
You should also make contact with a good local dog trainer — ask your vet for a recommendation — and as soon as your pup is fully protected after vaccinations, start to take your dog to regular dog training classes. A well-behaved, welltrained dog is key to having a successful first pet for your children.
Get pet insurance from the start:
You may have preconceptions about the status of the new arrival in your home, but typically, a new puppy is soon seen as “one of the family”. You’ ll become emotionally involved with the animal: this is one of the joys of having a pet, but it can also carry a burden if anything goes wrong. Accidents and illnesses happen: they are part of life. Veterinary care is now better than it has ever been for helping sick and injured pets, but if things go seriously wrong, the financial cost can be very high. When your pet is unwell, your focus should be on getting the best care for your pet, not on worrying about how you are going to pay the vet. Pet insurance is the answer to this dilemma: the monthly cost is factored into your budget from the start, ensuring that you’ ll always be able to afford to pay to have your beloved family dog taken care of in the optimal way.