Dog Ownership Guide
Have you decided to adopt or buy a dog in the Bay Area? Here are some questions you want to ask before making your final decisions.
Is the dog healthy?
You want to make sure that the dog that you are buying or adopting is in excellent health care condition (unless notified by breeder that the dog may require additional health care). Don’t be afraid to ask for some certificate of proof for the dog’s health record. Another thing you can do is ask for the vet and call them for reference. Below are some questions you want to ask about the dog’s health:
-What shots have they had?
-What shots do they still need?
-Have they been wormed yet?
-What type of food are they currently eating?
What kind of environment were the puppies raised in?
It is very important to ask about the puppies’ lifestyle and where they were raised (home vs. kennel). Were the puppies raised inside or outside of the home? What is the puppy eating (mother’s milk vs. dry/wet food).
Don’t be afraid to ask the breeder if you could visit the puppies at their home, so you could see the condition of the place and puppies for yourself.
If, however, the puppies were raised in kennels, there is a high percentage that the breeders are operating a cruel business known as puppy mill or puppy farm.
What is a puppy mill or puppy farm?
Can you imagine forcing your own dog to live his or her entire life in a cage with no human contact, toys or comforter, and little hope to find a new home? Well, that is what life is like for puppy mill breeding dogs.
There are puppy mills all over the countries. Puppy mill dogs live in terrible conditions and most will get almost no human contact leaving them shy around the family. This is a horrible and cruel business that some breeders are running to make profit.
BayAreaDogs.net DOES NOT endorse or allow listings of dogs from puppy mills or puppy farms. We cannot investigate every listing for puppy mill dogs, but we will delete any listings with strong evidence. Here is a great site to find more information on puppy mill: Puppy Mills Pet Shop
Don’t forget to ask about the puppies’ parents.
Getting to know the parents of your new puppy will help you determine the puppy’s temperament. Ask for any known hereditary problems (ask for certification to be sure that the parents are clear). Some health problems you may be concern with are:
-Hip dysplasia
-Eye problems
-Thyroid problems
-Bleeding disorder
-Others (depending on your breed of choice)
If you are planning on buying or adopting a puppy and the parents are on site, ask to look at the mother (be sure to hold her or see if she has milk in her breast. Sometimes, a breeder will show you a different and smaller dog and say that it is the mother of the litter).
Sign a Contract
It is important to sign a contract when adopting or buying a dog because it will ensure the correct information of the dog’s breed, health concerns, etc. And, it will also confirm the agreement by both parties. Here is an example of a contract that you may find useful: Puppy Contract
Dog Ownership Guide,