Transcription
An Owner’s Manual for:PU PPY POI NTERS:T IPS FO R SEL ECTI N G ACANINE CO MPAN IONby theA M E R I CAN K E N N E L C LU B
ABOUT THIS SERIESAt the AKC, we know better thananyone that your dog can’t be treatedlike a car or an appliance, but we’venamed this series “An Owner’s Manual”because sometimes you probably wishyour lovable companions came withone.These concise guides give you the tools,tips, and direction to be a responsibleand confident dog owner who bringsout the best in your dog.Give them a test drive!AKC OWNE R’ S MANUA LPuppy Pointers: Tips For Selecting a Canine Companion 2
Bringing home a puppy is a joyousevent. First and foremost, they’reincredibly cute. Has a human everencountered a puppy withoutsmiling? Of course not. But choosing a puppy is no laughing matter.Puppies grow – all too quickly –into dogs. So it’s criticallyimportant to make informeddecision about acquiring a puppy. Chris Amaral/ThinkstockAKC OWNE R’ S MANUA LPuppy Pointers: Tips For Selecting a Canine Companion 3
ARE YOU READY?Too frequently, common sense goes out the windowwhen it comes to buying a puppy. This seems evenmore evident when the puppy is purchased by a family with young children. If you’re living alone, are youprepared to feed, bathe, walk and play with your dog– every day? If you work late or are going out withfriends every night, you’re likely not ready to takeon the responsibility of owning a dog. If you’re welcoming a puppy into a family household, will therebe a primary caregiver or will the family share suchtasks as cleaning the puppy’s accidents and ensuringthat the water bowl is never empty. The bottom line:you or your family must be willing to devote the timeand energy necessary to all but guarantee your dog’shealth and happiness. Chris Amaral/ThinkstockAKC OWNE R’ S MANUA LPuppy Pointers: Tips For Selecting a Canine Companion 4
COST OF DOG OWNERSHIPThink of the purchase price of yourpuppy as something akin to a downpayment. There are plenty of expenses ahead. You will need to buy puppysupplies: a collar with identification, aleash, food and water bowls, food andtreats, a dog bed (many owners recommend dog crates). The list goes on.Your puppy also will require visits toa veterinarian for such things as annual examinations and vaccinations.Evaluate your budget; ask yourselfif you really can afford a dog. Thereis no doubt that a puppy is a cuddlybundle of joy, but it is also an expense. Siri Stafford/ThinkstockAKC OWNE R’ S MANUA LPuppy Pointers: Tips For Selecting a Canine Companion 5
RESEARCH THE RIGHT BREED FORYOUR LIFESTYLEIs there a breed you have had your eye on,or are you confused about how to selecta dog? In either case, you should do somehomework to make sure that you selectthe right breed of dog for you and yourfamily. The bonus of selecting a purebreddog is their predictability in size, coat, carerequirements and temperament. Knowingwhat your cute puppy will look like and thekind of care he will need as an adult is a keyin selecting the breed for you. GlobalP/ThinkstockAKC OWNE R’ S MANUA LPuppy Pointers: Tips For Selecting a Canine Companion 6
Research will provide answers to someimportant questions:n What is this breed’s temperamentlike?n How big will the dog get?n How much exercise does the dogneed?n Does this breed bark a lot?n Does this breed shed and how oftenwill the dog need to be groomed?n What are the best training methodsfor this dog?n Does this breed do well with childrenn Does this breed do well with otherpets? Jaroslav Frank/ThinkstockAKC OWNE R’ S MANUA LPuppy Pointers: Tips For Selecting a Canine Companion 7
BREEDER SEARCH OPTIONSThe best way to ensure a long andhappy relationship with a purebreddog is to purchase from a responsible breeder. In conjunction with theAKC Marketplace and other onlineresources, AKC recommends thatyou obtain referrals from:AKC OWNE R’ S MANUA LPuppy Pointers: Tips For Selecting a Canine Companion 8
nnn KC Parent Clubs. A parent club is a nationalAorganization that represents a breed recognized bythe AKC. Each parent club owns and maintains thewritten standard for its breed and implements programs for the betterment of that breed. Parent clubsrepresent a wealth of breed knowledge and are aninvaluable resource for prospective puppy buyers. ocal Clubs. You may also search for a local club toLreach volunteers from all-breed or specialty clubs. reed Rescue Groups. These contacts can assistByou with information about purebred rescue.AKC OWNE R’ S MANUA LPuppy Pointers: Tips For Selecting a Canine Companion 9
BREEDER INTERVIEW QUESTIONSOnce you select a breeder, screen thebreeder. You’ll want to know long theperson has been breeding dogs andwhether he or she is a member of an AKCparent club or any other dog-relatedorganizations. Does the breeder do healthscreenings prior to breeding a litter?Does the breeder show his or her dogs atAKC events?Bronwyn Carlton AKCAKC OWNE R’ S MANUA LPuppy Pointers: Tips For Selecting a Canine Companion 10
Your breeder should be willing to answer all ofyour questions. He or she should also ask questions about you, your lifestyle, and your family.If a contact doesn’t respond to your inquiries,or doesn’t show any interest in the life the dogwill lead after it leaves his or her premises, youmay want to look elsewhere. A responsiblebreeder is committed to making a good matchbetween prospective owners and the dogs intheir care; that’s the kind of person you wanton your side as you make the journey into dogownership.Bronwyn Carlton AKCAKC OWNE R’ S MANUA LPuppy Pointers: Tips For Selecting a Canine Companion 11
If a home visit is scheduled withthe breeder, ask to see at least oneof the parents (the dam or thesire) of your puppy. See how thedogs in your breeder’s home interact with your breeder. Are theyfriendly and outgoing or do theyshy away?Bronwyn Carlton AKCAKC OWNE R’ S MANUA LPuppy Pointers: Tips For Selecting a Canine Companion 12
AKC S.T.A.R. PUPPYThe AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program is an incentiveprogram that encourages dog owners to take theirpuppies through a basic training class. Trainingclasses teach you how to best communicate with yourpuppy. Organized training classes also provide anopportunity for your dog to socialize with other dogs.In classes aimed at earning the S.T.A.R. Puppydistinction, you’ll be able to get information on all ofyour puppy-raising questions includinghousetraining, chewing, and the most effective way toteach practical skills such as coming when called. TheS.T.A.R.Puppy Program, sponsored by The Hartford,is a natural lead-in to the AKC Canine Good CitizenProgram.AKC OWNE R’ S MANUA LPuppy Pointers: Tips For Selecting a Canine Companion 13
CANINE GOOD CITIZEN PROGRAMMany dog owners choose AKC’s Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Program as the first step in training theirdogs. The CGC Program lays the foundation forother AKC activities such as obedience, agility, tracking, and performance events. As you work with yourdog to teach the CGC skills, you’ll discover the manybenefits and joys of training your dog. Training willenhance the bond between you and your dog. Dogshaving a solid obedience education respond well tohousehold routines, have good manners in the presence of people and other dogs, and they fully enjoythe company of the owner who took the time toprovide training, intellectual stimulation, and a highquality life. We sincerely hope that CGC will be only abeginning for you and your dog and that after passingthe CGC test, you’ll continue training in obedience,agility, tracking, or performance events.Mary Bloom AKCAKC OWNE R’ S MANUA LPuppy Pointers: Tips For Selecting a Canine Companion 14
TH E AM ER ICAN KE NNE L C LUBWHO AND WHAT WE ARE:The AKC is a not-for-profit organization and the largestpurebred dog registry in the world. We are thesports-governing body for over 22,000 dog events a year,including conformation (dog shows) and exciting sports likeagility, obedience, rally, tracking, lure coursing, earthdog,herding trials, among others.
TH E AM ER ICAN KE NNE L C LUBBut the AKC is so much more! Here are just some of the ways we support and enrich the lives of dogs—purebreds andmixed-breeds alike—and their families. We:nCreated the AKC Humane Fund, which supports breeddonated over 24 million to the CHF. (The AKC is the onlyrescue activities, assists shelters that permit domestic-abuseregistry that incorporates health-screening results into its per-victims to bring their pets, and educates dog lovers about re-manent dog records.)sponsible dog ownership.nnOffer the Canine Good Citizen program: A 10-step testthat certifies dogs who have good manners at home and inConduct thousands of kennel inspections annually to mon-itor care and conditions at kennels across the country andensure the integrity of the AKC registry.their community. Over 725,000 dogs across the United StatesOffer the largest, most comprehensive set of DNA programshave become Canine Good Citizens , and 42 states have passednresolutions recognizing the program’s merit and importance.for parentage verification and genetic identity to ensure reliable registration records.nFounded AKC Reunite, which has brought more than 400,000lost pets back together with their owners.nSupport one of the world’s largest collections of dog-relatedfine art and artifacts at the AKC Museum of the Dog, and wenCreated the AKC Canine Health Foundation, which fundsresearch projects and clinical studies. Since 1995 the AKC hashave the world’s largest dog library at AKC headquarters inNew York, both of which are open to the public.
TH E AM ER ICAN KE NNE L C LUBTHANK YOU FOR READING!We hope this information was valuable to you in helping your puppy live a long, healthy, happy life. Below, find additionalbooks in our Owner’s Manual series designed to strengthen the bond between you and your furry family member.5 TRICKS TOSHOW OFFCANINE BODYLANGUAGECANINE GOODCITIZENAGILITY FORBEGINNERSPUPPY NUTRITIONHOW TO CRATETRAIN YOUR DOGFIRST AIDFOR DOGSSELECTING A PUPPY5 BASIC COMMANDSLIFE WITH ASENIOR DOGWHY DOES MY DOGDO THAT?RESPONSIBLE DOGOWNER TIPSWHAT’S HE THINKING?PUPPYSOCIALIZATION
AK WNER' AL Puppy Pointers: Tips For Selecting a Canine Companion 13 AKC S.T.A.R. PUPPY The AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program is an incentive program that encourages dog owners to take their puppies through a basic training class. Training classes teach you how to best communicate with your puppy. Organized training classes also provide an
