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• Make a card with a picture of the potential pet you want to adopt after the holidays.
• Buy stuffed animals or other pet related gifts.
• Buy a gift certificate to a local pet supply store or veterinarian.
• Buy needed pet supplies as a way to prepare for the new pet.
• Visit our bringing your pet home page for more suggestions.

Most of all, please be certain your gift recipient was serious about wanting a pet in the first place. Surprising someone may be nice, but it won't help the dog if they really didn't want to care for it, cannot afford medical expenses, or aren't interested in the training it takes to make a good pet. It's always best that any pet be a mutual family decision that everyone is interested in and wants to care for. Please involve the potential owner in your plans.

Puppy verses Adult:

While cute adorable balls of wrinkles will pull at anyone's heartstrings, buying or adopting a puppy may not be for everyone. Puppies need extra time for housetraining / feeding, health care - regular vaccinations and checks for common Pei issues like entropion or skin problems, as well as lots and lots of socializing, to ensure they don't become too protective or aggressive to strangers and other animals. Most people think they need to get a puppy to properly bond with their pet, but the fact has been proven over and over, rescued adults (given some time) become just as loyal and enjoyable to own. In many cases, they are already housetrained, rescue has already ensured most health problems are already corrected, and any lapse in socializing / training has already been started. Owners who adopt adults find definite advantages when it comes to transitioning an older pet into your home, especially if they work full-time and cannot be home to care for a puppy. Best of all, owners don't have to wait 6-12 months to find out what kind of dog your puppy will become, there's no surprises about what kind of dog they've embraced into their family. This is most important for families with young children. Most important of all, any dog only stays looking like a puppy for less than a year...it's the next 10-15 years after that owners will remember the most. If you are interested in adopting your next pet, click here for more information.

If you still want to buy, here are 7 important markers for helping to locate a responsible breeder:

1. Check the breeder's facility in person. If it's dirty, or dogs are kept in cages filled with their own waste, walk out the door.
2. Don't feel pressured to buy a puppy from the hard sell interview. A breeder should not sound like a used car salesman.
3. Breeders should contractually guarantee their dogs for congenital illnesses. However, don't expect your money back if you decide in five years you no longer want the dog. Still, a truly responsible breeder will promise to accept a returned dog anytime for any reason.
4. Learn the common genetic defects of your breed of choice, and ask about the health of the dam and sire (mother and father). Research the pedigree three generations deep. The best breeders readily offer this information, and will have written proof when possible. For example, the Orthopedic Foundation of America (OFA) offers a written analysis of dogs' hip X-rays for breeds subject to hip dysplasia. Puppies are too young to be X-rayed, but the dam and the sire should be OFA-certified.
5. Responsible breeders require a spay/neuter contract when they sell a pet-quality puppy. That means you won't get your papers until your dog's been "fixed."
6. Absolutely avoid breeders who try to sell you puppies under six weeks old. Important behavioral traits are developed between 4 and 8 weeks of age. It's best to wait to prevent any unwanted personality problems.
7. Perhaps the most important criterion is meeting the mother of the puppies. Approximately 40 percent of a puppy's personality is derived from its mother. (Five percent comes from the father, and the remaining 55 percent comes from socialization and the manner in which it is raised.) While some scientists debate the specific percentages, all agree that if the mother has an unstable or aggressive temperament, odds are that most or all of her pups may have the same temperament.

Buyer Beware...

DOGS ARE NOT COMMERCIAL LIVESTOCK AND SHOULD NEVER BE BRED OR SOLD COMMERCIALLY! Pet shop dogs are not a bargain, whatever the price. They are normally more expensive than better pups purchased directly from the breeder. Pet shops also rely on impulse purchases and dogs should NEVER be purchased that way!

BUY FROM A KNOWLEDGEABLE BREEDER, AND INSIST ON A GUARANTEE! If an inexperienced breeder tells you several of the pups are "show quality", ask who made that evaluation. The owner of a pet-bred litter has absolutely no idea what makes a dog show quality. If you are interested in a show quality pup and are paying show price, buy from an experienced breeder who can accurately and honestly evaluate the litter.

ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND THAT GOOD DOGS DON'T JUST "HAPPEN" They are bred and raised to be good dogs. They come from healthy, attractive, good tempered parents who were bred together to produce even better offspring. The dam and the pups were correctly fed, had proper veterinary care, and received lots of handling and attention. The breeder carefully interviewed potential buyers to find the right homes, instructed the buyer on how to raise a wonderful family pet, and was always available to help. The dog buyer listened, asked questions, followed the instructions and put lots of time and work into the pup. The dog grew up to be a joy to his owners and the breeder was proud of the results!

HEALTH/TEMPERAMENT EXPECTATIONS: The severity of health/temperament issues will vary according to breeder / evaluator knowledge and the adopter/buyer expectations and past experiences with the breed. Personal perspective and tolerance levels can also influence your outlook on a dog's potential. There's definitely no black and white decision guidelines to determine adoptability and/or compatibility with your family. What one person believes is a good dog, another may not. This is a very personal choice that must be made objective as possible, for the dog and family's sake.

Introducing a pet can make or break any buying / adoption success, so for more information about introducing a new pet to your home, please visit our homecomings page or this interesting article by F.U.N. Place for the pros and cons of Christmas pets.

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