The pet store puppy
Suppose you are shopping in the mall and you pass the pet store. There, on display in the window, is an
adorable puppy wagging his tail and looking straight at you as if to say, �Please take me home.� A lot of
people fall victim to this ploy and too many people end up buying a dog or puppy from a pet store merely
on an impulse. But this is usually not a good place to get your new best friend for several reasons.
One reason is because an impulse buy�when your kids are begging you to get the puppy or your soft heart just can�t bear the sight of that dog locked up in a pet store�almost always turns out to be a mistake. Owning a pet is a lifelong responsibility and getting a dog when you were actually in the mall shopping for shoes won�t work out for anyone in the long run�you or the impulsively-purchased puppy.
The second reason to avoid the pet store puppy is because many of today�s pet stores get their animals from money-making companies who only breed these pets to sell. Among other things, they often are not shown any individual attention, which a young pet, especially a puppy, needs so desperately in those first weeks and months. You may know these types of breeding factories by the name they are most often referred to as�puppy mills (or kitten mills in the feline case).
Classifieds
Another place where people get dogs and puppies from are classifieds advertisements in their local newspaper. If you decide to look at a dog or puppy from a classified advertisement, you should definitely visit the environment where the dog has spent its time and, if possible, find out all you can about the background and lineage of the canine. And remember, if something doesn�t feel right about the whole situation, perhaps you should pass (or at least think about it overnight).
Breeders
Dog breeders are yet another place to get a canine companion if you can not find the breed you are looking for in a local shelter. Be careful, however, that you have done your research and located a professional, quality breeder from which to purchase your new pet. Make sure the breeder you choose provides a clean, comfortable, loving environment in which to breed their puppies.
As there are many, many different kinds of breeds, you might want to do your homework if you are considering getting a purebred dog. Besides shapes and sizes, different breeds exhibit different personalities as well. You should decide before you start shopping around whether you want a big or small, hyper or laid back, or furry or hairless type of dog. Also, a breeder can not only sell you a puppy, but a lot of breeders sell their retired show dogs, who are very well-behaved and obedient� just a little too old to participate in the show ring.
Animal shelters
Before you look for your dog using any of the above options, make sure you check out your local humane society or your city's/county's animal care & control center to be sure your perfect pooch isn�t waiting there for you to come and get him. You�ll find animal shelters in practically every town and city across the country. There are the �traditional� type of shelters and then there is a new breed of shelter called the No-Kill shelter. Of course, the traditional shelters do not revel in euthanizing homeless pets, but it is the only solution to the pet overpopulation problem when there aren't enough willing Pet Parents to support this poor animals. The No-Kill animal shelters don't euthanize pets. |
