so you've made the big decision to bring a puppy into your family and you're
asking yourself how to buy a healthy puppy well there are many pitfalls to
avoid and to help make sure that your puppy is as healthy and as happy as
possible but where is the best place to buy a puppy hi I'm dr. Alex Avery from
ourpetshealth.com and if we've not met before this channel is all about
helping you and your pet to live a healthier happier life so consider
subscribing and hitting the bell notification to make sure you don't miss
out on future videos just like this one also let me know in the comments down
below what type of puppy you're hoping to get I'd love to find out so depending
on what puppy you decide you want there are a number of different options when
it comes to finding out where the best place to buy a puppy is and at the same
time making sure that they are as healthy as possible now broadly speaking
these are professional or regular breeders private homes rescue centers and pet
shops the first big step is deciding what dog breed is best for your family
do you want a purebred dog or are you happy with a mixed breed which may
actually be healthier and cheaper in the long run what size is best and will
their temperament and character be a good match for your family and your
lifestyle are there any common conditions that they might suffer from
that you really should be prepared for how much might these cost in treatment
and how might they affect the quality of life of your dog and their future so how
do you buy a healthy puppy how do you decide where the best place is and which
puppy is right for you after all you want them to be as healthy as possible
and not come with a long list of hidden conditions one of the first places to
turn would be professional recommendations this might be from your
local veterinarian but it could also be from a respected dog trainer or a
groomer they may know of clients of theirs who are either breeders or whose pets is
expecting a litter of puppies they will clearly not be able to guarantee that
you will be getting a perfectly healthy puppy but if a dog is known to these
people then it is unlikely that they will fall into the must avoid and puppy mill category the worst breeders generally wouldn't take their
dogs to the vet groomer or trainer although obviously there are exceptions
to every rule now personal recommendations from
friends would be the next option to investigate if someone you know and
trust got a healthy puppy themselves from a breeder then you could reasonably
expect the same the alternative is that you might just find out who would be
better to avoid buying a puppy from completely so next if both of these
options fail to turn up your perfect healthy puppy then another option is to
buy one from a registered breeder that is also a member of the Kennel Club or a
similar organization now these organizations may run an assured or
accredited breeding register and that ensures that a minimum standard is met
by the breeder when you are not able to get a personal recommendation then this
can give you some reassurance and a little bit of peace of mind as to how
that your potential puppy had been bred and looked after any responsible breeder
be their professional or just the owner of a pregnant pet should also be more
than happy to answer questions they should positively encourage multiple
visits when a puppy is too young to be rehomed and you should be able to see
the puppy with their mother in their normal environment to know that it
really is the mother you are seeing them where they're not just another random
female dog you should see the puppy suckling from her and you'll also be
able to tell by the level of interaction between the puppies and the female dog
when you visit also consider what conditions the puppies are in are they
clean do they smell bad are they thin do they have big pot bellies are they
actually scared or hesitant to interact with you and they should be really quite
keen to have new people to play with these might all be signs that their can
they're being brought up in conditions that are less than ideal a breeder
really should also be picky about who gets to buy their puppies many will have
a waiting list and that could actually be a really long waiting list and so
they do not need to worry about whether someone will actually buy their puppies
or not and this means that they should be asking you plenty of question even
more than you're asking them about your lifestyle and circumstances just to make
sure that their precious puppies end up in the right home this is a sign they
care and so they're likely to have bred puppies responsibly and looked
after the puppies well one thing to be aware of and this doesn't just apply
to a Kennel Club breeders is the fact that some breeders will focus on
obtaining the most extreme version of the breed standard conformation for
their breed this is seldom a good thing with the result often being an increased
risk of health issues later on in life now nowhere is this more apparent than
the current trend for breeding dogs with more and more squash noises such as pugs
and French bulldogs and their bodies have really become so squashed they
often suffer from breathing issues from skin disease and even spinal problems
now this is something to consider not just when deciding what breed you want
but also which breeder to use never buy a puppy from an advert in the paper or
internet ads without satisfying yourself that the puppy's conditions and
operator for the same as you would established from a breeder how do you
know that you're not supporting puppy mills or puppy farms if you don't see
the conditions that the puppy is living in from being raised in how do you know
if you don't talk to the owners and meet the puppy's mother in person also never
just meet a breeder or own a half way on the side of the road or in a service
station this happens I've seen the results and all too often unfortunately
the puppy is in a poor condition and it's got some really serious health
problems it's so sad to see these puppies but in rescuing them you're
actually supporting terrible breeders who have no thought for the welfare of
their dogs or puppies by giving them money you're positively encouraging this
behavior so it's for this reason too that you should think again about buying
a puppy from a pet shop the vast majority of pet shop puppies come from
unethical puppy mills they may come with serious existing disease and their often
poorly socialized it is only by refusing to buy puppies from these puppy mills
that they will ever shut down otherwise it will keep making money and keep
breeding puppies check out my other video for my 10 reasons not to buy a pet
shop puppy to learn more so my final option to consider in how to buy a
healthy puppy is to actually buy your puppy from a shelter or rescue center
now these dogs find themselves being abandoned often due to a relationship
break down a house move a new baby arriving so abandoned through no
fault of their own in the US six and a half million animals into the shelter
system every year with around one-and-a-half million being euthanized
in Australia two hundred thousand animals are thought to be euthanized and
in the UK the number is about twenty thousand rescue animals that euthanized
that's a huge number of dogs and it's a global issue so while some may have to
be euthanasia to medical or behavioral reasons many simply victims of being
unwanted and abandoned this huge number means that rescue shelter dogs come in
all shapes they come in all sizes and all ages very often they'll already have
been vaccinated they'll have been microchipped and neutered so
spayed or castrated they'll probably even be toilet trained and you can
really be matched to a dog who is a great fit for your family shelter dogs
they go through vet checks and they'll often also have behavior and temperament
testing just to make sure that there are no surprises and that they are suitable
for rehoming also if they've been looked at by and looked after by a foster
family and lived in a foster home as well then you'll also know what they're
like in a home situation away from the shelter environment which is very
different to home life you could ask just as many questions and a shelter
will be just as eager to find out all about you after all the last thing they
want is to see the dog back again because things just didn't work out
you'll truly be rescuing a dog and giving it a second chance and a proper
forever home and that will feel great so when you're looking to buy a healthy puppy
you go into any decision with open eyes and certainty having a dog is a life
time commitment that may last close to 20 years in some cases it should not be
done on impulse and a puppy should never be given as a surprise gift research the
right dog breed for your family understand the time and energy that
you'll need to put to them make sure that you have the time
and a plan in the early days when socialization is so important our dogs
bring so much to our lives it's only right that we respect them as family
members we deserve our full attention and commitment so I hope this video
helps answer how to buy a healthy puppy and that you find your perfect new dog
let me know below if you have any questions and please come back and let
me know what puppy you get I've really loved here also remember to subscribe to
make sure you don't miss out on future videos all about helping you and your
pet to live a healthier happier life and until next time i'm dr. alex from our
pets health because they're family