Thinking about buying a puppy or buying a dog?
There are many things to consider as a dog owner. It is very important that you understand your responsibilities to your dog and to the community, so as to ensure that dogs and their owners are welcomed into society. This section offers advice on choosing a suitable dog type, pedigree puppy or adult crossbreed and where to buy a puppy or re-home plus important considerations relating to every step of this process. Click on the links to the right to read more.
Why not visit Discover Dogs at Earls Court 2, London between 8th - 9th November 2008 while you are in the process of choosing a dog? Here you can learn more about the joys of canine companionship and find your perfect partner with over 190 different breeds of pedigree dogs of all shapes and sizes to meet at the show.
Kennel Club Podcasts
Download and listen to one of our podcasts.
Helping you to choose the right canine companion for your family:
Male or female, puppy or adult?
This depends on many things. Discuss your options with experienced dog owners, your prospective veterinary surgeon and breeders from whom you may consider purchasing a puppy (who will be informative but might be hugely biased!), and those involved with rescue organisations (who are normally grittily realistic). These people will usually be happy to share their experiences and opinions with you, and should give you a good range of opinions to consider.
Size
Does your choice of dog, in relation to its size, suit your home, car, children and exercise plans, and suit friends or family that might look after it during the holidays? Large dogs generally have a shorter life span, and cost more to feed, kennel, insure and medically treat than smaller ones.
Coat length and type
Do you mind spending hours grooming and cleaning your dog and your house, or do you want a low-maintenance breed? Some breeds have a strong smell; others dribble a great deal! Can you live with these things?
Buying two dogs at the same time is a bad idea
Whereas it may be true that they will keep each other company, they will do so at the cost of your relationship with them. The tendency is for them to bond with each other, rather than with you and your family. Rearing two puppies successfully takes an enormous amount of work, as you have to rear them separately, and give them each individual quality time, space, exercise and training, so it is not for the faint hearted or busy dog owner.
Existing Dogs
If you have an existing dog and would like to buy a companion for it, consider the fact that many dogs prefer being the only dog in the family, and resent sharing their space, humans, attention, toys and treats with other dogs. If you do want another dog, a good age gap is about four or five years. If you are not sure how your dog will feel about it, ‘borrow’ a friend’s dog for a few days to get a rough idea.
Health
All breeds (and crossbreeds) have potential health problems (eyes, joints, heart, hearing etc), and many breed clubs have introduced excellent screening programmes to help minimise the chance of you getting a dog with hereditary problems.
Contact the breed club of the dog you are interested in (you can get their details on the Breed Standards pages of this website) and ask about health problems in the breed.
If the puppies or parents have been screened for inherited conditions, always ask the breeder for copies of the certificates. There are a number of Kennel Club and British Veterinary Association schemes which score the hips, elbows and test eyes. The breeder should be happy to give the certificates to you. Do not be polite and presume what they tell you is true.
Results of the official KC screening schemes are published and included on KC registration papers. Contact the Health and Information Department for clarification regarding any such results.
Temperament
Some dogs are bred for looks, others for their working ability, and the result is that you get a whole range of temperaments in between. Which one is right for you depends on many variables so get expert help on your intended breed and be very careful about where you buy your puppy.
