Hi friends,
as you know, we bought a puppy! But this wasn't a random dog we bought on impulse, it was actually ~a year in the making - and here are the top puppy buying tips I have for you:
Research the Breed
First and foremost: do your research. Make sure you are getting the right breed for you. Another quick tip: get one that fits YOUR lifestyle - not one that makes you think "yeah I could go on an hour run/walk each day" if you don't already do it because chances are you won't. Can you deal with the shedding and grooming? Some breeds require more time than others - how much time do you have for them? Etc.
Also research the breeders
Reach out to a bunch. Learn what you like and don’t like. This is a two way transaction. I reached out to many different breeders and some you could tell were straight up liars for example saying a Pomeranian was hypoallergenic, and some were extremely knowledgable and put all of my questions and concerns at ease. Then others just came off as rude. But at the end of the day you should know what to ask them and what answers you want. For example I asked all breeders these Q’s and if they couldn’t answer all of them well then I didn’t bother continuing with them.
What type of health testing do you do on the parents and the pups?
How much does it currently weigh?
What type of face shape does it have?
What is your health guarantee?
Do you have any references I can contact?
And can we FaceTime to see the puppy?
^those are the Qs I ask everyone
insert TikTok
Buy Fast
I learnt this the hard way (four times!) 😭. breeders kinda expect the money that day or the next day so pay up fast or else someone else will & you will miss your shot. I missed on one and once I missed my shot, I didn’t find another pom I liked until MONTHS later.
Ask What Training is Done Before Recieving Pup
I didn’t do this but I wish that I did! Ask the breeder what training is done while the pup is in their care. My pup came litter trained and that impressed me that I forgot to ask other things. for example, my breeder asked what I wanted to name the dog and I said Benji, but you shouldn’t just call your dog by it’s name all the time - you want each time you say his name while young to be followed with a treat so they learn to look at you or come when their name is called & if you don’t you are just desensitizing them to a possible command. I didnt think much about this until weather conditions made it so i couldn’t get my pup until a week later which means a week behind training and extra time possibly engraving bad habits.
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