You have decided to get a puppy. To get you off to a good start, here is some important information.
Before buying a dog
Find out more about different breeds and their needs before purchasing. A hunting dog will not be happy in a small city apartment. On the other hand, if you are an outdoor athlete and you want your dog to accompany you, a pug will quickly reach its limits. How much time can and do you want to devote to your pet? Can it go to work or does it have to be able to endure many hours alone? If you ask yourself these important questions before you buy, you and the animal will be spared a lot of stress. Perhaps you will not choose a puppy at all, but an adult dog.
Also consider the costs that you will incur: The purchase price is the smallest part, as it is a one-time payment. In addition to equipment and food, dog training, insurance and regular visits to the vet must also be planned for.
A good start in life
If you are not adopting the puppy from an animal shelter, it is best to buy from a certified breeder. He pays attention to the good health of his breeding animals, cleanliness and love in rearing and to not separating the puppies from their mother too early. In this way they take many important experiences with them for their future life.
You should be rather skeptical about ominous providers on the Internet who have many different breeds on offer. Although their puppies are cheap to buy, they often become expensive because they bring many illnesses or behavioral disorders with them. So don’t save on the purchase price! Your veterinarian or the German Kennel Club (VDH), for example, can put you in touch with reputable breeders.
A dog-friendly home
By the time you adopt the pup from its mother after weaning it, it has usually already learned many things. He fought with his littermates and thus playfully trained his social skills. Maybe he already knows the first walks and keeps his sleeping place clean.
Prepare him a cozy warm place near you where he likes to lie. Regular feeding times and walks structure his day. It is best to forestall him, especially with the latter, so that there are as few mishaps as possible (every two to three hours is a good rhythm at the beginning).
You should guard your favorite furnishings or items of clothing a little better until the meaning of the word “no” is firmly established. It is advisable to visit a qualified puppy school as soon as possible, so that unwanted behavior does not become established in the first place. The puppy also gets to know dogs of other breeds here – so that the Labrador knows that the shaggy creature called Bobtail is also part of its species!
First appointment at the vet
For a first appointment in the veterinary practice, you should plan enough time so that your little darling can look at everything in peace. This can save everyone involved a lot of stress for necessary visits in the future.
You will also receive a lot of basic information about raising a young dog. Because not only the upbringing needs to be considered. What food does the puppy need in order to grow optimally and without any deficiency symptoms? Which check-ups and treatments make sense?
Regular treatments against parasites such as gastrointestinal worms or fleas should be a matter of course, and not just for the sake of the dog: the little pests can also spread to humans. Depending on the age at which you adopt the animal, it has already received its first vaccinations. In order to complete the so-called basic immunization, booster vaccinations are usually required. The following diseases are usually vaccinated against:
- Parvovirus (a diarrheal disease)
- distemper
- leptospirosis
- rabies
- infectious liver inflammation (hepatitis contagiosa canis)
Ask your treating veterinarian about all animal health issues at any time. He will be happy to explain to you which vaccinations are necessary or how best to behave in the first year of life if you have certain illnesses. If the dog is to be neutered later, he will also inform you about the best possible time for this.
