"So You Are Ready To Buy A Dog..."

 

So you have decided you want to bring a puppy into your family. What is the first thing that you should do? Go down to the local pet store and buy a dog? Look in the newspapers? Do some homework? If you answered no to the first two questions and yes to the last, then you are correct.

Bringing a pet into your family is a big step and it is not one that should be taken lightly. There are many things to consider before you actually get that puppy home. One of the first things you need to do is to decide how much time you and your family members have to devote to your pet. This could include things like work schedules, weekends, vacations, children, their schedules, extracurricular activities, and the list can go on. Another thing that is absolutely necessary to look at is how much space you have in your yard and home. This could determine what sized pet you should get. Will the pet live primarily inside your home or will he live outside? Do you have a securely fenced yard to protect your pet while outside? What about neighbors? How close is your closest neighbor? I bring this up because with our breed, the collie, barking must be considered if you have close neighbors. Collies love to bark. Collies need to tell their master of all the dangers they are protecting you from. The next thing you have to ask yourself is how much time do I have for grooming? Rough Collies require routine brushing and grooming to maintain their coat and to keep it free from mats and tangles, which can lead to skin problems. I recommend thoroughly brushing your rough collie at least once per week. I recommend bathing your collie as often as needed. Remember when you bathe your collie, you need to blow dry his coat to keep it from matting, or the outer layers drying before the undercoat. If this were to happen, it can set up the chain of events that can lead to hotspots. Hotspots are skin infections that can occur very quickly and progress to a severe situation overnight if left undetected or untreated. Basically, what happens is there is a warm, moist area and perhaps the dog scratches or chews the area. A bacteria is introduced and since the conditions are there for it to rapidly grow, you get this skin infection which looks and acts very much like a second degree burn to the skin. Once this happens it can spread very quickly. The dog becomes more irritated, biting and licking it, and it becomes a vicious circle of events. Many times, if found and treated quickly, it can be handled topically, however larger hotspots may need oral antibiotics as well as medications to ease the burning pain and steroids to dry it up.

Once you have determined what kind of dog is right for you, how do you go about getting your dog? Well, there are a number of ways to do this. You could run down to the pet store or you could pick up the local paper and start calling. I actually do not recommend either of these. First, when you buy a puppy from a pet store, you may very well be supporting puppy mills. Most of the pet stores deal with pet brokers who buy directly from large puppy mills and resale to the stores. These poor dogs may have never been socialized, they are many times inbred to a point of disaster. You do not know the history behind this puppy at all. Yes, you probably will get a registration with this dog. However, registration does not guarantee health and even integrity of the breeding. Unfortunately, too many pets bought through pet stores becomes a medical nightmare. It surely isn't fair to the pet, but it isn't fair to you or your family either. Buying a puppy from someone running ads in a newspaper is probably not the best idea either. Many of the people who are running ads for puppies have decided to get a couple of "purebred" dogs and breed them to make some money. Those people many times have not done their homework on the breeds they are raising puppies to sell. They may not be aware of the health problems in that breed or the temperment traits that are prominent. Many times, the puppies have not had proper veterinary care or health screenings, nor has the sire and the dam. With collies, reputable breeders should be able to tell you the health issues with our breed. They should tell you of the 2 more common eye problems in collies, which are known as Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA) and Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA). The breeder should have had the puppies eyes checked by a certified veterinary opthalmologist and provide you with the eye ratings. Also, the breeder should be able to tell you if there is a history of thyroid problems, skin problems, and hip and joint problems in this line. A reputable breeder should be able to back up the health of their puppies by offering a health guarantee. While these guarantees may not be identical they should give you some idea of what to expect if a problem arrises with your puppy. You can also expect from most responsible breeders to sell their puppies with spay/neuter contracts. This assures that your puppy does not accidently get bred down the road. Companion dogs live a happy healthy life most of the time after they are neutered. It should make you feel better that you do not have to worry about accidental puppies. Breeders care very much what happens to the dogs they breed and try to take all precautions when placing them into homes.

I recommend that before you buy your dog, whether it be a collie or another breed, that you talk to several breeders. Go to some local dog shows if available and by all means, read, read, read!!

 

Written by: Jackie Henson, Shelana Collies