Your Purebred Puppy, Second Edition: A Buyer's Guide, Completely Revised and Updated - Softcover

Welton, Michele

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0805064451 ISBN 13: 9780805064452

Publisher: Holt Paperbacks, 2000

Synopsis

How to select the right breed of dog for you and your family, locate a good breeder, and choose the very best puppy of the litter.

The decision to buy a purebred dog may be made easily, but the question of which breed to buy is more complicated. Your Purebred Puppy, Second Edition, takes the guesswork out of choosing a dog. Updated to include twenty new breeds, this authoritative guide profiles 200 breeds and varieties of dogs-complete with photographs of each-to help prospective buyers find the one with the physical and behavioral characteristics that will best suit them. Michele Welton explains step by step how to decide on the right breed, locate a reputable breeder, and pick a healthy, good-looking, good-tempered companion. Also provided are simple tests readers can use to determine a puppy's temperament before they buy him and bring him home. Acquiring a dog is a big commitment, requiring time, patience, and money. Your Purebred Puppy, Second Edition, is the essential guidebook to accompany you on the search for your new pet.

About this title

From the Author

Your Purebred Puppy: A Buyer's Guide, Revised Edition will help you find the breed that's perfect for you -- and avoid breeds that would make you unhappy. Much of the information is so frank and candid that you will never read it anywhere else.

The lifestyle questionnaire will help you evaluate your personality and lifestyle. You'll match your answers against the breed profiles and score each breed for suitability to you and your living situation. The profiles and photos will help you choose the breed that is most likely to have the traits you're looking for. You'll enjoy reading through comprehensive descriptions of 200 AKC, UKC, and FCI breeds -- including rare breeds you may never have heard of.

Profiles include: Behavior problems (barking, digging, chewing), temperament problems (aggression, shyness, hyperactivity), suitability for novice owners, suitability for children, health clearances required, sociability with strangers, attitude toward other animals, activity level, exercise needs, ease of training, natural or cropped ears, natural or docked tail, lifespan, grooming, shedding, colors, popularity, origin of name, history and past uses, similar breeds, cautions when buying, and more.

I promise you, I hold nothing back. You'll find out what each breed is really like. Breeders don't always appreciate my honest, straightforward information when I'm describing their breed, but you will love it. You'll find my writing style easy to read...humorous, too!

And Your Purebred Puppy includes much more than breed profiles and photos. You'll learn:

How much you should pay for a nice puppy -- and what can happen if you pay too much or too little. Whether a purebred dog or mixed breed dog makes a better pet -- and why. Twelve signs that tell you a breeder is responsible. Whether you should buy a puppy without AKC registration papers. What a pedigree means -- and doesn't mean.

Fourteen signs that tell you a breeder is irresponsible. Whether it's a good idea to buy from a pet shop. Why a USDA-licensed breeder is someone to run away from. How to adopt a good dog from an animal shelter or breed rescue organization. Why there is no such a thing as a "private seller".

Nine sources you can check to find a breeder. The most common source people use to find a puppy -- and why you should avoid it. How to find a dog show in your area and make contact with breeders. How to understand and interpret the "dog lingo" that breeders use. Examples of good breeder ads and bad breeder ads.

A sample telephone conversation (word-for-word) with a breeder. Twenty-five questions you should ask a breeder on the phone before you even consider visiting in person. The hidden truth about the epidemic of genetic health problems in purebred dogs today. How to really pin the breeder down to find out how what health testing he has done on his dogs. The exact answers you should expect to hear, and important "insider terms" to listen for. Examples of foolish answers, incorrect terminology, and other "red flags" that tell you a breeder is unknowledgeable or irresponsible.

What to look for (and look out for) at the breeder's home. How old a puppy must be before you bring him home. Male puppy vs. female puppy -- which is best for you? Whether older puppies and adult dogs can "bond" with you as well as a young puppy. Five revealing tests you can do to test a puppy's temperament and personality. How to examine a puppy's physical structure and health.

How to read and interpret genetic health certificates. What to look for (and look out for) in a pedigree, along with examples of good and bad pedigrees. Two conditions you should never accept in a sales contract. What you should insist upon for a health guarantee. How to say "No, thanks" when you really don't want to buy. Plus phone numbers for every breed's national club(s) and web sites for most clubs, so you can make contact quickly.

About the Author

Michele Welton is the author of Your Purebred Puppy and Your Purebred Kitten. She is an obedience instructor and breed-selection consultant and lives in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

Edition details

• Publisher: Holt Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0805064451
• ISBN 13: 9780805064452
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 336