Being a pedigree dog is the best way to get exactly what you want. Some people want a dog for a specific purpose, such as hunting, looking after livestock, or protecting their household or family. Others may want a dog that will have the proper temperament for them. In all of these cases, getting a pedigree dog from the right breeder is the way to go. However, many things go into buying and owning this type of dog. Here are a few things you need to consider before buying one.
Make Sure that You See the Breeder
A lot of people go online for dogs nowadays and it can be convenient, but it’s not recommended if you want to know how the dog was raised. You can’t take a website at face value. They can show as many images of happy pups as they want, but you will never be able to see what their living conditions are like.
A lot of breeders like to pose as small family-owned kennels, only to find out that they’re a puppy mill. These can be horrible for puppies, both for their physical and mental health. You want to see how and where the dogs eat, live, and play. You also want to see how they interact with the breeder. This will tell you a lot about what kind of relationship they have with their dogs.
Health Issues
The dirty secret about purebred dogs is that many of them end up developing diseases that are specific to their breed. Purity means that genetic defects end up getting passed down from generation to generation without being counterbalanced by genetic diversity.
This is why you will need to start informing yourself about major issues that could affect your dog and how to deal with them. In most cases, dogs will experience joint issues. Some may start seeing them sooner than others. This is often the case with dogs that are very active, like Labrador Retrievers for instance.
We suggest that you start informing yourself today about joint aids for dogs. YuMove is a great resource for joint aids for dogs if you’re unfamiliar with them. They explain what makes a good joint supplement and some of the best ingredients to have in one. They also give a few tips on how to adapt your environment for a dog that may have joint issues.
Get the Paperwork
This is also somewhere you don’t want to take things at face value. Breeders have to give you paperwork assessing the dog’s pedigree and family tree, details about the microchip, information about treatments and vaccination, as well as a purchase contract showing all the details of the purchase and claims that have been made by the seller. Also, we suggest you ask if you can get a diet sheet. You want to keep the dog on the same diet that they ate at their kennel ideally.
These are just a few things you’ll need to be on the lookout for when buying a pedigree dog. Take your time and make sure that you do your research on any dog or breeder before making a decision.
