Your Puppy
Choosing a Breed
Before you decide to buy a Rough Collie puppy, please read the page "Why a Collie?" You may find,
after doing so, that a collie is not for you and you might choose to look at other breeds. If you
do, then you need to take into account:
* Do you want a guard dog? And if so, is your chosen breed suitable?
* Do you mind barking? Have you chosen a breed that will bark when left alone?
* Do you want a dog that is easy to train? Will your chosen breed be stubborn?
* Do you need a family dog? And is so, will your chosen breed be good with children?
* Will you have to leave your dog at home while you go to work? Have you chosen a breed that will
be destructive if left alone?
* Will you want to take your dog to obedience classes or shows? Is your dog suitable?
* Will you be able to give your dog the excersise it needs?
The answers to these questions will determine the breed that is most suited to you.
Buying your puppy
When you have chosen the breed of the puppy you would like, you need to decide where to get
your puppy from.
For this, there are three safe options:
* A friend
* A registered breeder
* An animal shelter
The advantages to buying a puppy from a friend are that you will know for sure the puppy's
parentage, you will be able to check out that the owners are treating him/her well before he/she
can move to your house and the friend can help with any problems you might have
The advantages to buying from a registered breeder are that the breeder will have experience and
will be able to give you lots of good advice, the puppy will have had all the inoculations and
tests it needs before it reaches you and, if you buy a pedigree puppy, he will be able to
provide you will all the necessary papers.
The advantage to buying from an animal shelter is that you will be giving a home to an otherwise
unloved, homeless puppy.
NEVER buy from a puppy farm
Puppy Farms are places where dogs are kept in squalid, unhygienic and cruel conditions,
purely to make money. Multiple breeds are kept and bred continuously with the puppies
being sold through agents to pet shops and being sold for up to £1000. Sometimes the
puppies are sick due to the poor conditions in which they were bred, and will probably be
emotionally scarred for the rest of their lives, growing up to be frightened, timid dogs.
Operators of such establishments have no regard for health or welfare of the animals,
thinking only of the financial gains to be made. Many steps have been made towards banning
puppy farms. Please do not help these cruel people by buying a puppy from a puppy farm or a
pet shop.
Which puppy?
When you have found a somewhere that has puppies due around the time that you want to buy,
you need to contact them and let them know that you are interested in buying a puppy from
them. If they are a responsible breeder, they will want to know everything about the house
that their puppy will live in, the family it will live with and the kind of lifestyle you
lead. The breeder will ask lots of questions and you need to answer the truth, not what you
think the breeder wants to hear. If the breeder is happy with what he/she had heard, they will
let you see the puppies and spend some time with them. The puppies should be at least four
weeks old when you first see them. You should:
1. Talk to the puppy's mother. Make sure she is the kind of dog you would like your
puppy to grow into. You might even be lucky enough to meet the father.
2. Try to watch from a place where the puppies can't see you. See which puppies are
pushy and try to get to the mother's milk first, and which are timid and stay away.
3. After a few minutes, sit down with the puppies. Look for a lively puppy that isn't
too shy, but not one that's a bully and who fights with his brothers and sisters.
4. Gently stroke the puppy that you like most to see if he is friendly. Ask the owner the
sex of the puppy. Also check that he hasn't been chosen by someone else.
5. Check that the puppy is healthy. He should have clear eyes. His nose should be cold and
wet. His coat should be clean, even under his tail. A healthy puppy will have a slightly milky
smell.
6. Go back to collect your puppy when he is at least six weeks old. Take a collar and name
tag with you. Also bring a carrying box to keep your new puppy in on the journey home.
Welcome Home
Your puppy may be frightened when it first leaves its mother, so make sure evrything is ready
before you collect her so they can settle down quickly. You should arrange to visit your
vet on the way home from collecting your puppy. The vet will examine her to make sure she
is healthy. He will also tell you if she needs any medicines. The vet should check the sex of
your puppy, even if the breeder did. It is very easy to make a mistake on a tiny puppy. You
should immediately introduce any other household pets to your puppy so she can get to know
them from an early age. A good idea with a new puppy is to put a hot water bottle, or dog
basket warmer in her sleeping place, so she feels like her mother is sleeping beside her.
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