The most common location for a portion of a puppy or kittens digestive tract to be lacking is the youngsters anus and the portion of the rectum just before it. Find The Dog Of Your Dreams. Buffy the Vampire Slayer the day we brought her home. Lets be honest. You dont want just any dog. You want a GOOD dog. One who fits your family and lifestyle. A dog who doesnt need more exercise or grooming than you can provide. A dog who doesnt shed more than you can tolerate. How To Easily Turn Your Parrot Into A Friendly Pet. For ages, Parrots have been one of the few birds that can be tamed by humans at home. However, training a. Thank you for downloading the Assured Breeder Scheme Puppy Information Pack Template. These instructions have been designed to help you create a Puppy Information. A dog who isnt loaded with behavioral issues, or health problems that will cost you a fortune and have you sitting in the vets waiting room every other week. You want a compatible, good tempered, healthy companion to share your life for the next decade or two. Right I help people find such dogs. Im Michele Welton. Blood-C: The Last Dark The Movie High Quality. Ive been training, showing, and writing about dogs for over 3. My 1. 5 books reflect everything Ive learned during my career as a dog trainer, canine psychologist, and dog breed advisor. See the puppy pic of one of my dogsIsnt she cute Be careful. Because ALL puppies are cute. But puppyhood lasts only a year or two. Then youll be living with an ADULT dog for the next 1. So when choosing a dog, you must look beyond the puppy and envision what the ADULT will look like and act like. Buffy doesnt shed. Jenna does. Buffy needs to be clipped every 6 weeks. Jenna needs regular combing and trimming. Buffy loves everyone. Jenna is standoffish. Buffy is moderately active. Jenna is extremely active and will chase her ball for hours. Very different dogs Heres Buffy again, with her Papillon sister, Jenna. Buffy and Jenna are as different as night and day. You must be sure the breed you choose is well matched to you and that YOU are well matched to the breed. So now youre ready to start searching for your own dog. Your anticipation your eagerness makes me smile. I know how excited Ive gotten whenever Ive begun my search for a new dog. Its an adventureHowever. Finding a good dog is not as easy as you might think. You might think you know how to find a good dog. Watch a dog show on TV and pick an attractive breed. Google it to make sure the breeds national club agrees that this is a fine breed. Open your newspaper to the classifieds and make a few phone calls. Drive over to see the pups. Pick the one who jumps into your lap. Voila Your new dog Except. Heres what can go wrong after you bring home what seems like a Good Dog. Problem 1 You discover that the dog doesnt match your family and lifestyle. Wrong dog, maybe If you havent done the right research, here is what many new owners discover The dog bounces off the walls because he needs more exercise than you can provide. He sheds too much. He needs too much brushing or clipping. Hes not good with your kids. Hes not good with your other pets. Hes too hard to housebreak. Hes just the wrong breed for you. Problem 2 Your dog develops serious health problems as he grows up. Your vet says these health problems were inherited. Inherited health problems are a serious concern in dogs today especially purebred dogs. Inherited health problems often dont show up for months, even years. So you cant just pick out a seemingly healthy puppy and think its going to last. Healthy puppies can turn into unhealthy nightmares that cost you a fortune and end in heartbreak. I can show you how to lessen the risk of inherited health problems in your new dog. Problem 3 Your puppy starts growling or acting fearful as he grows up. Your trainer says these temperament problems were inherited. Puppies change as they grow, and not always for the better. Weve all seen aggressive or shy or hyperactive adult dogs we wouldnt want in our home. But hidden beneath that cute surface were inherited temperament problems that took months to show up. Which means you cant just look at a friendly puppy and assume he will make a great pet. How SHOULD you choose a puppy, then Well, as you might have guessed, I can tell you how. Thats why I wrote Dog Quest Find The Dog Of Your Dreams. So you can avoid mis matches with the wrong breed. So you can avoid inherited health problems. So you can avoid inherited temperament problems in your new dog. In my book, I guide you through three steps What kind of dog is best for you. Where to get your dog. Which individual dog you should pick. What kind of dog is right for you Ill help you choose. Step 1 What kind of dog should you get In Dog Quest Find The Dog Of Your Dreams. I help you sort out what kind of dog to get the pros and cons of purebred dogs, crossbreed dogs, and mixed breed dogs. I explain how to choose the right breed based on 1. I compare male and female dogs so you can make an informed decision about which gender would be best for you. I explain the pros and cons of young puppies, older puppies, adolescent dogs, and adult dogs. Hint Often a young puppy may not be your best choice. Adolescent and adult dogs have many advantages, which Ill tell you about. Your buying book taught me so much. It is so informative and has taught me so much about how to be careful buying a dog. I had no idea how many scams there were out there with the new designer dogs and internet puppy sites and all the new health testing breeders should be doing but most of them arent Thank you from the bottom of my heart for opening my eyes and making me a more aware puppy buyer. Carol Zell. Should you get your dog from a breeder Rescue group Animal shelterIll help you decide. Step 2 Where should you get your dog In Dog Quest Find The Dog Of Your Dreams. I review animal shelters and humane societies, rescue groups, show breeders, performance breeders, pet breeders, pet shops, and private owners giving their dogs away. I explain what makes a source good, and what makes a source risky, so youll quickly be able to tell good sources from bad ones. Hint You cant tell whether a source is good simply by looking at the puppies. I tell you the exact questions you should ask each potential source. I tell you what answers you should expect to hear and most importantly, which answers are red flags that mean you should stay away. Your advice on picking out a puppy. I cant tell you how many people would have chosen the wrong puppy from one of my litters if I hadnt stepped in to steer them toward a much more suitable puppy. If people would only test puppies with the tests youve suggested, they would stand a much better chance of getting the right puppy for them Jim Johansen. Which one should you chooseOne of the puppies Or perhaps the mother dog I can help you decide. Step 3 Which individual dog should you pick In Dog Quest Find The Dog Of Your Dreams. Ill show you how to do simple personality tests that can tell you whether a puppy or adult dog is likely to make a good pet. Ill tell you how to watch out for red flags that indicate potential behavior problems like hyperactivity, stubbornness, shyness, or aggression. Ill tell you what you need to know about health clearance tests and how to verify that theyve been done. If they havent been done, the risk of health problems is much greater. Which tests need to be done depends on the breed. Caution MOST people who sell puppies are totally ignorant about health clearance tests. Some people will try to pass off a general health certificate from their vet as though its a health clearance test it isnt. Ill show you what real clearance certificates look like and how to read them, so you wont be fooled. Finally, did you know that a written pedigree can reveal a great deal about a puppys future health Knowing how to evaluate a pedigree will help you avoid puppies that are more likely to have expensive and heartbreaking health problems. Ill show you how. It was my dog buying bible. I have a great new puppy, thanks entirely to your book It was my dog buying bible. I passed over something like a dozen puppies that would probably have turned out badly and I kept searching until I found my dream puppy, Cheyenne. Now that I have the perfect puppy Im going to raise her according to the advice in your other books about dog training and health. Responsible Breeding and Dog Mating American Kennel Club Guide To Breeding. Use the following resources as a guide to breeding by downloading the Full Guide or by following each step for more information below. You may also want to view the AKC webinar on Planning Breedings Are you ready to breed a litter Prepare Yourself for Breeding a Litter. Breed to Improve. Understand the Commitment. Choose A Suitable Mate. Know Your Genetics. Finalize Stud Contract. Perform Pre Breeding Health Checks. Mating. Pregnancy and Whelping Preparation. Puppies Are Born. Consult Your Veterinarian if Complications Arise. Keep Your Puppies Warm, Fed, and Clean. Register Your Litter with the AKC Soon After Whelping. Wean Puppies from their Mother. Sending Your Pups to Their New Homes. Encourage New Owners to Register Their Puppy with the AKCStep One Prepare Yourself for Breeding a Litter. Breeding dogs has been a passion for people through many centuries. Part art, part science, and total devotion, breeding will show you all the best in the human and dog bond. It is exciting and challenging. Breeding purebred dogs is also time consuming, expensive, and, occasionally, heartbreaking. If you go forward, your underlying purpose should be to improve the breed not just increase its numbers. Breeding a litter should begin with knowledge. Responsible breeders devote time to learning as much as they can about their breed, about canine health and training, and about AKC rules. How can you become an expertStudy your breed standard. This is the official version of the perfect breed specimen and should be the starting place for any breeder. The AKC offers breed videos with real life examples, and many parent clubs offer more detailed, illustrated versions of their standards for more in depth research. Attend dog events. Watch dogs in action and study the pedigrees of those you like. Ask questions of breeders involved in your breed. Research your breed by visiting the breeds national parent club website. Find and attend a local club meeting to meet other breeders. Read, read, read Your library and bookstore are invaluable sources of information about canine health and breeding. Some books, including the Complete Dog Book and American Kennel Club Dog Care and Training, are available in the AKC Store. The AKC Gazette and other dog magazines have informative articles about breeding as well. Back to Top. Step Two Breed to Improve. The motto of the responsible breeder of purebred dogs is Breed to Improve. Every dog is the best dog in the world to its owner. Responsible breeders, however, know to avoid kennel blindness in other words, they take a step back and honestly evaluate the good and bad points of their dogs before making the decision to breed. The goal of breeding, after all, is to produce a better dog and a quality pet. Examine your dog carefully. Recognize its flaws. If you decide to continue with the breeding process, look for a mate that will eliminate or balance those flaws. The national parent club for your breed may also provide assistance. One of the best ways to get an objective opinion of your dog is to test it against others. Consider attending a dog show to determine how your dog measures up against the best specimens of its breed. Back to Top. Step Three Understand the Commitment. Raising puppies is a full time job. During the first couple of weeks the dam normally takes care of the puppies needs, but complications, such as a dam with no milk or an orphaned litter, may arise. It is the breeders responsibility to provide a safe, warm, dry place for the puppies and proper food and water for the bitch. Puppies are even more work and more fun when they are weaned. The extra feeding, cleanup, grooming, training, and veterinary care adds up to a lot of hours and not much free time for you. Another factor that you must consider is the financial cost of having a litter of puppies. From the genetic screening and health tests before breeding to the extra food, supplies, and medical care required after the puppies are born, the cost of whelping and raising puppies can be very high, especially if complications arise. Responsible breeders make sure that their puppy goes to an owner who will provide it with the same love and devotion for life that the breeder has provided. This means careful screening and evaluation of each person or family interested in getting a puppy. Responsible breeders learn everything they can about their breed and know all the pros and cons of ownership. It is important to share this information including the negative aspects with prospective puppy owners. You should be ready to explain why a dog requiring a lot of coat care or training may not be the best match for a workaholic or why a tiny dog may not be appropriate for a family with small, active children. You should be committed to placing puppies with owners who will provide excellent care. Back to Top. Step Four Choose A Suitable Mate. The first thing to consider when choosing a mating pair is to ensure that both the sire dog and dam bitch are AKC registered. If both dam and sire are AKC registered, then the litter can be registered with the AKC. When selecting a breeding partner most likely a sire for your dam, there is a simple principle to bear in mind mate animals that complement one another. Choose a dog whose bloodlines will strengthen your bitchs weaknesses and emphasize her good qualities. For example, if your bitchs coat is not as good as it might be, then find a partner with a good coat, from a line of dogs with good coats. Of course, practicing this common sense maxim can be very complex because you must weigh all the factors that contribute to the dogs traits and appearances. This is an area where research and the advice and experience of other breeders are invaluable. Two vital factors to keep in mind as you make your selection are temperament and health. Temperament is a hereditary trait in dogs, although it can be influenced by other external factors. Selection over many generations eventually produced breeds with the correct temperament to pull sleds, follow scent on trails, or retrieve game. The inheritance factors of temperament are complex. However, you should never consider breeding a dog with a questionable temperament. As far as health goes, you should be aware that dogs are subject to many hereditary defects, some of which are potentially crippling or fatal. If you breed, your goal should be to produce dogs that are not affected by the major known hereditary diseases occurring in your breed. Helpful links. Back to Top. Step Five Know Your Genetics. To be an effective breeder, you should have a basic understanding of the science of genetics. Everything about your prospective puppies health, soundness, looks, and temperament will be determined by the genes passed on by their parents, and by their parents before them. Therefore, the selection of a mating pair should not be made solely on the basis of the dogs or bitchs looks or temperament or soundness, etc., but should be based on an understanding of how the animals genes contributed to its looks and of how those genes are passed on and expressed. That is why it is essential to study the pedigrees of your mating pair. The more knowledge you have as you make your selection, the more likely you are to produce a litter with the qualities you desire. You should also be well versed in the genetic problems that affect your breed. Genetic defects can occur in any breed and can affect any system in the body. Some genetic diseases may occur in many breeds others occur in only one or a few breeds. The following is a brief explanation of how genetic defects may be inherited and expressed. Diseases that follow a dominant pattern of inheritance need only one abnormal gene. That is, if only one parent is affected, the condition will show up in each successive generation.