Happy Healthy Puppy - Your guide to choosing a happy and healthy new puppy dog.

Choosing the Right Dog

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 21:06:39 +0000

So you want to get a dog. How do you go about selecting a dog?

Knowing why you want a dog can help you figure out the kind of dog that best meets your needs.

Dog experts, including world-famous dog whisperer Cesar Millan, suggest you know your needs before selecting a dog. Take our quiz to find out if you're really ready to get a dog.

Choosing A Dog
If you're really ready to get a dog, your next step is to decide the type of dog you want. Do you want a puppy, an adolescent dog, an adult dog, or a senior dog? Do you want a specific breed, a purebred, or a mutt? Are you looking for a particular type of personality or temperament? Do you want a non-allergenic or non-shedding dog? Do you want a dog that has a specific look? Selecting a dog is a complex business.

Your lifestyle plays an important role in choosing a dog, as do the characteristics of specific dogs and breeds. Be patient, it can take some time to determine what kind of dog you want, research different veterinarians, breeders, adoption options, and training facilities. Even then, you may have to wait for the perfect dog for you to appear.

But don't worry, it'll be worth it! In the end, you should have a happy, healthy, dog that you'll enjoy living with for years to come.

Your lifestyle
The way you live your life and your personality play a key role in choosing the right type of dog for you. Some key questions can help you determine what you want when you're choosing a dog:

Do you live in on an acreage, in a house, or an apartment?
Do you have a fenced back yard? Is it large enough for the type of dog you want?
Do you live in an inner-city area, the suburbs, or in a rural area?
Can you spend a great deal of time with your dog?
Do you live with other people, especially children? Choosing the best dog breed for children is an especially tough task.
Are you selecting a dog for a specific purpose, such as herding sheep, or guarding your house?
What is your budget for keeping your dog healthy?

Choosing a puppy can be more expensive than an adult dog.

Do you want short or long fur?
Do you have allergies or asthma?
Do you want a dog that doesn't shed?
How long will your dog stay alone each day?
Do you need a dog that is easy to train, or do you have the time and ability for selecting a dog that is harder to train?

Dog Size
A dog's size is an important consideration when choosing a dog. If you have a small city apartment, you may want to think about selecting a dog that is small or tiny, rather than a larger dog or a giant dog breed.

If you want a dog that will cuddle on your lap, a 30 pound dog may be as large as you want. If you're looking for a dog to do a lot of running, hiking and camping, you'll probably want to consider medium or larger dogs.

If you have a large home, with a large yard, and are able to give the dog lots of exercise, selecting a dog that's larger may be a good choice. If you have small children, you may want to consider that a larger dog may be able to bowl them over and hurt them.

Transportation is also something to think about. You probably won't want to get an overly large dog like a Saint Bernard if you drive a tiny compact car.

Trainability
Some dog breeds are notoriously more difficult to train than others. If you don't have the time or inclination for training dog breeds that are stubborn or difficult, you should consider a selecting a dog that is more docile and easily trainable.

Active Dog or Couch Potato?
The activity of dog breeds varies tremendously. There are dogs that are nothing more than furry couch potatoes and that are perfectly happy to go outside and walk for only a short time every day.

Other dog breeds are much more active - they seem like they're permanently wired on about ten cups of coffee, and need enormous amounts of exercise, mental stimulation, and attention. Most dogs fall somewhere in between, and need an hour or two of solid exercise each day.

Adult Dog, Puppy, or Senior?
One of the key decisions you'll make when selecting a dog is the age of the dog. Do you want an adult dog or a puppy? When we think about choosing a dog, most people automatically think of choosing a cute puppy from a litter. Sure, puppies are absolutely adorable, but they are a lot of work.

If you don't want to go through the trials of housebreaking and chewed shoes, adopting an adult dog can be a great choice. Don't discount a senior dog that may have a few great years to give you!

Male or Female Dog
Dog owners tend to have pretty strong feelings about selecting a dog based on gender. Many owners feel that female dogs are more docile, while males are more aggressive. On the other hand, some owners feel that males are more protective and playful. Generally, these are pretty broad generalizations that tend not to hold true. Deciding if you want a male or female dog is a pretty complex issue.

A Purebred or a Mutt
The benefits of purebreds and mutts (mixed breeds) can be a controversial topic among dog lovers, and you'll run into people prepared to swear to their death that either purebreds, or mixed breeds, are the best choice.

Purebred devotees swear by the reliability of a purebred's temperament and physical characteristics. Similarly, mixed breed, or mutt, lovers often swear by their dog's wonderful personality and gorgeous looks.

While both purebred dogs and mixed breeds both have advantages, the key thing to remember is that all dogs are individuals. You can take any purebred and any mixed breed, at random, stand them side-by-side, and either one could be more attractive, intelligent, a better family pet, or healthier. Selecting a dog based on the individual dog's personality is probably the best tactic.

At the same time, in general terms, there are some interesting comparisons between purebred and mixed breed dogs. Just remember that these are only generalizations, and that all dogs are individuals first.

Choosing a Healthy Puppy before you Fall in Love

mckosman — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:46:29 +0000

One of the most common questions I'm asked is how to choose a healthy puppy. I've always responded by giving people the same list of things to look for. My book even talks about signs of bad health in puppy, discharge from the eyes, dry, matted fur, irregular breathing, and so on. Despite this, the same people would come and talk to me a month later, after they'd gotten their puppy, telling me about the puppy's health problems.

What went wrong? I'd gone to a lot of trouble to help them in choosing a healthy puppy, but they'd still ended up with a little puppy with health issues.

They fell in love. That's what went wrong.

Here's the hardest thing about choosing a healthy puppy: You're going to see one (you know, that special one) and fall in love. At that point, any hard-nosed advice I dish out about looking for health concerns goes out the window. Reject your cute little puppy because their eyes are a little dry? As if. After all, you're in love. And all love knows is that sweet puppy has soft, soft fur and adorable little paws, and you're going to take it home. Right. Now.

The trick, then, is that choosing a healthy puppy takes place far before you even set eyes on the little sweetheart. And how does that work, you ask? Make sure that the person or place you get the puppy will only give you a happy, healthy puppy. Choosing a healthy puppy is all about choosing where you get the puppy.

Don't buy from a pet store that gets their puppies from a puppy mill. Puppy mills couldn't give a hoot about how healthy their puppies are. They're all about making money, regardless of the health or happiness of their dogs. Resist the urge to stop into a pet store just to look. Not only may you get a puppy that's not healthy, the hard-earned money you pay goes to support puppy mills, nasty places where puppies are bred only for profit.

Puppy mills and reputable breeders are very different.

Do your research and find a reputable, caring dog breeder. Ask your friends. Ask your co-workers. Ask the clerk at the grocery store. People will only be too happy to pass on the name of a good, reputable dog breeder. Check the online forums. Be patient. My book, Choosing a Happy, Healthy Puppy, talks about how to find a good, reputable breeder, down to a checklist of questions to ask the breeder, and some telltale signs that the dog breeder might not be right for you.

If you get a puppy from a friend (or a guy down the street, even), ask yourself some hard questions. Do you trust that the person you're getting the puppy from would only give their pups the best care and attention? Would they breed dogs (or let dogs accidentally breed themselves) with absolutely no thought about if the puppies could inherit genetic diseases or disorders? If the answers are yes, then don't get your puppy from them.

I can't say it enough: the time to think about choosing a healthy puppy is before you see the little one for the first time. As soon as you set eyes on those big, soft, puppy eyes, you're done for.

Want more detail on choosing a healthy puppy? My book lists the common health concerns to look for in a new puppy.

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Spoil your New Puppy Rotten!

mckosman — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 05:04:26 +0000

Buy your new puppy a home-made doggie bakery treat!

Dog bakeries are a huge business these days, and have yummy offerings like doggie biscuits and home-made ice cream.

If you can't find a doggie bakery near you, you can always make your own, using the recipe below!

Crunchy, yummy dog cookies
3/4 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup powdered milk
1 egg
1 jar beef baby food
1/2 baby food jar of water

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, and drop on a cookie sheet with a spoon. The cookies should be the size of a quarter. Bake for 20 minutes at 350F. Store the cookies in the refrigerator.

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Dog DNA Testing

mckosman — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 21:07:23 +0000

Ever wondered what breeds are in your dog? Want to know which male dog sired the last litter of puppies? Want to verify your purebred's bloodline?

You can use dog DNA testing to:

verify the breed of dog for purebreds
identify the breeds in your mixed breed dog
identify the breeds of the father and mother of a litter

Tests cost around $70 to $125, and take a few weeks for the lab to process the results. Cheaper tests may not test for as many American Kennel Club (AKC) breeds than more expensive tests.

How is Dog DNA Testing Done?
Dog DNA testing kits come in two types: ones that require a blood sample (and a veterinarian to take the sample), and tests that only need a cheek swab (which you can do at home). A DNA sample taken from a swab on the inside of the cheek is as accurate as a blood test, since the DNA in the cheek and blood is the same.

Dog DNA testing can be done done at home, using a cheek swab, so you don't need a veterinarian to do a DNA test for your dog.

The process is simple. Basically, you order a kit, take a swab from your dog's cheek, put the swab in a test tube, and mail the kit to the lab. A few weeks later, the lab sends you your results in the mail. There's no need for a blood sample, since all of the DNA is taken from the swab of the inside of the dog's cheek.

Is Dog DNA Testing Accurate?
Dog DNA testing is accurate, but there are a few limitations:

Dog DNA testing does not identify all breeds of dog. Depending on the test, tests claim to identify between 38 and 62 unique American Kennel Club (AKC) identified breeds. Dog DNA testing gives you the percentages (or levels) of specific breeds in your dog. A dog may be primarily a breed that's not on this list, but that breed won't show up in the testing. So, you may learn your dog's 1/16 Pug, but the test won't tell you the dog's 50% Australian Cattle Dog, because the DNA test doesn't test for Australian Cattle Dog.
At best, dog DNA tests can prove a dog is 75% from one specific breed. The tests cannot determine 100% breed purity. So, dog DNA test results cannot be used to register a dog as a purebred.

Dog DNA testing results are broken down into several categories:
Primary: Where the results say your dog is 50% or more from one of the recognized breeds.
Secondary Where results say your dog is less than 50% from one of the recognized breeds. However, there's still enough of one of the recognized breeds to make a significant impact.
Mixed: Where recognized breeds can be identified in your dog, but they have little impact on your dog's looks or health concerns.

Some newer tests break down the dog DNA testing results into more categories. In these tests, Level 1 indicates your dog is 75% a specific breed.

Behavior and Health
Knowing the specific breeds in your dog can give you some important clues about your dog's behavior and health.

Some breeds are more likely to develop health issues. So knowing your dog is made of up one of those breeds can help you and your vet watch out for specific health problems.
Knowing your dog's breed can help you adjust your dog's diet and exercise, since breeds vary in their nutritional and exercise needs.

Your dog's temperament is partly determined by their genetics. Knowing your dog's breed can help you predict and identify behaviors related to their breeds. Knowing your dog is part terrier can help you nip the terrier's dominance-related behaviors in the bud. Finding out that your dog is part Basenji, a notoriously independent breed, can help you understand why your dog has always seemed so aloof.

Dog DNA offers mixed breed dog DNA testing. Full disclosure: I get a small percentage of any sale Dog DNA makes from the link. That said, I think that their DNA testing for mixed breeds is a great product.

What Breeds can Dog DNA Testing Identify?
Depending on the lab, dog DNA testing can identify as many as 62 breeds, including:

Afghan Hound
Airedale Terrier
Akita
American Eskimo Dog
Australian Shepherd
Basenji
Basset Hound
Beagle
Belgian Tervuren
Bernese Mountain Dog
Bichon Frise
Border Collie
Borzoi
Boston Terrier
Boxer
Brittany
Bulldog
Bull Terrier
Chihuahua
Chinese Shar-Pei
Chow Chow
Cocker Spaniel
Collie
Dachshund
Dalmatian
Doberman Pinscher
English Setter
English Springer Spaniel
German Shepherd Dog
German Shorthaired Pointer
Golden Retriever
Great Dane
Great Pyrenees
Greyhound
Irish Setter
Italian Greyhound
Keeshond
Labrador Retriever
Lhasa Apso
Maltese
Mastiff
Miniature Pinscher
Newfoundland
Norwegian Elkhound
Papillon
Parson Russell Terrier
Pekingese
Pembroke Welsh Corgi
Pomeranian
Poodle
Pug
Rhodesian Ridgeback
Rottweiler
Saint Bernard
Saluki
Schnauzer
Scottish Terrier
Shetland Sheepdog
ShihTzu
Siberian Husky
Weimaraner
West Highland White Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier

Canine Heritage DNA Test

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Top Ten Dog Grooming Tips!

mckosman — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 22:02:35 +0000

What’s the most important dog grooming tip?
1. Start grooming your puppy NOW! You will save yourself a world of struggling to get your dog to sit still if you teach your puppy now, that grooming is a fun, loving, relaxing experience.

2. Don’t bathe your dog too often. Only once every month or two is necessary. Over washing can lead to dry, irritated skin and strip essential oils from your dog’s skin.

3. Brush your dog daily when shedding to remove the dead hair. You only need to brush your dog once a week when not shedding. This is a great dog grooming tip for both long and short hair dogs.

4. Clip your dog’s claws about every two weeks. Be very careful not to clip the pink part of the claw – this is extremely painful for a dog.

5. Use a spray-on conditioner to help keep your dog’s coat glossy and shiny. Combine 1 to 2 tablespoons of Mane & Tail Conditioner (or similar type of dog or horse conditioner) and enough water to fill a ½ gallon spray bottle. Shake the spray bottle up each time you use it! You can use the conditioner every time you brush your dog.

6. Only brush your dog’s fur when it’s after spraying with the spray-on conditioner. Dry fur is weaker and can break more easily.

7. NEVER, under any circumstances use a scissor to mats behind the ears on your dog! It is extremely easy to cut the skin. Use a fine/medium tooth comb, and take your time.

8. When grooming, check your dog’s skin for anything out of the ordinary, such as hotspots. Hotspots are moist areas that can appear when your dog continually chews on a particular spot. Hotspots can be caused by flea bites, or not rinsing well enough when bathing, and can also occur under hair mats.

9. Remove mats from you dog’s fur before bathing. Bathing will tighten any mats, making them and make them nearly impossible to remove. This dog grooming tip can save you and your dog a lot of hassle.

10. Most dogs like Collies lose their coat each summer - even indoor dogs. Shedding is a response to changes in light levels, rather than changes in temperature. This dog grooming tip explains when even indoor dogs shed in the summer!

11. Special Bonus Dog Grooming Tip! Brush your dog once a week. If you wait longer, you risk spending more time working out mats that will appear!

Do you have a great dog grooming tip? Leave a comment, below.

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Dog Training.com: Does Online Dog Training Suck?

mckosman — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:20:13 +0000

You bank online, date, make friends, have sex, order groceries, choose dog names, so why not learn to train your dog online?

The problem with online puppy training is that your pup is in the real world. In other words, eventually, you have to get off your ass and do the work. If you're prepared to do some real work after all your browsing, dog training .com may be for you.

What online puppy training is any good?
If you do a Google search for online dog training, or online puppy training, you'll come up with millions of results. The trick, then, is to figure out which site is worth your time.

My advice?
First of all, don't fork out your hard-earned money right away for online dog training advice. Most of the online puppy training information you need is out there, for free. If all your Google (or Yahoo, whatever) search comes up with is pay-for-information sites, try doing a more specific search. For example, search for "puppy housebreaking problems" instead of "online puppy training". Try including the magic word "free" in your site to weed out sites that want you to pay for information.

That said, sometimes you can't find what you need for free. If this is the case, before you buy anything, check:

If the dog trainer has experience in the specific problems you're having with your dog.
If the dog trainer has any certifications.
If other people are happy with the dog training .com product. Don't just take their word for it. Google the trainer's product and their name, and see if anything nasty pops up.
Don't pay too much! Seriously, think about how much a good, solid, real-world book would cost. Don't pay more than this for dog training .com advice

Forums have some great information. Just take it all with a grain of salt. Remember, most people are on forums because, like you, they don't have a damn clue. Online puppy training advice on forums can vary a lot in quality.

Try looking for information in the real world!

I know we all forget this, but libraries still exist in the digital age. And they still rock. They're free (or dirt cheap) and have a world of information that my not exist in the dog training .com world.

People at your local dog park can help! It's easy to strike up a conversation, plus your dog will get some exercise. And since lack of exercise and stimulation causes a lot of behavioral problems, this is a good idea all around. Online puppy training may not be able to compete.

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Why I Started Happy Healthy Puppy

mckosman — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:19:29 +0000

I started this site because I know exactly what it feels like to choose the wrong dog and to have to give it away. It's absolutely heartbreaking, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

I'd wanted a puppy for a long time, and after a lot of convincing, my ex. finally agreed. On a whim, the next day I went to pick out a chocolate Lab puppy from a local breeder.

All went well, and I picked an adorable, active puppy from the litter. Sam was a chocolate and yellow lab mix, and the most gorgeous dark golden color, with matching eyes.

I didn't know enough to ask to see the parents before I looked at the puppies, and fell in love. On the way out to my car, I was accosted by a pair of unruly, undisciplined, large, chocolate labs (both of my puppy's parents, it turns out).

The mom and dad were almost completely out of control, jumping up on me and my car, and barking with excitement. The dog's owners said "They're just excited to see someone", and I didn't think any more about it.

Over the next months, my puppy, Sam, turned out to be a big, hyperactive, unruly puppy. Despite spending an enormous amount of time training and exercising him, Sam caused absolute havoc around my house (much, much, more than what's normal for a Lab puppy, even). He also created enormous havoc with my ex., who wasn't particularily happy to have a slobbery, loud, uncontrollable dog around.

I took having a dog seriously. I took him to the park, read dozens of training books, spent hours a day training him. Nothing I did was enough, either because I just wasn't skilled enough at taking care of a dog like Sam, or just because I didn't have enough time and energy.

In the end, Sam ended up being way, way more than I could handle and I had to give him away. It absolutely broke my heart so see him go away, even if I was sure he was in good hands.

I could have saved myself, and Sam, a lot of trouble if I had understood how crucially, vitally, important it was to assess my puppy's parents. I wish I'd known how important it was to consider my lifestyle. I just saw a gorgeous, lovable puppy, and wanted him.

Sam came by his behavior from his unruly parents, and, at the time, I simply didn't have the time or energy to devote to him.

I made two crucial mistakes when getting Sam:

not knowing the importance of a puppy’s parents in predicting a puppy’s behavior
not getting a lower energy, well–behaved dog. Adopting a calm, older dog may have been perfect for me

I started Happy Healthy Puppy to help prospective dog owners learn about choosing a dog. If I'd been armed with good information before I went looking for a puppy, I probably would have gotten a better match for me.

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Happy Healthy Puppy - A Shameless Plug

mckosman — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:13:47 +0000

We're famous! Puppy in Training's great blog featured our article on choosing between a puppy or adult dog.

There were some interesting articles mentioned:

Wedding Tip's article about pets as wedding attendants.
Maybe I just don't get out enough, but this is a new one to me. But why not? We love our pets like family.
And Spot the Wonder Dog would probably be a better groomsman than your half-drunk second cousin Joe.

Jake at Dog Training Pet's article on socializing your dog.
Jake has some good tips for making your dog relaxed and comfortable in social situations.

Northern Cheapskate's blog about not skimping on your pet's care.
I love this! I'm a fellow northerner (Canadian, actually), and have definitely been accused of being a bit tight with my cash. Northern Cheapskate makes a good point - there are times we can be too cheap.

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Why do Puppy Mills Still Exist?

mckosman — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:01:33 +0000

In the United States, and most other countries, there are laws that prevent cruelty to animals. Given these laws, why do puppy mills still exist? Sadly, its' a question of lack of enforcement, and an overburdeneded system.

In the United States, Congress passed the Animal Welfare act nearly 35 years ago to, in part, ensure that animal breeders gave their animals humane treatment.

The Animal Welfare Act requires that animals have basic prevention of disease, adequate ventilation and sanitation, ample food and water, adequate housing, and reasonable handling.

In 2006, USDA had only 96 inspectors nationwide, and these inspectors were seriously overburdened. The USDA’s inspectors are responsible for overseeing zoos, circuses, laboratories, animals transported on commercial airlines, and pet stores and puppy mills.

This means that the USDA simply does not have enough inspectors to adequately oversee puppy mills and enforce the Animal Welfare Act. Individual states do have their own anticruelty laws, but these are seldom enforced.

Backyard breeders are exempt from the Animal Welfare Act!
Retail pet stores that sell animals directly to the pubic are exempt from the handling and minimum humane care requirements of the Animal Welfare Act.

The USDA considers a person who sells dogs from his or her own premises, directly to the public, as a retail pet store that is exempt from the Animal Welfare Act.

This means that dogs are not protected by the Animal Welfare Act if an unscrupulous breeder sells directly to the public! This exemption is just one more excellent reason to be especially careful when choosing a breeder.
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Thinking about getting a Purebred Dog?

mckosman — Sun, 24 May 2009 23:49:11 +0000

Purebred dog lovers swear by the reliability of their breeds temperament and looks. Getting a purebred from a reputable, caring breeder can be a wonderful choice for you and your family.

Purebred Pros

Often tested for health or genetic defects
Have predictable temperaments
Have predictable physical characteristics
Choosing a purebred is great if you're looking for a dog for a specific function, for example, a guard dog, a hunting dog, a dog to herd sheep, pull a sled, or even dig for truffles

Purebred Cons

Generally much more expensive than mixed breeds
Popular, trendy, breeds attract bad breeders and puppy mills
Tend to suffer from genetic and health diseases due to limited genetic diversity
Getting a purebred does not guarantee physical characteristics, health, or behavior, because some purebreds may not grow up to be typical of the breed — always see the parents!
Tend to have much more exaggerated behavior and personality than mixed breed dogs
Tend to be less adaptable and flexible than mixed breed dogs

Physical characteristics
One of the key advantages of purebreds is that their basic physical characteristics, such as size, weight, color, and coat are fairly fixed. For example, Golden Retrievers are known for their long, golden coat and size. If you want a purebred Golden Retriever puppy, you can be quite certain that she won't be 20 pounds, with a short, spotted coat.

A purebred is a great choice if you want a dog that is a specific size, or has a specific type of coat (for example, a short or non-shedding coat).

Temperament
The temperament of purebreds is often largely determined by their genetic makeup. In fact, many purebreds have been bred for generations to have a specific type of temperament. A purebred is a great choice if you want a dog with a specific personality (high energy or friendly, for example). You can't say with a
100% certainty that a purebred will have a specific type of temperament, but you are much more likely to be able to predict a purebred puppy's temperament than a mixed breed dog’s temperament.

Purebreds and Working Behaviors
Purebreds are a great choice if you're looking for a dog for a specific function, for example, a guard dog, a hunting dog, a dog to herd sheep, pull a sled, or even a dog to dig for truffles.

The downside of purebred working behaviors is that many of these working behaviors can be a huge negative for a family pet. For example, herding dogs like Border Collies and Australian shepherds tend to have herding behaviors like chasing things that move, and nipping after things that don't move where the dog wants them to.

The problem often comes in when the herding dog tries to herd a child, and ends up barking and nipping at their heels (or, worse, biting them), when the child won't let the dog herd it to a specific location. If you want a purebred that was meant to be a working dog, be prepared for some potential behavioral issues.

Purebred health problems
One of the biggest disadvantages of purebreds is the fact that many purebred breeds are prone to health problems. Larger purebreds are often prone to joint and hip problems, and other breeds are susceptible to blindness, skin and neurological diseases, cancers, and bleeding disorders. Carefully research specific a breed to
determine what health problems the breed may be inclined to have.

When you talk to a breeder, ask if the breeder has done any genetic and health testing — a breeder with the dogs' best interests at heart will have tested prospective parents. Health tests now available can tell if a dog currently has hip and elbow dysplasia, which can cripple a dog early in life, or tell if the dog has cataracts or some heart diseases.

Genetic tests search for an abnormality in the genetic makeup of a dog. A number of genetic tests are available, including those for Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) in Labrador Retrievers. However, genetic testing is limited to only a few breeds and a few diseases.

Good breeders know that good breeding practices can reduce the frequency of inherited (genetic) disorders. These good breeding practices include testing all prospective breeding dogs, and only breeding those that are free of genes for genetic disorders.

Dogs with an increased risk for a genetic disease are said to have a breed predisposition for the disease. Good breeders try to avoid breeding dogs (and their close relatives) with a breed predisposition for a disease. Good breeders also try to limit the amount of inbreeding (breeding closely related dogs together).

A caution about health testing!
Just because a dog tests negative for a health disorder (for example, a negative x-ray for hip dysplasia), does not mean that she won't develop it in the future. In contrast, genetic tests are highly accurate at predicting the probability that a dog will develop a specific disease at some future time.

Why do purebreds have more health problems?
Purebreds often come from a limited original gene pool, while mixed breed dogs come from a diverse gene pool. Even highly popular and common breeds were originally developed from just a few originating dogs.

Rare breeds and breeds that are registered with the AKC often originate from a limited number of breeding dogs, because the AKC requires the parents of a registered purebred puppy be registered with the AKC, therefore severely limiting the gene pool. The same champion dogs are also often used to breed purebred puppies. This means that any possible genetic problems in the original dog population are intensified in succeeding litters of puppies. If you want a purebred, consider that you may get some genetic issues.

Why does inbreeding cause health problems?
Most dogs, even healthy ones, have defective genes in their DNA. For the most part, these defective genes are recessive, meaning that the dog needs two of the defective genes for the defective characteristic to appear.

A dog with only one defective gene can pass on the defective gene to its offspring, but the dog’s offspring does not have the characteristic, because the healthy gene takes over.

When the same small pool of dogs are repeatedly bred (as often happens with purebreds), the defective genes become more common, increasing the chance that an individual dog will have two of the defective gene.

As soon as a dog has two copies of the defective gene (possibly one from its mother and one from its father) it will develop the defective characteristic. Choosing a purebred dog can mean choosing to deal with some inbred health issues.

Purebred price
Usually, purebred dogs are expensive. You can easily pay from $400 to $1,000, or more, for a good quality pet purebred from a reputable breeder. Choosing a purebred dog is not a cheap option. One way to reduce this cost is to get a purebred from a rescue organization, but rescue dogs likely aren't tested for health disorders.

Purebreds vary
Getting a purebred does not absolutely guarantee, in stone, the physical characteristics, health, or behavior of a puppy. This is because some purebreds may not grow up to be typical of the breed.

This can mean that a specific purebred dog does not have the temperament expected, or even that the individual dog's size is much larger or smaller than is typical. For example, you could choose a purebred Golden Retriever puppy hoping for a typically social, friendly, dog that loves kids, but end up with a Golden Retriever that grows up to be an aggressive and anti-social dog. Choosing a purebred dog is no absolute guarantee of temperament.

Meet the parents!
Overall, the individual puppy's parents are the best indicator of the type of dog the puppy will grow up to be. If one of the puppy's parents is not typical of the breed, there is a far greater chance that the puppy is not typical. You should try to see both parents of any puppy (purebred or not) that you're considering buying. Choosing a purebred based on the dog's parents is an excellent bet.

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