How to Pick Out A Healthy Dog

Have you ever wondered how to pick out a healthy dog? I have, so I got some advice from professionals. My dog Diamond says it's a good idea to post this because he has fond memories of being picked out by us.

First, pick what dog breed you want, or if you just want a mutt. Certain dog breeds have certain characteristic behavioral traits. That doesn't mean they show up in all dogs of that breed. If I was a betting woman, which I'm not, I'd bet I'd be safer to go by the general characteristics of a breed when picking out a dog rather than picking out a dog based on looks, etc.

We will talk about seperate breeds on another day.

If you go to pick out a dog, see if the dog cowers or not. If the dog cowers, this is not a good dog for you. It means it's too submissive, and will perhaps bite because it's scared.

Look for dogs with pink, clear ears and clear eyes. Gunk in ears and eyes can mean a lot of vet bills later for the person who picks outthat dog.

If the dog you are looking at is sneezing, he probably has kennel cough. It is a cold dogs get when they are in kennels or pounds because they are so close together. It is easy to treat. Your vet can give you some medecine to treat this. If you buy the dog from a pound, perhaps you can get a free vet visit for your dog and perhaps even free medicine. The dog pounds want to see dogs get a home so they no longer have to pay for their keep. That is why they provide these incentives.

Stick you hand close to the dog you want. If he growls, don't get him. He's bad news, and will probably bite.

Make sure the dog gets along with your other pets. If you get a dog at a place like humane society, it is perhaps even a requirement to introduce you animals and the prospective pet to each other to see if they will get along. Some humane societies require your children to visit it also, so the humane society can see if your prospectve pet gets along with your children.

Think about if you have big enough, secure place to put the dog you want. For example, a Belgian Mamute is larger than a German Shepherd, and would not be securely kept behind a three foot fence.

Consider if you wantto spay or neuter your dog. These dogs are generally more even tempered than the non-fixed ones. Sometimes it is a requirement to let dog pounds or humane societies fix your dog before you buy him.

If the dog you want is a puppy, shake keys at it when it isn't looking. If it yelps excessively or cowers, go with a different one who startles naturally but not overly much.

Flip the prospective pet on it's back. If it starts bucking lie a bronco, don't buy it.

Make sure if you buy a puppy that it is playful, not lethargic.

Lethargic dogs in general are usually not healthy. However, if the dog you are trying to buy is a sixteen year old, don't expect too much playfulness out of it.

This is my advice on how to pick out a dog. Use it if you are buying one and you don't know what to look for.

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