subject: Questions And Answers About Picking A Healthy Puppy [print this page] Looking at Puppies for Sale? Tips for finding the right healthy puppy for your family.
Finding puppies for sale and then picking the perfect one is truly a joy for anyone, especially if that anyone is younger than 10.
But as your take your son or daughter to a pet store, to your local humane society or to a reputable dog breeder, here are five tips to help you find the happiest and healthiest of four-legged, tail-wagging, always-happy-to-see-you bundle of energy.
Before you go to look at puppies for sale, do some reading. Educate yourself on what a happy and healthy puppy should look like. How she should act. This will help you find weed out the puppies you'll see who are ill or who haven't been raised in a healthy environment.
Take a real close look at the puppy. Wherever you go to check out puppies for sale, once you've narrowed your choice to one or two, pick the little one up and look him or her over. Is he bright, responsive and alert when you come near? Or is she seemingly depressed or lethargic? A puppy that's so "calm" as to appear depressed is not a good puppy to choose.
Examine the puppy's physique. Is she pot bellied and thin? Is his coat clean and shiny? Are there sores on his fur? If his eyes and nose have a discharge, that's a sign of ill-health, as are ears with a distinct odor and gums that aren't pink and rosy. You also should stand behind the puppy (or somewhere close by where she can't see you) and clap your hands or stomp your feet. The puppy should react to the noise; if she doesn't she may have a hearing impairment.
Check out his sleeping area. The little fella's sleeping area should be dry and clean and free of an accumulation of feces or urine or a very strong odor. Make sure his living and sleeping are clean. Puppies of course are not yet house trained, so there may be signs of "accidents" here and there. But a living area that's pretty much disgusting more than likely means the puppies for sale are not receiving adequate care.
Basically, you're looking to make sure the puppies for sale are healthy. You want to be satisfied that they've been raised well, because puppies that have been neglected or mistreated will have health and personality "issues" as they grow older.
You must remember that you're bringing more than a cute bundle of energy into your home: you're bringing a new family member, one who has the power to enrich your life for years to come. It's important that you choose wisely, and not get carried away with the emotion of the moment as you look at wonderfully cute puppies for sale.
Your best bet for finding a healthy puppy is at your local humane society or from an American Kennel Club (AKC) registered breeder.
