SolveYourProblem.com
Article Series: New Puppy
I've Got A New Puppy. What Do I Do Now?
What
Questions Should I Ask When Buying An Older Puppy?
Most of the time people purchase new puppies
and bring them home around the age of six to eight weeks. This
is the perfect time period in which they are best to be weaned
from their mother and conditioned to live with you and the
rest of the family. It makes bonding much easier because you
have immediately replaced the puppy's mother with yourself.
On the other hand, there are many times when older puppies
become available for sale. These dogs may be older than 10
weeks, 12 weeks, or even up to six months and still considered
to be puppies. Like making any decision out of the norm, there
are pros and cons to bringing home and older puppy.
What considerations should you keep in mind when deciding
on an older puppy?
One of the biggest benefits of getting an older puppy right
off the bat is that their behavior is a lot more calm than
a younger pup and the dog has usually been socialized to a
small degree when it comes to the day-to-day chaos of living
in a house with other people. Their first home has already
conditioned them for you.
Watch out for older puppies that may have been neglected.
It is important not to be too naive when you are discussing
the option of buying an older puppy from someone. Not everybody
sells their dogs for positive reasons. Some owners are trying
to get rid of them simply because they couldn't take care of
the puppy's needs and due to this reason they probably neglected
the dog for a long period of time.
The results of this unfortunate living situation could have
produced anxiety and stress related disorders to the dog. Because
you cannot get all of this information with your first meeting
of your potential new puppy, it is important to bring all the
members of your family with you to look at the dog. Make sure
they all get a chance meet the dog. Look closely at how he
interacts with the other members of your family. Does he seem
nervous? Do you sense any aggression? Is his approach with
confidence or shyness? These are possible signs that the animal
has developed some sort of mental condition as a result of
the lack of human contact.
And of course, you'll want to ask the owner a few basic questions
before making a buying decision. Ask if the dog has had any
type of training. Find out firsthand if the puppy displays
any behavioral bad habits such as aggression, chewing, or excessive
barking. Also, make sure that this is the first and only home
the dog has been in. If he has lived elsewhere before the current
owner then find out why he was sold. These are just a few of
the basic questions you should know to ask. Add more questions
to your list for better due diligence.
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SolveYourProblem.com
: 2009
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