DAMBF

When choosing to adopt a dog/puppy, it is important to know where they came from.

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IN THE CASE OF PUPPIES

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In America, most dogs/puppies from pet store comes from licensed commercial breeders. These breeders are mostly registered to the American Kennel Club (AKC), who ensures that the puppies or when they were puppies are bred in humane conditions. There are cases where puppies are bred in what has been term as “puppy mill”, a kennel with filthy living conditions and relatively low concern for the puppies health.

 

In places like Thailand, there are many places where you could buy/adopt a dog/puppy. But of course, in places like the Chatuchak Market, Bangkok, you have to be very careful when picking a dog/puppy, because they could be infected, have had something done to them, etc. In one case, a couple bought a puppy from a market, their ears up and looks very adorable, but the puppy was depressed. The couple took the pup to the vet because of the depression and they found metal sticks implanted inside the ear of the pup to make the ear stand up. Naturally, the pup's ears are supposed to be floppy and flat around their faces. After the sticks were surgically removed, the pup became very cheerful and running around happily. Therefore, one has to be very, very, careful when picking a little buddy from markets and non-registered places.

The best age to adopt a puppy is when it’s eight to twelve weeks old. Because by then the puppy should be well socialized, have received immunization and should be able to eat solid food with their recently grown teeth. But before adopting a puppy close inspection is necessary.

Begin by examining their head. The nose should be cool and moist. Frequent sneezing or nasal discharge signal the puppy poor health.

Check the puppy for the correct teeth bite, for most breeds it’s a scissors bite,where the upper incisors just slightly overlap the lower ones.An even bite, in which the incisors meet edge to edge, is equally acceptable in most breeds. Their gums should be pink. Pale gums suggest that they possibly may be sick with intestinal parasites.

Feel for a soft spot on the dome of the skull. If present, this means the fontanel is open.The eyes should be clear and bright. If you see tear stains on the muzzle, look at their eyelids properly if it roll in or out, or have extra eyelashes for this could be signs of sickness.Their pupils should be dark and have no visible lines or white spots that may indicate congenital cataracts or retained fetal membranes.

The ears should stand correctly for the breed, although in some breeds, such as German Shepherd and Giant Alaskan Malamute, the ears may not stand up fully until 4 to 6 months of age. Their tips should be healthy and well furred. Crusty tips with bare spots suggest a skin disease for example, sarcoptic mange. Their ear canals should be clean and sweet-smelling. A buildup of wax with a bad odor may be caused by ear mites. Head shaking and tenderness about the ears may indicate an ear infection.

Feel their chest with the palm of your hand to see if the heart seems especially vibrant. This may be a clue to a heart defect. The puppy should be able to breathe in and out without effort. A flat chest,especially when accompanied by trouble inhaling, indicates an airway obstruction.

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ADULT DOGS

 

Of course, adopting a puppy is advantageous since you get to bond with them from when they are really young, but adopting adult dogs also has its perks. For example, you won't have to deal with the teething period that all puppies go through when their teeth are growing, therefore it is less likely that these adult dogs will chew on everyone of your slippers, shoes, neckties, sofas, etc. Adult dogs can hold their bowels and bladder for a longer period of time. You also only need to feed adult dogs twice a day instead of three times a day like what is required for puppies. They are pretty much ready-made with great stamina that you could run around the park with. But of course, they might not be trained. So you may need to take them to be trained by a professional dog trainer, or train them yourself... which takes more time than training a puppy. Try to teach them from the their very first day with you so that they learn every rules and regulations that they have to follow when living in your house. Of course you have to be careful when choosing a dog. They may have infections or diseases. We have seen many clips of heroic individuals who saved dying dogs and restoring them to their perfect health.

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We have found a great, detailed article for you to read further about adopting an adult dog!: http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_01/features/Adopting-Grown-Up-Dogs_20438-1.html