JUNE NEWSLETTER AND BLOG - HOW TO CHOOSE A PUPPY!

Last weekend was significant for Helen's Hounds. I had the privilege of being invited to the Kennel Club Building near Birmingham to conduct "Have a Go" Scentwork Sessions for the Kooikerhondje Club of Great Britain's Club Show along with subsequent fun show and events. As the owner of a Kooikerhondje, a rare and unique breed, this a tremendous honor. A diverse group of participants joined the sessions, and I conducted four "Have a Go" Scentwork sessions throughout the afternoon. These included numerous Kooikerhondjes and other breeds, some of which had no prior experience with scentwork while others had some and wanted to learn more. It was a busy but enjoyable day

Kooikerhondje Club of Great Britian Club Match and Funday

This month's rosettes and awards - Congratulations and well done on all your hard work.

Bronze UKSD (UK Sniffer Dogs) Scentwork beginners course - Radish, Bailey, Teddy (Springador), Layla and Leia

Bronze UKSD Scentwork Level 1 - Radish and Red

Bronze UKSD Scentwork Level 3 - Artie

Bronze UKSD Scentwork Level 4 - Artie, Beans, Busby and Toby

Bronze UKSD Scentwork Level 5 - Pickle

Silver UKSD Scentwork 6 week Course - Rolo

Silver UKSD Scentwork Level 1 Muesli, Ziggy, Bruce, Reggie, Rolo and Frank

IMDT (Institution of Modern Dog Trainers) Level 1 Mabel

IMDT Level 3 Luna and Roxy.

Congratulations to the two puppy groups and the Loose Lead Walking Group who graduated this week. Also a big well done for those who attended the recall workshop and those doing one to ones with me.

Looking forward, there will be new puppy groups starting the week of 23 June. If your friends or family are welcoming a new puppy additions to their household please let them know. Additionally, there will be a " Have a Go" Scentwork session on 22 June and a new five-week Scentwork course on 29 June.

BLOG - HOW TO PICK A PUPPY FROM A BREEDER (AND THE PITFALLS)

This blog might seem a little unusual coming from me, as most people I meet have already acquired their puppy, if the advice shared here prevents even one person from experiencing the heartbreak, disappointment, or months of health or behavioural challenges that some puppies bring, then it will have been worthwhile. Unfortunately, I encounter puppies falling into this category more often than I would like

Getting a puppy is probably one of the most exciting things we can do, but also one of the most difficult things to do, so here are some things to consider.

Firsty picking the right breed type for your lifestye for the next 15 years and decoding some of the lingo

Things to consider:

Exercise needs - when considering a dog that requires a considerable amount of exercise, it is important to evaluate whether your lifestyle aligns with these demands. For instance, while your family may enjoy activities such as bike rides, hikes and adventures, it is worth asking if these are part of daily routine or more weekend/holiday pursuits. Typical households are suited to a low or medium-activity dog, unless you intend to participate in dog sports like agility, involve your dog in work such as gundog tasks, or have an occupation where your dog can actively join you.

Grooming needs .... confession here, I am a lazy dog owner, who knew?. All of my four dogs need a brush maybe weekly, the odd bath if they've rolled in something nasty and a nail trim but no more. Go for a poodle or cross or breeds who need coat care you are looking at daily brushing to prevent knots and a groomers trip approximately every 6 weeks (another thing to factor in on costs and your time).

Feeding needs, this is about budget. I always say feed the best food your budget allows, however, depending on size of your breed the food bills can definately start mounting up. Extreme ends of the scale the cost of feeding a pug is very different to a great dane.

Health issues, some breeds are definately hardier than others and some are pre disposed to health issues, we all know that flat face dogs can have breathing issues and German Shepherds hip issues, but collies are prone to fits, labradors hip issues etc etc etc. It is really important that you know the health issues your dogs breed may have and ask a breeder for relevant health check papers.

Breed needs, what is the breed you would like, bred 'to do' and can you fulfill those needs ie. again does it fit with your lifestyle. The obvious are your working breeds, working cockers, springers, collies, if they don't have a 'job' you will need to provide one. Guarding breeds ie German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Doberman etc, whilst we might feel safer having a breed like this, they may decide to guard you from things you don't need to be guarded from if not given clear guidance. These are dogs I would say are for experienced owners. Terriers bred to catch vermin, be bold couragous, sighthhounds chase, dachsunds were bred to hunt badgers and are definately not designed to be lap dogs. Some dogs would you believe are bred to react to people or animals (including other dogs) that enter their land/space). There are breeds that were bred to be companion dogs and for a lot of families/people these are a good option i.e King Charles Spaniels or French Bull Terriers, however we do need to be aware of potential health pitfalls as mentioned before.

A dog whose breeds needs are not met can become problematical or go 'self employed' and find their own mischief to get up too.

You want a crossbreed?... research all the breeds that make up that dog to make sure they suit and consider health implications for each breed and find out if the breeder has had health checks done.

HOW TO SELECT YOUR BREEDER

Oh boy where to start apart from me saying BE CAREFUL and if I could put a swear word inbetween those two words I would!

GREEN FLAGS - What to look for

A breeder with a waiting list (they ensure they have homes before mating)

A breeder that sends you a questionnaire

A breeder that asks you why you want that breed (they are testing to see if you know the breeds needs)

A breeder that expects at least 2 visits before allowing you to take puppy home.

This is one is one that a lot of people don't realise, but a breeder who picks the puppy that is right for you, they know their puppies temperaments, the bolder one, the shy one, the active one, the bomb proof one. If you have filled in the questionnaire fully and explain what you want from your puppy and your level of dog experience they will decide which is best, sometimes they may give you a pick of two.

A breeder that has done health checks on parents and holds health checks of grandparents and happily show you paperwork

A breeder that gives you a contract including what is to happen if you can no longer look after your dog. The really responsible ones have a lifetime return.

A breeder that is breeding for breed health/temperament and not money.

A breeder who breeds standard colour for the breed only. Again, find out what the standard colour is for your breed; you may be surprised.

I will touch on Council licences. If a breeder doesn't have one it does not mean they are a bad breeder, in fact sometimes the opposite but you need to do your research. A breeder only needs a license if either they breed more than 3 litters in a 12 month period or they breed and sell dogs as a business. For example my breeder did not have a council license, but as she has 3 dogs, bred the oldest twice in its lifetime, the second she has bred once and may have second, the 3rd has not been bred from (currently 3 years old). She is not breeding 3 litters a year and for sure not a business.

A good place to research breeds is to either find a Kennel Club assured breeder or breed preservation breeders at Crufts. They have an area there called Discover Dogs with examples of every breed and you can meet the breed and enthusiatic owners/breeders. The other is to go to the website of the Club of Great Britain for the breed you are looking at getting, there will be breeders and owners there. Please DO NOT go to google to ask about a dogs temperament as it is often wrong, go to the people that live with the breed.

RED FLAGS - things to avoid

A breeder advertising on general websites selling pages or social media

A breeder that let's you take puppy on first visit (especially within a week of advert going up)

A breeder that will or want to sell you two puppies from the same litter.

A breeder that won't give you a contract

A breeder that doesnt ask you questions

A breeder that has had an accidental litter (rescue situations are different for this one)

A breeder that wanted their pet to have a litter (unless they have had health checks done on both parents)

A breeder that cannot give you documentation of health checks on parents on collection of puppy (quite often they will say they will email them and then they don't arrive)

A breeder that will not let you see the puppies mother and her interactions with her pups. (the mother's temperament is super important)

A breeder that is happy to meet you half way ie picking your puppy up at a meeting at a service station (especially if you have not visited the puppy in the home environment before that)

A breeder that breeds wrong colours, you see rare colour, new shade, fluffly when dog is not a fluffy breed etc these dogs are genetically played with.

I often hear that 'I knew it didn't feel right but I needed to get the puppy out of there'

A 'breeder' will know once you have seen a litter you are very unlikely not to walk out without one. If something feels off, doesn't feel right, walk away. The chances are it isn't right and you may find the puppy ends up with health/behaviour issues and emotional heart ache for you. You always have the option to call the RSCPA if you think the situation is not good.

If you are thinking of getting a puppy or know someone who is and are unsure please take advantage of my pre puppy arrival service, doing research now could help so much to get the dog that is perfect for you for the next 15 years.

www.helenshounds-dogtraining.com