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Great Gifts Come In Big Packages!

Is it ok to give your wife a pet puppy as a surprised birthday gift? A good rule to follow regarding presents is simple. Never buy a living gift for anyone without the recipient's total agreement. The only thing worse than an unannounced gift of a puppy is the impulse to buy a large dog, anytime, without proper thought and planning. If a birthday puppy is agreeable, be sure the entire family has fully considered sharing their space with the pup. Purchase his bed, food, bowls, and toys in advance; install puppy-proof gates on doors and stairways, reinforce fences, and buy a pen and sleeping crate.

To mall shoppers, pet stores are like magnets. They are clean, odor-free, and clumsy, healthy-looking, sad-eyed puppies with enormous feet are enticingly displayed in plastic cubicles. Bookshelves are filled with descriptions and pictures of dozens of large dog breeds. You remember seeing a big dog that you like at a friend's house, and there sits a puppy of the same breed looking right at you and waiting to be pet.

Different kinds of collars, leashes, dishes, grooming tools, and dog foods are elaborately displayed for immediate purchase and delivery. Time-payment plans are available, and return policies apply if the dog is proven to have hereditary faults. The big pup has been vaccinated, veterinary health certification is included, as well as American Kennel Club puppy registration documents, and sometimes even pedigrees are provided.

If you plan on purchasing a pet shop puppy, select him only after considering the following: In order to choose the most desirable puppy, you should be able to meet and handle his parents, or at least his mother. Litter mates should be present for comparison. Personality traits are more easily determined if you can see how other puppies behave in similar situations.

Should you get a male or a female?

You will need to decide whether you want to buy a male or a female dog. If you are considering breeding your puppy, entering him in field trials, or conformation showing, gender has more implications. Typically, the female is slightly smaller, more gentle, and less aggressive than the male. She is almost always' chosen for obedience work and makes a reliable pet. The male has a more rumbustious nature and is constantly attracted to the opposite sex, unlike the female which does not look for a male companion except during her twice-yearly season. However, some people prefer the male's more zestful and enthusiastic approach to life.

Most puppies are neutered or spayed before reaching physical maturity. The male puppy should be neutered before he reaches seven or eight months of age. A female may be spayed at about any age, and the cost of this surgery is usually slightly greater than the corresponding cost of male castration.

Which Large Dog Should You Pick?

Do not assume your big canine pet will become a famous show dog or an obedience trial champion. However, you can use those achievements for comparison to begin the search for your chosen large breed. Purchase a copy of one of the various dog magazines found in a bookstore. These magazines will list dog shows and other canine events in your area, and then plan to attend one or more. Once there, buy a premium list that will tell you in which ring and at what time your breed will be shown. After you have seen the best of your breed exhibited, you can talk to breeders of that specific breed.

Watch your breed participate in other canine competitive events such as agility trials, field trials, coursing, tracking, weight pulling, and fly-ball events. Watch your chosen breed's ability, training, and enthusiasm in these events. You can find out a great deal of information about your breed by watching his representatives in competition.

Going To A Purebred Breeder

Visit several breeding kennels. Never make a spontaneous selection from the first litter seen on the first visit to a single kennel. Observe the traits and behaviors of as many litters
as possible.

Discuss with the breeder the general personality and traits of your chosen breed. The habits of each puppy are individual. Some will have a temperament that is adaptable and will be influenced by his bonding with you and your attitude and ability to train him. However, you must also be aware of certain traits inherent in each large breed.

Ask different trainers, handlers, and breeders many questions to satisfy your information needs. Conscientious breeders will furnish printed information about their strain or bloodline of the breed. They will happily answer your queries and probably will ask you more questions than you are prepared to answer. They will have information about the proper age to take a puppy, and should reassure you of their puppies' socialization.

Ask about purchase price, return privilege, guarantee, veterinary examination, and routine parasite control. You need to know as much as possible about each breeder's puppies before you commit to purchase.

You may be asked not to touch the puppies if they are only a few weeks old. Do not be insulted; this precaution is to protect the valuable litter until first vaccinations have been administered. Simply observe the puppies at play. If you think you have made a decision, ask the breeder to mark the pup for you. Usually, the toenails of a hind foot are painted with a certain color of nail polish to denote your selection.

Please click on List of Big Dog Details to read about many different aspects of Big Dogs.