Living With Dogs Read Online Free Page A

occur with cross breeds.
Designer dogs — dog hybrids
    In the early 1980s Guide Dogs Victoria commenced a breeding program crossing a Labrador with a Standard Poodle hoping to produce a healthy guide dog of even temperament and low coat shedding. This hybrid cross became known as a Labradoodle and soon became a popular choice as a pet dog. Other hybrid crosses followed such as the Groodle (Golden Retriever – Standard Poodle) and smaller types Spoodle (Miniature Poodle – Spaniel), Cavoodle (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel – Miniature Poodle) and the very popular Maltese – Miniature Poodle. A survey in 2007 concluded that hybrid cross dogs were 10 per cent of the pet dog population in Australia.
    Most of these hybrids are medium-sized, bright, intelligent, healthy dogs with a consistently good temperament. They are a welcome addition to the world of dogs available as pets.
Buying a puppy
    When we buy a puppy we should give the decision just as much consideration as if we were buying a house or a car, but few people going to buy a puppy take along someone who knows about dogs. Make sure you look at the surroundings and how the puppy is presented; check that the dog is a minimum of eight weeks old and that it has the right certification.
    Many dogs have congenital inherited defects, so when you go to buy the dog you should use your eyes, seek advice and don’t always trust what you’re told. German Shepherds, for instance, are well-known for having skeletal problems, and Dobermanns have spinal problems. Say you will buy the dog subject to a veterinary check. Victorian vets offer the ‘Vetcheck’ service, in which they will inspect a pup and give a written assessment for the normal consultation fee. Breeders are proud, competitive people, and they may not like it, but this is the age of consumerism. I’ve spent 30 years dealing with animals from shonky breeders.
    Puppies show their temperament very quickly, and it’s there to be seen. They show it in the way they come up to you as a stranger. If they’re fearful, suspicious or don’t like to be handled — all signs of a poor temperament — don’t have anything to do with them. If you do, you’re buying trouble. It’s often the people who buy the dogs with poor temperaments who give up on them.
RSPCA Smart Puppy-Buyer’s Guide
    HEALTHY PUPPIES COME FROM BREEDERS WHO:
Plan ahead and aim to find good homes for every puppy they breed
Provide a high standard of care and living conditions for all their dogs
Are genuinely concerned about the welfare of their dogs
Are open to questions and provide a complete history of the puppy
Make sure that you will suit the puppy and the puppy will suit you
Breed to produce happy, healthy pets, free from known genetic disorders
Provide ongoing support and information to new owners
Provide a guarantee
Provide references on request
Meet all their legal requirements
Finding a good breeder means asking questions
1. DID THE BREEDER PLAN AHEAD FOR THIS LITTER?
    A responsible dog breeder plans each pregnancy and knows that there is enough demand for their puppies to ensure they will all go to good homes.
    Ask the breeder if this pregnancy was planned, how many litters the mother has already had (six should be the maximum over her whole life), and what they will do with any unsold puppies (a good breeder will hang on to them until the right home can be found).
2. ARE YOU IMPRESSED WITH THE STANDARD OF CARE AND LIVING CONDITIONS OF THE DOGS?
    It’s really important that you visit the puppy in the place where it was born and meet its mum (and dad too, if he’s around).
Check whether the place is clean and there is enough space for the puppies and adult dogs to move around and exercise and there are things for the pups to chew on and play with.
Ask what the puppies are fed and how often. A good breeder will provide information on how to feed your puppy before you take it home.
Ask about health checks, worming and vaccinations, and what