Lycoming County
Williamsport, Pennsylvania

LOOKING FOR A PUPPY ?
By Blair E. Frye

Buying a dog for your family can be a heart-warming or heart-breaking experience. The first thing a person should realize is that every different breed has different needs and that must be considered when choosing a dog. Temperament, size, activity level, children, and other pets will be factors of a happy or sad situation as a new puppy grows as a member of your family. Step one is identifying the breed(s) that will best fit your desires and situation and you can best provide for the dogs desires and needs. Only after step one, should you look at a puppy. Generally, only with pure-bred dogs, can you find an extensive history of traits, habits, problems, etc. to help decide what dog might be a wonderful addition to your home.

With all the horror stories you’ve heard, how do you best find a quality puppy that will develop true to the qualities you chose and likely be free of costly medical problems and genetic defects that only become evident as the dog ages. A few facts to help with this dilemma, no one can say absolutely that a particular puppy will develop as expected but the actual breeder will have the most information and experience to make the best guess. Good breeders are so proud and sure of their puppies that they will often give a guarantee in writing on every puppy they sell. On the other side, Puppy mills and “backyard breeders” are doing it for profit only or as an experiment. To quote the American Kennel Club (AKC) "A responsible breeder makes sure that every single puppy goes to an owner who will provide it with the same love and devotion for life that the breeder has provided for the first eight or ten weeks". If a puppy does not come of AKC registered parents from a respectable, ethical and knowledgeable breeder, you are taking a large risk of problems,diseases, and temperament issues over the life of that dog. Pet shops are not a source for an AKC pure-bred puppy. Although Pet shops offer registration papers on the puppies they sell, it is not necessarily even from a real organization. Be aware, there are registration papers available that appear to be AKC registrations and that “Papers” alone does not prove any dog is what it is supposed to be. Dog Shows began as a way for breeders to compete and promote their breeds and bloodlines and thus sell their progeny to the public and other breeders. AKC Dog Shows have evolved into primarily the “competition” and the breeding and selling of dogs is now secondary. The breeders that show are focused on breeding the absolute best specimens of their chosen breed therefore the best place to find the puppy you want. Only a very small percentage of the puppies born are of show quality and that insures that there are ample,extremely high quality pets available of all breeds to all the dog lovers out there looking. You also need to know, a responsible breeder will ask a prospective buyer many questions to ensure they do not put their puppy into a less than suitable and permanent new family. If a breeder does not ask you questions, they will not likely stand behind their dogs should a unforeseen situation arise in the future. Good breeders are committed to the safety and well being of each and every puppy they bring into this world, as well as the satisfaction of the new puppy owner. If you are ready for a puppy, go to a Dog Show.