New Year, New Dog
The winter
might not seem a great time to add a canine companion to the family, but it’s actually
an excellent time for the new pup!
Pups seem to
housebreak easier in the cold months, and there are more non-daylight hours
when you are in the house, so there couldn’t be a better time for you and your
new gun dog to become a team. When the snow leaves and the grasses and cover
grow, your pup will be able to negotiate the cover by the time October comes
around, and you will have a pup that is 10-12 months of age.
When you decide
to get a puppy, pick the breeder first. It is easy to pick your puppy out of a
litter of 8 week-old pups, but before you go and look at the litter, make sure
you’ve done your homework. The safest way to acquire a prospect that should
turn out to be a proficient gun dog is to buy a pup only from someone who has
hunting dogs that hunt. I have talked to many breeders who raise Brittanys,
Labradors, German Shorthair Pointers, and English Setters who themselves have
never held a shotgun, never mind hunted with these dogs.
Then consider the
health of the puppy:
1) Have both parents been certified by the
Orthopedic Foundation for Animals? This helps ensure that the dogs do not have hip displaysia, a disease more prevalent in the larger breeds
such as retrievers and large setters.
2) Have the eyes been checked for cataracts and
certified against eye deformities? This is important in Labradors.
3) Have the pups been examined by a licensed
veterinarian and been given their first series of shots and wormed against
parasites?
In closing, I
would ask for a written health guarantee against any of the things mentioned
above. If the breeder is serious in his breeding practices, he or she will want
you to be happy with a healthy animal.
John at Kirby Mountain Sporting Dogs
goldy©2003