Choosing the Right Dog

Once you have made the decision to bring a dog into your life there is much to consider. Many people make poor choices because they don't do adequate research or self evaluation. It is a life long commitment, and you are resonsible for a life that will be very dependent on you, in many ways.

We hope your first choice would be to adopt a homeless dog from a shelter or rescue. These facilities are all at capacity and your adoption makes room for another dog so you are actually saving two dogs. Rescued dogs make wonderful additions to your family unit... they know what you did. (Ask anyone who has adopted a rescue).

Shelters and rescues have many mixed breed dogs and they are just as smart, just as adorable, and just as loyal as any "pure bred" dog. Often, they are actually healthier, in general, and one thing they can't be suffering from is inbreeding. The mix of the genetic pool often makes them hardier and less prone to some of the maladies that are common to pure breds. If you absolutely must have a pure bred dog then you can also find them at shelters as well and, in addition, every breed has rescues that cater to that breed... they all need a forever home too!

1. Older dogs can be a great choice. They usually come from a long time family who they lost thorough death or disability. They especially, miss the love and security of a home. They are already trained and are usually pretty mellow.

2. Try to match the dog to your lifestyle. If you are an active person, pick a type of dog that likes to be active and vice versa.

3. Dogs are very social... most don't do well alone for long periods but some even more so... like Huskies.

If you prefer to purchase, rather than adopt, always deal with the breeder directly, at their facility, and not through any type of "dealer". Take the time to do your homework.

Below, you will find a link to a PDF, presented by the Humane Society of the United States, that will outline how you can find a good, responsible breeder.

Below is one of 400 breeding dogs seized in a raid on a puppy mill in North Carolina in February of 2009. As a result of a concerted effort by the HUSU and public disgust and outrage, a "puppy mill bill" was introduced in the NC legislature that would have made it much harder for these operations to exist. To their discredit and disgrace, the legislature failed to pass the bill.

If people just simply stop buying dogs from pet stores and other outlets for puppy mill product, we won't need the ineffective politicians to run the mills out of business.