With so much bad breeding practices going on around the world today, how can families choose the right puppy for their home that has as limited health problems possible?

Educate Yourself Before Buying A Puppy

Potential dog owners should undertake a fairly extensive self-education program before committing themselves to the purchase of a pet.

Standard How To Pick A Puppy articles are an excellent place to begin, though too often they tend to rely on AKC registration as the major guide for purchase.

Note: Mongrel dogs (dogs that are the result of various inbreedings) are not recommended, in spite of the fact that they often make lovable pets, because the dog world, like the human world, suffers from a population explosion and every effort needs to be made to limit the number of unwanted dogs. Promoting purebred dogs as pets and encouraging limitations of the breeding of such pets seems to be one of the best approaches to the problem.

Your first decision must be the type of dog suited to your family, and the standard articles offer excellent ideas here on the advantages of large dogs, small dogs, noisy ones and less active breeds. But once you have decided on a breed, you need to learn much more about that breed type. Talk to other owners of the dogs and read about the breed first hand.

Breed Clubs

If possible, check with the secretary of the national breed association. There is, for example, a Collie Club of America. There are similar clubs for other breeds and by contacting them the staff will be happy to supply a list of recommended kennels and breeders in your area.

Memberships in these breed associations are generally by invitation only and the prospective members must demonstrate a strong interest in the breed before being invited to join. Thus, a breeder recommended by such an association is likely to be more dedicated to the improvement of the breed than the turning of a dollar.

When you locate a breeder in your area, talk with him or her frankly about your interests: Do you want a show or pet quality puppy? Do you intend to breed it? Ask about congenital problems in the breed and inquire what kind of health guarantee is offered. What vaccinations has the puppy had and what more does it need?

Finally, be sure that the breeder agrees to a 24-hour examination period during which you may have your own veterinarian check the puppy before the purchase is final.

It’s Well Worth The Trouble

All this, you may say, makes the addition of a puppy to your household a major project, far more complicated than simply reading the paper and finding an ad for a litter of purebreds on the weekend.

Yes, it does, but the experience that so many families go through with dogs that ended up with poor health problems with disease is worth the effort that may ultimately save you and your own family the heartbreak of losing a puppy too soon.

Most new puppy owners are under the assumption that just because their new companion is registered with the American Kennel Club, it is guaranteed to be a healthy purebred.

Nothing Could Be Further From The Truth

Registration by the AKC means nothing more than that the dog is a purebred, with its ancestry traceable several generations. The slip given with a puppy at sale testifies to nothing more than that both parents were registered. It makes no guarantee about quality, health, or freedom from disease.

It is, in fact, completely possible that both parents were rather poor specimens of their breed, even though it is a purebred and registered as such. Many dogs affected by congenital conditions are not only eligible, but are in fact registered and could be used for breeding by unknowledgable owners.

Such breedings, done without study, are another thing at the root of this problem. Too many owners mate their purebred dog with the neighbor’s purebred dog, register the litter and sell the puppies as AKC registered which in fact they are.

Such backyard breeders contribute to the problems of many breeds simply by their ignorance of the science of dog breeding and, often, their lack of real knowledge about their own breed.

Pay More Money With A Professional & Enjoy A Healthy Pet

Professional dog raisers consider breeding a science and carefully study the lineage of both the male and female before a mating. The aim, of course, of each planned breeding is to produce the ideal dog, but knowledgeable breeders are aware that the same laws of heredity apply to faults as well as desirable characteristics.

The backyard breeding, on the other hand, is planned with only registration in mind and generally overlooks faults in the parent dogs.

Further, many AKC registered pets may have some minor congenital problem which does not matter as long as they are household pets. However, when such a dog is allowed to mate and produce a registerable litter, it passes on the hereditary problem.

For example, many collies carry the genes for collie eye and are themselves affected to some degree, but their eye problem many not be as extensive as others, and they may have functional vision. Such dogs make perfectly satisfactory pets but, if allowed to mate, they will pass on the collie eye genes to their offspring and may conceivably produce a blind dog.

Other problems such as minimal hip dysplasia or undescended testicles are similarly of importance primarily to a breeder but need not disqualify a dog from the pet category.

Remember that if a reputable breeder sells a dog as a pet, he has, for some reason, eliminated that animal from his breeding program, and it might be well to ask why and inquire whether or not he would recommend breeding the dog.

Selective breeding and the unwanted disease and health problems are not just limited to a few breeds. Other congenital problems affect more than one breed.

Hip dysplasia, for instance, has been demonstrated in almost all large breeds and some small ones. This abnormality of the hip joint has been given so much publicity by dog raisers, as well as the veterinarian profession, that the public is generally aware of the condition – though often unaware that dysplasia is not usually evident in young puppies.

The standard guarantee that a puppy comes from X-rayed stock is only fair insurance that dysplasia will not develop during the rapid growth phase or even later in the dog’s life.

Recent studies report that in some cases, dysplasia causes no apparent discomfort or crippling and is not progressive. In others, pain and inability to walk may become so severe that they necessitate euthanasia for the dog.

Other mutations which occur too frequently in more than one breed include brachycephaly (round head), achondroplasia (short limbs), floating kneecaps, and dwarfism. The frequency of all these conditions can be traced directly or indirectly to constant inbreeding to achieve certain qualities in the various breeds.

Can The Problem Be Stopped?

These genetic flaws could be controlled, even eliminated in some cases, by selective breeding programs, however, it would require years of cooperation among dog breeders, the veterinary profession, and the general public.

Some blame for the spread of genetic mutations must undoubtedly lie with a few commercial breeders. Those, for whom money-making is paramount, unfortunately counter-balance every effort toward breeding programs aimed at improvement of dog lines.

Little, of course, can be done by individuals to harness the damage done by these puppy mills, beyond not giving them your business when it comes time to purchasing a puppy. The American Kennel Club, local kennel clubs, humane societies, and other agencies are constantly striving to tighten licensing laws and take other measures against the worst of these businesses.

Even while professional organizations are striving for long-range alleviation of genetic problems in dogs, there are things that can and should be done by the individual dog owner and buyer.

Much of the problem may be traced to a lack of knowledge on the part of the general public and a blind assumption that any purebred dog registered by the American Kennel Club is eligible and recommended for breeding. This is simply not the case.

Jock was everything we wanted in a collie puppy bright, playful and affectionate. My children thought Jock was going to live forever, a long healthy life.

What could possibly go wrong?

In time we noticed that he was also clumsy, so clumsy that he banged his head on doors, tripped over small toys, tripped over the baby, and never learned to walk down stairs. But we adored him still!

When he was about three months old, Jock developed a slight hernia and off we went to the veterinarian to have it checked. Feelings of relief that the hernia was unimportant gave way to panic when the vet said, Let me check his eyes while you have him here. We make it a point to check all collie eyes.

Trying to pass it off, I made a joke about Jock’s clumsiness, but the joke turned sour when the veterinarian spoke again. I’m surprised this dog gets around at all. He’s totally blind. He has been since birth.

Blind?

We call it collie eye the doctor continued, He has massive detachments of the retina in both eyes. There is one small retina where he may be getting minimal vision, but not enough to call it functional sight.

The American Obsession With Breeding The Perfect Canine

Jock was a victim of the American obsession with dogs and dog breeding, for his blindness was due to a genetic condition bred into collies during the process of seeking the perfect collie.

Collie eye, technically called ectasia, is a condition of purebred collies, proven to be congenital and hereditary. Fanciers have long prized the narrow head and pencil nosed face of the collie, and breeding programs have continually been directed toward achieving this type of look.

Too little attention has been paid to breeding to eliminate hereditary disease conditions. As a result, it is estimated that up to 90% of all collies to date experience some form of the disease, and the numbers may be slightly higher. And this of course is speaking of only one breed.

Many Breeds Are Affected With Their Own Problems

To cite collie eye as a lone example of genetic flaws in purebred dogs is grossly unfair. There are a few breeds not affected by some kind of inbred problem. One expert claims, for instance, that we now produce Irish Setters that are beautifully gazelle-like but totally lacking in the work habits or capabilities of the original breed.

Another less-kind comment came from an Irish Setter owner who bitterly said that breeding for a narrow head has squeezed all the brains out of the dogs. Poodles are subject to hypoglycemia and progressive retinal atrophy; Basenjis have eye problems too, and so the list continues.

How You Can Easily Select A Puppy With The Best Temperament Of The Litter

When observing a puppy away from its mother and littermates, testers look for the following:

1. The puppy should move at ease in its pen.
2. He should move freely and look calmly from its pen at the tester, and any other situations.
3. It should be friendly and respond to the tester’s encouragement.
4. It should not be upset by strange people, places, or things.
5. The pup should persevere in any project it undertakes.
6. It should also be willing to do what the tester wants, and show pleasure while doing it.

Bad qualities are revealed in the opposites of the above list: the puppy is nervous in new situations, refuses to move from where it is placed. It is indifferent to new situations and people and unfriendly with the tester. Its responses are not dependable; it acts one way one time and another way another time, in the same situation. It quits trying after one or two attempts at something. And if it is upset by strangers, the puppy is obstinate or refuses to do with the tester wants.

Maintaining A Good Temperament Throughout Your Dog’s Life

Research is placing more and more emphasis on the early weeks and months of a dog’s life. Trainers are beginning to work with dogs at earlier ages than they did formally. Research also indicates that a dog’s temperament is not just a matter of good or bad, it probably varies along a continuum, as does humans, and as a result of many variables. A dog with one or two neurotic traits may be unsatisfactory.

Once you have chosen a dog with a good temperament, make sure you don’t ruin him by poor handling. It helps if you can give him some obedience training. There are books to help you with this job, online dog training DVDs you can order, as well as local obedience classes that offer one-on-one instruction. Even if your dog never achieves any degree as a companion dog, the experience will help you in your handling of him and particularly in disciplining him.

Final Tip: Unless you happen to be an expert on training, don’t try to make your family pet into an attack dog. You don’t need an aggressive dog to scare off burglars. They tend to pass up houses with any sort of dog on the premises. Most dogs, even the gentlest, are protective when the need arises. And do not let your children encourage aggressiveness with too much rough play. Sometimes it gets out of hand and a dog will bite out of innocent excitement.

People often ask if it is not unfair to a dog to keep him in the city, in small quarters, confined to a leash outside, or left in the house while the owner goes to work. But in reality, the most unfair thing that you can do to a dog is to take him on when you’re not prepared to keep him for a lifetime, and to face up to all of the inconveniences that will go along with owning a dog.

Where Does A Bad Temperament Come From?

We know that dogs tend to inherit the temperament of their parents. We also know that there are certain inbred characteristics affecting temperament which are the result of the selective breeding that has produced a group of purebred dogs.

The early environment of the newborn puppy, particularly in the critical weeks when he’s looking away from his mother and his siblings to the humans around him, can provide a healthy period of socialization. On the other hand, this critical period can also be the spark which starts illness, an accident, or psychic trauma that can affect the puppy’s temperament in a very negative way. In addition, you, his new owner, can be a bad influence on what might have started out as a pleasant dog.

Most Dog Buyers Are Not Educated Enough To Properly Choose A Dog

The average dog buyer is looking for a companion for the family, particularly for the children. Unfortunately, most people do not know what to look for when it comes to temperament. And the temperament of a dog is the number one overriding vital consideration in choosing one. A nervous dog makes an unsatisfactory companion for children under almost any circumstances, and one that is moody is potentially dangerous.

Some people prefer dogs of mixed breeding and assume that they will always have more stable temperaments. This is not true. There was a tragic attack a few years back where a mixed Chow-Spitz killed a young child. The dog had been passed on to the family after having a history of killing small animals and giving other indications of poor temperament. This alone should make you think twice about taking on a dog which has not worked out in someone else’s family.

During the first 24 to 48 hours after delivery, take the mother and all puppies to see your vet. The purpose of the examination is to insure healthy puppies with no obvious defects or illnesses, to be sure no puppies are retained in the uterus, to correct vaccination deficiencies, and to give the mother a hormone injection which will aid in contraction of the uterus and removal of the debris from stage 3.

The nursing period begins with the secretion of a complex milk-like substance called colostrum. Puppies nursing during the first 24 hours of life get antibodies from colostrum, giving them protection against diseases for the first few weeks of life. Puppies failing to nurse during the first few hours face a stormy start in life and may fail to survive.

Sick puppies, or those unable to survive the competitiveness of a large litter, soon become too weak to nurse. The result is a vicious cycle: the less they eat the weaker they become, and the weaker they become, the less they eat. Weak puppies require extra help; use an orphan formula to feed them. Several products are available over-the-counter for this purpose. For feeding instructions follow the label recommendations of the manufacturer.

Too weak to respond, many puppies fail to cry out in response to pain. Weak puppies are in danger of death and should be treated by your vet.

The nursing period places a heavy nutritional burden on the mother. The nutritional demands of nursing are greater than those of pregnancy, and close attention should be paid to proper feeding during this time. Dog foods of high quality and vitamin and mineral supplements are necessary.

Milk Fever

Eclampsia (known as milk fever) is a severe complication which can develop during the nursing period. The cause is a deficiency of calcium in the blood, resulting from rapid calcium loss into the milk during periods of high milk production. It is identified by severe convulsions and a rapid rise in body temperature. When it occurs, it is usually seen in the second week of nursing. Eclampsia is an emergency requiring immediate medical attention to prevent death.

Final Word

When the basic principles of reproduction are fully understood, the chances for successful mating will be greatly enhanced. However, the problem of how to deal with the excess puppies which result from over-breeding still remains. A number of methods are currently used to control vet over-population; none of them have been particularly successful, however, simply because of the enormous number of animals involved.

Again, attacking the problem at the source by halting unnecessary mating is a more sensible, and humane approach, than allowing dogs to mate indiscriminately and then seeking methods of disposing of the unwanted puppies.

When it is time for the female to give birth to her puppies, the 3 stages of birth allow the breeder to accurately assess the condition of both the health of the mother and the puppies. Once the allantoic membrane (or simply called the water-bag) has broken then you know labor is close.

True Labor

Stage 2 is the time of true labor. Hard and forceful abdominal contractions occur which results in the delivery of puppies. The first puppy should be born within two to three hours from the time these contractions start, and the interval between puppies should not exceed this length of time. If no puppy is born then contact your veterinarian immediately.

Upon seeing the head or feet presented, assist delivery (only if necessary) by applying gentle traction in synchrony with the abdominal contractions of the dam. Forcefully tugging and pulling to deliver a difficult puppy may inflict unnecessary injury.

Once the puppy is born, the mother will instinctively lick the placental membranes from it and severs the navel cord with her teeth. If she fails to remove the placental membranes enveloping the puppy, you must do it yourself or the puppy will suffocate. Tear them away gently and quickly. Free the head first, allowing the puppy to breathe, then swab out its mouth with gauze pads.

The placental membranes are slippery, so use gauze pads to aid in removing them. After the puppy is free, cut the navel cord two inches away from its body, using scissors boiled in water. To control excess bleeding, pinch the navel cord with your clean fingers until it stops. Tying the navel cord with thread or string, or a similar foreign substance, will invite infection, demands cautiousness, and is generally ill-advised.

After the bleeding has stopped, swab the navel cord with iodine, dry the puppy vigorously in a towel, and place it with the dam. If she is nervous about her new puppies then separate them from her and place them together in a box until delivery is complete.

Cesarean sections are needed when a dog, failing to deliver within a reasonable period of time, also fails to respond to medical methods if inducing labor. The majority of cesarean sections are done on the smaller breeds, which lack the powerful muscular contractions needed to deliver puppies naturally. This is a successful technique which, in most cases, results in live puppies.

The Final Stage Of Birth

Stage 3 is the final stage of labor. It occurs when the uterus contracts and begins to return to its normal size. As it contracts, fluids and placental membranes remaining from stage 2 are forced out.

If the future mother is due for vaccinations, have her vaccinated prior to (not during) pregnancy, since vaccines may cause adverse effects on fetal development if given during pregnancy.

Vaccinations before pregnancy accomplish two goals:

(1) They boost the future mother’s immunity.

(2) They provide the temporary immunity puppies need after birth for protection against diseases. (Puppies are not capable of building their own immunity until they are a few weeks old.)

If the mating is successful then pregnancy will follow; like metestrus it lasts two months, taking into account individual variation. Most vets can diagnose pregnancy four weeks after mating; earlier diagnosis is difficult.

One of the best available aids is good records, which tell when dogs are mated, give insights to previous breeding problems, and by their thoroughness, point out potential problems. Without benefit of breeding dates it is easier to determine that a dog is pregnant than to determine that it is not pregnant.

A good balanced diet and vitamin and mineral supplementation, which are vital during pregnancy, becomes much more important during nursing. Health problems related to pregnancy are uncommon in dogs. Although an occasional dog may abort, even this is not common. Most problems of practical concern involve breeding, delivery, and nursing.

Birth of The Puppies

The birth process, called parturition, is conveniently divided into three easily recognized stages. They are simple termed stage 1, stage 2, and stage 3. Stage 1 is the preliminary step to true labor. The female may act to prepare a nest and personality changes may become more evident (which include irritability, nervousness and pacing).

If the female’s body temperature falls too low then this may indicate serious diseases. The rectal temperature, should it fall from the normal range of 101 -102 degrees (F), is a meaningful indicator that birth may take place in the next 24 hours. Another sign of stage 1 is the rupture of the allantoic membrane, or water bag. Upon its rupture, a large volume of fluid is spent, which leaves no doubt that labor is near.

Following is stage 2 and stage 3, which is known as true labor and the nearing of the end of labor. The first puppy should be born within a few hours. If there are no puppies being born after several hours go by then you will need to call your veterinarian. A cesarean may be needed if there is a problem.

Dogs mate early in estrus in association with ovulation. There are three ways to determine when a female dog is ready to mate:

(1) Put her with a male and see if anything happens.

(2) Note when proestral bleeding starts and mark the 11th day on the calender, taking into account individual variations, then put her with a male and see if anything happens.

(3) When your dog is delivered from home to spend a night or two with a male, you may need an accurate account of the most likely mating time. Ask your vet to examine a vaginal smear. (It is often necessary to examine a series of smears on subsequent days to determine the proper time to mate.)

Anatomically, it is difficult for a male dog to separate himself from a female immediately after mating without causing injury. Because of this, dogs remain tied up together for 15 minutes or longer. This is completely natural and attempts at forceful separation risks injury.

When several male dogs mate one female, it is possible for more than one percentage to represent itself in the offspring. This is because the female ovulates several eggs at one time. Some of the eggs may be fertilized by one male and some by another.

A stray male dog may call unexpectedly, mating your female. Male dogs have been known to swim wide rivers, dig deep holes beneath fences, and tear planks away from barns to get to a female that is in heat.

When a mating accident occurs, avoid unwanted puppies by requesting your vet to inject a hormone to prevent pregnancy. Chances are good that pregnancy can be avoided if this is done during the first 24 to 48 hours after mating has occurred. (Keep in mind that many veterinarians may recommend a series of injections at weekly intervals and some vets may refuse to give abortion shots completely).

If Your Chosen Male Will Not Mate

Lacking experience, young male dogs may be a bit uncertain of what to do. Injections of male hormones may help, however, by the time the problem is apparent hormones are often too late to be effective. Make arrangements for a substitute in case the chosen pair will not mate. Male dogs with defective sperm cells often have a normal sex drive and a normal mating instinct; they will mate, but pregnancy will not result.

Artificial insemination serves as a substitute for natural mating when, for any reason, dogs refuse to mate. Sperm cells collected from the male by artificial means are inserted into the uterus of the female. This technique frequently results in pregnancy.