BreederBuddy

Abhishek Agarwal asked:


In choosing your best friend, there are two ways. One is friendship at first sight, which does not brook anything else even if sick or having some deformity. The other way is to look for one who has the potential to become a good friend over a period of time.

NO, this is not a social message, but about finding a dog for you. After all, it is said that a dog is a person’s best friend. Right? If it is friendship or love at first sight, nothing needs be done, except to find out whether that friend has any ailments, and finding the right treament, and taking it home; the rest is an emotional tie and its breed, or heritage is of no consequence. If it is true friendship, then you will adjust your medical problems such as allergies by taking suitable care of yourself and your pet. That’s the easiest part; friendship, or love, if you will, at first sight.

What about the second? Looking for a friend, which is not love at first sight, but will develop over a period of time? Well, you have to look at yourself first in this case. If you or any family member has allergies, which can cause problems, a little care is necessary to choose a friend, who will not disturb your particular environment, but would add value to it. That’s why finding a good dog breeder is important. You need to look for a breed that is hypoallergenic dog. Hypoaallergenic means simply that the persona or the dog does not cause, or may cause very little allergic reactions. This is one of nature’s marvels that some dogs have it and some don’t have it.

The best way to find out is to do some research yourself. Today, you have tools at your command, right under your nose, or to put it differently, lying dormant on your computer system. Yes, you can use the internet to find out which types of dogs are hypoallergic, their history, and geographical area from where they originated, where you can find them, and so on.

One of the best methods that this author knows is to locate a Kennel Club. Why this is recommended is because the members of the Kennel Club are people like you and me, who love dogs so much that they maintain a meticulous record of each type of dog, their parents and siblings, and have a vast trove of information, which they exchange amongst themselves. Further, they guide people like me, who is a total novice, in choosing the right type of dog, and point me to the breeders whom they have faith in, and where you can sure you won’t be passed off with one that is quite not right.

There are a lot of breeders of these types of dogs, which are hypoallergenics, and their names, their nature, their requirements, and their ailments are available at different sites,including with the Kennel Club.

If you do go to a breeder, the chances of your falling for one which catches your fancy, and the emotional bond is strong, then, there is every chance of your falling into the first category above described. Even if that happens, some care needs to be exercised. You must enquire about its ailments, the treatments given, if any, how it looks, does it meet your requirements, will it fit into your home - particulary when you are looking at a dog which is hyperactive, and requires lots of space to expend its energy. Obviously if you live in an apartment, that would not match the dog’s temparament. Instead of becoming a friend, it may turn out to be a friend, but surly, and not really caring for your companionship. So you have to choose wisely.

There are breeders who are gentlemen; it is not quite correct to say that all are out to make a quick buck.That’s not fair. It is for you to make the necessary enquiries, and then decide. Caveat Emptor - Let the buyer beware - applies equally here just as in the case of other goods and merchandise you purchase.

Don’t hurry your decision. Take your time, and visit the other breeders you may have been recommended to visit. Visit all of them, and apply the same rules. In doubt, always request a Member of the Kennel Club to help you; the max they will want from you is possibly a pickup and drop, and may ask you to join their club. It will be worth that time and money. These people have an eye for detail, and know all about the dog you are looking for. And they know its market value. They can spot a sick dog, just by a glance or by a simple technique: they carry dog biscuits in their pockets, believe it or not! And by a simple offering from them, because of their empathy, which the dog senses, they can make out far more than you about the dog. And yes, they can best the breeder in talking all types of medical lingo, which you are used to in human hospitals.

You can also try to seek the help of a veterinian in your area. As a specialist, they would be dealing with all sorts of breeds of dogs, and know who is coming in, whether a breeder, or a owner, and would have a good idea of the breeder, because the cases keep coming in; practice makes them perfect guides for you, just as the enthusiasts of the Kennel Club.

We wish you all the luck, and hope that there is love at first sight; and if it is not so in your case, then what we have outlined helps you to find a dog which meets your requirement and does not empty your purse!