What to Know About Looking to Buy Puppies

Know Yourself and Your Family

• Understanding your reason for wanting a puppy is the best place to start and the first thing to know. For example, some want a puppy for companionship or for a playmate while others want a puppy they can eventually show in breed classes or train for agility competition.

  Evaluate your lifestyle. A couch potato may not be the best choice for those wanting to explore the world with their new best friend, while a high-energy breed will be an equally bad choice for someone who rarely leaves their home. If you have small children, consider dress-up days and the possibility of well-intentioned manhandling in your evaluation. A high-strung dog may not react well to this type of treatment, no matter how well intentioned.

  Determine how much time you have to devote to a new puppy. Training a new puppy can be time consuming and is a big responsibility. Some breeds are easier to train than others are and some will test your patience every day.

  Consider your budget. In addition to the normal expenses such as food and vet care that you incur with any pet, some breeds require special and more expensive care. Long haired breeds may require regular trips to the groomers, breeds prone to health problems may require more trips to the vet, dogs prone to roaming may require you to install a fence around your yard.

  Consider these possibilities, and any others you may come up with, and make a list of your requirements. Then move on to begin matching your requirements to breed and breed characteristics.

Know Your Breeds

• A good place to start is at the American Kennel Club website. The site lists information pertaining to breed, breed temperament and characteristics, offers a breeder referral service and lists numerous rescue groups. If the opportunity presents itself, visiting a dog show is another good idea. Breeders and showers are passionate about their dogs and most times will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

  Do not overlook rescue groups or your local animal shelter. Once you have a general idea of which breeds match your requirements, you will be in a better position to evaluate the suitability of a mixed-breed puppy.

Know Your Puppy

• Once you complete your research and settle on a breed (or mix of breeds), it is time to start looking in earnest. Though at this point it may be difficult to keep emotions under control, the more you do, the better your chance of finding the right puppy will be. While every puppy in the litter or at the shelter may tug at your heartstrings and beg to come home with you, there are still some things to consider.

  Evaluate each puppy as an individual. Though you may have an enormous amount of information about the breed and generally know what to expect, each puppy will have his or her own personality traits and characteristics. Sit quietly and let the puppies get over the excitement of a new visitor and then evaluate how they interact with each other and with you. Watch for evidence of dominance or aggression in very outgoing puppies or extreme fear in more timid puppies. Check the puppies over to make sure they look healthy and they have clear eyes, moist noses and clean coats.

  Once you find a puppy that looks like it might be "the one" put it through an aptitude test. An aptitude test is a series of 10 simple exercises that use a scoring system to help you better assess a puppy's potential as the perfect fit for you. For example, one exercise involves restraining the puppy and can help you determine how the puppy will handle difficult situations, while another assesses following behavior to indicate the potential for roaming.