I'm looking to pick out a pup from a littler of 1 month old labrador's this weekend. I'm going to be a first time dog owner and so I need advice on the whole gamut of dog-buying concerns. This is the info I have so far:

Both parents are purebreed labs, but the owner has no paperwork (he crossed his girl with a friend's male). He said I'd just have to trust him and could come look at both parents, saying that both are clearly from a pure line of lab. Dad is 4 years old, mom is 3.5 years old. Neither have had any health problems so far.

The pups are 1 month old tomorrow. He took them all to get checked out by the vet, and they're fine. There were 9 dogs in the litter but the last one didn't make it past day 1 because it got squeezed by the mother in the 'dogloo' (igloo for dogs?). Said he had taken it to the vet but they couldn't do anything for it. They don't have any of their shots and haven't been registered/licensed. He said it would be around $70-80 to get that stuff done.

My concerns:

Are the puppies healthy.
Will they have any long-term health problems.
How do I choose the fittest (alpha?) out of the litter.
Is it gonna be a full time job like people say it is to raise it in the early-goings.
How expensive are they (Neutering?).

I'm well-prepared for the commitment and have the space/accommodations the puppy will need. I'm just a little un-knowledgeable having never owned a dog before (I have a small rabbit though). I know there are some pretty wise dog owners on here so hopefully I can get some help (picturepro? 05turbo?).

 

Pick a dog, give him a 20% deposit.

In a written contract, 20% deposit, you get to take the pet to the vet. Pet checks out healthy, you give the final 80%. If pet is not healthy, breeder can pay for vet cost to get dog up to health, or you can get deposit back or use deposit for another 1 in the litter.



BC

 

Lab= you need a yard.

American Lab= Hyper most of the time. They need to be exercise daily, or they can be destructive.

English Lab= Bigger face, less active as american.

Having a pet is like having a child. Buy pet health care insurance, follow the guidelines, and try to keep your pets indoors.

A pet is a lifetime "infant". You need to take care of them, pick up their poop, pee, and importantly train them. If you are thinking about leaving your pets (outdoor) be aware that they can and will bark. If you work 8-10 hours a day with no help, and leaving them in the backyard, then you might want to think twice.

Animal control for noise pollution is no fun.

 

Puppies...or dogs in general are a lot of work. They need daily excercise, attention and a nice environment to live in. The first few months are tough. Getting the puppy potty trained, crate trained, etc...takes some patience. But in the end dogs are only as great as their owners. Dogs will show you love no matter what.

 

 

When you book a hotel for travel, you book them a hotel too. (You'll know what I mean)

 

You could let them fight it out?

Pick the one that bonds with you right away. Roll around on the floor and see which one wants to play (don't get any poo on you -- puppies poo everywhere). If it were me, I'd go with the calmest pup and not the spazmoids.

 

Hmmm, interesting idea. Logistically difficult but I'll try to figure it out.

We have a back and front yard so that should be covered. How much is dog health insurance? We'll be able to care for it, someone's at home throughout the day.

Yep, just looking to get past the potty training stage and we'll be good to go. How long do you think most dogs take to get potty trained?

Yeah, I'm thinking about going with the calm but confident one somewhere in the middle of the litter. Good thing is I'm the first one to schedule seeing the litter so I should get the first pick of the bunch.

 

If the owner don't feel comfortable, they can go to the vet with you. You pay for the exam, and if it checks out, exchange money on site.

Petinsurance.com

Runs about 33.00 a month. Look at the PDF sch. of benefits.

 

Have you considered rescuing one? Just hear me out for a second. Getting a puppy for a first dog is a lot like becoming a first time parent. Sometimes you mess up on the first kid, but start to get the training right by the 2nd and 3rd . Puppies take a lot of work, but most of the time rescued dogs are already fairly trained. There are also breed specific rescues out there that are over capacity and in desperate need of new homes or even just foster homes, sometimes they even have puppies. Sure these dogs may not be purebred with papers (although some are) it looks like the puppy you will be buying won't have papers either.

It is your choice, nobody is going to think any less of you if you buy from a "breeder". I'm just saying to think about it before you jump into it, you may be able to give a homeless dog a second chance at a good life. I'll shut up now.