Deciding to bring a puppy into your family is a commitment that should not be taken frivolously. Most dog breeds live between 10 to 15 years. Your puppy will be with you for a long time to come and getting a puppy is not a choice that should be taken frivolously.

The first step when choosing a purebred dog as a family pet is to find a well-respected and respectable puppy breeder. The best breeders are concerned about avoiding health and behavior troubles and they are dedicated to bringing out the best of their chosen breed.

Before looking at puppies you should try to spend some time with an grown-up dog of the chosen breed. Talk to breeders, local dog obedience trainers and other owners.

The numerous breeds all have diverse individuality that you will need to take into consideration. Make sure that the breed that you choose has qualities that you can live with. For example, some dogs shed an enormous quantity and there are some breeds that make a deep howling noise called “baying”. If you have a difficulty with a noisy dog those breeds may not be a good choice for you. Same with the hair, if you cannot abide dog hair on your furnishings you may want to get a different type of dog. Of if your family tends to be quieter and calmer a boisterous little Terrier or a Chihuahua may not fit into your family unit.

Go to your community pet store or call your veterinarian and find out their opinions of the breed and if they are familiar with any regular wellbeing problems that show up in that breed. If there are any concerns that you should be aware of it is nice to know before you visit the breeder and see the cute puppies.

You will also need to do some investigation into breed exclusive ailments. Certain breeds are prone to various genetic problems such as cleft palate, hip dysplasia or in the case of the lovable little Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, heart mitral valve disease.

The dog obedience trainers from your local area often see many of the diverse breeds and they can be a excellent source of balanced information. They can often give you some good tips in what to look for in the breed of puppy that you want.

A puppy will be a prized and adored part of your family for many years to come and you should make the decision based on good information. You will probably want to choose your puppy when he is about 7 to 8 weeks old and that is just the age when they are the cutest. Falling in love at first sight is easy with a cute puppy but you will be living with your grown-up dog for the many years to come.

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