by: Gary Nave

AWWWWW…who can resist the innocence of a small puppy? Puppies can provide so much joy and companionship in a person's life. As they say, dogs are man's best friend. Doing some research before getting your puppy could save you a lot of aggravation and unnecessary frustration. If you plan properly, you will be very happy with your choice.

Some of the questions that might be important to you could be: are you planning to breed the puppy, are you planning to show the puppy, will this breed of puppy be good with children (if there are children or will be children in the house), what purpose would you have for the puppy, whether it be for hunting, guarding the house, or simply a house dog, these are all questions that you need to think about.

Visiting some pet stores to see if they have the breed available would be a start. Checking online for particular breeders would be another option. Checking your local SPCA would really be a help not only for the puppy, but also for the facility.

Puppies with AKC (American Kennel Club) papers can be very costly depending on the breed and the line from which the dog came from. Puppies that are for show must be certified with papers, so if you are planning to show the dog, you have no other alternative but to purchase your puppy from a breeder or pet store that provides papers for him. If your puppy is for your child, and not for showing, it would be a better choice to either adopt from the SPCA or buy one without papers; the cost will be greatly reduced.

Once you find the puppy you wish to buy, immediately take him to your veterinarian to have his shots and check-up. Secondly, sign him up for puppy training classes, this way, as an adult dog, he will have manners and possibly know a few tricks!

Be sure you get the same kind of puppy food that the previous owner (whether it is from a breeder or a pet supply store) fed the puppy. If you want to change his food, do so gradually by mixing some of the current food with the new kind you want to switch to. This not only helps to avoid diarrhea, but doesn't shock the puppy's system.

Also, be sure to register him for a license for the state in which you live. You must register each dog you have on an annual basis. The fee is minimal (especially for the dog that is sterilized) but the violation or citation if you are caught with an unlicensed pet is extremely costly. Be sure to also buy some personalized identity tags for the pet with his name, your name, address and telephone number. You will be thankful you did in case he happens to dig a hole under your fence and wander around the neighborhood.

Have lots of fun choosing your puppy, he will be part of your family for a long time!