Choosing your new puppie is a huge decision

Puppies are so cute and cuddly that choosing your newest family member can be a huge decision.
Here are 5 decisions every soon-to-be owner should make before purchasing their new companion.

Do You Want Puppies That Are Lovers or Loners?

From the wallflower to the football captain, from the high-powered CEO in New York to the hermit in the Himalayas, as humans, we all have different levels of social interaction. Dogs are no different. One of the first questions you should ask yourself before buying your puppy should be: "How many humans is my pet going to regularly encounter?"

As any dog owner will tell you, most puppies have more energy than they know what to do with at anytime, anywhere. This is all well and good until the dog matures into your full-grown canine. Suddenly, you could be stuck with a dog who enjoys being attached to only one or two humans in a household of twelve or a party animal (literally) tied down to a home with a lone owner.

Did you know that certain breeds have been discovered to have vastly different social skills? Did you know, for example, that golden retrievers have been proven to thoroughly enjoy groups of people, including large families? Or that pugs love living the quiet life? This is one of the most underestimated mistakes made in future puppy owners today. Don't make it!

Will Your Puppies Spend Their Lives Outdoors or Indoors?One of the most common decisions made when buying puppies is considering where their future will be spent: A small apartment with no outdoor option or a country home with a 3-acre backyard? This distinction will play a huge part in the future happiness of your baby canine.

Most vets advise owners to keep their pet indoors for the first few weeks to months, but once they have reached the age where outdoor life is safe, will you want to keep them inside or show them the backyard? Don't think this is important? Certain breeds put outdoors can actually decline in health due to the elements! Be informed!

Rottweilers, Mastiffs, and Siberian Huskies are just a few of the dogs that have been bred through the centuries for rugged life outdoors, and won't mind it a bit.

However, Schnauzers and Terriers are among those breeds that thrive indoors, not out.

Will Your Puppies be Massive or Miniature When Full-Grown?

Despite what they say, size matters. As a matter of fact, when picking out your future companion, this is often considered the most crucial of all decisions made. Larger dogs can be quite the hassle physically speaking, but many owners would love the exchange of sacrifice for those huge hunks of love. Other owners would love nothing more but to hold their toy-sized Toto to their chest, despite their irrepressible Napoleon complex.Though your puppies may start out small, rest assured that they will grow, either by a few inches, or a few feet! Whether you end up picking a Great Dane or a Chihuahua, be certain that your new loved one will be the perfect size for you.

Split up into five sections determined by weight, take a gander at the lists of breeds by size: Toy Dog Breeds; 2-9 lbs. (Maltese, Chihuahua, Pomeranian), Small Dog Breeds; 7-35 lbs.(Beagle, Bichon frise, Dachshund), Medium Dog Breeds; 35-65 lbs.(Border collie, English bulldog, Pointer), Large Dog Breeds; 55-85 lbs.(Afghan, Standard Poodle, Weimaraner), and Giant Dog Breeds; 75-120+ lbs.(Bullmastiff, Great Dane, Bloodhound)

Do You Need to be Cautious of Puppies That Set Off Allergies or Not?

For some puppy buyers, this decision never even crosses their mind. However, those allergic to dogs can tell you the importance of picking a puppy that doesn't shed when full-grown. Whether there is a loved one already in your life that is allergic to dogs or you would like to be conscientious for future family and friends, dogs that don't shed can be life-savers.

Medically speaking, most humans are not allergic to dogs themselves or their hair. They are actually allergic to the dandruff that can often be found attached to the dogs' hair. For highly sensitive humans, a dog can be a walking minefield while a shedding dog is a force to be reckoned with.


Do You Want Puppies That Will be Solo or Sociable?

Dogs in general are animals that have always traveled and lived in packs. However, certain breeds are specially suited to a solo existence without other dogs. Much like Decision #1, a potential puppies purchaser needs to ask him/herself: "How many other dogs is my pet going to regularly encounter?", the difference being ¡¥other dogs' rather than "other humans".

Certain breeds truly do enjoy a solo life, being very territorial and independent all by their selves. Many are notorious for their "Alpha-dog" mentalities that can be so frustrating when you place two together. These breeds just adore being the top dog in their household, and if you own only one, more power to you; they will live happily flying solo.            Do You Need to be Cautious of Puppies That Set Off Allergies or Not?For some puppy buyers, this decision never even crosses their mind. However, those allergic to dogs can tell you the importance of picking a puppy that doesn't shed when full-grown. Whether there is a loved one already in your life that is allergic to dogs or you would like to be conscientious for future family and friends, dogs that don't shed can be life-savers.

Medically speaking, most humans are not allergic to dogs themselves or their hair. They are actually allergic to the dandruff that can often be found attached to the dogs' hair. For highly sensitive humans, a dog can be a walking minefield while a shedding dog is a force to be reckoned with.
                                     

Puppies

A puppy is a juvenile dog. Some puppies may weigh 1–3 lb (0.45–1.4 kg), while larger ones can weigh up to 15–23 lb (6.8–10 kg). All healthy puppies grow quickly after birth. A puppy's coat color may change as the puppy grows older.

Born after an average of 63 days of gestation, puppies emerge in an amnion that is bitten off and eaten by the mother dog. Puppies begin to nurse almost immediately. If the litter exceeds six puppies, particularly if one or more are obvious runts, human intervention in hand-feeding the stronger puppies is necessary to ensure that the runts get proper nourishment and attention from the mother. As they reach one month of age, puppies are gradually weaned and begin to eat solid food. The mother may regurgitate partially digested food for the puppies or might let them eat some of her solid food to nurse, the mother dog usually refuses after this age, though she might let them occasionally nurse for comfort.

At first, puppies spend the large majority of their time sleeping and the rest feeding. They instinctively pile together into a heap, and become distressed if separated from physical contact with their littermates, by even a short distance.

Puppies are born with a fully functional sense of smell but can't open their eyes. During their first two weeks, a puppy's senses all develop rapidly. During this stage the nose is the primary sense organ used by puppies to find their mother's teats, and to locate their litter-mates, if they become separated by a short distance. Puppies open their eyes about nine to eleven days following birth. At first, their retinas are poorly developed and their vision is poor. Puppies are not able to see as well as adult dogs. In addition, puppies' ears remain sealed until about thirteen to seventeen days after birth, after which they respond more actively to sounds. While between two to four weeks old, puppies usually begin to growl, bite, wag their tails, and bark.

Puppies develop very quickly during their first three months, particularly after their eyes and ears open and they are no longer completely dependent on their mother. Their coordination and strength improve, they spar with their litter-mates, and begin to explore the world outside the nest. They play wrestling, chase, dominance, and tug-of-war games.

Puppies are highly social animals and spend most of their waking hours interacting with either their mother or littermates. It is important that puppies are socialized with humans, particularly between the ages of eight and twelve weeks, so as to encourage healthy interaction and develop the puppy's social skills around people. Puppies ideally should be exposed to as wide a variety of friendly people as possible during this period. Dogs that do not receive adequate socialization during this sensitive period may display fearful behavior around humans or other dogs as adults.

Some breeds traditionally have their tails cropped anywhere from slightly, partially to almost entirely. Some countries now ban cropping and docking for cosmetic purposes, while others have no such prohibitions. Some breeders also prefer to declaw the dogs to prevent future injuries caused by scratching, or in the case of dewclaws, ingrown and ripped off nails. Docking and declawing procedures are usually performed within the first few days after birth, by a veterinarian, or by an experienced breeder. The practice of docking primarily began as a preventative measure for injury among dogs that worked in environments that led to a high incidence of tail injuries.