If you're considering adding a new pet to your household, make sure you put a lot of thought into your decision. A new pet should never be an impulse purchase or a holiday gift for a child unless you've consulted with your entire family and made the commitment together. And you should absolutely never purchase or adopt a pet for someone else without their knowledge and permission!
Many behavior and health problems in pets can be prevented by seeking guidance before obtaining a new pet. Topics to research include the species, breed, age, and sex of the pet, where to obtain the pet and how the kennel or cattery, breeder, and pets can best be assessed. Topics to help you prepare your home include housing, bedding, feeding, training, exercise, scheduling and health care requirements.
What breed is best for my home and family?
The first decision is whether to obtain a purebred or a mixed breed. By selecting a mixed breed from a pound, you have a chance to save an unwanted pet in need. You avoid some of the genetic problems associated with purebreds and the initial cost to acquire the pet will be considerably lower. However, the best way to predict the behavioral and physical attributes of an adult dog or cat is to obtain a purebred from known parentage. This is particularly important when selecting a puppy or kitten. Unless you can see the parents, it is extremely difficult to predict the size, health, or behavior of the offspring.
If you choose a purebred pet, it should be a breed whose physical and behavioral characteristics best suit your family and lifestyle. First select a few breeds that appeal to you in physical appearance, including coat type, size and shape. But weigh heavily the personality of the breed a high-energy athletic dog may not work well for older individuals or families with small children, for instance. Also consider that the lifespan, since the giant breeds of dogs live considerably shorter lives than smaller breeds.
Watch dog shows to observe the appearance of the adult dog of each breed. Do some reading on dog or cat breeds of your choice. There are a variety of books, CD ROMs and Internet sites that can help to guide you through the selection process. Some books concentrate on the physical characteristics, history of the breed, or health concerns, while others cover breed behavioral characteristics, and how to select individuals from a breeder, shelter, or litter. Behavioral factors to consider as you try to decide upon a breed of dog include activity level, exercise requirements and any reported behavior problems of the breed. Perhaps the most important factor to consider is the origin of the breed as the traits and behaviors for which the breed has been bred and selected (herding, protection, hunting, etc.) are the most strongly inherited. Once you have narrowed the selection down to a few breeds, your veterinarian can guide you regarding the physical and behavioral problems that you need to be aware of for each breed.
At what age should I obtain a pet?
Puppies are most social from about 3 to 12 weeks of age. For the first seven to eight weeks primary socialization should be directed to other puppies and littermates to aid a puppy to develop healthy social relationships with other dogs. From seven weeks on, well before the socialization period ends, socialization should be directed to people, new environments and other pets. For these reasons, the ideal time to select and obtain a new puppy is at 8 weeks of age. This allows adequate time to be in its new home and bond to its new family, well before its primary socialization period ends.
Since the most receptive period for kitten socialization is 3 to 9 weeks of age, a kitten should either be obtained by 8 weeks of age, or the new owners must ensure that the kitten has had adequate human contact prior to 7 weeks of age. Don't obtain a kitten much earlier than 7 weeks since this deprives it of social contact with its mother and littermates.
Acquiring an adult dog or cat can avoid some of the problems of bringing a new puppy or kitten into the home. This is especially true for dogs where the time and commitment required to train a puppy are considerable. Fulfilling the play, feeding, elimination, and exercise needs of a puppy or kitten may be impractical for a family who spends much of the day away from home. On the other hand, an adult dog or cat that has had insufficient or inappropriate training or insufficient socialization may have behavior problems that are difficult to resolve.
Should I consider a male or female pet?
In dogs, males tend to be slightly larger than females of the same breed and somewhat more dominant. Neutering of male dogs reduces behaviors such as mounting, roaming, urine marking, and aggression directed toward other male dogs. Neutering in cats reduces urine odor and behavior traits such as roaming, fighting, and urine marking (by about 90%).
Where should I obtain my pet?
Perhaps the most important reason to obtain a pet from a breeder or private home is to observe the physical characteristics, health and behavior of the parents. Choose a breeder who is open and willing to answer questions, and who will allow you to tour the kennel and meet the parents. When a puppy or kitten is obtained from a breeder or private home you are also able to observe the early environment and assess the exposure to people that the pet has had. A personal relationship with the breeder may be helpful should later problems arise. Be certain to ask your veterinarian to prepare you with appropriate questions for the breeder including eye examinations, hip dysplasia certification for the parents and any other health or behavioral problems to which the breed may be prone. Dogs or cats acquired from pet stores or puppy mills may have received insufficient early socialization, are at higher risk for contracting disease, and the parents cannot be observed. If you adopt from a shelter, be sure it is a reputable organization with clean facilities, healthy animals and an ongoing relationship with a local veterinarian.
How do I decide which pet to choose?
Dogs can be observed and handled to determine which ones are the most sociable, playful, or affectionate. Those with undesirable traits such as shyness, or uncontrollable biting may be less suitable. Different puppy temperament tests have been detailed in the literature, but there is no good available evidence that they are predictive of future behavior. One advantage in selecting an adult pet is that it might be possible for a trained observer to be able to accurately assess the pet's temperament and personality to determine what behavior problems might arise.
For cats, three personality types have been identified: 1) sociable 2) timid and unfriendly or 3) active and aggressive. Because the socialization period for litters ends earlier than in dogs, early handling is extremely important. Kitten assessment tests can be a valuable tool in determining the effects of genetics, socialization and early handling. If the cat tolerates handling, lifting and petting with little or no fear or resistance it is likely to make a good family pet. Fearful, timid, hard to restrain or aggressive cats should be avoided.