There is a reason you see pet shops in malls and strip shopping centers. These outlets are structured to take advantage of you emotions and try to prompt a impulse buy. While that may be good for the store owner and I might add the cute puppy at hand, it may not serve you best in the long run.
Pet shops are usually supplied by puppy mills. Puppy mills are interested solely in making money and have no regard for the puppies they supply or the well being of the animal. As long as it has four paws and a heart beat then they can make money. In some cases, they are ignorant of any knowledge about the dogs they breed.  The frequency in which they breed their dogs can sometimes make for very unhealthy puppies. This could spell doom for your puppy if he is predisposed to any life-threatening diseases.

One place to consider purchasing your puppy from is a dog breeder.  Reputable breeders make a point of giving their dogs the utmost care. Most not only care for their puppies, they give them love and attention they need Confirm with the breeder that vaccinations and other preventive care measures have been taken and that puppy has papers.  Papers certify his breed as what the breeder claims him to be, although a puppy neeed not be a pure bred to make a great pet. I will go so far as to say , some of the best dogs I have ever known were not pure bred. You can find breeders through referrals from friends and family.  If they are happy with the puppy they have, many will happily recommend their breeder to you.  The breeder may not carry the breed of puppy you are looking for, but they, in turn, can recommend the appropriate puppy breeder or a purebred rescue group looking for owners,

Local Humane Societies offer another option. Many puppies end up at humane societies because their previous owner didn’t take their decision to have a pet seriously.  Many times it’s something as simple as the previous owner got sick and could no longer care for the animal properly, but otherwise the animal is healthy and was well cared for and loved prior being taken to the humane society. The humane society shelters puppies that are waiting for you to give them a good home.  You may even find a purebred amongst the group.  Still choose carefully. Ask lots of questions and beware almost any puppy locked up in a small cage will look like the puupy of your dreams. Been there , done that.

Knowing where to buy a puppy is as important as what breed of puppy to buy.  Take advice from trusted friends about reputable breeders.  If in doubt, visit the humane society or dog rescue groups.  They will be glad to help in your search for the perfect puppy companion

Dogs like human are creatures of habit.  Giving them a routine makes them comfortable.  It also makes housetraining and housebreaking much easier to learn when things are done in the same way and at the same time everyday.

Puppies need to go to the bathroom more often when they are young.  Frankly it seems like that’s all they do when they are young They still need time to grow into their bodies.  So, how do you know how often to take puppy to the potty?  There is a very simple principle , that of followed will housebreak your puppy on no time. When you puppy eats or drinks, he is going to have to go very soon. My 5-year-old Golden Retriever was house broken in 2 days. Here is how its done

Set feeding times when you can be home to take puppy to the bathroom.  The hard part will be to maintain the same schedule on the weekends.  You may be tempted to sleep in, but for the sake of puppy and the various corners of your home, keep to the schedule. It is safe to assume he will have to go as soon as you get out of bed if he hasn’t already. Taking him out one last time before you retire works well until morning. Once he goes for the last time , do not offer food or water until the next morning. Don’t worry he will be fine.

When it is time to go outside, lead your puppy to the area that you have designated as his bathroom.  Be patient while he does his business.  Think up a command to use each time he goes to the bathroom.  These are called trigger words and they work like magic. Afterwards, praise him for doing well. I carried his my dogs favorite biscuits in my pocket each time he did well.

Do this as many times a day as you need to in order for puppy to remember the spot.  This includes using the same route to reach the back yard.  Keeping everything the same will help speed up the process and make it easier for your puppy to learn.  Be patient with your puppy as he learns his routine.

Understand this, your puppy will make mistakes. He cant help it he is a puppy after all.  If he is nervous or afraid, this can lead to his using the bathroom in the house where he is not supposed to go.  Yelling at him will only make the situation worse.  Rubbing his nose in his mess, is no way to discipline your puppy.

Wait until puppy is somewhere else in the room and then clean up his mistake.  Continue with your housetraining routine as before.  Cleaning up all of the mess keeps puppy from coming back to that spot later .He is little, but he will learn

Housetraining or housebreaking a puppy can be trying at times and patience is mandatory  .As you continue with the routine, your hard work will pay off with a well trained puppy. Remember not all kids get potty trained in the same time frame and not puppies will learn at the same pace. For aditional resources on housetraining your puppy check out this book

One of the decisions you will have to make is what kind of food your new puppy will eat. Puppies just like people need a balanced diet.  Don’t buy puppy food because the advertisements say that pets deserve gourmet food.  Your new puppy won’t be sitting at the table with a bib around his neck, at least I hope not A simple bag of puppy formula food will do.

Dry food is recommended for puppies and when we get to house breaking your puppy you will understand why. The brand that you choose is based on nutritious ingredients.  Buying the generic doggie kibble is not always the best choice.  If you need help, ask your vet for suggestions. Most vets will suggest something they sell in their offices, buyer beware rules apply here.

Bowls for water and food are needed for feedings.  One set will do and they don’t have to be fancy, just durable.  Place them in the area where puppy will regularly chow down on his meals. This is good basic puppy training technique.
You little guy will also need somewhere to sleep.  It may be cute the first few weeks to have puppy in the bed with you, but that will get real old real quick.  Puppy can toss and turn as he likes in his own bed.  Puppy may go through several beds before it’s all said and done so spending a lot on the first one is not advised.

A crate is where puppy will stay when traveling and when he needs to stay in one area of the house.  The crate should allow for growth but not be so large that puppy is scared of it.  Later, we will show puppy how to make nice with his second home. Crate training your puppy will be worth the effort

When you puppy needs to go outdoors, he will need to wear a leash.  Leashes come in all colors, shapes, and sizes.  Puppy’s leash should allow room for growth.  It just needs to keep him from getting away, not necessarily make a fashion statement.  Besides most puppies will probably chew on his leash the first few times you put it on him anyway, so spending a fortune on one, is not always a good choice.
To satisfy his chewing habits, give your puppy some chew toys.  Ones made for dogs are safer than giving him a real bone to gnaw on.  Pieces of the bone could chip off and cause a choking hazard for puppy.  Chew toys like bouncing balls could pose a choking hazard as well if they are smaller than puppy’s jaws.  So, be conscious about puppies play toys to make them fun, but more importantly, safe for puppy. Remember this, all puppies chew on anything they can get their teeth on, so provide him with lots of options and make sure he understands early on the house rules of chewing. For instance giving him a rawhide shoe to chew on, just told him its ok to chew shoes, even your expensive Gucci High Heels , Use discretion on items he is allowed to chew on

Puppies need a lot of attention, love and care.  He incurs expenses even before his arrival.  To make sure that your puppy’s first day with you is an enjoyable one for everyone involved, stock up on everything that he needs before bringing him home.

The first thing to do is decide on a crate.  The crate or carrier should be big enough for your puppy to turn around and lay down.  If the crate is too large, use a piece of cardboard as a divider.  There are many crates available with dividers. As your puppy grows, you can move the divider to one side as you need to.

Now don’t think for a minute that your new puppy is going to take a look at his new crate and jump right in. He will probably be leery of it at first. Just put it the location where he will stay and let him sniff around the crate and get used to it, just like he did other items in your home. Putting one or two of his favorite chew toys or his favorite blanket in the crate may entice him to try it out.

Puppy training is all about trust so don’t force him in the crate if he wanders in on his own and close the door. That will give him a reason not to trust you and you don’t want that. Once he is in the crate, use a command that puppy will associate with being in the crate.  Repeat the command every time he enters the crate.  Praise your puppy for his accomplishment.  I used to give my retriever a cookie every time he entered and took a nap, and it worked like a charm. The command used was rather simple as well, “Cody go get in your bed” and he walked right in.

Once he gets comfortable with his crate your next step is to close the door. This process is accomplished on day two of your crate traing , unless syou have a puppy that just falls in love with crate training and I haven’t met many of those dogs.

As your puppy enters the crate and you have given him his cookie or biscuit, close the door and leave the room for a few minutes, 5 at the most. Repeat the process until you have worked up to about 30 minutes. Your puppy may whine while he is in the crate.  Don’t get alarmed.  If you open the door and let him out, he will think that whining will work to get him out of his crate.  Instead, simply tell him to be quiet.

You are not being cruel to puppy, but teaching him.  Puppies are cute and will wrap you around their little finger.  This may seem harmless enough, but an unruly adult dog is not cute.  He could be big trouble.

With some discipline and patience, you will be able to put your puppy to bed , just like you do your kids , with a simple command. Actually he will probably listen better than your kids! Crate training is not hard , it just takes some love and patience

If you are an active, gregarious person, you’ll want a puppy who is the same way. Most people make this choice quite naturally Choosing a breed of dog that is, for lack of a better word, lazy or likes to stay in the house , laying around watching TV would be a mismatched decision.  A few good choices for an active person are breeds like Golden Retrievers or Labs These breeds of dog are loyal, like to run, and are friendly around other people. My retriever loves people, frankly he loves anything that moves, but that is what makes him fun

If your looking for a family friendly puppy, you may not want to start out with a large breed puppy if you have small children.  Large dogs can unintentionally injure children during play.  If the dog is territorial, like an Akita or a German Shepherd, they may make good guard dogs for your family, but will more than likely not be the best play companions for younger children.
Small breed puppies are more compatible with children and small living spaces.  They remain indoor dogs for the most part and as long as they get lots of love, attention and exercise, these smaller puppies do well.  Choose a breed like Bichon Frise, Boston Terrier, or Beagle,. They love the attention they get from people and are overall friendly companions. These breeds give the name lapdog a new meaning as they constantly seek and need attention

Many people want a puppy buddy, but don’t have the time or don’t want a puppy that will require lots of upkeep. Most dogs shed to some degree.  If you or someone in your house has allergies to pet dander a longhaired dog is probably not a good choice.  The puppy for you will have short or smooth body hair that only sheds less which will leave your home cleaner.  If you want a long-haired breed of puppy, be prepared for vacuuming often, maybe even every day in order to keep the hair under control.

You’ll also want to determine the sex of your new puppy.  While in most breeds, the male is more aggressive; this is not true of all breeds.  Males are thought to be more protective of the home and females as well as children, but both genders can have these characteristics.  The gender of your puppy is a choice that is up to you..

Finally, when choosing a new puppy make sure you think the process through and not jump at the first cute face you see. Making a hasty decision you spell disater for you and your new puppy. So take your time and choose wisely

• Ask someone that you trust about a puppy trainer.  Your veterinarian is a good resource.
• You can talk to friends with dogs that have been through the puppy training process.
• Interview puppy trainers just like you did with the puppy breeders and veterinarians.  Prepare a list of questions.  Find out how long they have been in the dog training business.  Dog trainers are not regulated by government agencies
• Training sessions that encourage family or owner participation is the best choice.  Some trainers may offer private lessons with puppy or dog only sessions.  While puppy needs to learn how to interact with other animals, he also needs to interact with you.
• If for any reason you are unsatisfied with the quality of training, withdraw from the dog training class.  Second-rate training will affect puppy in the long run.  You are paying for the sessions and are entitled to the best for your puppy.