Help... considering adopting a dog....?

Question

I need help from an expert here...

My family wishes to get another dog. I found an add for a long haired, mini dauchsand. I called and the woman is a breeder. This dog is a male 9 months old. She said that she didn't not place him with the rest of hte litter because he was very shy and timid and everyone was interested in getting an "active,clownish" pup. She chose to keep him to work with him for a while to get him to not be so timid. She said that he has never shown aggression and she claims he is housebroken.

My concerns are:
1. He is not neutered. Wouldn't the breeder have neutered him? She claims that he has not been bred.

2. How much does this breed shed? I have a shih tzu mix and he barely sheds at all. I must admit that I am not a big fan of dog hair all over the place.

3. How can I best assess this dog's personality?

4. How can I best assess the validity of the breeder's statements and trust what she is telling me in regards to this situation.

Answer 1

I would be a bit concerned about the fact that the breeder didn't neuter him. He obviously isn't going to be shown, so a reputable breeder would require neutering. There's no reason for her to wait to have it done. I would ask if her contract for pet-quality dogs requires neutering. If not, I would go somewhere else. Mandatory neutering/spaying is the sign of a responsible breeder.

They shed about as much as the average dog.

The best way to assess the dog's personality is to observe him in person. Does he willingly come up to you in a friendly manner? That's a good sign. If he doesn't approach you or if it takes several minutes, he is still a shy dog. If he is friendly with you, I would then check to see how he reacts to unusual noises or items (whistle or clap your hands; take something out of your bag and put it on the floor). Does he investigate it (even if a bit hesitant) or seem unfazed? Good. If he won't go near the item, barks and appears panicked, or runs away, he is still a shy dog.

I don't know if there's any way to truly know whether the breeder is lying or not. I would start by contacting the local breed club (you should be able to track down contact info by going to the AKC web site) and see if they have had any complaints or praise about her.

Answer 2

First off, good choice in maybe adopting a Dachshund! I just got a puppy and she is just great and so cute. (long hair, female, dapple)

1. Is she a reputable breeder? If you personally know her, I would trust her. Plus once/if you adopt the puppy, take him to the vet and he can tell you weither or not he has been bred, plus can neuter him for you.

2. My dachshund is only 9 1/2 weeks now and she doesnt shed that much. I mean, there's hair here and there but nothing major. ( I am not a big fan of dog hair either!) I cut the ends of her coat to make sure it doesnt get that long. You can always go to your local PetsMart and ask them if they have a minute to teach you how to trim his coat when he gets older (thats what I did).

3. When I first got Casey (my dachshund) she was reallllly shy. When I introduced her to her crate she never left it! It was really a hassle. But then I just left her on her own, and I would just sit near the cage and let her come sniff me out. After about 3 days she was fine, and now she follows me everywhere!

I would ask if you could spend a little time with the dog (at the breeders house? or ask for a meeting) to see if the dog gets used to you over time. Even if he turns out to be shy, you can always socialize him. Your Shih tzu mix can help with that! Also PetsMart (can you tell I love petsmart?) has a puppy training class, which is inexpensive compared to other places I've went, and usually at the end of the session the puppys get to socialize.

4. I would ask her out to lunch to talk about the puppy and its personality/behavior. Or ask if you can come over to see the dog before you make a decision (and other dogs to see the conditions). If she doesn't let you in the house or does not want to meet up, you can probably guess that she is only breeding dogs for money and not quality. But at least you could be saving him from that situation, right?


Casey (my beautiful dachshund) and I wish you good luck with your decision!
:]

Answer 3

Breeders don't usually get purebreds neutered in case someone wants to breed him that buys him. You can do that yourself.

A mini dauschand will shed, but not enough to leave everywhere, just make sure you use a rake brush daily to remove loose hair

You can best see the dogs personality by bringing your dog to the breeders and let them interact and you interacting with the puppy for awhile before you decide. Maybe even more then one visit.

Answer 4

Honestly, I wouldn't recommend getting the dog through a breeder. To many can't be trusted and are nothing more then puppy mills. It's really sad.
Why not consider adopting a mini-dachshund from the SPCA or a local dachshund rescue.

Answer 5

Ask the owner if you could spend an hour or so with the dog. If the owner says yes ask her if you can be in a room alone with the dog. Sit in a spot in the room *be sure to be pretty quitet* with a dog treat in your hand. Wile in the room look at his behavior. Bring a puzzle toy and put a treat in it, does he want to get the treat out of the toy, does he seem playful? Also bring some toys see if he wants to play. Wile in the room if he lets you, pet him and softley talk to him. If he just lays in a corner, slowley walk towreds him see what he does.

Answer 6

You should ask the breeder to meet the dog..

Answer 7

Best thing to do would be to take a experienced dog trainer to check its qualities and disqualifications.

Answer 8

be careful... shy pups may be cute, but they can be unhappy or depressed in adulthood