How to Choose a Puppy

Preparing to welcome a new dog to your family is an exciting time. Regardless of whether you will be searching shelters or interviewing breeders, it is important to do some research on what type of dog will mesh best with your lifestyle.

1. Puppy or adult? Adopting a puppy allows you to choose a dog with a temperament best suited to you and puts you in control of his early education. However, puppies require a lot of time, training and patience. If you do not have a lot of time for housetraining, socialization and obedience work, adopting an adult dog might be a better choice.

2. Breed: This is a very important consideration that requires careful thought and study. Many types of dogs have been specifically bred for certain habits and temperament. You and your future dog will be happiest if  you share common interests. For example, if you are a confirmed couch potato, a high energy border collie is not a great choice. Consider also the anticipated adult size of the canine candidates. If you live in a studio apartment, a St. Bernard puppy may not be a good fit for long!

Meet and interact with each of the puppies in a litter
to determine each pup's temperament.

3. Temperament: A dog's temperament is his personality. When selecting a puppy from a litter, observe how he interacts with his littermates. A confident puppy--who stands over or chases the others--is more likely to be strong-willed and dominant as an adult. The puppy hiding in the corner is more likely to have anxiety later on. A puppy who plays easily with his littermates, but happily follows you around when removed from the litter is a well-adjusted puppy.

If you are considering a shelter or rescue dog, find out as much as you can about his history and socialization. How does he interact with volunteers and other dogs in the shelter? How does he behave during feedings, on walks, in the kennel, when groomed?

The important thing to remember about temperament is that it is an innate part of the dog's personality. Training will NOT change his personality, but his personality will affect the type of training he will need.

4. Age at Adoption: Sadly, some very serious behavior issues stem from removing a puppy too early from his mother and littermates. Just because a puppy is weaned and eating dry dog food does NOT mean he is mature enough to leave his mother. Essential neurological and social development occurs during and after the time of weaning. Pups that leave the litter before they are 8 weeks old are at much higher risk of being fearful and anxious. Trainer Maryna Ozuna describes Five Week Puppy Syndrome for International Association for Canine Professionals Safe Hands Journal (Winter 2009-10):

• excessive mouthiness
• lack of bite inhibition
• hard biting at extraordinarily young ages
• lack of tolerance to sensory stimulation: touch, noise, visual confusion
• lack of tolerance about most anything in general
• lack of ability to generalize
• slowness of learning
• difficulty sequencing concepts and learning
• lack of bounce back
• easily confused
• highly vocal when upset or confused
• high startle response (startles easily and extremely at low stimuli)

The "piling" of puppies seen here is crucial to the normal
neurological and social development of the dog. Taking a
puppy from the litter before 8 weeks old can hinder
proper development leading to anxiety, aggression and
training disabilities.

In recent months I have met two puppies who fit this bill perfectly. One is a Brittany Spaniel who joined his human family at the very tender age of 5 weeks old! His owners complain that he is strangely and annoyingly vocal. He strongly resents affectionate touching, especially around his face. The other pup is a Visla who, though only a few months old, bites his humans extremely hard and viciously. He too is very vocal.

If these symptoms describe your early-adopted dog, don't despair. A good trainer or behaviorist can help you recondition your dog through appropriate handling, careful exposure to stimuli and tolerance training. Sometimes early separation from the mother dog is unavoidable due to her serious illness or death. However, if you are interviewing breeders and they routinely send pups home before 8 weeks of age, look elsewhere or insist the pup stay with the litter and mother longer.

5. A Word About Runts: My veterinary clients frequently report to me that they intentionally sought out the runt of the litter. While a Fern-like* desire to nurture the smallest, weakest animal is admirable, it can lead to heartache. Many times the runt of the litter is tiny because there is something physically wrong with it. Congenital liver, kidney and heart conditions, for example, can cause stunted growth and decreased vigor. While certainly every dog deserves a loving home, be prepared if choosing the runt for the increased possibility of  intensive, costly veterinary care and/or a shortened life span.

It is very difficult to overcome our emotional and psychological tendencies to choose a puppy based on it's visual appeal or antics. A little ball of fluff with mournful puppy dog eyes is hard to resist. For this reason, it is nearly impossible for some of us to visit a shelter or litter without bringing home an unplanned companion. However, it is essential for the health, happiness and well-being of your future relationship with your pet to choose wisely.

* In the classic novel Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, the heroine Fern saves runt piglet Wilbur from certain death and he grows up to be "Some Pig."

If You Give a Vet a Soapbox...My Response to the Anti-Vaccine Movement

Moments ago I finished -- with a dramatic flourish -- an e-mail response to a very good client whose insightful questions about his pets constantly keep me on my toes. What started as a quick note developed into a lengthy and impassioned epistle. I found myself so wound up by the time I hit "Send" that I couldn't help but expound my point of view to anyone who would listen. Dear reader, that may be you if you choose to continue.

Hey Dr. Kim,

Not sure if you saw the attached article or not. It was a good read I think, and thought you may find it interesting. All is well with Puppy. We will see you in a few weeks for another check up with him. Hope your weekend was well! 

Thanks,

Puppy Owner

Subject: puppy vaccinations

I found this link that may be of interest to you now that your puppies have just received their second shot. This is a very important read, for you to discuss with your vet.

The puppies will be ready for their rabies shot in a couple weeks but according to this article which has some very strong articles to support, there is no need for anything more than rabies this year.

Know that I gave the parvo/distemper shot to them at home at 7 1/2 weeks old. There were not exposed at the vet's office. This is the safest way/time to give a vax not knowing what all the puppies would be exposed to as they went to their new homes....

Kindest regards~
Puppy Breeders
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/five-things-your-vet-says-that-arent-true/

Dear Puppy Owner:

I'm glad you sent the article. I could read on this subject for hours, clicking links to this and that!

So much of the article is correct. As I read it, though, I felt myself waiting for the author to complete a train of scientific thought as I learned in immunology training [the study of the immune system]. And when they didn't I realized it must be because the omitted part would actually lessen the effectiveness of their argument. There are so many points in the article where I wanted to shout "But that's not the whole story! You forgot about individual variation or herd health medicine or maternal antibody variability or compliance or practicality, economics and human fallibility!" 

People mistakenly believe the practice of immunology in human and veterinary medicine is done in favor of the individual. Vaccination critics believe an individual's risk outweighs the public's benefit. But the cold hard truth is immunizations are not done solely for the best interest of the patient but for the public interest.

A dog is not vaccinated against rabies to protect him from dying of rabies (although he indeed benefits in this way). A dog is vaccinated against rabies to create a barrier of protection to the human population from rabid domestic animals. If animals who interact closely with the human population (such as dogs) cannot contract and pass the rabies virus, then fewer humans will die of rabies. That is the goal of rabies vaccination in pets. A corollary argument is that a dog vaccinated against parvovirus (or distemper, etc.) helps protect the whole population of dogs from parvovirus. Just as parents who refuse to vaccinate their children are relying on "herd immunity" (i.e., the fact that the U.S. population is well vaccinated against certain deadly illnesses) to protect their unvaccinated children, pet owners who do not vaccinate have relatively "protected" pets because the animals they interact with are vaccinated and cannot pass on disease.

I could write a dissertation in response to the arguments laid out in the article! But I do want to point out two things regarding the Breeder's e-mail and how it relates to Puppy:
1) Puppy Breeder's email says the pups were vaccinated against parvo/distemper at 7-1/2 weeks and do not need any further shots besides rabies. This statement does not even agree with the article much less current standard of practice. The article says a single vaccine at 12 weeks is sufficient, not one prior to 8 weeks of age. 
2) Dr. Ron Schultz's research is quoted extensively in the article in support of vaccinating only once at 12 weeks. Dr. Schultz was my immunology professor at UW School of Veterinary Medicine. [I am a 2007 DVM graduate.] We were taught to make sure the final "distemper" vaccine was given at or after 16 weeks (not 12). 

There are many scientifically proven reasons for boostering more than once in puppies. There are different types of immunity and boostering increases long term "memory" in the immune system. Also, maternal antibodies interfere with vaccination in puppies. That's why puppies (and babies) receive a series of vaccines. The reason we do not wait until 12-16 weeks is because we cannot be sure a) whether the mother was properly vaccinated and b) whether the puppy/baby received enough immunoglobulins through first milk colostrum (a bigger risk in large litters where pups fight for resources). 

Over-vaccination is a real concern, but I do believe in the societal and clinical benefits of vaccinating my pets as well as my children. Some vets (as indicated in the article) recommend annual vaccination for everything, but this method of practice is changing. Dr. Schultz taught us that many pets have more than 1 year (and even more than 3 years) of protection from vaccination, it's true. Many viral vaccines are FDA licensed for administration every 3 years. Until new research and licensing shows protection for a majority of animals beyond 3 years, most vets will vaccinate every 3 years for rabies and "distemper." Yes, you can have antibody levels tested for parvovirus or distemper virus and choose not to vaccinate if levels remain high. However, this is not commonly done because the serology test is not inexpensive. 

Some types of vaccines (for bacterial diseases such as Lyme, Leptospirosis and Bordetella) do NOT provide proven protection much beyond one year. In fact, Bordetella is sometimes given every 6 months to dogs at high risk for Kennel Cough because the body does not make the same long lasting immunological response to bacterial diseases as it does to viral disease. (This probably explains the recent Whooping Cough outbreaks in humans...Whooping Cough is related to Kennel Cough; both are caused by Bordetella organisms!!! As children we receive the "Pertussis" vaccine but lose protection over time and may become susceptible as teenagers or adults.) The canine vaccines I just mentioned are lifestyle vaccines. Not all dogs should or do receive them.

Whew. I'm exhausted. This is such an emotional topic from either side! I find it interesting that the same diseases "anti-vaccine people" claim stem from vaccination in this article are the same diseases "anti-grain pet food people" claim stem from commercial diets. It would be foolhardy of me to say any of these claims are complete nonsense! There is so much we do not fully understand of the intricate workings of the body and our environment. There are many truthful statements in the article. Good physicians, veterinarians, and scientists continually study and learn. Good doctors pay attention to what works and what doesn't, rely on a body of properly done objective studies (believe me, anyone can do a study to prove what they want to prove!), and think about the whole picture when it comes to health and disease management.

I would be happy to discuss the article, my comments and any additional questions you may have at Puppy's visit next week!

Dr. Kim 

Shortly after my earnest e-mail shot through cyberspace, my kind client responded with a mildly exasperated yet placating e-mail, soothing my raging frustration. I didn't have much convincing to do apparently. As long as such mental gymnastics don't give me a coronary, I'll just be grateful for the chance to debate interesting and important topics with other people who care.