Table of Contents:
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| Introduction: So you're thinking of buying a dog... | 4 |
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| Mistakes you might make | 5 |
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| No perfect dogs | 12 |
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| How NOT to make mistakes buying a dog | 14 |
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| 1. Purebred dogs | 17 |
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| Frequently asked questions | 18 |
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| Predictable traits | 28 |
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| Working behaviors | 31 |
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| Why predictability isn't guaranteed | 33 |
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| Health problems | 36 |
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| Inbreeding in purebred dogs | 38 |
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| How inbreeding leads to health problems | 46 |
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| How to measure inbreeding | 53 |
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| Deformed breeds | 56 |
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| Health testing | 58 |
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| Breeder denials | 65 |
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| Is a purebred dog a good choice | 69 |
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| 2. Crossbred dogs | 71 |
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| Why cross breeds? | 73 |
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| Appearance and temperament | 75 |
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| Hybrid vigor | 78 |
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| Unpredictable traits | 80 |
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| Shared health problems | 82 |
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| The wrong kinds of crossbreeds | 83 |
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| Avoiding crossbreed hype | 88 |
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| Criticisms of crossbreeding | 90 |
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| 3. Mixed breed dogs | 95 |
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| Which breeds are in the mix | 97 |
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| Unpredictability | 102 |
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| Advantages of mixed breed dogs | 103 |
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| 4. Purebred, crossbred, or mixed | 107 |
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| Which one is right for YOU? | 108 |
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| 5. Canine characteristics | 110 |
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| Size | 112 |
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| Brushing | 117 |
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| Trimming/clipping | 118 |
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| Shedding | 119 |
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| Children | 121 |
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| Physical exercise | 128 |
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| Mental exercise | 130 |
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| Fence height | 132 |
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| Aggression toward people | 134 |
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| Banned/restricted breeds | 137 |
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| Aggression toward other dogs | 138 |
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| Cats and other small pets | 139 |
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| Obedience/trainability | 140 |
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| Lifespan | 142 |
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| Cost | 143 |
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| Physical appearance | 146 |
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| Popularity | 158 |
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| 6. Researching breeds | 161 |
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| How to research health problems | 163 |
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| How NOT to research the breeds | 170 |
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| Misinformation and "spin" | 171 |
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| Researching crossbreeds | 179 |
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| 7. Male or female | 182 |
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| Male dogs | 182 |
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| Female dogs | 185 |
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| Which sex is right for YOU? | 187 |
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| 8. Puppy, adolescent, or adult | 190 |
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| Don't get a puppy if.... | 191 |
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| Puppies under 7 weeks old | 196 |
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| Puppies 7-12 weeks old | 197 |
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| Should you consider TWO puppies? | 201 |
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| Puppies 3-4 months old | 202 |
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| Puppies 4-8 months old | 203 |
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| Puppies 8-18 months old | 204 |
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| Adult dogs: a great option | 208 |
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| 9. Sources of dogs | 212 |
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| Animal shelters and humane societies | 214 |
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| Rescue groups | 220 |
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| Owners giving their dog away | 222 |
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| Show breeders | 228 |
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| Performance breeders | 242 |
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| Pet breeders | 252 |
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| Pet shops | 260 |
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| Which source is best for YOU? | 266 |
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| 10. Finding the best sources | 275 |
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| Finding shelters and rescue groups | 276 |
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| How to adopt a dog from a shelter | 279 |
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| How to adopt a dog from a rescue group | 281 |
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| Finding show breeders | 285 |
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| Finding performance breeders | 288 |
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| Finding pet breeders | 289 |
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| Evaluating a breeder's website | 292 |
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| Available puppies and prices | 296 |
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| Puppy pedigrees -- how to evaluate them | 299 |
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| Health tests and certifications | 309 |
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| Age of parents | 311 |
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| Health guarantees | 312 |
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| AKC and other registries | 316 |
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| "Full" versus "limited" registration | 318 |
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| Sales contracts | 321 |
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| Dog club membership | 325 |
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| Red flags to watch out for | 326 |
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| Contacting a breeder by email and phone -- what to ask | 331 |
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| Buying a puppy long-distance | 345 |
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| 11. Evaluting puppies and adult dogs | 349 |
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| Evaluating puppies 7-12 weeks old | 350 |
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| Evaluating a puppy's parents | 354 |
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| Evaluating an adolescent or adult dog | 356 |
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| Physical exam -- what to look for | 362 |
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| Final paperwork -- make sure it's right | 365 |
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| Conclusion | 368 |
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| Raising your new dog | 370 |
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