What to Look for in A Puppy

If you’ve stumbled upon RockinDachs then chances are you are looking to add a puppy to your family. There’s a lot to consider when bringing home a new little friend. Let us walk through a few of them with you.

Lifestyle

The first thing you should consider is your lifestyle. Are you on the go a lot or do you find yourself with a lot of downtime? Are you an adventure seeker always finding something new to do or are you more of a homebody who enjoys quiet activities in the comforts of your own space? These types of questions can help you figure out if you have time for a puppy and what activity levels you want the puppy to have. For example, adventure seekers are often out hiking in nature or exploring different fun social scenes and will need a dog with more energy than someone who enjoys the quiet comforts of home.

Space

Next, consider your space. Do you have a small apartment? Or maybe you have a large house but a small yard. Maybe your house is small but your yard is huge. You get the idea. Your space will help you determine the energy levels, personality, and size of the dog you should be looking for. We always recommend small calm dogs for smaller spaces unless you are looking for someone to take walking, jogging, hiking, or another on-the-go activity regularly and the dog will rarely be in the small space for long periods. 

Personality

So you have evaluated your lifestyle and your space to determine energy levels let's talk personality. Personalities are multifaceted and energy is just one of those facets. With your lifestyle and space in mind, what would a puppy that is inquisitive and constantly getting into things going to look like for you? What about a puppy that likes to chase things? Are you proud of your landscape and a puppy that likes to dig would drive you nuts? What about a puppy that always wants to be with you and gets upset if it has to be separated from you? Do you have kids and need a puppy that will be gentle and patient?

Knowing what personality will work best with your lifestyle and space is one of the most important things to consider when getting a puppy. We are always happy to help you figure out what will be the best fit if you are unsure exactly what your personality needs are. 

Gender

For some, this might be a no-brainer as they are experienced with dogs and know what they are equipped to handle but some of you may not be. Both genders make amazing pets in our opinion but there are things to consider when choosing the gender of your puppy. Please note that the following lists are not extensive pros and cons for each gender and we had to think hard since we don’t normally make these comparisons. 

Male

Pros
  • Your dog will never get pregnant if it slips out of the yard or is left unattended with a member of the other gender.
  • Male dogs don’t have heat cycles which means you don’t have to deal with that mess or the increased hormones that come with it. 
  • Male dogs can be very affectionate.
Cons
  • Male dogs tend to have a more protective instinct than females which can lead to reactivity and aggressiveness if they aren’t trained how to properly deal with this drive. 
  • Male dogs are also prone to marking their territory especially if they haven’t been neutered before the instinct to mark kicks in. You may be thinking “He will only mark the yard, right?” If you have a male dog that marks there is nowhere safe from him showing everyone what belongs to him. Beds, walls, couches, baby gates, kennels, fences, shoes, blankets, other dogs (Yes even other dogs. Don’t ask us why because we don’t have an answer to that one.) none of it is safe however you can train a male that inside is not an appropriate place to mark things but it will take a lot of work and consistency in the house training department.

Female

Pros
  • Females are less likely to mark their territory. Some still do but it is less likely. 
  • Females (in most cases) are cleaner than males as they are less likely to, accidentally, pee on themselves or others.
Cons
  • Females can be very temperamental when they go into heat.
  • Females have a heat cycle which can leave a mess all over your house if you aren’t prepared. 
  • Females need to be monitored when they are in heat to make sure that there aren’t any accidental litters
  • Unspayed females have the risk of getting uterine infections that can be life-threatening. (We recommend working with your vet to determine the best time to spay if you aren’t going to be breeding.)

 

We don’t advocate for one gender over the other in most cases but sometimes discussing what to expect with your puppy based on their gender can be a helpful discussion to have if you are newer to being a dog owner. Once again the Pros and Cons listed in this article are not a comprehensive list and are not meant to scare you away from getting either gender. They are just a small example of things to think about. 

Coat type

Your dog's coat type will affect their grooming needs and how they will handle certain climates. For example, Long coats don’t do as well in hot or humid climates and will need to be brushed regularly to avoid getting tangled mats while smooth coats don’t do as well in cold climates and require less grooming to maintain a sleek look. Take a moment to think about where you live. If you live somewhere hot or have a lot of prickers around you may want to consider a smooth or wire coat. Also consider your lifestyle and the grooming needs of each coat: Long coats should be brushed daily while wires and smooth can be brushed less frequently (all coat types do require some brushing to keep them healthy). Wire coats need to be “plucked” regularly as they don’t shed the dead hair on their own. 

Color

Finally, what colors or patterns do you want your dog to have? Do you have an image in your head of an old family dog that you loved and want to find a similar-looking dog to match it? Do you want a dog that has a fun pattern of flashy-looking color? Maybe color doesn’t matter to you as long as it meets your lifestyle, energy, and personality needs. We purposely left color till the last section of our article to show you that when picking out a puppy there are more important things to consider before bringing them home. Don’t get us wrong, we adore black and cream brindle dapple piebalds but we know how much more important the dog's personality and energy levels are. 



We hope this has helped you hone in on the type of puppy that matches you and your needs. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you want someone to walk through all of these topics with you and help you figure out what your perfect puppy looks like.