Bertie Bots every flavour ear, yummy!
GETTING A PUPPY
(OR KITTEN, or person...)
How exciting and congratulations! Getting a puppy or new addition to the family is a life changing decision, it's a 10-15 year commitment for dogs and some pets (even people) can live much longer...horses can live around 35 years, African Gray Parrots could outlive you at around 70 years!
Getting the right advice before choosing your pet can benefit your family long term, it's very responsible and for a small investment of effort, it's worthwhile doing.
Research first
When looking to buy a puppy, think MEG, Mum-Genetics-Environment. More on MEG here.
Did you know, from April 26th 2020 it is illegal to buy and sell puppies through a 3rd party, this is called Lucy’s Law and more about this can be found here.
The first 12 weeks of a puppy's life are so important, please check out Puppy Culture here to find out the amazing work they are doing to raise awareness and confident, healthy puppies around the world! I was very lucky when I bought my Koda as a puppy aged 10 weeks, his breeder was breeding for all the rights reasons and I gained a healthy, confident puppy with amazing temperament that I shared 14 and half years of my life with. Sadly, there are breeders who don’t breed for the right reasons and all to happy to take your hard earned money for their gain.
My blog post on buying puppies can be accessed here feel free to share it with your friends who are thinking of buying a puppy or kitten.
“We are so glad we hired Kate before we had our baby. Being first time parents is difficult enough without worrying how it will affect our dogs. She alleviated our fears and showed us how to set them up to succeed. Money well spent and we can’t recommend her enough.”
Further help from me
I can help you choose your breeder, advise on which questions to ask and what to avoid, the biggest one being not seeing the mum with the pups. I can help you choose which pet is a potential match to your home and lifestyle, what you need to purchase beforehand and can even help you adjust your home environment to ensure it all goes as smoothly as possible. My get to know you option is probably fine for you to choose here.
Please don't buy the pup to 'get him out of there', or because the seller gives you excuses, or they are KC registered...a reputable breeder will want to question you thoroughly before selling you a puppy and some may turn you down if they feel you don't meet their expectations...this isn't to annoy you, they care about their dogs!
I also help advise on settling pup in with those all important first few days, house training, sleeping, crate training, chewing, integration with other household people and animals and other life skills.
I can also support people who are about to move in together and need to get on with the other's pets or integrate both households, or expecting or planning a baby and how to help their dog (or cat adjust) to the baby when they arrive or planning on adopting a rescue dog or any other pet. I can help with all that and it really does smooth out the whole transition period!
Having been raised with pets, adopted my own rescue pets, raised my own puppies and kittens along with raising children and working and running a business and working within a veterinary surgery; I can fully empathise and relate to your decision making process and I reckon this truly helps with my advice to you the new pet parent.
Already got the bundle of floof or just gave birth? The clock is ticking, let's get that help to you, contact me to book and I’ll email the deets.
“The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.”
― Barack Obama