Getting a puppy for the first time ever, and have a few questions!

LCurley-Meteor on 28/04/2022 - 14:15
Last edited 28/04/2022 - 15:36

Hi everybody,

I intend to get a pom puppy. The puppy is only 6 weeks old, and I have to wait 2 more weeks to bring him home.

I am meeting with the breeder on Sunday. Basically, I wonder what the must ask questions are, and what pitfals I should be wary of?

Of the top of my head:

  • What bodies I should register the puppy with? City Council, AKNC, DOGS QLD etc.?

  • Do puppy adopters/buyers usually sign a contract? Should I insist on having one signed?

  • Should the microchip transfer papers be signed before, upon or after collecting the puppy?

  • where should I check the microchip number? Is there a website etc?

Thank you!
Lettie

P.S.

It's a pure Pomeranian.

Pets

Comments

  • GG57 on 28/04/2022 - 14:17

    Pure-breed or bitsa?

    • Curley-Meteor on 28/04/2022 - 14:37

      Sorry I forgot to mention that

      It's a pure Pomeranian.

      • oscargamer on 28/04/2022 - 14:47
        +33

        Sorry.. I thought you said you were getting a dog, not a pillow

        • chriskq on 28/04/2022 - 15:00
          -1

          this is gold. Toy dog is actually a classification of dogs which Pom's fall under. In saying all that a Pomski (Husky / Pom cross) looks like a super cute breed

        • brendanm on 28/04/2022 - 21:46
          +4

          Pomeranians are a small but hardy breed.

        • jetblack on 29/04/2022 - 08:15

          Savage 😂

      • GG57 on 28/04/2022 - 14:53

        For a pure-bred, I assume that you will be paying for the breeding paperwork; make sure that is valid.
        I'm not sure about microchipping requirements in Qld; it may be that you have to arrange, or arrange for the owner details to be updated.
        Make sure you get all the vaccination records.

  • Jason Genova on 28/04/2022 - 14:20
    +1

    get pet insurance

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/696630

    • Curley-Meteor on 28/04/2022 - 14:37
      +1

      Good point, thank you :)

      • Quantumcat on 29/04/2022 - 06:39

        I don't think it is a good idea personally, unless it is pure accident cover. Anything related to something that tends to happen to pomeranians won't be covered (I don't know what they are but for example some breeds are predisposed to get hip displaysia). They also won't cover anything to do with routine care like vaccinations or desexing. Your dog is unlikely to need any significant vet care until they are older, and each year the premiums go up astronomically. You might think it is perfectly affordable now but you won't need to claim now and each year it will get more and more expensive until you decide to quit paying - meaning all those premiums are gone with nothing to show for them. Much better to save $50/week or so into a separate account so you can afford to pay when it comes time to need to.

        • teacherer on 29/04/2022 - 08:23

          Hmm, my german shepherd's hip dysplasia was covered. Are you sure they exclude typical disease for certain breeds?

          • Quantumcat on 29/04/2022 - 08:44

            @teacherer: Depends on the cover - did you need to pay extra to cover that? What provider are you with? If OP does get cover they might want to go with yours

            • teacherer on 29/04/2022 - 08:45
              +1

              @Quantumcat: I'm with petbarn pet insurance who go through petsure or something.
              I just picked the standard higher tier cover, I think it's called ultimate.

        • Dslrfirst on 29/04/2022 - 09:05

          $50x how many weeks to cover major surgery?

          • Quantumcat on 29/04/2022 - 09:32
            +1

            @Dslrfirst: If it is due to an illness not an accident - you'll probably have 6+ years before you could need that. So 50X52X6=$15,600. You can get accident-only cover that won't increase so dramatically with the pet's age in case of attacks by other dogs, hit by car etc. That I think is reasonably sensible, then it is more like getting 3rd party car cover (you don't mind having paid more than you otherwise would with no insurance, because you know you are safe from a shock $100k bill). Non-accident-only pet insurance would be more like if there existed insurance against mechanical car problems - would be cheap on a new car (cause they are so unlikely to have problems) but super expensive on a ten year old car. It wouldn't make sense to take out the cover whatever age of your car.

    • 2jzzzz on 28/04/2022 - 14:38
      +2

      Agreed. Get from young before anything appears on the pre existing medical history.

      I've been with bow wow meow and very good

  • Presence on 28/04/2022 - 14:24

    Is it purebred and if so does it come with papers?

    What breed is it?

    • Curley-Meteor on 28/04/2022 - 14:38

      Sorry I forgot to mention that

      It's a pure Pomeranian.

      • cameldownunder on 28/04/2022 - 14:45
        +14

        That's not a dog, :-) it's a cotton ball on 4 legs

  • orangetrain on 28/04/2022 - 14:57
    +5

    1) Pets are considered property. Most you can get is a replacement.
    2) There's no law that will punish companies where they sell poison/shit food. They can just do 1)
    3) Pet insurance industry is just Suncorp. There's no competition and there's a lot of exclusions.
    4) Be prepared to pick up your dog when stranger dogs approach aggressively. Very rare but some owners have bad dogs that will attack and will laugh it off, even if your dog is injured.
    5) Never let your dog offleash unless you're in full control. Otherwise, get pet insurance.
    6) Introduce your dog to as many dogs in their first year in controlled introductions. Some puppy school time is good too.
    7) Walk them at least 30 minutes and at least once a day.
    8) Introduce them to everything in house. Wires, shoes, boots, dirt, etc. Scold them if they play with it. Toys, toilet roll, cardboard, etc. Give treats and cuddles.

    I have a dog, fed raw diet with chicken and some veggies that I prepare myself. We're happy to wear the vet costs and have a good vet that recommends medicine/drops, that knows I like to shop around. Ie we have no pet insurance.

    • dogboy on 28/04/2022 - 15:49
      +1

      Good advice.

  • Drakesy on 28/04/2022 - 15:00
    +2

    Prepare for incessant yapping with that breed.
    Sleepless nights for the first 3-6 months as well as they learn to toilet train.

    Best recommendation is to socialise them as much as possible with big/little dogs so they're comfortable with their surroundings. This will reduce the barking and shakes they're prone to getting when nervous.

    Just need local council approval and microchip registration with them from memory. I didn't have a contract when we purchased our dog, but you should get breed papers if a pedigree.

    • Curley-Meteor on 28/04/2022 - 15:10

      Thank you.
      I noticed you mentioned council approval, is there a chance the council doesn't approve the puppy for some reason?!

      • tallkid123 on 28/04/2022 - 15:54

        If it's an illegal breed (like a pit bull), then yes, they won't approve it. But you don't have to worry about that.
        Otherwise, you're registering the puppy with council so that in case it goes missing, there is a record on file incase it's found elsewhere.

      • LiteDough on 28/04/2022 - 17:40

        RE: toilet training

        Small dogs means small bladders, moreso for puppies. Now an adult dog, mines still wakes me up early (6-7am) to do his business.

        Let it meet dogs but also people

        And for a pom, be mindful of the size of the toy. Soft toys aren't a big deal, but if it's rubber or a ball and it's too big/hard to bite/hold it, they won't be interested. Also soft toys get shredded into a mess once teeth come in.

  • Ocker on 28/04/2022 - 15:05
    +1

    Is the seller a registered breeder?

  • Curley-Meteor on 28/04/2022 - 15:08
    +1

    The breeder has a supply/BIN number. Is there any thing else I should be checking about the breeder?

  • tallkid123 on 28/04/2022 - 15:37

    What bodies I should register the puppy with? City Council, AKNC, DOGS QLD etc.?

    I assume your breeder will register your dog under the ANKC limited register. That means your dog is not of showdog quality. You will then need to register your dog with your local council later once you have the microchip number.

    Do puppy adopters/buyers usually sign a contract? Should I insist on having one signed?

    I didn't sign a contract for my two purebred shih tzus. The contract is not really for you anyway. The main reason why a contract is mentioned is that you, as an owner of a dog on the limited register, promise to desex your dog when appropriate and therefore don't start breeding puppies with defective traits.

    Should the microchip transfer papers be signed before, upon or after collecting the puppy?

    Your breeder will go over this with you when it's time to pick up the puppy.

    where should I check the microchip number? Is there a website etc?

    Remember to ask your vet when you visit them for the first time. Even if you forget, you can just call up the vet and ask. Once you know it, you can then register the dog with your local council.

    A few other things:

    • If you haven't already, BOOK PUPPY SCHOOL NOW. You usually don't get a puppy until it's 10 weeks and puppy school is usually for pups between 10-16 weeks.
    • Consider getting a doggy door installed - at least $500 excluding potential replacement of glass panel if it's not thick enough. However, the cost is negligible when compared to the convenience of not having to open the balcony/courtyard glass door all the time. Remember, most puppies can't hold it in at all so they'll pee where they stand half the time until they're trained otherwise.
    • Buy lots of dog toys - look in to the Nina Ottosson range
    • Consider what happens when your family want to go on holiday but your dogs have to stay behind - boarding, staying with relatives, petsitter, etc
    • Your puppy will need 3 vaccinations at the start and also keep track of when it needs desexing.
    • sam-1966 on 28/04/2022 - 17:21
      +1

      Did our doggy door ourselves with a screen door. Husband bought bolt cutters and I bought the doggy door - all up under $100. But lucky husband is handy!

      • morse on 28/04/2022 - 17:56

        Also did our own doggy door for less than $100 with DIY installation. $500 for a Pomeranian size doggy door would seem outrageous to me in most circumstances.

        • tallkid123 on 28/04/2022 - 22:50
          +1

          I'm not cutting a hole in my glass door. Price aside, I'm more than happy to get a glazier to do that for me.

          Also, if the glass panel isn't strong enough, you'll need to replace that too which will add to the cost.

          • morse on 28/04/2022 - 23:04

            @tallkid123: I guess a lot of people don't have glass doors. Ours was a timber laundry door.

  • Donaldhump on 28/04/2022 - 16:00
    +4

    say goodbye to your life for 2 years

    • Drakesy on 28/04/2022 - 16:30

      It's covid all over again.

  • slow on 28/04/2022 - 17:28
    +4

    Please pick up whenever your dog sh1ts in a public place (even if no-one sees it )

  • andresampras on 28/04/2022 - 17:35
    +3

    OP do you have kids or any experience taking care of a pet?

    It's a big EVERY.SINGLE.DAY commitment, just be aware of the work ahead.

    Having said all that a good dog is worth more than its weight in gold…as long as you give it lots of love.

  • ihbh on 28/04/2022 - 19:06

    How do you avoid sh*t sticking to its fur?

    • [Deactivated] on 28/04/2022 - 19:34
      +3

      shave its arse

  • miruku on 28/04/2022 - 20:02

    Some tips from a recent puppy owner…

    1. As others have mentioned, absolutely be prepared to have your puppy go potty a few times after bedtime and every couple hours during the day, whether that means taking him out or having pee pads available.
    2. Dogs should be wormed regularly. Check with the breeder when the puppy was last wormed.
    3. We also asked our breeder what their usual feeding schedule was like and when they were last bathed.
    4. Make sure you have the pup’s vaccination passport.
    5. Our vet said it was okay to start taking our puppy on walks before he was fully vaccinated as long as it wasn’t in places with heavy dog traffic (eg dog parks).
    6. Consider looking up basic dog training vids (like potty training etc) on YouTube for a better idea of what to expect.
  • MS Paint on 28/04/2022 - 20:08

    It's a pure Pomeranian.

    If you chose to crate train then you only need a milk crate.

    Also, buy a Pomeranian for the right reasons. Don't do it for Instagram or validation on social media.

  • miwahni on 28/04/2022 - 22:22

    Don't worry too much if the breeder can't give you the puppy's registration papers straight away. When I bought my pup last year the breeder advised that she wasn't going to register him until all of the litter was sold, so that they could all go straight into the new owners' names at once. It saved her the hassle of registering them all and then transferring each one. If your breeder is legit (and I'm assuming he / she is on the Dogs Qld website too) then you should be okay. You can always call Dogs Qld if you want to check. My pup's registration turned up in the mail a couple of months later.

    You should at least get the pup's vaccination card with microchip number on it though, plus the form to complete to swap the chip into your name.

  • ozziekhoo on 29/04/2022 - 07:55
    +1

    Hey OP! We've had a pom for nearly 5 years now, happy to answer any questions related to care via PM.

  • huggzz2u on 29/04/2022 - 09:09

    I bought a removable doggie door for a glass sliding door on my top floor balcony. Make sure you learn lots about toilet training my Cavoodle is pretty good now at 3 and let’s herself out in the morning but there were lots of mistakes as a puppy. Clean them with soapy water. Then spray with rexona or lynx so they don’t pee there again and use an enzyme order spray. Don’t use pinoclean and others as they have ammonia which attracts them to pee on it again.

  • Sensiekatie on 29/04/2022 - 12:13

    For BCC, puppies for not have to registered until they are 6 months old. It can be done online.

    I've always been given several stickers with the microchip information when I have purchased puppies and kittens from breeders (3 kittens and a puppy most recently - all pedigreed). They are more centralised now, but mostly you fill in a form and pay a free to change the details to you. There was one that the breeder had to do it for. The breeders I dealt with gave me the appropriate forms and had their part filled in.

    When you visit, it is a good idea to see Mum and Dad. Dad's are.not always possible if it's a small breeder as they may have paid a site fee to another breeder. Do they look healthy.and cared for. Remembering of course that Mum has had a litter, so she may be a little off her best.

    Check the puppy too and ensure the eyes are nice and clear.

    Ask if the parents have been DNA tested for genetic diseases of the breed. If I remember correctly, the poms are generally not as prone to these are some other breeds. If they have, make sure you get a copy of those when you get the puppy. In Qld, they are supposed to have these tests done and available but many still don't.

    Some breeders are better than others. My Cavalier King Charles Spaniel I got last year was the best ever. The breeder was a dog psychologist. She kept them until 10 weeks. Not one puddle ever. He just went outside on his own. He would then ask permission to return inside. He was already listening for key words and once i figured those out, we were off to a good start.

    I always ask about what they have been eating. Most will give you that information without even asking. However, in reality it usually isn't what they eat with you. Unless they are hand feeding each puppy, they won't really know how they respond to various foods. Some dogs cannot tolerate Changing up the feeding routine and others devour anything and everything.

    Puppy packs seem to be common nowadays and may include some toys and food. A cloth that has the mother's smell on it is a great idea.

    I've never signed any contracts for any pet purchase. Just paid the deposit. Never had an issue but if course I've checked the breeder out.

  • Peck on 29/04/2022 - 12:18

    Crunching on a diet of good quality of dry food and chicken wings (I skin them to remove the fat and throw away the wing tip) will keep gums and teeth healthy.
    A diet of mush will guarantee dental disease.

  • Lanushi on 29/04/2022 - 12:58

    Consider crate training your puppy: https://rspcavic.org/learn/crate-training-your-dog/
    This is useful in creating a safe space for your dog, and makes trips to the vet easier.

    Buy puppy training pads. And many of them.

    High quality food too if possible.

    Ensure regular check ups for vaccinations, meds, desexing etc.

  • Tassie lass on 30/04/2022 - 10:29

    As a retired ANKC breeder my thoughts are unless you are a registered breeder with
    ANKC you can expect too get registration papers if breeder a reg breeder for Limited Register which means puppy is not to be bred with or shown unless desexed. Check out
    Breeders prefix you can ph your state eg Dogs Qld and check breeder is reg. Ask if parents rents have been health
    tested incl eyes and cardiac and if they give written health guarantee. Ask to view results.
    Pet ins is worth having but get it before bringing puppy home or taking to vet then you will have no pre existing problems on record before insuring. This means you will be covered
    for everything unless excluded on policy. WW, RSPCA are highly recommended.
    By law your puppy must be microchipped and breeder should transfer into your name. You cannot register a puppy that isn’t microchipped unless it has a vet certificate giving reason.

  • GrueHunter on 30/04/2022 - 11:46
    -1

    Getting a puppy

    No, you're getting a dog. It happens to be a puppy now. It won't be for long.

    Would you buy an adult dog? If the answer is no, think long and hard about getting a puppy.

    • GrueHunter on 30/04/2022 - 14:35

      Aww, downvotes from muppets who think animals are fashion or lifestyle accessories.

      You don't want a lifelong animal companion. You want something you can show off to your d*ckhead mates on Insta.

  • lltravel on 30/04/2022 - 12:48
    • Make sure you're ready to lose at least 1 month of sleep and prepare for at least 3 - 6 months of waking up early to toilet train him/her
    • Be ready for anxiety separation issues etc
    • I wouldn't suggest you crate train him but leave him in a puppy pen most of the day until around 6 months' time and then let him/her roam free. This will also allow you to set a place in the house where they can go poo/pee
    • stay away from kibble, that stuff is extremely bad for your dog.
    • Get pet insurance
    • Would also suggest you wait at least 10 weeks before getting the puppy. It would be benefical to the pup but thats up to you.

    You can register the dog at a later time as you wont be taking the dog outside for walks at least 16 weeks in as they need all vax

  • cashless on 30/04/2022 - 13:22

    Jeepers, having read through all the stuff you need to worry about on this thread, it seems you might have less stress if you just get a cat.
    Or adopt a child.

    • lltravel on 30/04/2022 - 20:14

      lol, dogs are great if you have the time.

      its not for everyone :)

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