Puppy – choice, costs and food

Those wide eyes, fluffy little ears, and that wagging tail… whatever dog you end up going for, puppies are cute.

However, before getting one it’s useful to ask yourself a couple of questions. It’s great to have a cute little ball of fur now, but will the dog that it will grow into still suit you and your family? Will you be bothered by the fact that your dog always dives into the water at every opportunity, or that you have to vacuum clean on a daily basis because he sheds so much hair? Listing what you want and aren’t so keen on beforehand will make choosing a puppy a little easier and minimize future disappointments.

Pedigree or mongrel

One of the most important questions you’ll need to ask yourself is whether you want a pedigree or a so-called mongrel. The benefit of going for a pedigree is that a lot is known about the character of each variety. And with 300 breeds there’s plenty to choose from. Read the descriptions here. The disadvantage of a pedigree dog is that certain health issues can occur in them.

If you’d rather go for a mongrel, then it will be trickier to know in advance what kind of character your pet will have. Take a look at the sites of animal homes or of organizations that import dogs from abroad. They often have some idea of how a specific dog behaves and what its character is. Obviously you can get hold of a puppy on a website like Marktplaats, but then it’s not always clear whether your puppy is from a genuine puppy farm.

Costs

What a lot of people underestimate is the costs of owning a puppy. The little ball of fur won’t stay little, and the average dog can reach 10 to 12 years of age. His food bowl will need filled each and every day, and if he gets ill once in a while then the vet’s fees can really mount up. On top of that there are the vaccinations, the defleaing and the worming, and you might live in a municipality where dog tax is due. No need to panic, but do bear in mind that you’ll be forking out around 800-1,000 euros a year. It goes without saying that you’ll be repaid with an awful lot of love and enjoyment.

Food

As stated, the costs of a sick animal can really mount up. Keen to avoid having to visit the vet with your dog too frequently? Then it is advisable to give your puppy pure food from a young age. Food free of chemical preservatives, artificial aromas, colourings and flavourings, based on high-quality organic ingredients. The puppy food from Yarrah contains more protein and everything a puppy needs to grow into a beautiful, healthy adult dog.