The first was from a frustrated ex- Cavalier owner who has been waiting over 12 months to get a Golden Retriever puppy. According to the breeders she’s talking to, she’s not even any closer.

The second was from the owner of a new (second) Golden Retriever puppy. She said that due to unprecedented demand, her breeder is only selling to people she’s sold to before. 

Clearly, these two observations are flip sides of the same problem. So before I give you some suggestions, let’s look at what’s happening.

Why Are Puppies So Hard To Get In Australia?

There appear to be three reasons why puppies are in short supply.

First: The Pandemic

Everyone blames COVID, and they’re not completely wrong. As lockdowns hit across Australia in 2020, many families simultaneously decided it would be the perfect time to get a puppy. This led to a sharp increase in demand, but no way to increase supply as quickly.

However, this can’t be the whole explanation or we would have fixed it by now. And in fact, vets had noticed puppy prices rising rapidly for several years before COVID.

Second: A Reduced Puppy Supply

This relates to the disappearance of backyard breeders. Now this must be a good thing because everyone knows that backyard breeders are bad, right?

Right?

In fact, not so fast. In my privileged inner city bubble, I saw very few bad, and lots of very good backyard breeders. Families who wanted to do it just once, or others with just one pair who had a litter every one to two years. They took our advice, weren’t trying to get rich, and brought lots of healthy and well-balanced dogs into the world.

They’re almost all gone now. That’s thanks to some well-intentioned rules on who can breed dogs plus an increasingly judgemental tone especially on social media. But even this isn’t the whole story.

Third: Changing Breeders

Go to any dog show and look at the age of dog breeders. I experienced this personally in 2010 when I wanted to get a second Border Terrier and found that Tinker’s breeder had died. With him went his kennels.

The older breeders who did it for the love of the breed are now a rare breed themselves. There are still good younger breeders coming through, but seemingly not in the same numbers.

Getting A Puppy in 2021 & Beyond

So what to do?

Well, the worst thing would be to fall into the arms of pet stores. The few remaining have benefited greatly from the nationwide puppy shortage and they don’t need any more help. No matter the marketing, their puppies mostly come from places we describe as puppy farms.

As I said before, you need to consider the long term consequences of a pet shop puppy very carefully.

You also need to watch out for the scammers. Visit this regularly updated page to see how bad it is with Cavoodles and you’ll also get some idea of what to look out for.

What I advised the frustrated Golden Retriever seeker to do was to think again. They wanted a Golden Retriever because their friends had one, and they’d fallen in love with it. That is a great reason to choose a breed, but it also shows you something else.

There are many other breeds you will fall in love with if you meet them too. And like I always say, within a day of getting to know any dog, it won’t matter what they look like. You will love them for who they are.

So What Are The Best Dog Breeds In Australia?

There’s not just one breed for each dog owner, but you also need to know what it is you want. For this, I have prepared you a gift.

Visit this page and you’ll find I’ve assembled a list of only 130 dog breeds. Why 130 when there are there are probably 450? Because these ones are everyday dog breeds you can probably own yourself. Most have breeders right here in SA.

You’ll see that I’ve sorted them into categories.

For example, I like dogs who are:

• low maintenance
• small
• full of attitude

Therefore, I can choose from almost any of the Terriers & Schnauzers and the smaller Spitz breeds.

Many people want dogs that don’t shed. They should look at the Low-Shedding Breeds, and so on.

No matter what you want, you will find that there are at least five or ten breeds that all seem OK. So how do you make the final decision? Three ways.

First, Ask Your Vet

Please don’t ask your vet to choose you a breed from the whole list. That’s impossible. But if you email with only five or ten on a shortlist, your vet is likely to be only too happy to help.

They’re going to talk about things like temperament, health and lifestyle differences.

You’ll find this causes your suitable breed list to shrink even further. Now it’s time to throw out the net…

Second, Dog Shows

Another way to broaden your horizons is to visit the local dog shows. This is especially effective on the ‘best of breeds’ day if there are multiple days like the Royal Adelaide Show. It’s one of my favourite treats of the year. I get to see all the breeds assembled in one place and talk to the breeders, who always seem eager to discuss their dogs.

Third, Contact The Breeders

Now using the breeds you’ve shortlisted, go to your breed association and get the contact details of all the registered breeders. You can find SA details here.

Send a friendly email or make a call asking about upcoming litters. Be warned that some may have puppies right now and you’ll need to have thought about your timing in advance.

Even if you get a positive response, you’re not done yet. You need to go out and meet the breeders and their adult dogs to make absolutely sure that this is the dog for you. Don’t be offended if the breeders spend as much time making sure you’re the right owner for their dogs! That’s a good sign.

Then spend your waiting period learning all you can about them. The result of all this is that you may end up with a breed you’d not even heard of before you started looking. But I almost guarantee that you’ll get a lot of satisfaction from going that extra mile.

You Might Also Like: Monthly Costs Of Dog Breeds | 21 Long-Lived & Low-Cost Breeds | List of Good Family Dogs

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

That risk isn’t evenly spread either. Some dogs are much more likely to tear an ACL than others. Two of those four risks are under your control.

Risk Factors For ACL Injuries In Dogs

Let’s take a tour through what we know. I’ll start with the risks you can’t control.

1. Breed

Every vet knows that some breeds are more likely to ‘do a cruciate’ than others. We don’t understand the mechanism, but it’s probably related to the shape of their joints and their tendency for arthritis.

This is a good time to explode a particular myth about dog ACLs. They almost never tear during sporting activities. Most dog cruciate ligaments which rupture have been slowly degenerating for some time until they finally go ‘pop’. This might happen on a walk or a trip to the toilet.

When many owners of affected dogs look back, their dog has been getting little twinges for some time before the failure occurs. The reason for this is that there has been something wrong with the joint for a while. It’s rare for me to operate on a cruciate ligament and not to see pre-existing arthritis for example.

Breeds At Higher Risk Of A Torn ACL

So what are those breeds? The following table comes from a recent Swedish study. Although it’s missing the common Australian breeds, my impressions are that these breeds are rarely affected anyway.

2. Age

The average age for a dog to rupture a cruciate ligament is seven. In other words, they are neither young nor old. But this average hides important differences between breeds too.

There are those that go early.

And those that go late.

Of course, there’s nothing you can do about this once you’ve chosen a dog. The next two are where you can really make a difference.

3. Body Condition

Excess body condition has a significant effect on the risk of cruciate rupture. In the study referenced below, a dog with a torn ACL was around twice as likely to be overweight as an average member of the same breed.

It’s hard to say what this means for the risk of tearing the ACL in the first place, but it also probably also doubles.

Body condition is not the same as body weight. Within a breed, dogs of different sizes but the same body condition do not have a different risk.

4. Desexing Age

The most recently understood risk factor is the age at which a dog is desexed or neutered. Neutering itself does not increase the risk as long as the right time is chosen.

The big message to come out of 2020 is that this risk is unpredictable, and varies greatly between dogs (those pesky breeds again!).

You can imagine my mood when I read the paper and realised I had to write 40 web pages to properly explain the risk for each breed. Let’s just say that you get to reap the benefit and I’m glad it’s over.

There are also some general guidelines for dogs of different sizes. Personally, I would also delay desexing for any of the higher risk breeds shown above.

What About Exercise?

What doesn’t increase the risk is the type of activity of your dog. This fits with my experience; we almost never see Greyhounds with ruptured cruciates for example.

When a dog tears their ACL it’s usually no one’s fault. Not even their own!

If this has happened to your dog, don’t despair. Repair techniques only get better, and after the recovery, a normal life awaits.

You might also like: How To Fix A Torn ACL In Dogs

References

Engdahl, K., Emanuelson, U., Höglund, O., Bergström, A., & Hanson, J. (2021). The epidemiology of cruciate ligament rupture in an insured Swedish dog population. Scientific reports, 11(1), 1-11

Lampman, T. J., Lund, E. M., & Lipowitz, A. J. (2003). Cranial cruciate disease: current status of diagnosis, surgery, and risk for disease. Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology, 16(03), 122-126

Terhaar, H. M., Muir, P., Baker, L. A., Binversie, E. E., Chi, J., & Sample, S. J. (2020). Contribution of habitual activity to cruciate ligament rupture in Labrador Retrievers. Veterinary and comparative orthopaedics and traumatology: VCOT, 33(2), 82

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By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

Traditional sources like breeders and shelters have long waiting lists. The only quick and easy way to get a puppy is from a pet shop. I perfectly understand if you’ve thought about it. But before you make the commitment, there are a few things to consider.

This is an honest, open discussion of what you can expect from pet store puppies. If after reading you want to get one, you’ll have have a good idea of what to look out for.

Also read: Help! I Can’t Get The Breed I Want!

The Source Of Pet Shop Puppies

Most of the puppies sold in Adelaide pet shops come from puppy farms interstate where such breeding is allowed. The problem is that it’s rarely clear from the paperwork or the shop. Therefore, an absence of information is enough to raise suspicions. 

Additionally, many puppy farms are large businesses quite capable of making themselves appear legitimate online. It often takes a bit of detective work to find out the truth.

Why does it matter? Because of the next issue…

Health Issues

There’s no question that many puppies from pet shops turn out to be excellent dogs, but vets observe a higher rate of physical and mental illness. Some of this may derive from the shop, but a large part is believed to be due to how they are bred.

Giardia is an important protozoal gastrointestinal infection that is both serious and easily spread to people. It should not occur in well-bred dogs, but we see it very commonly from pet shops. I know of one new owner who was hospitalised, and many puppies who died or were sick for extended periods. 

Coccidia is another protozoal infection that is more easily overlooked but just as serious. Any puppy that does not always have normal poo should be suspected of having coccidia or giardia.

Anxiety is more common in puppies bought from pet shops. We suspect this is due to four factors:

• An impoverished breeding environment
• Early separation from their mothers
• Transit at a sensitive age
• A lack of 24 hour care in the shop

Anxious dogs usually retain some traces for life. This affects both trainability and quality of life.

Also worth mentioning is inbreeding. We don’t have evidence, but it appears that pet shop puppies are more likely to have genetic diseases. The suspicion is that puppy farms replace breeding dogs with others bred from their own puppies rather than buying in new stock.

Shop Management

I have personally observed Adelaide pet shops not housing puppies adequately. Here are some red flags:

• Pens and cages made from wood, which make disinfection all-near impossible
• Puppies of different ages being housed together, risking vertical disease transmission
• Inadequate space for the number of puppies being housed, preventing emptying and cleaning of pens
• Puppies being left alone at night, either in the shop itself, or out the back
• Staff unqualified for animal husbandry

Regrets

One thing I don’t want you to discover without being warned is regret. In the moment of buying a puppy, with the kids all excited, it’s easy to not see the future.

If things go well, for the next 15 years you’ll be taking your dog for walks, going to the vet, visiting friends and spending time at the park. Everywhere the first topic of conversation is going to be your dog. Before you buy it’s worth making sure that you’re going to be okay answering the common question of where he or she came from.

You will undoubtedly face some judgment and even open hostility, but most people won’t care. It’s more about picturing how you’ll feel inside and whether the kids will feel the same way in the future. This is one of the reasons I advise heavily researching the origin of your puppy so you don’t find out later.

Price

A very practical consideration is the high price you will pay for convenience at a pet shop. Although breeders are definitely expensive, they still are generally cheaper than the pet stores.

Most vets I know consider it more than ironic that the puppies that seem to require the highest level of veterinary care are also more expensive to buy. It certainly doesn’t seem to be a case of “you get what you pay for”.

If you feel you can buy a pet shop puppy and avoid the problems listed above, I’ll support you. For example, a locally bred puppy held in a caring and well-maintained environment is probably going to be OK.

Of course, I will always fully support you to achieve the best health and welfare outcomes for your puppy. So even if you think I might judge you, I’m really only here to give him or her their best life.

If you’re having second thoughts, visit our page on where to get puppies in South Australia. It shows you how to find breeders as well as adoptions from shelters. Waiting times can be as little as one month.

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

Right now, he is frightened of many things in an unpredictable way. He is frequently frozen and unwilling to move, difficult to walk, wary of strangers and not interested in food. At night he wanders the house unsettled. But we can also see signs of the lovely dog within.

Recently I told you that the best age to get a puppy is 7 to 8 weeks old. But there are plenty of dogs and puppies over 16 weeks old needing homes. Here are some examples:

• Dogs held back at the breeder
• Ex racing greyhounds
• Dogs from rescue shelters

So what happens if you get them? The answer is that they still make great pets, but not all of them and not always in the same way.

Here, for example, is one of their most commonly searched questions, and its answer:

Why Are Ex Breeding Dogs So Scared?

Dogs and puppies older than 16 weeks have passed the sensitive period. This is when they have learned to tolerate and hopefully enjoy what their environment contains. After this, new experiences often cause a fear response, at least initially.

How much this matters depends on three things:

1. The age of the puppy: the older they are the worse it is
2. Their personality: some dogs are more resilient to change than others
3. How much socialisation has been done in their first home

The third point is by far the most important. When I see older dogs that have lived in a good home, been taken for outings, and met a variety of people, these dogs are nearly normal. They fit in well and go on to make great family pets.

The Impoverished Dog

When I see dogs like Jethro who was kept in a shed in concrete runs and had limited outside contact, they are always in trouble. He’s from a good, resilient breed not normally known for anxiety, but there’s a lot of damage to undo.

These dogs cope poorly with change. They have been kept in a sterile, featureless place and have missed out on experiencing the normal parts of life. Their social and environmental deprivation creates a dog that can only be described as institutionalised.

To the breeder or greyhound trainer, they are happy dogs, no doubt celebrating with joy every time the cage door is opened. No one ever thinks, “yes, but what are they like when I’m not watching?

And how will they cope when they have to go anywhere else? Because breeders and trainers rarely keep dogs for life. They often hold dogs back to see how they will develop, before homing the ones they choose not to show or race. The dogs they keep are usually adopted out at the end of their useful life.

Getting A Puppy vs An Older Dog

Many people choose an older dog to avoid the difficult puppy period: the toilet training, the socialisation, the problem behaviours like jumping up. But that assumes that someone else has done it! Most of the time there’s no-one better than you to put the time in to create your perfect family dog.

That’s because good socialisation is exposing a young puppy to everything they can expect to meet in their adult life. You can use my checklist of puppy experiences but nothing beats raising the puppy in the same environment they will live in later.

This is especially important if you might have children. Very few ex-breeder dogs or greyhounds have had sufficient exposure to cope with the unpredictability of toddlers*. They have also rarely had anyone play with them in the way children will.

But it’s not all negative. There are some potential benefits of these older dogs too:

• they often have quiet temperaments
• many have already been desexed and vaccinated
• most health problems should be evident by now
• they are usually good with other dogs*

* Good rescue shelters will attempt to screen dogs for their suitability with other dogs and children

Introducing An Older Dog

If you plan on getting an older puppy, a shelter dog, a greyhound or a retired breeding dog, the most important skill is patience. Despite my warnings, they usually settle in well, but take more time than younger dogs. Many things that are normal to other dogs can be terrifying to begin with.

When you come home, he or she will often be quite scared. This may not be obvious; most show it just by inactivity, a stiff, frozen posture or not eating.

Settle them down in as similar a place as possible to where they just came from, but inside the house. This could even be a crate with the door open if they are used to being caged. Your new dog will need very high levels of consistency and understanding from everyone involved, and zero punishment.

If you don’t force the issue, you should find that over the next few days your dog gradually starts to show relaxed body language and begins to explore. After a few more days, you should be able to venture outside for short walks.

If this isn’t happening, contact your vet as soon as you can. They will probably recommend a force free dog trainer combined with short-term anxiety medication. While no one wants to drug a dog, reducing fear allows a dog to explore and learn. It can also be a welfare issue to treat these dogs’ anxiety.

Please don’t think that buying an Adaptil collar or a Thundershirt is a reasonable alternative. Time is of the essence here.

Is It A Bad Idea To Get An Older Dog Then?

No, not at all. Imagine what would happen if no-one took these dogs. And not only that, most of them do extremely well. Even Jethro will be OK.

If you’re looking at getting any puppy over 16 weeks of age, here are some things to think about:

• how rich and varied was the puppy’s home environment?
• how do they react when you or your kids handle them?
• are they toilet trained to live inside a house?

However, you won’t be able to tell how much a poorly socialised or trained dog can improve with your care. That’s why I’m in two minds about ‘taking a dog on trial’. While some dogs settle in quickly, helping others requires a long-term commitment.

Older puppies, greyhounds, rescues and retired breeding dogs are perfect pets for the right person. I just want you to go in with your eyes open, to have realistic expectations of how older dogs differ, and to recognise when a dog needs help.

And to get a checkup with your trusted vet. Jethro didn’t just have anxiety. He also had untreated ear infections and diarrhoea that only added to my low opinion of his original home.

Update 2021: Jethro now looks almost like any other happy dog. He spent some time on anxiety medication, and his ear infections and giardia took a while to fix, but they’re all in the past now. His bad start is but a distant memory thanks to the commitment of his new owners.

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By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

Or do you wonder if it’s OK to buy a puppy from a pet shop.

Or does your pet store puppy have the any of following symptoms?

• Droppings that aren’t 100% solid
• Difficult or slow toilet training
• A fussy or picky appetite
• Poor weight and slow growth

Then you need to read this.

The Problem With Pet Stores

Modern pet stores look upmarket, have stylish branding and do everything they can to give the impression of a responsible place to buy puppies. Some even possibly are. The public can only judge them at their words, and I’ll never blame anyone who does.

However, the reality is often different.

Here an edit of the third message I sent to a local shop called Boutique Paws. I’ve added headings and images to make it easier to read. It’s important to stress that the shop is not the only one of its type and buyers should beware of all similar stores, no matter how well polished the exterior.

Dear <pet shop owner>

It is with disappointment that I have to report the latest case of a sick puppy sold via Boutique Paws. I am hoping this time it will be received with a commitment to investigate the illnesses I have seen in puppies from your store. 

Giardia In Puppies

As you can probably guess by now, the problem concerns multiple giardia infections. Giardia is a single-celled protozoan parasite that causes gastrointestinal signs such as vomiting, diarrhoea, weight loss and even death in puppies. If that it not enough, it is also a serious human health risk, especially to children in contact with these puppies.

The latest incident concerns a just-purchased puppy who was taken to an emergency vet after passing blood. I subsequently examined the pup and found him to be significantly underweight, and infected with giardia. He has been started on treatment, and I expect him to make a full recovery. However, it never should have happened.

More than this single case, the scale of the situation is frankly alarming. I am just one of hundreds of vets in Adelaide, yet I have seen three puppies from your store recently with giardia. Most of the time, these infected puppies show only mild persistent diarrhoea and poor growth. Unless a vet already suspects giardia, it is likely that this will be put down to ‘change of diet’ (as did the emergency vet) and the subsequent slow toilet training as just ‘one of those things’.

My history dealing with puppy farms is the reason I can see the problem clearly, but I fear not all vets share my bitter experiences. If puppies with giardia are not identified via specific testing, they will carry and pass on the parasite for life. Who knows how many are affected.

Where Giardia Comes From

I hear you have been telling customers who complain that the puppies are getting giardia from their water or environment. If that is so you need to be able to explain two things:

1. Why I almost never see giardia in puppies from any other source except yours
2. How all three puppies could have picked it up in those few days despite having loose stools from day one

There is strong circumstantial evidence that you are unwittingly selling puppies with giardia. You are welcome to prove me wrong, but to do so you need to stop being in denial. The only way forward is to get veterinary advice.

Giardia is a parasite of dogs that is easily eliminated and controlled with good hygiene, husbandry and veterinary care. Persistent infection in pet shop puppies can only mean one of two things:

1. Breeders sending out puppies infected with giardia
2. Puppies being infected wth giardia in the shop

Either way, this is unacceptable. If on one hand you are purchasing puppies from such disreputable sources, you need to re-examine why you are in the business in the first place. Your responsibility is to refuse to deal with them until they get their house in order. The presence of giardia indicates deficient or absent veterinary care.

If on the other hand, puppies are being infected in your shop, it is a failure of basic hygiene, and you need to get local veterinary advice. My personal opinion is that the answer is likely to be a combination of both factors.

Giardia has to come from somewhere initially, but the fact that all types of puppies appear to be infected suggests further spread is occurring.

How To Prevent Giardia In Dogs

Fixing the problem is certainly not just about dispensing antibiotics. It will involve all of the following steps:

1. Testing puppies on arrival to determine the source of the problem
2. Refusing to deal with the breeder(s) who return positive test results
3. Using pens for puppies that can be easily disinfected
4. Never mixing puppies from different sources or with differing ages
5. Testing existing pets and breeding animals owned by the shop
6. Periodic ongoing monitoring

Of this list, only hygienic pens are difficult, but that’s the price we all pay for housing animals properly. You are very welcome to come and learn how we did it in our new clinic. However, I suspect your main problem will be point 2.

Where Pet Shops Get Their Puppies

From previous discussions, I know that you (like most pet shops) struggle to find enough locally-bred puppies to sell. Therefore you are forced to use commercial large scale breeders mostly based in Victoria.

I can’t say that these breeders are the source, but this will be easy to check with a cheap test. If they are, you must stop using them until they commit to a solution. Selling fewer puppies may be the price you have to pay for selling puppies with fewer problems. 

It will shock you to learn that puppies from Boutique Paws are indistinguishable to me from the puppy farm puppies I used to see. I am sure this was not your intention in setting up the shop, and I hope this fact spurs you into action. You are putting the health of puppies and their families at risk, but you are also only a step away from the RSPCA becoming involved. 

Kind Regards, Dr Andrew Spanner, Walkerville Vet

Addendum: I published this due to the lack of an adequate response to my previous attempts to help and offered the owner a right of reply. Since then, an outpouring of stories of problems posted on our email (which I sadly felt were too risky for me to leave there without verification) has made me withdraw the offer.

The situation appears a lot more serious and widespread than even I feared. Puppies are being diagnosed with giardia across Adelaide. The day after I posted this I saw a fourth, and I expect more to come.

Update 15 July, 2019. This post was published 7 days ago, and the shop was temporarily closed shortly afterwards. Boutique Paws announced today that they are working with the support of Pet Doctor Woodville. With attention to the points outlined above, there is every reason to believe that puppies can be sold free of infection. I wish them the best.

However, the two puppies from BP that we have tested since that date have both been carrying giardia infections, one with no obvious symptoms. Therefore, it’s a good idea to ask for a test just to be sure.

Please note that it is never normal for puppies to pass blood in their poo, and the routine use of antibiotics in puppies may only be masking illness or encouraging the development of antibiotic resistance.

What To Do Next

To those reading this, I hope what I’ve written helps you to either choose a puppy or help the one you’ve got. If you know someone who’s purchased a puppy from a pet store recently, not just Boutique Paws, send them this link. The rates of infection are so high that there’s a good chance their puppy is infected too.

If you have a puppy with some of the symptoms I mentioned, please talk to your vet for a non-judgemental and thorough consultation. Nobody wants to live with giardia. My dogs have never had a loose stool in their life and neither should yours.

Lastly, it’s not your fault to trust what you’ve been told. It even took me a while to see the problem. I would only ask that in tackling it we don’t expose the shop staff to any stress or criticism.

So where can you get a good puppy? Follow this link.

Note: comments from owners of affected puppies are very welcome. They will be published anonymously but in the interests of complete accuracy I will contact you privately to get consent to talk to your vets. They will be happy to assist.

Related Reading

McMillan, F. D. (2017). Behavioral and psychological outcomes for dogs sold as puppies through pet stores and/or born in commercial breeding establishments: Current knowledge and putative causes. Journal of veterinary behavior, 19, 14-26. Read Paper Here.

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

Of course, I would say that, wouldn’t I? I’m a vet after all.

Here’s the problem: if you go and Google “healthiest dog breeds,” those lists you get are just opinions. When I read them, my experience makes me wonder at some of the choices.

Here’s what I’ve done instead: I’ve tried to use the available evidence. That gets me off the hook of being accused of bias and hopefully closer to the truth. I’ve used two different indicators:

1. Dog Breed Health Costs

I’ve used online insurance quotes and plugged in every breed we see in Adelaide. The trick here is simple: insurance companies charge different amounts for different breeds, based on their expected payouts.

I assume (and it’s a safe assumption if a company doesn’t want to go broke) that their costs reflect actual costs at the vet, and therefore health.  Using one insurance company, I selected only the 42 breeds that cost less than $65 a month to insure.

2. Dog Lifespan Studies

For my second indicator, I’ve used the three latest studies on how long dogs live. I’ve averaged them and selected only the 42 breeds that lived 12.5 years or over. These numbers are lower than your dog’s expected lifespan as they start from birth, but they are useful for comparison purposes.

Both these charts can be found below. For my final step, I selected only the 21 dog breeds that appear on both charts. I call this…

The Healthiest Dog Breed List

Interesting list isn’t it! You could do a lot worse than choosing one of these dog breeds. I don’t disagree with any of the selections, but I do think quite a few other good ones are missing.

Read more about each one on our Dog Breeds guide.

Problems With This List

I can immediately see three problems with this list:

• It biases against larger breeds as they are more expensive at the vet for the same health problems. You can look up how they scored individually using the links found below.
• It’s unfair to American Staffordshire, Australian Terrier, Chihuahua, Irish Terrier, Japanese Spitz, Lakeland Terrier, Miniature Pinscher, Papillon, Schnauzer, Shiba Inu, and Tenterfield Terrier. All were under $65 to insure but didn’t appear in any of the lifespan studies. I think they would have qualified.
• ‘Cross Breed’ is a very generic concept that includes Poodle crosses as well as mongrels and rescue dogs. Lifespans should be higher than average but health will depend on the specific crosses involved.

Why Breed Choice Matters

In the midst of sad moments, I often find myself saying, “pet ownership shouldn’t be like this.” Too many dreams of a perfect family pet are shattered by chronic health problems. Some of that could be avoided by using the knowledge of vets.

I dream of a time when a part of everyone’s breed selection process is to ask the local vet for advice. Most will happily give this for free. It won’t be perfect, but it’s the best there is.

Related: Do Large Breeds Live Shorter Lives?

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

Appendix

You can view the whole table of 145 dog breed costs here and an explanation of pet insurance here.

Again, you can read the whole table of dog lifespans here.

These are what greyhound adopters reported in a recent study, and I’m not surprised. I see tremendous levels of satisfaction among greyhound owners. They are a genuine alternative for new dog owners.

Like all dog breeds, there are good points and also things you need to know. This is your evidence-based guide to what to expect from an adopted Greyhound. Let’s start with the good things.

What’s Great About Greyhounds

1. They’re quiet: studies show lower levels of nuisance barking than average dogs
2. They have low aggression towards people: this was one of the key findings from the Howell study
3. They are good with children: the same study also showed that they can be considered a family-friendly dog
4. They are good on lead: studies show this but you’ve no doubt also seen how gentle they are on walks
5. They don’t need lots of exercise: They love a run, and still need a daily walk, but nothing too strenuous- weird, huh?
6. They’re healthy: have a look at their inbreeding coefficient and you might just guess why

Plus you get a warm, fuzzy feeling from knowing you saved one. I don’t want to depress you with the numbers but they aren’t good.

Choosing A Greyhound

All breeds have pros and cons, and Greyhounds are no different. However, before I list potential issues, let me say this: choose your Greyhound rescue organisation carefully and you’ll benefit later. Look for a standardised behavioural assessment of:

• Acceptance of handling
• Resource guarding
• Response to new situations
• Prey drive towards small dogs and cats, both on and off the lead

With so many needing adoptions, it’s better for everyone to apply strict selection criteria at the start. And it shows in the figures. The reported failure rates of 3.2% after 1 month and  7% after 6 months are as low as it gets.

Do Greyhounds Need Muzzles?

The rules on greyhound muzzling vary from state to state. Muzzles are not required to be worn in Victoria, whereas in NSW a retraining program is required first. In South Australia, there are three ways to get a muzzle exemption:

• Greyhounds adopted through the GAP program can be awarded the numbered green collar that entitles them to go without a muzzle
• GAP can also organise (for a fee) the assessment of Greyhounds who weren’t acquired through the program
• Private assessment is also possible by qualified and approved persons (see us for recommendations in Adelaide)

In each case, once a dog has passed their assessment, the owner/adopter sends the signed paperwork away to receive a license card that they then carry at all times when out without a muzzle.

Other Greyhounds must be muzzled when not on your property. It’s not as bad as it sounds- their lightweight wire muzzles aren’t a major problem either in looks or use. Greyhounds must also be on a leash at all times when in public. Recently South Australia has been trialing greyhound days at certain off leash dog parks but you need to book these quickly as demand is high.

Possible Problems With Greyhounds

Medically, Greyhounds are a healthy breed and you can expect few problems. Three notable exceptions are:

• Periodontal disease is worse than average
• Bone cancer is common, on a par with other large breed dogs
• Atopic dermatitis may be more common too

This table shows the more common behaviour problems reported in two major studies. If the figures seem exaggerated, it’s worth noting that I combined ‘sometimes’, ‘often’ and ‘always’ to get these numbers. I’ll explain them afterwards.

So we have two main issues:

1. Predation and aggression towards small or unfamiliar animals
2. Anxiety and fear in a range of situations

The Australia-New Zealand study was done only one month after adoption, which I think explains the much higher rate of destruction and separation anxiety.  This fact also gives hope that these behaviours will settle down.

You can read more about anxiety post-adoption here.

To me, the bigger potential issue is predation and aggression towards cats, small dogs, and unfamiliar animals. While common in theory, in practical terms it’s almost never a problem. Greyhounds should have been pre-assessed before adoption, and especially if they are screened for a muzzle exemption.

If you own a cat, care is still advisable, especially at the beginning. Even if you are not required to use a muzzle in public it is sensible to use one at home until you know things are OK.

The various anxiety-related behaviours probably come from the deprived environments these dogs lived in before adoption. They seem to improve with time, except for one.

You may just have to get used to having a quiet and gentle shadow around the house. It’s a small price to pay for rescuing such a beautiful animal from oblivion.

Further Reading

Elliott, R., Toribio, J. A. L., & Wigney, D. (2010). The Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP) in Australia and New Zealand: A survey of owners’ experiences with their greyhounds one month after adoption. Applied animal behaviour science, 124(3-4), 121-135.

Howell, T. J., Mongillo, P., Giacomini, G., & Marinelli, L. (2018). A survey of undesirable behaviors expressed by ex-racing greyhounds adopted in Italy. Journal of Veterinary Behavior.

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

However there’s a second and more insidious danger that ultimately might be more important: inbreeding.

I can only hope that by understanding the problem, we can fight it. The first place to go for answers is zoos.

The Zoo Studbook

Zoos cop a lot of flak, and I won’t get into that. However, what they usually do well is manage their captives as if one day they can be released again. The way they do this is with a studbook.

For nearly every species you see in any zoo, somewhere in the world there will be a studbook and a studbook keeper. These people use specialised software to plan which animals to breed with which. They arrange transfers between zoos, often internationally.

The whole point is obviously to manage genetic diversity. Nature has dealt each species a wide deck of genetic cards that are spread throughout the individuals randomly. If an animal dies without passing on a unique gene they carry, it’s lost forever. The risk of this goes up as the number of breeding individuals goes down.

Why Diversity Matters

The fear of zoos is that they could accidentally lose genetic diversity so that by the time a species is ready to be released, it can’t be. Genetic diversity is linked to fitness to survive, for two reasons:

1. A wide variety of available genes means a species is more likely to be able to cope with change. If us humans weren’t diverse, we may have all died of the Black Death, or Smallpox, for example.
2. A wide variety of genes minimises the risk of inbreeding. That’s what I want to talk more about here.

What Is Inbreeding?

At a genetic level, inbreeding is simple. Animals have two copies of each gene, one supplied by each parent. That provides a backup copy. Inbreeding is when those two copies become more likely to be the same.

Being the same on its own isn’t a problem. However, what happens if the gene is defective? Well, it just so happens that all animals carry defective genes, made harmless by a second good copy.

Once related individuals start to breed, the probability increases that the same defective gene is carried by both parents. Then it’s a high chance that it will appear twice in the same offspring. Now we have no good backup and a genetic disease results.

The F1 or Hybrid Vigour

The opposite to inbreeding is outbreeding or outcrossing. Farmers have known for generations that if you breed two different types of cattle together, the offspring perform better than their parents. They grow faster and convert feed to muscle more efficiently.

Hopefully, you can now see why. By using distantly related animals, you are almost certainly abolishing even the most subtle genetic diseases and unleashing the animal’s full potential. This same process occurs in dogs, where you will hear people prizing a dog as an “F1” cross.

Puppy Farms and Inbreeding

I saw this first with, would you believe, puppy farms. Back in the 90s, before we knew what was going on, highly impressive Maltese Shi Tzu crosses started appearing. These were the F1 crosses produced from purebred parents.

As time went by, their health declined, I suspect due to inbreeding as their offspring began to be used as future parents. Then the cycle repeated with Spoodles, then Cavoodles, then Pugaliers. Each time, the early dogs were superb, followed by the appearance of genetic faults.

Genetic Diseases of Dogs

“So,” you say, “that’s OK, I haven’t heard of many genetic diseases in dogs”. Yes, you have. Your dog probably even has one. Any disease that’s more common in a certain breed is, by definition, a genetic disease.

Here are just a few:

• Atopy (itchy skin, ear and foot infections)
• Cruciate ligament rupture
• Cushings disease
• Heart diseases (most)
• Hip dysplasia & Patellar luxation
• Pancreatitis

I won’t go on. You get the idea. There’s a reason why dogs are around twice as costly to insure as cats, and why cross-bred dogs have the longest lifespans.

You can read a list of genetic diseases by dog breed here.

The History of Purebreds

To understand the problem with purebreds, you need to go back in time. Until the 19th century, dogs were just dogs. Different regions had different types, and in the same region, different types were used for different purposes.

Importantly, however, there were no rules. If you wanted to make a better herder by using a different type of dog as a sire, you could. If a sailor brought an impressive dog to your town, your dog could be bred with it. The only aim was to create the type of dog you wanted.

Then the middle classes started to want to preserve and improve these dog breeds, and so kennel clubs were established. Now only certain dogs were to be bred together. Artificial genetic fences were put around small groups of dogs. These are today’s purebreds.

Purebreds and Inbreeding

Now we come to the crux. Even separating dogs into breeds would be OK if the starting number was high enough and people acted to conserve genetic diversity. But usually neither of these statements is true.

Let me use a beautiful breed as an example, the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, or Toller. When this breed was identified, the starting stock was only 22. This creates a ‘founder effect’ of low initial genetic diversity. But it only gets worse.

The culture within pure breeder circles is to aim for certain traits that are successful in the show ring. At any time, there is usually a single popular sire that confers these traits best. Thus, you will often find that most or all of the puppies being produced are related to the same individual.

This culture is the greatest single threat to genetic diversity across dog populations. Nowadays,  the inbreeding coefficient of 0.26 for Tollers is equivalent to the result of full-sibling matings.  Bear in mind that the ‘extinction vortex’ is thought to begin at a value of 0.10.

This is unacceptable. But very little is being done about it. So far, Tollers appear to be coping, other than a high rate of immune-mediated disease. If they were a zoo population, this would be a disaster and heads would roll.

For comparison, here are the inbreeding figures for ten other dog breeds.

How To Reduce Inbreeding

One breeder told me that when she met with the other members of her breed group recently, every other recent puppy was sired by the same father. Except hers, which therefore will not do well in the ring. And I congratulate her for not caring.

I told her that it may take a generation, but time will prove her right. She breeds dogs to be good family pets, not show ring successes. I encourage you to find and support breeders like her.

If you think I’m exaggerating, watch how the dog runs in the video (around 1 minute in). It shows who the UK Kennel Club chose as their ‘Best of Breed’ in 2016. Say no more.

When choosing puppies from breeds such as Cavoodles, Spoodles, and Labradoodles, where possible I would favour F1 crosses. Of course, this isn’t popular with those who want to establish the breed as an independent entity. However, wait until you see these puppies!

The best way to reduce inbreeding is to make it unacceptable. Only pressure and scrutiny from the dog owning public plus breeders committed to a breed’s long-term future can do this.

Further Reading

Mäki, K. (2010). Population structure and genetic diversity of worldwide Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever and Lancashire Heeler dog populations. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics, 127(4), 318-326. Link.

You might also be interested in the specific problems with Great Danes, Maine Coons, Scottish Folds & Shar Peis

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

1. Deciding which dog breed to choose
2. Finding a good breeder or shelter
3. Choosing the best dog from the breeder or shelter (that’s this one!)

You thought you’d done the hard part: choosing your ideal breed, then finding the right breeder or shelter, and then you get that phone call. “Please come between 9 and 12 tomorrow to choose which puppy you want”.

Suddenly, the pressure is on. How do you make a quick decision and not make a mistake in choosing a dog from a litter? We’ll get to that soon, but first a few special words about shelters.

Choosing Dogs From Shelters

With rescue shelters, it’s often a case of choosing from what’s available. That doesn’t mean you’ll be worse off; you have their considerable expertise to help guide you.

Any good large shelter will have clearly established procedures for matching dogs with owners. After all, they don’t want failures either. I can’t do better than to say:“go with their expert advice before mine”.

Smaller shelters with only a few dogs may not have such clear guidelines, but they have a person who knows each dog very well. Once again, you can usually rely on their assessment.

To get around the inevitable risk, many places allow a limited trial period with a no-questions-asked return policy if things don’t work out. However, any good dog requires work, and no shelter dog is perfect out of the box so use this offer wisely and sparingly.

Now let’s talk about choosing puppies in general. A lot of this applies to shelters as well.

Choosing Which Puppy to Take

You may not get a choice in every litter. Some are earmarked for breeding, some may have been reserved for a long time. Sometimes there just aren’t that many pups to choose from. If this is your situation, don’t worry; differences within a litter aren’t usually huge, and even the difference between male and female dogs isn’t that big a deal. However, if you have a choice, here’s what to think about:

Get there early

If you’re given a range of times, try to arrive at the start, not the finish. If you can’t be there, it’s probably better to communicate your wishes with the breeder than to send a friend. The breeder knows the pups far better than your friend, who really shouldn’t be put in that position anyway.

Be practical, not emotional

Don’t choose puppies just because you feel sorry for them. This especially applies to dodgy breeders and pet shops. If you buy that puppy, you support the breeding of more puppies in the same situation.

Watch the litter together

Look for puppies that are very boisterous and pushy over the others: these may always be the more confident and possibly headstrong dogs. Puppies who have separated themselves away need careful watching to make sure nothing’s wrong. Bear in mind puppies sleep a lot so sleeping means nothing.

Assess each puppy individually

Follow the breeder’s advice on what to do but I like to sit on the floor and have them passed to me. Each one should show interest in you and show minimal fear. None may be happy to separate from mum but ideally they will sniff and lick at you. If one seems especially timid, they will probably show up now.

Assess health

You’re not a vet but there’s a lot you can see. Size isn’t important (read here why it’s a myth that runts are less healthy) but body condition matters a lot. All the puppies should have the same ‘covering’ of fat and muscle: beware the thin, bony puppy. Other things to look for include:

• No discharge from the eye or nose
• Clean ear canals
• Coats in good condition
• Good movement and sitting
• Formed faeces (logs, not cowpats)
• Minimal breathing noises in short-faced breeds like pugs

Most breeders are great but don’t accept excuses like “their coats are dirty because it’s dusty” or “his poos are runny because we changed the food”.

Ask the breeder’s opinion

I’ve said it already: no-one knows these puppies like they do.

Beware survivors

If you hear of other puppies from the litter that died, be careful. One pup death is normal, more than that isn’t.

Think about gender differences

Males can be more active and strong-willed, even when desexed, though the difference is not huge and can be a positive. Females are slightly more expensive to desex (neuter). In general, relationships are more harmonious if you choose the opposite sex to your existing dog (if you have one).

Are two puppies better than one?

Unless you are very confident, it’s better to only take one, get this pup well-trained, and 6 months later get a second. Having two puppies together is often just too much.

What’s the best age?

The optimal age to bring a puppy home is 8 weeks of age. Read the evidence here.

What about older dogs?

Sometimes the breeder will offer you a dog they have held back for breeding, rejected for showing or had returned. Issues can include:

• Socialisation. If this dog may not have been adequately socialised before 16 weeks of age to the expected stimuli in your lifestyle. If so, you may see anxiety in novel situations such as going out for walks, travelling in cars or using vacuum cleaners.
• Family-friendliness. Special mention is needed for socialisation to children. If this hasn’t happened adequately, your dog may always avoid kids, or worse.
• Toilet training. Older dogs who have learnt to toilet on concrete have a hard time relearning not to go on floors.

Many of these issues won’t apply if the dog lived in the house and was treated like a normal pet. They are more prevalent in busy breeding kennels.

On the plus side, older dogs that have been given a good start can be a lot easier for busy people.

Above all, don’t stress too much. Very few people make a bad choice. Even if you do, there’s still something we can do…

Make sure you book your free vet check for shortly after you get your puppy. We can’t find everything, but most problems will be picked up straight away and treated. If it’s something serious like a bad heart, better to know straight away than later.

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.

1. Deciding which dog breed to choose (that’s this one!)
2. Finding a good breeder or shelter
3. Choosing the best dog from the breeder or shelter

Have you done your research and already know which breed you want? If you have your heart set on a certain dog, it’s a great start. That way, you’re almost certain to love and treasure your puppy even when things are not so easy.

If you don’t know, well done for reading this first! So many people choose the wrong dog for their home and lifestyle and by the time we see them, it’s too late.

So how can you decide what puppy suits you?

Choose Breeds You Already Know

Many people want a breed because friends, family or colleagues have a perfect example. Or maybe you had one as a child. These are all good reasons to choose that breed as long as you have spent enough time with the dog to know their personality and understand that not all dogs in one breed act the same.
Read up on the breed at the links below just to make sure you are on the right track.

Ask Your Vet Or Dog Trainer.

Vets and trainers love it when we get asked for breed advice! You might think you’re wasting our time, but you’re not. We get a real kick out of helping you make the right decision, especially if we get to meet your puppy later.

We’ve seen it all; successes, disasters and everything in between. We can tell you about a dog’s health, behaviour, and how suitable their personality is for you.

Use Web-based Breed Selection Tools

1. Start with our hand-curated lists of good dogs for young children & families and healthier, tougher dog breeds.
2. Read our advice for making a shortlist of suitable and available dog breeds.
3. This dog breed guide is great if you already know what dog breed(s) you want. It will tell you if there might be any problems with your home and lifestyle for that breed.

Visit Dog Shows

Any good-sized dog show will include a wide cross-section of breeds; if you like dogs it’s like a box of chocolates. You can get to meet many different breeds and talk to their breeders about your desires. They may even say their dogs aren’t your best choice. All good to hear now, not later.

How NOT To Choose A Dog

Don’t choose a breed because of the way they look. Looks are quickly forgotten whereas how they are as a living, breathing creature lasts a lifetime. Choose the puppy that’s right for you and you’ll always love how they look.

Don’t blindly trust temperament advice. We’ve tried to give you an idea of each breed in our dog breed guide but there is more variation within a breed than between them. That means each individual is different. If you want to know what your puppy will be like, spend as much time as you can with the parents and adult dogs of the same breed.

Don’t pay much attention to the price of your puppy. This is the smallest part of your puppy’s lifetime expenses. Far better to choose the dog you want.

Don’t assume it’s all about the breed. For example, I used to get people asking me where I got my lovely Tenterfield Terrier, and it would annoy me just a little bit. Most of what they saw as her inherited nature was actually the result of a lot of hard work. Although breeds do differ a lot, no dog is good without significant input from their owner. The reverse applies for so-called difficult breeds like heelers, collies and terriers; these can be the best of dogs with the right approach.

Don’t buy from pet shops. If you already have, there’s no blame, but you might want to read this.

Breeder or Shelter?

If you want to rescue a dog, breed choice is still possible but less important or available for most people. If this is you, feel free to still use the ideas here. Most shelters do a good job of matching potential owners to their dogs.

Now visit our page on finding dog breeders and rescue shelters

Have something to add? Comments (if open) will appear within 24 hours.
By Andrew Spanner BVSc(Hons) MVetStud, a vet in Adelaide, Australia. Meet his team here.