| When people begin to plan what type of dog they | | | | advertise locally in papers and you will find a wide |
| want to get, they often have a very specific breed in | | | | variety of all breeds in papers from around the world. |
| mind. They begin looking for the perfect pure blood | | | | When shopping for a puppy in the paper, you should |
| canine and soon find they have spent hundreds or | | | | take the same precautions that you would with any |
| even thousands of dollars for something they could | | | | other source. Make sure you talk extensively with |
| have just as easily found in the local paper for free. | | | | the breeder or owner and ask them as many |
| Granted, you likely won't find a show winning dog with | | | | questions as possible. It's usually easy to tell if they |
| a distinguished lineage in the Sunday classifieds, but the | | | | have something to hide. Demand that they provide |
| point is that most people don't need that and will find | | | | you with pictures of the puppies via email if they are |
| themselves just as happy with a healthy "mutt." | | | | located in another place. If the breeder claims that |
| Mutts, or mixed breed dogs for those of you who are | | | | the dogs are registered, have them email copies of the |
| politically correct, are often healthier and even smarter | | | | dogs' papers so you can check the authenticity of the |
| than pure breeds. Mixed breed dogs often inherit the | | | | claims. Most online pet ads are legitimate, but there |
| best traits of the various breeds in their lineage. | | | | are those people looking to make a quick buck at your |
| Common genetic problems found in pure breeds are | | | | and the puppy's expense. |
| quite rare in mixed breeds due to their more varied | | | | Regardless of the breed or type of dog you're looking |
| gene pool. | | | | for, online ads are a good place to start the search. |
| If you just can't get away from the idea of having a | | | | There's no need to visit an expensive pet store or |
| pure breed dog, the paper is still a good place to look. | | | | settle for a small selection of dogs when the entire |
| Today it's easier than ever to view the classified ads | | | | world is at your fingertips. |
| of papers all over the world online. Breeders often | | | | |