Once you pick your puppy, one of the first things you need to do is to pick a veterinarian.  It's best if you do this before you even get a puppy if possible.

So, how do you find a vet? Ask friends, family and neighbors for recommendations. You can also call your local SPCA to see who they would suggest. They often know the area vets.

When you have a list of vets to consider, call for an interview.  It's not that uncommon so don't worry about it appearing strange. When you get to the veterinarian's office,  notice if the place looks clean. The staff should be friendly and knowledgeable. When talking to the vet, you should not feel rushed. The vet should actually listen to you and answer your questions in English, not medicalese.  Does the vet give you advice and tips on caring for your puppy? If you are able to see how the vet interacts with animals, notice how gentle he is with them.

You do want to find a vet that is reasonably close to you. But proximity isn't the only thing to consider.

Do you want a small 1 person practice or a large clinic? There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Small practices are more personable, know your pet more intimately and are often more flexible.  But they may be limited on the hours and days they are open.

Larger clinics mean more options both in the times available and probably have more services available too. But you may never see the same vet twice. He/she has little chance to get to know you or your pet.

Does the vet offer Boarding services or overnight after surgery care should your pet need it?  How about grooming services? These thngs may or may not be important to you but it's good to know either way.

Find out where your vet stands on vaccinations. Some feel the dog needs every vaccine that is available. But more and more of them are going he "less is more" route and only give the vaccines that are absolutely necessary. I always ask for the 3 year vaccines whenever possible. Does your vet offer these?

Once you have found a vet and you take your puppy to her first visit, make sure to bring the puppy's medical records that you obtained from the breeder, shelter ot prior owner. The vet may also ask you to bring in a stool sample from your puppy too. Bring a list of questions that you have.

The first visit is the real test. You don't want to "vet hop" but if you feel uncomfortable with the vet during this visit, you can always find another if you need to.  Of course you need to ask yourself if you are uncomfortable because something seems "off" or because it's hard to see your fur baby getting poked and prodded.

You and your puppy will have a long term relationship with your veterinarian and his staff.  Do your part to make it a pleasant experience for all of you!

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Last week I posted about the great contest Taste of the Wild is sponsoring for us on Bloggy Doggies.

Today it's time to announce the winner!

The winner picked at random is Tim Edington! Tim, please contact me at DoggyMom@BloggyDoggies.com so I can get your address.

Congrats to Tim and thanks to all who entered. There will be another chance to win a prize next week.

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Should I have pet health insurance?

There are many questions that need answering when first bringing home a new furry family member. You will have to decide on a training method, pet-proof your home, pick a suitable name and even work out the initial introductions between your new pet and those waiting at home. However, one of the most important questions you will have to ask yourself is, “should I have pet insurance?”

Pet insurance has become more and more common in the past few years. Many pet owners feel that having pet insurance offers peace of mind. They feel a sense of comfort in knowing that if the worst were to happen, they would have the financial freedom to do what was best for their pet and their families. Though pet insurance policies differ from one coverage plan to the next, most will help to cover the cost of emergency surgeries, prescription treatments and even burial and cremation costs.

It is safe to say that all pet owners should at least consider obtaining even a basic pet insurance coverage plan. However, there are some specific pet owners who should keep insurance at the forefront of their responsibilities. For example, if you have recently adopted an elderly, abused, neglected or abandoned dog from a shelter they may need ongoing treatment and pet insurance should be a major priority.

Pet insurance coverage is fairly simple to obtain and maintain. Similar to other insurance plans, you will have to pay into your pet insurance coverage monthly and will have to specify which coverage package you prefer. Most vet offices can supply information on pet insurance providers, coverage plans and benefit packages.

If you or someone you know is asking “should I get pet insurance?” make sure to explore all of your options. As with all insurance services, it is best to contact, consider and compare as many companies as possible.

Remember, pet insurance may not be important now, but consider the loyal companion laying at your feet…do you think he would do whatever he could to help you in your time of need?

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1. If it itches, you can reach it. And no matter where it itches, no one will be offended if you scratch it in public.
2. No one notices if you have hair growing in weird places as you get older.
3. Personal hygiene is a blast. No one expects you to take a bath every day, and you don't even have to comb your hair.
4. Having a wet nose is a sign of good health.
5. Who needs a big home entertainment system? A bone or an old shoe can entertain you for hours.
6. You can spend hours just smelling stuff.
7. No one ever expects you to pay for lunch or dinner. You never have to worry about table manners, and if you gain weight, it's someone else's fault.
8. It doesn't take much to make you happy. You're always excited to see the same old people. All they have to do is leave the room for five minutes and come back.
9. Every garbage can looks like a cold buffet to you.

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April is a great month for pets. In fact it is Britain's National Pet Month. But there are several pet holidays in the US too.  April is National Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month and National Pet First Aid Awareness month too. National Pet Day is on April 10th. National Animal Control Appreciation Week is April 11th to the 17th.  National Pet ID Week is April 18th through the 24th. Hairball Awareness Day is April 30th.

And National Kids and Pets Day is April 26th. In honor of National Kids and Pets Day, our friends at Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul want to help you celebrate by offering a cool gift! They are offering one of Bloggy Doggies' readers a chance to win a $20 gift card for anything you want at  Care-A-Lot Pet Supply.

It's only available to US residents and all you need to do to win is leave a comment  below and share a favorite memory of a childhood pet, or even a funny or touching memory of your kids with your pets. Easy enough? We will choose a winner at random.

I'll start with one of my own memories. When I was a very tiny girl, no more than 3; our dog Tippy had puppies. I was fascinated with watching her care for them. But somehow in my very young brain, I got things confused and could have sworn I saw Tippy pick up a puppy in her arms and carry it on 2 legs across the room like a human would do. I must have dreamed it or something but my parents got quite a laugh when I told them what I saw. Silly, huh?

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I got the following short article from one of my favorite pet sites Blog Paws. I thought ya'll would enjoy it as much as I did.

Some interesting things you may or may not already know about the creatures we share our homes and the planet with…

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A month ago (has it been that long?) we had a contest sponsored by LittleFanatico Soccer Dog Jerseys for a chance t win a cute little soccer jersey for your dog.If you are looking for something cute for your smallish dog to wear, check these cute jerseys out! They are very well made and adorable!

Our winner is Colby from Puppy in Training who has BIG dogs but wanted to win a dog jersey for his parent's Cairn Terrier mix. Check out his Puppy in Training blog, it's a wonderful dog blog!

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Hi there doggies and doggy lovers. I have another dog joke for you this week. Hope you like it:

Two little girls are sitting and talking about the first girl's dog.

"My father's been training our dog to protect out house from strangers. He's been putting on disguises and getting her to attack him."

The second little girls asks, "Is she learning?"

The first girl answers, "She certainly is. Now every time a stranger comes to the house, she bites Daddy."

So hope you all had a great Valentine's Day and a great week!

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Pets Using Phones Video

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