Selecting an APBT

Selecting Your Puppy
In the above sections, you have determined what breed best suits you, how to find a couple Reputable breeders and how to recognize a Back Yard Breeder (BYB) and have witnessed the horror of puppy Mills. Now, you've done your research, selected a reputable breeder that you feel comfortable with, asked them quesions from the checklist above, and you are ready to pick out your puppy.

This is another very important piece of the puzzle. You want to make sure that the puppy is healthy, vibrant and structurally sound. How do you do that when the pups are only 8 - 12 weeks old? Again, we will help you. We want you to be comfortable in your decision, so we are going to share some tips with you that can be used when selecting a dog of any age. Of course, there are no guarantees, but these tips will help you to make the best selection possible.

1. Spend time with each puppy individually. A puppy that shrinks away or runs from you is shy. This may be able to be corrected, but if you plan to participate in competition events like showing?, this may not be the best choice. The tail should be held high and the pup should give an aire confidence and be very inquisitive.
2. Examine each puppy physically, beginning at the head?. The nose should be moist and cool. Beware of nasal discharge or frequent sneezing as this could be a sign of ill health.
3. Check the teeth?. Most breeds should have what is called a scissors bite where the upper incisors slightly overlap the lower ones. A flush bite is when the upper and lower teeth meet evenly. An undershot bite is when the lower teeth overlap the upper teeth and an overshot bite is when the upper teeth protrude too far over the bottom, almost as in having buckteeth. In showing, a dog should have a nice scissors bite.
4. Look at the gums. They should be pink. Pale gums can suggest anemia or intestinal parasites.
5. ((Eyes ))should be clear and bright. If you see tear stains on the fur, look for eyelids that roll in or out, extra eyelashes or conjunctivitis. The pupils should be dark and have no visible white spots which are indicative of cataracts or retained fetal membrane.
6. The ears should be healthy and well furred. Crusty tips with bare spots could indicate a skin disease. ear canals should be clean. A foul smell emitting from the ears, head shaking or tenderness could suggest an ear infection.
7. The puppy should not have difficulty breathing.
8. The abdomen should be clean and healthy looking. A buldge at the navel indicates an umbilical hernia. This can correct itself, but sometimes requires surgery to repair.
9. Check the genitals.
Females - examine the vulva. Look for matted hair or vaginal discharge. This could be a sign of vaginitis, which is a common problem in young females. It normally disappears around the first heat cycle.
Males-Both? testicles should be present. If one or both are absent, they may come down prior to 6 months of age. If this dog is intended for show, you may not want to take that chance as a dog with un-descended testicles should not be shown or bred. In both males and females, check the anus for skin irritation and hair loss. This could be an indication of worms, diarrhea or maladsorption.
10. The coat of a healthy puppy should be bright and shiny. Excess scratching could mean fleas or some other skin parasite. Areas that appear to be moth-eaten could be demodex, which is a type of mange, or it could be something such as ringworm.
11. Examine the puppy for structural soundness by watching the pup run and play. Use our "Conformation Pages?" to help you.