Once you have gone through the pet questionnaire which we gave you in part 2, if all of the answers are satisfactory, then the choice of where to get your new pet comes next.  

Some pet owners prefer acquiring a kitten or puppy from a breeder, while others may decide that a shelter is more suitable.  Keep in mind, however, that both kittens and puppies are the first to be adopted, and it may take a while before you find a suitable pet in a shelter.    

On the other hand, if you are prepared to take what is deemed a young, or young adult dog, you might only get your choice faster, but also a dog that in most cases does not need so much training from scratch.   

It should be noted that some pet stores carry puppies that are purchased from puppy mills.  If at all possible, select a pup from another source, as most of puppy mill puppies have health problems that unscrupulous pet shop owners will never reveal to you. In addition, you will be helping to free all the dogs being treated cruelly in this barbaric industry. 

If you decide on another type of pet for your family, there are other important factors which you should consider.  There are some pets that carry diseases.   

The following group of pets should not be considered when there are small children in the home: turtles, reptiles, ferrets, or exotic animals of any type.   

Before deciding on any pet, ensure that no one in your family is allergic to animals in general or cats in particular. Studies have shown that more people tend to be allergic to cats than any other animal.