Why shouldn't I buy a puppy from a pet store? What is so bad about them? Aren't I in fact rescuing a dog from what could be a bad situation?
Pet shop puppies come from puppy brokers. They in turn buy their puppies from commercial breeders. These breeders & brokers are USDA licensed to mass produce dogs (or are supposed to be licensed). The commercial breeders may or may not be puppy mills, depending on your definition of what a puppy mill is. These "breeders" breed dogs for one reason only, profit. Some do not care about the health of the dog or if the dog is a good example of the breed. Most do not test for any genetic diseases. They do not know where their puppies end up or what health problems they may be producing. Their breeding stock are not shown or in any way proven or inspected by anyone who knows what the breed should look like. They usually have several different breeds, whatever one will make them the most profit at the time. After all, this is a business to them. Some are treated very poorly. They may spend their whole lives in small cages with wire bottoms, having litters every heat until they can no longer produce puppies. They are typically then sold at auction or killed (put to sleep). Most never see the outside world, let alone get to cuddle in a warm lap. Some cannot even stand or walk right because of these conditions. By buying a puppy from them you are supporting this. You are telling them that this is what you want and they will provide more puppies for the public to buy. If there were no market, then they would do something else to support themselves. To learn more see: http://www.nopuppymills.com
But the pet store says they buy their puppies from local breeders. Ask them for names and numbers to see if they truly are local and not from Missouri or Kansas. (Local may mean in the USA). I still wouldn't buy a pet from them, even if they are from "local" breeders. What loving breeder would sell a whole litter of pups to be sold to anyone who has the money? How would they know if they are producing some sort of genetic defect or dogs that make good family pets? How would they know that their dogs are not ending up in the shelter? Let alone, how would they know if they are truly improving the breed without ever seeing them as adults?
A reputable breeder carefully plans each litter to try to improve the breed. They research pedigrees, do health testing, keep track of their puppies by remaining in touch with puppy owners. They are out proving their dogs in the field and show ring. They are very familar with the breed standard for their breed. They genuinely care about each puppy. They always carefully screen their buyers. It is a nightmare for them to think of one of their puppies ending in a shelter or rescue situation. They will make you sign a contract promising to give them the pup back anytime in its lifetime if you can no longer keep it. Their dogs get the best of care. They are in it for the love of the dog, not profit (which they don't usually see). They usually barely break even. These are the people you want to get your puppy from. Their dogs usually do not end up in rescue, if they do, they are happy to come and get them and place them themselves. They know it is their responsibility because they chose to bring that dog into the world and they take that commitment very seriously. They are usually pulling their breed out of the shelters and placing them, themselves. I know a very caring breeder who actually carries dog food in her car to feed the strays she can't catch just to give them a meal for that day! This is the type of person who you want to support.
Why should I buy a pup from a breeder who shows their dogs? Because if a dog never sees anything but the backyard how can their temperament be tested? Show dogs must be handled by many different people and they must be around lots of different dogs. They have to have a stable temperament to handle this. If a dog bites or shows aggressive behavior towards other dogs or especially people (the judge), they will be disqualified. The UKC will permanently bar them from showing and they will not register any of their offspring.
Where do I find these type of breeders? You can contact AKC or United Kennel Club or local breed clubs can give you good referrals. Do an internet search for the breed you are looking for. Contact local vets, they usually will know who breeds and takes care of their dogs. The local dog trainers can point you in the right direction also. You can email me and if I can't get you to take a rescue dog then I may be able to refer you to someone.
Also, you will need to research the breeder you plan to buy your puppy from, as all are not what they appear to be. Be careful about buying a pup out of the newspaper. You may find a good one or you may be dealing with a back yard breeder. (These are folks who usually care about their dogs but don't know anything about them and are out to make a quick dollar. Most of the time they have inferior dogs).
Some questions to ask:
Are they USDA licensed? If the answer is yes, look elsewhere.
Do they do health screening on their dogs? Should be yes, not: it isn't necessary, I've never had any of these problems. For our breed: CERF (eyes), BAER (hearing) & checked for luxating patellas (knees), are a few of them. They should be able to provide paperwork showing that these tests have been done.
Where are their dogs registered? If they are not registered with a reputable registry (AKC or UKC), go elsewhere.
Do they have both parents? Can I see them? They should have at least the mom. If they don't I would be concerned. (There are people who ship in puppies from out ot state or even Ireland to sell.) Alot of times they won't have the father because they want to find the right male to breed to their female. They should at least have pictures of him.
How long have they been breeding? (You decide this one)
How many different breeds are they breeding? It is very difficult to learn all that needs to learned for more than 2 or 3 breeds. If they have more, be wary of them. Ask more questions.
What involvement do they have in the breed? (showing, obedience, ect). They should be giving something back to the breed. They should be involved with them other than producing more puppies. I think they should be also involved in rescue to some degree. Ask for references, go and see where the dogs live. Ask about their health guarantee & contract. They should have a written contract detailing this.
They should require or at least strongly encourage spay/neuter on all dogs sold to pet homes. If they tell you to breed the dog and make your purchase price back, don't buy from them. They are a backyard breeder.
There are many more questions you can ask (check out the links below). The breeder should be happy to answer them. They should be happy that you are asking because this means to them you are taking this huge commitment very seriously. They should also be interviewing you. Don't be offended at them for asking you specific questions. They should be very concerned about where their puppy will live. Again, they should require you to spay or neuter the dog unless you are planning on showing, becoming very educated in dog breeding and this particular breed.
Another thing to consider is just because they have a beautiful website does not mean they are everything their website makes them appear to be. Anyone can put up a nice website or hire someone else to do it for them. The website should be bragging about the accompliments of their dogs, not geared towards owning a pet or selling more puppies. Be very wary of websites with fan clubs or contests or tons of comments from satisfied customers (unless it is in their guestbook). Serious breeders are too busy showing, training and caring for their dogs (and probably a rescue or two) to do these types of things. They should be pointing out how well their dogs fit the breed standard & their awards, not how cute they are even though they have serious faults. A knowledgeable breeder when asked, will be able to point out the faults in each dog they own. There are no perfect dogs. These reputable breeders usually have no problem selling puppies. You may have to get put on a waiting list. It is well worth the wait. You will have to do your homework but you won't be sorry. Our breed Russell Terriers, can live a very long time, up to 19 years!! So you want to make sure that you get the best chance at getting a healthy, well tempered dog as you can.
Here are some good links for further research:
