Don't Buy That Puppy in
the Window
Reasons NOT to buy a puppy from a pet shop or puppy mill
Health
That adorable puppy in the window of the pet store is hard to resist, but you
may be paying a lot of money for a dog that you know very little about. Pet
stores generally rely on impulse buys to sell their "product". There is a good
chance that the pet store puppy will develop a health problem sometime in its
life that may cost you a lot of money to remedy, or result in the loss of the
dog. When you buy a pet store puppy it is very unlikely that the puppy's
parents were screened for genetic diseases that can be passed to their
offspring. Every breed of dog has genetic problems that are passed from
generation to generation by breeding dogs that carry the flawed gene. Many of
these genetic problems can be detected with today's technology, but these tests
are expensive. People who are concerned about the welfare and future of their
breed will have these tests conducted to preserve and improve in the future
quality of their breed.
The myth about AKC papers
Most pet shops would like you to believe that if a puppy is registered by the
American Kennel Club, this guarantees the puppy will be healthy and a good
example of the breed. This is not so. The only thing that AKC papers certify
is that the puppy is a purebred. Even this can be fiction, as some producers
register more puppies than are actually born in each litter to receive extra
registration slips to pass out with unregisterable puppies. The parents of your
puppy may be unhealthy or carriers of crippling or deadly health defects which
they may have passed to their offspring- your puppy. They are most likely
horrible representations of that breed. Often times the parentage of pet store
puppies is also questionable due to poor record keeping. In other words, your
puppy may not even be a purebred, even though it has AKC papers.
What
will that puppy look like when it is full grown?
You may have seen specimens of the breed that you are buying, but this does not
guarantee that this puppy will fit the breed standard. You do not know if the
parents fit the standard either and cannot see the faults that each parent has.
You should also be able to see at least the mother of the puppy that you are
buying if bought from a responsible breeder. Even then you can not tell exactly
what the puppy will look like, but you will have a much better idea of what to
expect. Why spend so much money without even knowing what the puppy's parents
look like?
Housebreaking and training problems
This puppy that you are buying from a pet store has most likely spent much of
its life in a cage. Many pet store puppies have never seen carpet and may never
have even seen grass or dirt. Due to the conditions that puppies are kept in at
pet stores, they have been forced to eliminate in the same area that they sleep
and eat. This goes against the dog's natural instinct, but your puppy has had
no choice. This habit may make housebreaking your puppy much more difficult. A
good breeder keeps the puppy area very clean and makes sure the puppy has a
separate elimination area. It can be much more difficult to teach a pet
store puppy daily exercises than a puppy that has been brought up properly.
Responsible breeders also base their breeding decisions in part on their dogs'
temperament and personality, not only on looks or the fact that they are
purebred. Most pet store puppies' parents have not been selected for any reason
other than they can produce puppies that sell as cute "purebreds".
Do you want to support puppy
mills?
Almost all puppies that are in pet stores come from puppy mills. These
operations are exactly what the name implies. Most mass produce puppies with
money as the prime motive. Their breeding dogs are often kept in very poor
conditions and are sometimes malnourished. The dogs are almost never tested
for genetic diseases and may not receive vaccinations. Puppy mills often obtain
their breeding dogs from people in a hurry to get rid of their dogs for some
reason, often through "free dog" ads in newspapers or public auctions.
Occasionally they are stolen from their owners. Females are generally bred
every heat cycle until they are worn out and then they are often sentenced to
death. The horror of puppy mills is encouraged every time a puppy is bought from
a puppy store. How do you know that your puppy comes from one of these places?
The main reason is that no responsible breeders will sell puppies to pet
stores. Good breeders want to make sure that their puppies go to good homes and
are well cared for. They want to be actively involved in screening the home
that their puppies go to. Breeders are also concerned about keeping track of
their puppies after they leave the breeder's home. They will know about any
health problems that their lines may carry, and will be interested in any health
problems that a puppy of their breeding develops. Buying from a pet store does
not mean that you will save any money in the purchase price of the puppy
either.
After the puppy goes home
Once you take the puppy home from the pet store they do not generally care what
happens to the puppy. Most pet shops do not care if the dog is left to run
loose and kill livestock, or if it dies of liver disease at one year old. If
you have a training problem they will often be unable or unwilling to give you
training advice. Responsible breeders are more than people who sell puppies,
they will also be good friends to you and your puppy. They care what happens to
their puppies' once they are sold. Almost all good breeders sell on spay/neuter
contracts or limited registration. This practice enables breeders to keep dogs
that are not breeding quality out of the breeding population and also monitor
what happens to their puppies in their new homes. If you have a health or
training problem a good breeder will generally be able to offer you advice and
help you through the ordeal. So please, next time you are looking for a new
puppy to buy, do your research. One of the best steps toward becoming an
educated puppy buyer and dog owner is carefully researching the breed that you
are interested in. Good breeders can inform you about genetic diseases common
in the breed you want and are generally happy to share their knowledge. When
you are ready to buy a puppy from a particular planned litter ask the breeder
for proof of genetic tests specific to the breed and request to see one or both
of the parents of your new puppy. A common excuse for buying a puppy from a pet
store is that you do not plan to show your puppy, you just want a companion.
Out of each litter that a reputable breeder produces a portion of the puppies
will not be show quality, but would make outstanding pets. Not every puppy that
a breeder produces is destined for stardom in the show ring, but might well be
the next shining star in your household. Please pass up the next puppy you see
in the pet store and contact breed organizations