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1. 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. 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. Most good breeders are more
concerned about the health of the puppies that they are producing
than the money that they will or won't make on the production of
a litter.
2. 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 and produced out of AKC registered parents.
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 may also be horrible representations of the breed that you
are buying. 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. Responsible
breeders do register their puppies with the AKC, but that is only
the beginning.
3. The pet shop guarantee- Many pet stores provide a form of guarantee
for people buying puppies from them, but their guarantees may be
as bad as none at all. A not-so-uncommon scenario goes something
like this: after your family has become attached to your adorable
new puppy you find out it is sick. It will cost you several hundred
dollars to treat, so you take the puppy back to the store to receive
your guarantee. What they will most likely offer to do is trade
you puppies- take away your beloved pet and replace it with a new
puppy, not necessarily a healthier one, either. They will most likely
euthanize the puppy you brought back, because this is cheaper for
the store. The other tactic that some stores use is to tell you
your puppy will grow out of the problem- until their guarantee has
expired. Do you want to take this risk?
4. 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. There is no perfect dog, but a good
breeder will be willing to discuss the faults and strengths that
each of their dogs possesses. 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?
5. What do you know about the breed?- Employees of pet stores generally
know very little about the dogs that are in the store. They can
probably tell you a little bit about the breed and then point you
to a rack of generic dog books. What do you do after you bring the
puppy home, only to find that this breed is not the right one for
you and your family? Good breeders are full of information about
the breed of puppy that you are considering. They should be able
to tell you the general temperament aspects of the breed and help
you predict whether this breed of dog will fit into your lifestyle.
They will also be able to warn you about specific health problems
that the breed is prone to and will be able to tell you what aspects
the breed excels in. There is no breed of dog perfect for every
person and a good breeder is concerned that their puppy goes to
a home that they will fit into.
6. 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. By the time the puppies are ready to go to their
new homes they will be well on the way to being house trained. Good
breeders will often also start teaching their puppies how to walk
on a leash and to lie quietly for grooming. A pet store puppy has
most likely never walked on a leash or been brushed before. It can
be much more difficult to teach a pet store puppy these 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"
registered by the AKC.
7. How about Socialization?- Your pet store puppy may well have
never been in a house before. If this is the case then everything
will be new and scary for them. The doorbell, vacuum cleaner, and
children playing are all new sensations that can be terrifying to
an unsocialized puppy. Good breeders will expose their puppies to
many situations so that the puppies are used to them by the time
that they go to their new homes. Most responsible breeders have
evaluated the temperament of each of their puppies before they are
placed in a new home. A good breeder will know, due to hours of
observation, which puppies are dominant and which are shy, which
are energetic and which are easy going. Then the breeder will be
able to match the puppy to the new owner and make sure that energetic
pups go to active families and that shy puppies go to a home that
can help them overcome their insecurity. This careful evaluation
enables a breeder to choose which puppy will fit your household
and much of the guesswork is taken out of the selection process.
Good breeders can help you make an educated decision about all aspects
of your puppy's feeding, training and overall maintenance and care
based on your family situation. If you are going to spend so much
money on a dog that you plan to keep for its lifetime, why not find
one that will fit into your lifestyle well?
8. What is a pedigree worth?- Some pet shops make a big deal out
of their puppies' pedigrees. This is interesting, as the pedigree
is really just a piece of paper with names on it. Unless you know
the dogs behind those names the pedigree is really quite useless
to the new owner. Can the pet store tell you what your puppies grand-
parents died of, or how long they lived? Do any of the dogs in your
pup's pedigree carry genetic diseases? Most pet store employees
do not know any more about your puppy's background than you do.
A reputable breeder can tell you all of this information about your
pup's family tree and more. When you buy a puppy from a reputable
breeder you are getting more than a piece of paper, you are getting
the important information associated with the names too. Almost
all responsible breeders will achieve titles on their dogs by showing
them under unbiased judges. They will achieve championships on their
dogs, which tells that the dog is a good representation of the breed.
Some breeders also obtain obedience, or other titles that relate
to the job that their breed of dog was originally bred to perform.
Many also achieve canine good citizen titles on their breeding dogs.
These titles will be shown on the dog's pedigree before and after
the parents' names. Ask the breeder to explain what the letters
mean.
9. 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 almost 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.
A pet store usually never hears about their puppies once they leave
the store, and generally really don't care. Buying from a pet store
does not mean that you will save any money in the purchase price
of the puppy either. When you buy from a reputable breeder there
is no middle man involved who wants to take his share of the profit
out of the price of the puppy. Often the price that good breeders
charge is no more, and sometimes less, than what you will pay buying
a puppy from a pet store.
10. 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. Most do not care if you take your dog
home and breed it continually. 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. Some
breeders sell show quality puppies on co-ownership, so that they
retain a portion of the dog's ownership, for better control of what
happens to their dog later in it's life. 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. Most reputable breeder
care about each of their puppies' futures and will be concerned
about their welfare. They care not only about their own dogs, but
also the impact their dogs will make on the breed as a whole.
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 to attending American Kennel Club sanctioned
shows and carefully researching each breed that you are interested
in. Once you decide what breed of dog you would like to add to your
household, talk to many breeders. 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 there is a good chance
that at least a portion of the puppies in each litter 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.
They will be able to match you with a responsible breeder that will
help you add a well adjusted and healthy new canine member to your
family.
Other positive alternatives are adopting a dog from your local humane
society or adopting a rescue dog from various rescue organizations
located throughout the United States. Every breed of dog registered
by the AKC has at least one rescue organization that will take in
dogs of that breed and places them in new loving homes. There are
endless numbers of dogs of all shapes, sizes, ages and personalities
in need of a new loving home. When you obtain a dog from one of
these organizations you are more than saving that dogs life. You
are also sparing a female dog in some puppy mill from being condemned
to produce yet another litter for pet shop sales. So please be rational
and thoughtful when you go to get your next dog and help prevent
irresponsible pet ownership.
A pet store is generally the worst place to buy a puppy. As long
as there is a market for pet store puppies, other dogs will be condemned
to death by mass breeding only so that a few people can make some
money, often with no thought of the welfare of their "product."
This is not to say that a good pet has never come out of a pet store,
as many have. For each that has, though, many others have not. Remember,
when you buy a puppy, you are adding another member to your family,
not just another piece of furniture that can be disposed of at the
smallest whim. You would not have a child with out careful research
and planning for the child's future ten or fifteen years down the
road. Your new dog should be no different. Adding a dog to the family
is a long term commitment and responsibility that should be taken
seriously and only acted upon after careful consideration and research.
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Bibliographies:
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[As viewed 1998, January 20]
Randolph,
Mary. When a Dog Is a Lemon. [Online] Available: http://www.nolo.com/nn179.html
Stark,
Karl. Puppy mills ruin the family pet. The Philadelphia Inquirer.
(December 10, 1995) [Online] Available: http://www.phillynews.com/packages/dogs/stark4.htm
[As viewed 1998, January 20]
Woolf,
Norma Bennett. What About a Pet Store Puppy?. (1995) [Online] Available:
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/petstor.html
[As viewed 1998, January 29]
Don't
Buy That Doggie in the Window!. [Online] Available: http://pawsafe.org/dontbuy.html
[As viewed 1998, January 21]
Puppy
Love. The Philadelphia Inquirer. (December 17, 1995) [Online] Available:
http://www.phillynews.com/packages/dogs/puppy4.htm
[As viewed 1998, January 20]
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