 Summer 2000
Fall 2000
Summer
2001
Fall
2002
Don't
Buy That Puppy in the Window
September
2002
10
Reasons NOT to buy a puppy from a pet shop
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 buy attending
American Kennel Club sanctioned shows, talking to many
breeders, requiring proof of genetic tests and hip and elbow
x-rays and request to see one or both of the parents of your
new puppy. The pet store is the worst place to buy a
puppy and 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 with no thought of their
"products" welfare. This is not to say that a
good pet has never come out of a pet store, as many have, but
for each that has many more 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, and you are responsible for
every piece of extra baggage that puppy comes with. Why take
the risks when so many reputable breeders are there to guide
you along the way of your dogs development?
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 without 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.
Bibliographies:
Lewallen, Ruth Dawn. Soap
Box Time. [Online] Available: http://www.stretcher.com/stories/960603c.htm
[As viewed 1998, January 20]
Randolph, Mary. When a Dog
Is a Lemon. [Online] Available: http://www.nolo.com/nn179.html
[As viewed 1998, January 20]
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]
Stark, Karl. Digging into the AKC:
Taking cash for tainted dogs. The Philadelphia Inquirer.
(December 31, 1995) [Online] Available: http://www.phillynews.com/packages/dogs/akex31.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]
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