PET STORES and PUPPY
MILLS - DO NOT BUY A PUPPY FROM A PET
STORE or PUPPY MILL UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!
Pet stores buy their puppies from puppy mills - places that mass
produce puppys. The dogs are kept in cages, are not socialized, do not have
proper health care, and are not genetically sound. Puppies are often raised in
filthy pens, which are not cleaned. They play in their own waste. Not a pretty
site!
Do not buy these puppies because they are cute or you feel sorry
for them. By taking them home, you proliferate these puppy mills. Pet stores
will stop using puppy mills if they cannot sell their puppies. In addition,
these puppies tend to have lifetime health problems and often die at a young
age. Not a wise investment - you will spend too much money on vet bills, and
open yourself for a lot of heartache. Many of these puppies will never adapt of
life among people since they were not raised in homes.
BACKYARD BREEDERS - DO NOT BUY A PUPPY FROM A BACKYARD
BREEDER
A backyard breeder is a pet owner who
decides to breed their pet. They do not strive to improve the breed and often do
not understand the risks of breeding a dog. They use a friend's male dog, rather
than carefully selecting the best stud to provide high quality puppies with
their female. They do not perform genetic testing - often they are unaware of
the potential genetic problems of their breed. They do not provide health
guarantees. Often they do not provide shots and worming for the puppies. They
often advertise their puppies through the newspaper or a note on a local
bulletin board.
RESPONSIBLE BREEDERS - Puppies should
ONLY be purchased from Responsible Breeders.
Responsible Breeders care about their dogs and
strive to produce high quality puppies for show and pet homes. They have genetic
testing done on the parents and guarantee the health and genetics of the puppies
they produce. They raise the puppies in clean and healthy conditions. They make
sure their puppies have all appropriate shots and worming, and provide a health
certificate with the puppy. They ensure that the puppies are well socialized,
get lots of attention and toys to play with, are exposed to different
environments (not just kept in one pen during their short life with the
breeder), and are loved. They are proud to show you their puppies, dogs, and
home. Their dogs are well groomed, their dog room or kennel is clean. They
screen the prospective buyers to find a suitable home. They volunteer to answer
any questions and to teach you how to care for the puppy. They promise a
lifetime home for the puppy if the buyer cannot keep him.
FINDING A RESPONSIBLE
BREEDER
In all cases, use caution, visit the
breeder, ask the right questions.
