| The Benefits of Buying from a Registered Dog Breeder. Purchasing a dog as a companion is a very important decision and not one to make lightly. Dealing with loss and heartbreak is not easy and veterinarian expenses are not cheap. We shall assume we are discussing the average person who wants to purchase a dog as a family companion, a companion for the children, or for himself/herself or to keep an elderly relative company. The very least the buyer would expect for his money would be a dog to live to a ripe old age, live a normal and healthy life, and be socialized when they buy the puppy or adult dog. The scenario that comes to my mind, first and foremost and I have heard this time and time again, in all the years I have been involved with dogs, is called “impulse buying”. Someone sees this cute, simply irresistible puppy in a pet shop and they just have to have it! The cost does not matter, the breeding doesn’t matter, health doesn’t matter, where it came from in the first place does not matter, they are totally oblivious to all of these important issues which should be their priority! They are in love, they just have to have the pup. So, the story unfolds. This puppy is taken home, and if the buyer is lucky he is not sick, but if he is, the pet shop does not want to know about it; after all, “the puppy was perfectly healthy when you bought him” is usually what the buyers are told. Okay, so the buyer gets lucky and the puppy is not sick, but then they discover he is not properly socialized either. He cowers away in a corner when they call him, lead training is torture, he is afraid of strangers, he barks and howls all the time when left alone. The puppy begins to grow. He looks nothing like what he did as a baby. He is no longer cute. In fact, he has grown a lot more than anticipated, and now, the buyer is wondering what breeds he has been produced from. He commences behavioral traits they were not prepared for, such as digging in the garden, chewing on everything, barking excessively. Now, the buyers think they have made a big mistake. Now, in all fairness, the above mentioned behavior can be with purebred dogs as well. Most of the time, it is the owner’s fault for not properly training the dog when he was a pup. BUT, we cannot forget that training would not be easy for the poor new owner if the puppy was not correctly socialized or handled by the breeder in the first place. Now, let’s look at the latest mode of the fashion being the “designer dogs”. Breeders that produce these dogs are NOT registered breeders with a canine association. They do NOT abide by a code of ethics. They are NOT answerable to anyone for the results of their breeding and are NOT trying to improve a breed, instead, they are trying to design a new “fashionable” breed with little thought to the genetic consequences and cash in on some money. The problem is, when you do not have a sound knowledge of genetics and you cross breed, there is always a strong chance that whatever recessive bad faults are carried genetically can be doubled up, and the result could be dogs that eventually cannot walk properly, eat properly, breath properly, or a vast number of other serious and sometimes life threatening consequences are a result. Do not be fooled into believing that Hybrid dogs carry less genetic faults than purebred dogs! This is a fallacy and a selling point for these unscrupulous people selling these dogs. I am not trying to push sales of purebred dogs, nor am I claiming that every purebred dog bred is genetically sound and without fault, just as not every human being is born perfect. What I am trying to make the reader understand is that the breeders of purebred dogs are trying to improve the breed, whereas the breeders of crossbreds have absolutely no intentions of improving anything but what may come to their pockets. Think about it! With purchasing a purebred dog from a reputable registered breeder belonging to a canine association, is vastly different. This breeder would have done his/her best to produce SUPERIOR puppies, firstly for the sake of the breed, for themselves, and what they cannot keep will be sold. You will be buying a puppy or adult that has been socialized, well reared, well fed, looked after, vaccinated, wormed, and raised with love and attention. You will know, through the breeder, the good and bad faults of the particular breed, certain characteristics pertaining to the breed in general, and you will know what the puppy will grow to, what it will look like etc. A reputable breeder also stands behind the puppy sale. Generally, they want to be the first to know should any problems arise and will do their best to help you sort through them. My motto as a breeder, is I make a friend, not just sell a dog, and I would assume this would be the way for most breeders. I do not breed very often, so buying a puppy from me is a waiting process and I can afford to be selective about who I sell to. It’s not just that the dog has to be right for you, you also have to be right for the dog. Get to know the breeder and let the breeder get to know you too. Now, having said all this, there is something that is also worth mentioning. Being reputable breeders, we do our best, there is no doubt about this at all, but we are not GODS. We are mere humans just as the rest of the world. We guarantee a healthy, well socialized puppy, as free of GENETIC defects as possible. This does not mean, any dog you buy, be it purebred or otherwise, will not develop a genetic fault as he matures. This is not the breeder’s fault that has put a lot of time, effort, and expense in trying to breed a fault or faults out of the breed. It is totally unfair of anyone to blame a breeder for this occurrence simply because they are answerable, they are responsible, caring, and do their best. Whose complaint about crossbred dogs with faults is acknowledge or acted upon? No one. Give the purebred breeder some compassion and do not be so quick to point the finger. Puppy Mills or Puppy Farmers is another type of dog breeder I would advise a potential buyer to steer well clear of. Puppies are churned out without any forethought to anything let alone the health and well being of the dogs. The parent dogs are poorly kept, most time inhumanely, badly neglected, and are used as puppy breeding machine. This practice is cruel. You are not only buying problems but encouraging these despicable people to continue this type of cruelty to dogs. How can you tell which breeders are which? Well, the first thing to do is contact the nearest kennel association in your area and ask how and where you may contact a reputable breeder of your chosen breed. That would be a good start. If however, an advertisement has caught your eye, call and make enquiries. Ask if the person selling the puppies or dog is a registered breeder and with which kennel association. Ask if the breeder exhibits her/his dogs or sells them for exhibition purposes, and if the breeder had at any time exhibited her/his dogs. This speaks volumes about who you are about to deal with. Next communicate with the breeder. If this visit is not to take place at the breeder’s premises, then it can take place at a show where the breeder may be exhibiting their dogs. There are breeders that prefer strangers do not visit their kennels for safety reasons. Not only for protection of their dogs against theft, but also protection of themselves too…….this is the sort of world we live in unfortunately. Ask the breeder as many questions as you like about the breed, her/his dogs, take note of the answers the breeder gives you. Does she/he sound knowledgeable? Perhaps you can see other dogs related to the one you want to buy and see the type of dogs the particular breeder produces. Note how the breeder interacts with his or her own dogs. The condition the dogs are in. Is the breeder well known at shows? If you stay around long enough, you will see know. Whether the breeder/exhibitor wins or loses on the day, means nothing about the quality of the dogs; it is just that judge’s opinion on the day and in no way should reflect on your decision. Ask for the breeder to bring along pictures of her dogs and copies of pedigrees and listen to how he/she explains things to you. The choice is your own. Whether you buy from a registered breeder of purebred dogs, or buy a dog of unknown origin from the pet shop, or one advertised in the newspaper from a back yard breeder. You have been informed after reading this to make your own decision. Written by Anne Roditis (Formerly Muscat) Promoting Purebred Dog Ownership Member of the Victorian Canine Association Australia. © copyright 2005 |
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