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Buyer Beware!Beware of pet store puppies.
Most pet store puppies come from
high-volume puppy mills. Red flag! These breeders
usually deal with
many different breeds of dogs. These breeding programs are
financially motivated, focusing on quantity but not quality, with out
regard for
conformation, temperament, soundness or socialization. Some
of these breeders have lost
AKC registration privileges and their puppies are sold with alternative
registration papers. When you buy a puppy from a pet
store, you
are supporting the puppy mill industry.
10 reasons NOT to buy from a pet shop Beware of breeders that have:
More than 4 or 5 litters a year.
Proceed with caution. You are probably dealing with
profit-motivated puppy-producers. Small
scale commercial breeders often present themselves as responsible,
reputable breeders. These breeders may refer to themselves as
"professional breeders", but most of
them are in fact a type of puppy mills. Don't be fooled by smooth
talking, instant "expects"! The focus of these breeding programs
is
quantity, occasionally with some
consideration for quality. They are puppy mills in disguise.
More than 2 breeds of dogs, especially if
the dam and
littermates are not on the premise. Proceed with
caution. You may be
dealing with a puppy
broker. They often buy a litter of puppies at a discount for
resale.
They buy and sell many different kinds of purebred puppies. Also,
some
backyard
breeders and small-scale puppy mills are motivated by financial profits
and they
deal with several different popular purebred dogs.
Both parents on the premises.
Proceed with caution. This
arrangement
sounds good to prospective owners, but it is usually a sign of a
backyard
breeding program or a small-scale commercial breeder. These
breeders find
it convenient to own both the male and the female. They do not
have to
located a stud dog, transport their female to the stud dog, or pay the
stud fee
each time they want to breed.
Beware of breeders that:
Do not obtain health clearance on their dogs. This is red flag! You are probably dealing with a backyard breeder, a puppy mill or a puppy broker. The breeder may claim their local veterinarian says the dogs are okay and do not need additional evaluation by specialists. Do not issue American Kennel Club or Canadian Kennel Club registration papers with their puppies. Another red flag! There are now several alternative canine registration organizations such as the Continental Kennel Club that are not reputable. Some will issue papers for dogs that are not purebred. Many breeders that utilize alternative registration organizations have lost registration privileges with reputable organizations such as AKC. The breeder may not have AKC full registration because the dog was sold with AKC limited registration or without papers because the puppy's breeder did not consider the puppy to be breeding quality. Do do
not interview
potential buyers. Proceed
with caution. Responsible breeders look for responsible dog
owners, so they will ask about how you plan to care for a puppy.
They will be available to help you resolve problems after the
sale. Some of
these breeders love their dog and just want to make a little extra
money. Others think breeding a litter will be fun for the family
or
educational for the kids. They are unaware of the
responsibilities
involved in breeding purebred dogs and placing puppies in appropriate
homes. Puppy brokers sell
puppies bred by
some else to make a
profit. These brokers often try to pressure people into buying a
puppy. Backyard breeders,
commercial breeders
and puppy brokers also do not take responsibility
for their puppies when the new owners need advise or when the owners no
longer
want the dog.
Beware of breeders that:
Select the stud dog based on geography. Proceed with caution. Selection of a sire should be based on pedigree research and an evaluation of the conformation of both potential parents, not convenience. Temperament and working ability should also be considered. Typically, backyard breeders and small commercial breeders are not willing to travel very far from their home. These breeders usually do not know (or don't care) about breed standards or pedigrees. Sell puppies for different prices based on
gender, color,
or registration papers. Red flag. These practices
are common
among backyard breeders and home-based small commercial breeders.
They offer a discount on the puppies sold without registration
papers. They sometimes try to cash in on the most popular
color. All
pet quality puppies in the litter
should be sold with AKC registration papers for the same price,
regardless of color or gender.
Ask for nonrefundable payment before you have an opportunity to see the puppy. Red flag! The litter may not be raised in an appropriate environment and the puppy you purchased may be unhealthy and poorly socialized. Reputable breeders want to meet with prospective owners before accepting payment for a puppy. Promote a rare variety of Labradors. Another red flag. Pale yellow Labradors are sometimes advertised as "rare white Labradors". Gray or "rare silver Labradors" are currently registered by the AKC as chocolate Labs. The "dilute chocolate gene" may be the result of crossbreeding with a breed with a gray coat color. It is possible that the recessive gene for the gray color is the result of a gene mutation. Silver Lab puppies are a product of very close inbreeding and the quality of these puppies is questionable. "White" and "silver" lab puppies are not more valuable than their black, yellow or chocolate littermates. Some lines that produce these color variations may be associated with poor quality puppies. |
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