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Thinking about buying a puppy? Do your research first! Know how to find a good breeder, or adopt a dog from a rescue group.
DO NOT get your puppy at a pet store! Why? Well...
1. Pet store puppies do not come from good breeders. A good breeder would never trust anyone but themselves to screen
potential homes and match the pups with the right owner. Not to mention, give the pups proper care while they wait for lifelong
homes. To quote the Belgian Sheepdog Club of America's Code of Ethics: "Members of the BSCA Shall... Not engage in wholesaling
or distribution of Belgian Sheepdogs or the sale of any dog to such places as puppy mills, pet dealers, catalog houses, or
other commercial sources of distribution; nor supply Belgian Sheepdogs to raffles, lotteries, or for laboratory experimentation,
etcetera." Most breed clubs have similar guidelines. Any good breeder, regardless of memberships, holds such ethics.
Pet store pups come from puppy mills (PMs) or backyard breeders (BYBs). Period.
2. Dogs from those places have problems. PMs keep their breeding stock in dreadful conditions, pay no regard to health,
and breed as often as possible to get as many puppies as possible. Dogs are a cash crop to them, treated no different than
factory farmed chickens. Inbreeding is common practice, as are "accidental" matings between different breeds. Not
to worry, AKC papers are easily forged. Or the cross was done on purpose to create CockerPoos, Labradoodles, or any other
"breed" with a fancy name for mutt. Not that there's anything wrong with mixed breeds, but these are still PM dogs,
suffering the same fate as the purebreds. The results are drastic: Puppies not yet reached adulthood, already plagued with
joint problems. Gross deformities in structure. "Purebreds" not resembling their respective breeds even mildly.
Extreme temperment problems. Did you know that the #1 problem Golden Retriever Rescue now has is aggressivness? This, from
supposedly one of the most gentle breeds, all because of overbreeding.
PMs aren't alone to blame in all of this. BYBs play a big part in pet overpopulation and breed specific health problems.
While the dogs aren't usually kept in the hellish environment PM dogs are, there is still little regard to health, and no
regard to the betterment of the breed. BYBs include the family who breeds their bitch for reasons such as, "The kids
need to see the miracle of life," "it will make her a better family dog," "she needs to have a litter
before being spayed," and such silly notions. BYBs also include the people who let their intact male dog run loose, which
results in who knows how many unplanned litters, and the people who decide to breed their dog (male or female) to recoup the
purchase price, or just make money. Even the people who have puppies because a friend wants a dog just like theirs. None of
these people run health checks on the bitch or stud dog, research breeding lines to choose the right mate, or anything else
a good breeder should do. They usually don't even take into consideration the futures of the pups, or properly screen homes
and potential owners. The puppies BYBs produce aren't always as severely faulted in health, temperment, or structure as those
from PMs (though it does happen), but are still usually poor specimens. When pet stores claim they only get their puppies
from local breeders, it's probably true - the local BYBs!
3. Life in a pet store is no life. Puppies are kept in small cages most of the time. During business hours they are constantly
stressed by people talking, staring, knocking on glass, handling them, and other pups barking, not to mention the smell. It's
often overpowering to the human nose, can you imagine what it's like to a dog's sensitive nose? Pups are forced to eliminate
in the same place they eat and sleep. Besides being really unsanitary, this often results in a dog that is very hard to housebreak.
The pups are exposed to others that are sick, which weighs on their young and, likely, weak immune systems. They receive inadequate
veterinary care. Housing dogs is also stressful to the humans. There have been reports of abuse to pet store animals. Neglect
is common. No water (or water bottles that don't work - witnessed that one myself), no food, dirty cages (when aren't they?),
no supervision or care when the store is closed. Gotta wonder if anyone even stops by on weekends.
True, not all pet stores are so horrid. There are those that provide adequate care. But you still won't find any pups
from a good breeder.
4. If you buy a pet store pup, any pet store pup, you'll be supporting puppy mills. Every pup that is sold raises the
demand, and more pups are produced to meet that demand. They are sent to the pet stores, sold, and the circle begins again.
Only when there is no demand for pet store puppies will the puppy mills and money-driven BYBs stop producing them. Don't try
and "rescue" a puppy from a pet store, either. Another will be sent in it's place and you will have added to the
demand, despite your good intentions.
5. Pet store employees are rarely qualified to educate their buyers on choosing a breed and caring for the dog. If you
asked them which puppy you should buy your kids for Christmas, they would not tell you that, first of all, you shouldn't buy
a pup "for the kids" unless the whole family wants a dog & YOU are prepared to care for it, and second of all,
Christmas is not a time to add a puppy to the household, let alone point you in the right direction for finding the proper
breed for your situation. If you are interested in the Golden Retriever, they would say it's the best family dog around. They
would also say the same thing if you were interested in the fragile Toy Poodle, introverted Borzoi, or aggressive Shar-Pei.
(These are just examples - please don't take offense if one is your breed.) Even if the pet store could tell you which breed
to buy, do you think they'd discourage you from buying from them? They're in it for the money. If they have to sell an active
Border Collie to a sedate retiree, that's what they'll do. No regrets. Just big bucks in their pocket.
The bottom line is, pet store puppies are predisposed to a range of problems, and when these surface, the only "support"
you might get from the store is a new pup (of similar -low- quality) in exchange for the old (which you've come to love).
Or, with legal action, perhaps a refund of the purchase price, which may go towards vet bills, but does little to reverse
the pup's congenital problems or the heartache you endure. While there are no 100% guarantees in life, buying a pup from a
good breeder GREATLY ups the odds that you will have a healthy, stable, handsome representitive of your chosen breed. Plus
the support of a knowledgable and caring person, who will be there through puppy teething, adolescence, spaying or neutering,
health problems should they arise, to old age and the loss of your pet.
TL, 2001
Links to more info
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