Buying a Dog from the Pet Store or Little
Shop of Horrors
Time after
time, people who care about dogs will try to convince
you not to buy your puppy (or supplies) from a pet
shop which sells puppies.
They'll
tell of the horrible conditions
in which the dogs
are bred.
They'll
show you pictures of the cramped, filthy pens in
which the breeding stock is housed.
You'll
be shocked and you'll be horrified.
But you'll forget all
that when you see that little bundle of love wagging
it's tail at you through the glass and begging you to
take it home. A quick pass of the credit card,
and you're walking out the door a dog owner.
No waiting
No travel
No pesky contracts
No spay/neuter
agreements
No probing questions
about you and your family to find out whether this
is the right breed for you.
No problems.
Don't kid yourself,
there will be problems. Forget the horrible
conditions that this puppy came into when he entered
this world. Forget that you're buying a complete
mystery puppy. Sure, the breed standard for
the breed says it's a calm, gentle family dog, but the
owner of the puppy mill who produced your little bundle of love
has probably never seen the breed standard, let alone
bred to achieve it.
Puppies
will grow up to be
like their parents.
Many a family has
bought a darling little Cocker Spaniel puppy at the
pet store only to have it grow into a psychotic,
screaming, urinating, biting terror. Cocker
Spaniels are a wonderful breed, especially suited to
families, when purchased from a reputable breeder.
Cocker Spaniels are notoriously awful dogs when
purchased from pet stores and poor breeders.
This is true not only of Cocker Spaniels, but many,
many other popular breeds.
Puppies
will grow up to be
like their parents.
Repeat this to yourself
as you walk through the mall and past the pet store.
Make it your mantra. That puppy in the window
has parents living in cages hundreds of miles away.
You have no idea
whether the sire is an aggressive terror .
You have no idea
whether the dam is a timid, nervous fear biter.
You have no idea
what genetic time bomb is ticking inside that cute
little bundle of fur.
Like playing the
lottery? That's exactly what you're doing when
you buy a puppy from a pet shop. However, when
you don't win in the lottery, you throw your ticket
away. What will you do with a sick, ill-tempered
member of your family if you don't get lucky and pick a winner?
Of course there are
sweet natured, wonderful dogs who end up in the hands
of puppy millers. These incredible dogs produce sweet natured, wonderful
puppies despite the deplorable conditions in which
they survive.
Your
problem, should you decide to buy from a pet store, is
there is no way of knowing whether the puppy in the
window is the product of a sweet, wonderful dog or a
psychotic, screaming, urinating, biting terror.
Feeling
lucky? Go buy a lottery ticket. Don't buy a puppy
from a pet store.
Puppies
will grow up to be
like their parents.
Even if
your locally owned pet store gets their puppies from
local breeders, beware. Again, you can't meet
the sire and dam of the litter and one must question
the ethics of a breeder who will sell their puppies to
someone they never have nor ever will meet. Ask
the local pet store what their guarantee is.
You'll find answers ranging from "48 hours"
to "none". Remember, many diseases
don't show up for years. The only acceptable
answer is "a lifetime guarantee against genetic
defects". Get it in writing.
Puppies
will grow up to be
like their parents.
One day I overheard a
teenager who works nights and weekends at a local pet
store was telling a family with very small children
how wonderful Chihuahuas (the Taco Bell Dog) are with
children. Unfortunately, they aren't. This pimply faced teen
then turned to another family and offered his
"expert" advice on another breed. I do
not question the young man's love of animals. I
am sure he is a first class animal lover.
However, based upon the advice I heard him dispense
that evening, he is far from an expert on any breed of
dog.
A breeder of Cocker Spaniels may not
be a great source of information about Irish
Wolfhounds. If you want information about
Chihuahuas, ask a Chihuahua breeder. Heck, ask
SEVERAL!
Do your own research. The
internet is a great place to start. Find the
experts in the breed you want to consider. Ask
them questions. Remember, breeders are
human too. Some know more than others.
Some think they know more than they do. If you
talk to four or five different breeders, you should
hear the same answers over and over again.
If four breeders tell you their breed is not suited
for children and then a fifth tells you differently,
don't assume the other four are "lying".
You can't do research
standing in the middle of a mall. Get out, get
home and you'll find......