Yo peeps!

Ya’ll going to the dog show this month?  Well, so am I!  I can’t wait to see all those fancy pants dogs!

These show breeders put a ton of effort and money into making their pups look so great, don’t you think?  Well, it’s not all superficial either, they have to make sure their dogs are perfect examples of what that breed should be.  And that takes a ton of dough.

So, ya’ll know that not all breeders are like this right?  Not all breeders care that their dogs are good specimens of the breed.  Not all breeders  care that their dogs have good temperaments.  Some breeders only care about the bucks they can sell puppies for.

So, how, you ask, do you tell a GOOD breeder from a NOT-SO-GOOD breeder.  Well, let me give you some  hints.

First, if you are buying a puppy, you want to look for a breeder that cares where her puppy is going.  One who cares whether you are going to take care of the puppy and love it the way a pet dog should be loved.  That means she will ask you a lot of questions.  She might ask you if you’ve ever had a puppy before.  She might ask you if your yard is fenced.  She might ask you if there are children in the house.   The more questions she asks, the more honest you can expect her to be.

Secondly, a good breeder, who is selling a pet quality puppy will either spay or neuter the puppy before you get her/him OR insist that you provide her proof that the dog has been altered.  Why is that?  Well, a good breeder is VERY, VERY careful what dogs breed with hers.   Since she spends a lots of money and time making sure her “line” is only the best, she certainly does not want her dog bred with just any other dog.  Good breeders will not allow you to breed a pet quality dog, period.

Third, a good breeder will not let you have the puppy until it is at least 10-12 weeks old.  Puppies have many lessons to learn from their mommies and need to stay with them to understand how to be a good puppy.  If a breeder offers to sell you a six week old puppy, run and run fast.

Also, a breeder will send you a healthy puppy – one who has appropriate vaccinations – this includes THREE sets of distemper/parvo immunizations and two of Bordetella.  The puppy should also be already tested for intestinal worms, hook worms, whip worms, coccidian and guardia.  If not,  the breeder really doesn’t care what they’re selling you, they just want to get your money.  They know that even if you get really mad because they sold you a sick puppy, chances are, you will NOT give the puppy back – most people fall in love with their puppy long before they even get it.  And of course you know that if you did give the puppy back, the breeder will simply euthanize it, so you certainly will not do that.  You will spend thousands of your own money to make the little guy well.

When purchasing puppies, buyer beware.  Yep.

Dougie Deogi, expert on everything, over and out.