Don't Buy That Puppy in the Window
By: Cathrine M. Sheeter
10 Reasons NOT to buy a puppy from a pet store
1. Health-
That adorable puppy in the window of the pet store is hard to resist,
but you may be paying a lot of money for a dog that you know very
little about. Pet stores generally rely on impulse buys to sell their
"product". There is a good chance that the pet store puppy will
develop a health problem sometime in its life that may cost you a lot
of money to remedy. When you buy a pet store puppy it is very
unlikely that the puppy's parents were screened for genetic diseases
that can be passed to their offspring. Every breed of dog has genetic
problems that are passed from generation to generation by breeding
dogs that carry the flawed gene. Many of these genetic problems can
be detected with today's technology, but these tests are expensive.
People who are concerned about the welfare and future of their breed
will have these tests conducted to preserve and improve in the future
quality of their breed. Most good breeders are more concerned about
the health of the puppies that they are producing than the money that
they will or won't make on the production of a litter.
2. The myth about AKC papers-
Most pet shops would like you to believe that if a puppy is registered
by the American Kennel Club, this guarantees the puppy will be healthy
and a good example of the breed. This is not so. The only thing that
AKC papers certify is that the puppy is a purebred and produced out of
AKC registered parents. Even this can be fiction, as some producers
register more puppies than are actually born in each litter to receive
extra registration slips to pass out with unregisterable puppies. The
parents of your puppy may be unhealthy or carriers of crippling or
deadly health defects which they may have passed to their offspring-
your puppy. Their appearance and/or behavior may also be very different from what is usual for
their breed. Often times the parentage of pet store puppies
is also questionable due to poor record keeping. In other words, your
puppy may not even be a purebred, even though it has AKC papers.
Responsible breeders do register their puppies with the AKC, but that
is only the beginning.
3. The pet shop guarantee-
Many pet stores provide a form of guarantee for people buying puppies
from them, but their guarantees may be as bad as none at all. A
not-so-uncommon scenario goes something like this: after your family
has become attached to your adorable new puppy you find out it is
sick. It will cost you several hundred dollars to treat, so you take
the puppy back to the store to receive your guarantee. What they will
most likely offer to do is trade you puppies- take away your beloved
pet and replace it with a new puppy, not necessarily a healthier one,
either. They will most likely euthanize the puppy you brought back,
because this is cheaper for the store. The other tactic that some
stores use is to tell you your puppy will grow out of the problem-
until their guarantee has expired. Do you want to take this risk?
4. What will that puppy look like when it is full grown?
You may have seen adult dogs of the breed that you are buying, but
this does not guarantee that this puppy will look like them.
You do not know what the puppy's parents looked like either and cannot see
the faults that each parent has. There is no perfect dog, but a good
breeder will be willing to discuss the faults and strengths that each
of their dogs possesses. You should also be able to see at least the
mother of the puppy that you are buying if bought from a responsible
breeder. Even then you can not tell exactly what the puppy will look
like, but you will have a much better idea of what to expect. Why
spend so much money without even knowing what the puppy's parents look
like?
5. What do you know about the breed?
Employees of pet stores generally know very little about the dogs that
are in the store. They can probably tell you a little bit about the
breed and then point you to a rack of generic dog books. What do you
do after you bring the puppy home, only to find that this breed is not
the right one for you and your family? Good breeders are full of
information about the breed of puppy that you are considering. They
should be able to tell you the general temperament aspects of the
breed and help you predict whether this breed of dog will fit into
your lifestyle. They will also be able to warn you about specific
health problems that the breed is prone to and will be able to tell
you what aspects the breed excels in. There is no breed of dog
perfect for every person and a good breeder is concerned that their
puppy goes to a home that they will fit into.
6. Housebreaking and training problems
This puppy that you are buying from a pet store has most likely spent
much of its life in a cage. Many pet store puppies have never seen
carpet and may never have even seen grass or dirt. Due to the
conditions that puppies are kept in at pet stores, they have been
forced to eliminate in the same area that they sleep and eat. This
goes against the dog's natural instinct, but your puppy has had no
choice. This habit may make housebreaking your puppy much more
difficult. A good breeder keeps the puppy area very clean and makes
sure the puppy has a separate elimination area. By the time the
puppies are ready to go to their new homes they will be well on the
way to being house trained. Good breeders will often also start
teaching their puppies how to walk on a leash and to lie quietly for
grooming. A pet store puppy has most likely never walked on a leash
or been brushed before. It can be much more difficult to teach a pet
store puppy these daily exercises than a puppy that has been brought
up properly. Responsible breeders also base their breeding decisions
in part on their dogs' temperament and personality, not only on looks
or the fact that they are purebred. Most pet store puppies' parents
have not been selected for any reason other than they can produce
puppies that sell as cute "purebreds" registered by the AKC.
7. How about Socialization?
Your pet store puppy may well have never been in a house before. If
this is the case then everything will be new and scary for them. The
doorbell, vacuum cleaner, and children playing are all new sensations
that can be terrifying to an unsocialized puppy. Good breeders will
expose their puppies to many situations so that the puppies are used
to them by the time that they go to their new homes. Most responsible
breeders have evaluated the temperament of each of their puppies
before they are placed in a new home. A good breeder will know, due
to hours of observation, which puppies are dominant and which are shy,
which are energetic and which are easy going. Then the breeder will
be able to match the puppy to the new owner and make sure that
energetic pups go to active families and that shy puppies go to a home
that can help them overcome their insecurity. This careful evaluation
enables a breeder to choose which puppy will fit your household and
much of the guesswork is taken out of the selection process. Good
breeders can help you make an educated decision about all aspects of
your puppy's feeding, training and overall maintenance and care based
on your family situation. If you are going to spend so much money on
a dog that you plan to keep for its lifetime, why not find one that
will fit into your lifestyle well?
9. Do you want to support puppy mills?
Almost all puppies that are in pet stores come from puppy mills.
These operations are exactly what the name implies. Most mass produce
puppies with money as the prime motive. Their breeding dogs are often
kept in very poor conditions and are sometimes malnourished. The dogs
are almost never tested for genetic diseases and may not receive
vaccinations. Puppy mills often obtain their breeding dogs from
people in a hurry to get rid of their dogs for some reason, often
through "free dog" ads in newspapers or public auctions. Occasionally
they are stolen from their owners. Females are generally bred every
heat cycle until they are worn out and then they are often sentenced to death. The
horror of puppy mills is encouraged every time a puppy is bought from
a puppy store.
How do you know that your puppy comes from one of these places? The
main reason is that almost no responsible breeders will sell puppies
to pet stores. Good breeders want to make sure that their puppies go
to good homes and are well cared for. They want to be actively involved
in screening the home that their puppies go to. Responsible breeders are also
concerned about keeping track of their puppies after they leave the
breeder's home. They will know about any health problems that their
lines may carry, and will be interested in any health problems that a
puppy of their breeding develops. A pet store usually never hears
about their puppies once they leave the store, and generally really
don't care. Buying from a pet store does not mean that you will save
any money in the purchase price of the puppy either. When you buy
from a reputable breeder there is no middle man involved who wants to
take his share of the profit out of the price of the puppy. Often the
price that good breeders charge is no more, and sometimes less, than
what you will pay buying a puppy from a pet store.
10. After the puppy goes home-
Once you take the puppy home from the pet store they do not generally
care what happens to the puppy. Most pet shops do not care if the dog
is left to run loose and kill livestock, or if it dies of liver
disease at one year old. If you have a training problem they will
often be unable or unwilling to give you training advice. Most do not
care if you take your dog home and breed it continually. Responsible
breeders are more than people who sell puppies, they will also be good
friends to you and your puppy. They care what happens to their
puppies once they are sold. Almost all good breeders sell on
spay/neuter contracts or limited registration. This practice enables
breeders to keep dogs that are not breeding quality out of the
breeding population and also monitor what happens to their puppies in
their new homes. Some breeders sell show quality puppies on co-ownership, so that they retain
a portion of the dog's ownership, for better control of what happens to their dog
later in it's life. If you have a health or training problem a good
breeder will generally be able to offer you advice and help you
through the ordeal. Most reputable breeders care about each of their
puppies' futures and will be concerned about their welfare. They care
not only about their own dogs, but also the impact their dogs will make on the
breed as a whole.
So please next time you are looking for a new puppy to buy, do your
research. One of the best steps toward becoming an educated puppy
buyer and dog owner is to attending American Kennel Club sanctioned
shows and carefully researching each breed that you are interested in. Once
you decide what breed of dog you would like to add to your household,
talk to many breeders. Good breeders can inform you about genetic
diseases common in the breed you want and are generally happy to share
their knowledge. When you are ready to buy a puppy from a particular
planned litter ask the breeder for proof of genetic tests specific to
the breed and request to see one or both of the parents of your new
puppy.
A common excuse for buying a puppy from a pet store is that you do not
plan to show your puppy, you just want a companion. Out of each
litter that a reputable breeder produces there is a good chance that
at least a portion of the puppies in each litter will not be show quality, but
would make outstanding pets. Not every puppy that a breeder produces
is destined for stardom in the show ring, but might well be the next
shining star in your household. Please pass up the next puppy you see
in the pet store and contact breed organizations. They will be able
to match you with a responsible breeder that will help you add a well
adjusted and healthy new canine member to your family.
Other positive alternatives are adopting a dog from your local humane
society or adopting a rescue dog from various rescue organizations
located throughout the United States. Every breed of dog registered
by the AKC has at least one rescue organization that will take in dogs
of that breed and places them in new loving homes. There are endless
numbers of dogs of all shapes, sizes, ages and personalities in need of
a new loving home. When you obtain a dog from one of these
organizations you are more than saving that dogs life. You are also
sparing a female dog in some puppy mill from being condemned to
produce yet another litter for pet shop sales. So please be rational
and thoughtful when you go to get your next dog and help prevent
irresponsible pet ownership.
A pet store is generally the worst place to buy a puppy. As long as
there is a market for pet store puppies, other dogs will be condemned
to death by mass breeding only so that a few people can make some
money, often with no thought of the welfare of their product." This is not
to say that a good pet has never come out of a pet store, as many
have. For each that has, though, many others have not. Remember,
when you buy a puppy, you are adding another member to your family, not just
another piece of furniture that can be disposed of at the smallest
whim. You would not have a child without careful research and
planning for the child's future ten or fifteen years down the road. Your new dog
should be no different. Adding a dog to the family is a long term
commitment and responsibility that should be taken seriously and only
acted upon after careful consideration and research.
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Inquirer. (December 10, 1995) [Online] Available:
http://www.phillynews.com/packages/dogs/stark4.htm [As viewed 1998,
January 20]
Stark, Karl. Digging into the AKC: Taking cash for tainted dogs. The
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http://www.phillynews.com/packages/dogs/akex31.htm [As viewed 1998,
January 20]
Woolf, Norma Bennett. What About a Pet Store Puppy?. (1995) [Online]
Available: http://www.canismajor.com/dog/petstor.html [As viewed
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Don't Buy That Doggie in the Window!. [Online] Available:
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NOTE: The distribution of this article is encouraged.
© Copyright 1998 Catherine M. Sheeter
