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10 reasons I'm using a breeder for my next puppy

3/11/2019

27 Comments

 
PictureStanley as a puppy
We have committed.  We found our breeder and we have put a deposit down on a puppy so there is no turning back now.  We chose to get a puppy from a responsible breeder.  I’ve already been asked by a few friends “Why didn’t you rescue a dog?  There are SO many homeless dogs!”  So, if you are secretly wondering the same thing here’s a list of why we chose a buy from a breeder instead of buying a dog from a rescue.
  1. Compatibility.  My dog, Stanley, is well mannered and socialized with a rock-solid temperament, however I want the new dog to be compatible with him.  I want my dog to have a voice in the new dog we bring into the house.  This is far easier with a puppy than an older dog.  I know he would get along with any puppy we bring home but there may be a puppy that really clicks with him so Stanley will be with us when we pick our puppy.
  2. Timing.  When you work with a responsible breeder you know when the puppy will be born, when they are weaned and ready to come home.  This allows us to plan accordingly and be ready.  No spur of the moment decisions here or waiting endlessly for the “right” rescue to come along at the “right” time.
  3. Epigentics.  Many people get a puppy from a shelter or rescue thinking that they are getting a blank slate.  Quite often these puppies have behavior problems.  Especially fear.  Puppies are NOT blank slate.  Why?  Because of epigenetics.  In a nutshell, the experiences of the parents affect the offspring.  I want a dog with behaviorally sound parents.  Curious about epigenetics?  Here is a super quick explanation.  And a longer explanation here. 
  4. Early learning.  The eight weeks the breeder has the puppy is super important.  Why?  Because the foundation of every animal starts the minute they come into this world.  There are critical and important phases that all dogs must go through to develop into sound animals.  I want a dog from someone who understands these phases and meets all their needs - especially at critical times. 
  5. Health guarantee.  Reputable breeders carefully select the best health qualities in the dogs that they breed.  Every puppy born to a reputable breeder has parents that have gone through a series of genetic tests to ensure that the dog you get has the best possible chance of being healthy. So, our new puppy will come with a health guarantee that states “This puppy is guaranteed to be in good health and has been vaccinated and de-wormed properly for the puppy’s present age. The puppy has been thoroughly examined by a licensed vet, and given a clean bill of health. This puppy is guaranteed to the original buyer for two years against hereditary/genetic diseases, and hip dysplasia.”  That is not only piece of mind for me but also for my pocketbook.
  6. Back-up Plan.  Reputable breeders stand behind their work.  Here is what my breeder has to say “I can tell you my dogs will NEVER end up in a shelter. Not only will I buy back dogs if they can’t be kept, but if, by chance, a dog I produced ends up in shelter, it’s microchipped with me as a secondary contact that can’t be removed. I am responsible for all my puppies for life. Shelters wouldn’t even be needed if all breeders did the same.”  Again, piece of mind for many owners.
  7. Love of the breed.  I don’t want to end up in a world that just has “dogs”.  I love the variety of the breeds we have and don’t want to see them disappear.  Did you know that many breeds today have very small populations?  If some breeds were any other kind of animal, they would be considered endangered. You may find it hard to believe, but breeds can become extinct.  If we don’t support reputable breeders, we will lose them and lose the wonderful variety of dogs they breed.  For more on this idea read this blog.
  8. Stacking the deck.  Right now, I don’t have a lot of free time and the time I do have I don’t want spend on a lengthy behavior modification program with my own personal dog.  I’ve been there and done that with my previous dog, Jasper, so I know what it entails but that doesn’t mean I want to go there again.  At least not right now.  There is no perfect dog.  Getting a dog from a breeder doesn’t guarantee that you won’t have problems or challenges. Not all breeders are reputable but that’s a topic for another day.  By using a reputable breeder I believe I am going to stack the deck in my favor of getting a temperamentally sound and healthy dog. 
  9. Truth behind the curtain.  Rescues aren’t always what they seem.  Some are great and some are not.  "Don't buy while shelter dogs die" is great marketing.  It tugs at your heart strings.  But unscrupulous rescues and shelter organizations are responsible for importing almost double the number of dogs euthanized.  Why are "rescue organizations" not placing the dogs we have in the United States? Why are they spending donation money on importing more? There is such a thing as irresponsible rescue. “670,000 dogs are euthanized in US shelters every year.  1,000,000 dogs are imported from overseas by rescues every year.”  (Source – CDC & ASPCA) in addition, these dogs are often not healthy.  Here are just two examples from this year of poor health in imported dogs.  New strain of distemper and Rabies from Egypt dog.
  10. High expectations.  My new dog will be a working partner with me and that requires a level of skill that the average dog owner doesn't need.  It gives me piece of mind knowing that I will know everything my dog has experienced in his life so I am not surprised by an unexpected response in the middle of a training class or private session.
Where you get your dog is a personal individualized decision.  What is right for one person may not be right for another.  Rescuing a dog doesn’t make you a better owner, nor does it give you the right to judge anyone who hasn’t rescued a pet.  Being a great dog guardian isn’t based solely on where you got your dog but how you treat the dog for the rest of their life.  The quality of the relationship and life you provide the dog is what matters at the end of the day.


27 Comments
Shelley
3/14/2019 08:13:26 am

Wonderful, incredible article!
Adopt OR Shop, YOUR DOG, YOUR CHOICE!

Reply
Jennifer
3/14/2019 09:55:18 am

Thank you! Please share...I think this is a topic that needs to be discussed!

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MaryAnn
3/15/2019 09:37:13 am

I disagree.....but that is my perogative just like getting a dog from a breeder is yours. I can go through all ten of your reasons and give you legitament reasons NOT to go through a breeder but like I said above ...it’s your perogative

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Sheila Dorrer
3/15/2019 11:12:42 am

Thank you! I could not have said it better myself.

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Shelley Bergstraser
3/16/2019 08:13:38 am

And THAT is what it is all about- Adopt OR SHOP-Your Dog, YOUR CHOICE! AND Adopting IS shopping-or it SHOULD be (people MUST research the rescues or humane societies they are using OR the breeder they are supporting!)-you exchange money for a dog-and more and more rescues are advertising for litters to bring in and sell and the worst, most HIDEOUS practice-they are bringing in foreign dogs for resale and proclaiming them as "rescues"-this is harming people with kind hearts AND the dogs in general on SO many levels!

Reply
Esther Butzlaff
3/15/2019 09:40:33 am

There is good and so bad about this article.. As a breeder of purebreds. There is nothing I can do once that pup leaves my home. I can send home a contract saying anything I want. feed this don't feed that.. his next set of shots are on this date. it mentions health papers. those papers can be from any dogs if the buyer isn't reading them right or knows how to read them. People have to stop wanting 300$ dogs. for me to sell a 300$ dog I can't do anything the article says a breeder should do.I have 300$ in a pup before the pup is for sale if I do everything the article says a breeder should do. 8 weeks is to early for a dog to leave. A buyer should be screened before letting a pup go.. And I will never let a buyer on my property with their dog. How do I know he isn't carrying something. A buyer should be buying dog for them not for the other dog. if the buyer is a suitable buyer he will be giving the dog the attention needed.. I have adult dogs that hate puppies, all puppies. How do I know the buyer is buying some cheap walmart brand of dog food which will contribute to 80% of the dog's illnesses. How do I know the buyer is taking the dog to a adequate vet. How do I know the dog isn't drinking nasty green water or even has adequate water over the period of the day. This article is putting the blame on the breeder and says nothing about the buyer.

Reply
Shelley Bergstraser
3/16/2019 08:22:11 am

As a preservation breeder of Collies of 35 years (76 homebred Champions, countless top performance dogs, Dual Champions, Herding Champions, OTCH dogs, MACH and Tracking Champions) AND a dog trainer of 32 years I can tell you that when we all work together, SCREEN new owners, Microchip ALL puppies before they leave, have a strong contract, use limited registration on all puppies who are not show or performance puppies and spay/neuter contracts, as a breeder, you can mitigate a LOT of trouble! On rare occasion something has happened and the puppy comes back to me (My contract REQUIRES puppies/dogs come back to me if placement becomes needed!) I

It is amazing what can be found out about what the dog is eating! I speak to puppy buyers and casually ask what the puppy is eating! They always tell me! I also added to my contract that the dog must NEVER be allowed to be more than 10 lbs overweight-or no part of my health guarantee will hold-this is a large breed, and I put the acceptable weight range. I require that I be allowed to view the vet records of the dog before offering any replacement or money on a guaranteed health problem, etc.

I keep ALL puppies who leave on a show/open, possible breeding contract on co ownership with me-it would be much harder to register any litter I didn't approve of with that! I am ALWAYS reasonable, but I want to be a part of the choice of mate for the dog from my kennel-the contract also requires the dog be a breed Champion before being bred.

Lots of conditions that have held up really well for me! I do think a HUGE part of the success is SCREENING the homes, ASK QUESTIONS, CHECK REFERENCES, etc.

Reply
Reputable Breeder
3/21/2019 07:00:19 am

What Shelley said.

Marilyn
3/16/2019 12:11:55 pm

There is NO such thing as a responsible breeder as long dogs are dying in shelters EVERY day.

Reply
Aunty AR
3/16/2019 03:52:09 pm

How are the dogs that end up in the shelters a breeder's fault? When less than 5% of them are even purebred, let alone from a responsible breeder, who takes back their dogs should the need arise instead of allowing it to end up in a shelter. How is that their fault for all the mix breeds and irresponsible owners whose dogs are the ones ending up in the shelters? How do you blame a breeder for that? And when there are a million dogs being imported from Third World Countries for the rescue industry each year because there aren't enough adoptable dogs in the US anymore, aren't they directly taking a home from someone who actually is looking to buy a shelter dog? People want purebred dogs and should be able to have the choice of dog that is right for their family. This article sums it up perfectly. #AdoptORShop #MyPetMyChoice.

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Sharraleigh
3/16/2019 10:15:17 pm

Well do you have kids? If you do, SHAME ON YOU!! How could you, when there are millions of kids around the world in need of a good home?!? Why didn't you adopt one of them instead of having your own?!

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Bree
3/18/2019 03:34:52 pm

👏👏👏👏

Shelley Bergstraser
3/17/2019 11:48:55 am

Using THAT logic I would state that "There is NO such thing as a responsible rescue as long as there are groups bringing in dogs from other countries!" THIS practice takes the place and lives of SO many shelter dogs-and GOOD breeders NEVER do. It is NEVER my dogs who are in shelters nor am I responsible for shelter dogs dying, not ever.

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Shelley Bergstraser
3/17/2019 11:55:01 am

I would also like to add that by suggesting ONLY supporting rescues you are ONLY and TOTALLY supporting uncaring breeders, uncaring dog owners who do not care enough to keep their dogs confined or to alter them-because THESE are the people who are filling the shelters and rescues. You are ALSO only supporting poor pet owners who carelessly obtain dogs and do not train or spend time with them (AND perhaps in the "adopt don't shop" world they would ONLY have poorly bred and probably poorly started from puppy hood dogs to choose from), if there are NO good breeders-any horrible pet owner would know that they have an easy market for their poorly bred, poorly trained and unwanted dog-heck, they always get "rescued!"

Marilyn
3/18/2019 10:19:59 am

That is an untrue statement. Read the article.

Reply
Cher
3/18/2019 12:01:21 pm

Marilyn. It’s not the fault of a responsible breeder that dogs are dying in shelters. Did you know statistically only .01% of dogs in shelters come from breeders (puppy mills are not breeders). Also choosing to buy a pure bred puppy doesn’t mean a shelter dog is dying. Most responsible breeders I know will take back any of their breedings for the life of the dog!

The problem is irresponsible pet owners. When the puppy is no longer cute, that’s when the owners tend to drop off at the shelters, that’s when dogs can be abused etc. a breeder is not responsible for the behavior of the pet owner!!

Reply
Cathy
3/22/2019 07:50:16 am

Dogs in shelters are from IRRESPONSIBLE OWNERS, not breeders. Not every dog SHOULD be placed in a home - some are too crazy, vicious or sick. Others have such behavior problems that they will NEVER be a good pet. WHY should anyone be saddled with someone else's throwaway? Why should anyone's only choice be a dog that might destroy their house, destroy their yard or attack their child or kill their other pets? Yet that is happening because of the "save every dog" mentality. And all the while they are importing a MILLION DOGS from other countries along with their diseases and parasites that are now killing our pets. So please, explain why someone should not have the choice of buying a dog that FITS THEIR LIFESTYLE? That they know how big it will get, what kind of coat it will have, how much it will eat, and how much exercise it needs?

Reply
Michelle
3/16/2019 03:55:06 pm

Love, love, love! If you want to rescue an animal, awesome! I honestly do wish everyone who rescues the best of luck and that they are healthy mentally and physically, HOWEVER... you have no right to criticize the person who wants to buy a carefully designed and planned pet from a responsible source. Eventually there will be no variety at all, conformational crapshoot (see bad hips and elbows), and poor temperaments. Like calm dogs? Too bad. Want fluffy with a nice coat? Nope, gone. Want something under 20 pounds? Not after 5 months of age. There is a variety of dogs in shelters now because they trickle down from the purebreds, but I'm willing to bet if you look at the statistics here in the midwest you will find a pretty high percentage of pitbulls (especially if you include the unadopteds). THIS is why we are importing from other countries AT GREAT EXPENSE (which takes away from dogs already in the system) because people actually don't want many of the dogs currently available here and they can get purebred or exotic "strays" and meat dogs or poorly bred puppy mill dogs and label them as a rescue. So buying a well bred golden retriever here in the states is totally un PC, but spending significantly more to import a "rescue" with questionable genetic health, no socialization (occassionally feral), and with the very real.potential to introduce new diseases to pets currently in the US is deemed as noble? Now who is responsible for "all those shelter dogs being killed"?

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Heather
3/17/2019 06:39:13 am

Me, another trainer were just discussing this in regards to agility super stars, service dogs! Finding one through adoption in much more difficult than shopping from a reputable breeder with a lineage of great agility or service dogs.

Reply
Ahmi link
3/20/2019 06:41:06 am

Instead of the slogan adopt don't shop I support the slogan of choose reputable, choose from a reputable breeder or reputable non-profit, but know how and where you are spending your money.

Reply
julie bair
4/24/2019 12:00:01 pm

Having done a great amount of time and spent lots of money on BOTH sides of this discussion I could not agree with you more! Thank you for putting these valid reasons in clear language. As an animal control officer I also owned and operated both a pound and a shelter. Have trained some super dogs to be excellent obedience and schutzhund (guard) dogs. Have purchased from reputable breeders and lived to regret it. Have adopted and lived to regret that too! We currently have a registered GSD who, at age 13, is in outstanding good health. She has some arthritis (so do I) but some days she still plays like a puppy. It's unlikely my husband and I will ever be without a GSD. At least we hope we won't. In addition we have six other dogs, one registered chihuahua, also 13, and five "designer" dogs that we rescued. We love them all with no reservations. We are "dog" people! The point is, it's your dog that you intend to bring into your home and must be your choice. Frankly, the "adopt, don't shop" slogan is getting very old and I believe these people are on the verge of driving people away from adopting simply because they are so darned judgmental. Live and let live!

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Stefan Bradley link
6/18/2019 07:18:47 am

It's interesting that the experiences that dogs go through will affect their offspring when they are born. My son wants a new puppy for his birthday and we want to find one who has been born into healthy living conditions to ensure that he is healthy. I'll look for a reliable breeder who takes care of their animals.

Reply
puppy pet shop link
7/25/2020 03:38:45 am

Great work...Thank you!!
<a href="http://breedersofblueeyespomskys.com/"> Puppy Pet Shop</a>
Get the best pet online and in store, Puppy Pet Shop offers puppies in great health condition with legal documents

Reply
puppy pet shop link
8/8/2020 02:27:36 am

Good Post...Thank You!!
<a href="https://breedersofblueeyespomskys.com/"> Puppy Pet Shop</a>
Get the best pet online and in store, Puppy Pet Shop offers puppies in great health condition with legal documents

Reply
puppy pet shop link
9/9/2020 11:31:04 pm

Great work, Thank you....
<a href="https://breedersofblueeyespomskys.com/">Puppy Pet Shop</a>
Get the best pet online and in store, Puppy Pet Shop offers puppies in great health condition with legal documents.

Reply
Kristofer Van Wagner link
10/14/2020 12:28:49 pm

Hey Shelly, I love that you reminded us that a reputable breeder is someone who prioritizes the dog's health before proceeding to have them breed. The other day my sister shared that she is looking for a labradoodle puppy breeder in Florida, where she resides. When I speak with her later, I will encourage her to check their policy on the dog's health and medical condition.

Reply
Kristofer Van Wagner link
4/1/2021 11:55:26 am

I appreciate that this post underlined that it is important for us to look into our compatibility when choosing to buy a pet. It makes sense for us to consider this as it will impact the bond between owner and pet. After reading your post, I will definitely remember this tip when I decide to buy or adopt a dog.

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    I have been working with dogs for over 14 years.  I have three dogs-Maverick, Jasper, & Stanley.

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