Buying a Puppy

Are you interested in buying a puppy?

By Meilani Marischino
So you want to buy a puppy and don't know where to begin? Should you buy one from the person down the block who breeds their pet for fun/money? Should you buy one from a pet store? Should you buy one from a "show" breeder? Should you adopt one from the shelter? Wondering what the differences is between breeders? Well look no further.

Visit The North Texas Boston Terrier Club Official Website

For referrals on reputable breeders in your area, please contact:
Kathleen Brewer

The first thing you want to do is make sure you're ready for a puppy. A lot of people don't realize that a puppy is a lot of work. It's similiar to having a baby. Puppies chew and destroy things if they aren't properly supervised, puppies need to be housebroken or crate trained and they have to be obedience trained so they know how to behave properly. If you decide that you can deal with that then you have to decide if you'd like a purebreed or a mixed breed. The advantages of a purebreed dog is that you will have a general idea as to how the dog will look and what traits it will have. Keep in mind that a lot of breeds were bred for different purposes and will act different. The best thing to do is research different breeds to find out which one would be suitable for you. A good place to research is the American Kennel Club website. Some people like mixed breed dogs because they're unique. After doing your research, you still may not be sure where to get a puppy.

There are a few different places to get puppies. You can get one from a responsible breeder, an irresponsible breeder, a pet store or a shelter or rescue. *I* highly suggest getting a puppy from a responsible breeder or a shelter or rescue and I'll explain why. When it comes to looking for a responsible breeder, one of the best places to start is by visiting a dog show. The best dog shows to go to are "benched" shows which means that the dogs are still on the premises when they are done showing. This is a great way to speak to owners, breeders, handlers and fanciers of the breeds. If you like a certain breed, you can check out breed clubs. Breed clubs are a great place to find out information about a certain breed and you can often find breeder referrals on there. You can also go the rescue route. A great place to check out is Pet Finder. If you are interested in a certain breed, there are breed specific rescues out there.

This guide is directed at buying a dog from a responsible breeder and gives some insight as to why you should stay away from irresponsible breeders. When I am looking to buy a dog, I look for these things in a breeder...

1. Does the breeder show and prove their breeding stock in conformation and/or other dog related events?...click here

2. Does the breeder utilize health testing and is knowledgeable about the breeds health issues?...click here

3. Health guarantees...click here

4. Take back clauses...click here

SPECIAL NOTES

1. Puppy prices
The price of a puppy can vary depending on many things. It can depend on the breed, with rare breeds or breeds that have breeding issues/small litters such as Bulldogs or Boston Terriers, being more expensive. It can depend on where you live as puppies on the East and West coasts tend to be a bit more expensive and puppies from the Midwest tend to be a bit cheaper. It can depend on whom you get a puppy from. A lot of people are under the false assumption that show breeders charge way too much money for a puppy and it's one of the reasons that they go the backyard breeder route or they finance a puppy from a pet store. However, a little bit of research would've proved them wrong and it would've actually saved them some money. The reality is it's cheap to buy from a backyard breeder, a bit more expensive at a responsible breeder and expensive at a pet store. For example, in Chicago, a pet quality Boston Terrier from a backyard breeder can range in price from $250 to $800. A pet quality Boston Terrier from a responsible breeder can range in price from $700 to $1200. A pet quality Boston Terrier from a pet store usually starts at $1000 and can be as high as $1500. Often times, the purchase price of a pet store puppy can exceed the show quality price of a puppy from a responsible breeder.

As you can see, you're going to pay more money at a pet store. Why do you think so many offer financing? You may think you're getting the best money can buy but you're not. The majority of pet stores get their puppies from commercial breeders. These breeders sell puppies as cheap as $15 and the reason they can do so is because of sheer volume. They breed dogs as one would breed chickens. They're considered livestock to such breeders. They are NOT bred with conformation nor health in mind. So why do pet stores charge as much as $3000 for a puppy that may have cost them $30? Because they can and because gullible people will pay those prices. Don't be one of those people.

And do NOT fall for the fallacy that pet stores get their puppies from "local breeders". Some pet stores will consider the state next to them to be "local". Some may get their puppies from backyard breeders. NO responsible breeder will EVER sell a puppy to a pet store. For one, it's against the Code of Ethics of ALL breed clubs for members to give or sell a puppy to a broker or to a pet store. Responsible breeders put a lot of time and money into their breeding program. Why on earth would they give the results of that hard work to a pet store who will sell a puppy to anyone? Not only that, a responsible breeder would have no need to use a pet store to sell puppies as their reputation is enough to bring puppy buyers their way.

And as you can see, you can buy a cheaper dog from a backyard breeder. HOWEVER, there's a reason why it's cheaper. Backyard breeders do not put much thought into breeding their dogs. They are usually ignorant of their breeds breed standard. Very few, if any, utilize any health testing. A lot of them give as little veterinary care as possible which is why many of them are willing to part with puppies by the time they are 6 weeks of age because at that point, they don't want to pay more money for food and veterinary care. The worst part is this bargain pup may cost you more later. Unfortunately, because of indiscriminate breeding, the chances of health problems are much higher when it comes to backyard breeder and pet store puppies. You may feel you're saving money when you buy a $200 puppy but it's not so much of a bargain when you have to pay over $3000 for hip or patella surgery.

2. Teacup dogs
The latest fad is acquiring dogs so small that they disappear when fully grown. Ok, I'm being facetious about that but it seems that a 5lb Chihuahua is just WAY too big for some people and they feel the need to have a smaller dog. The reality is there is NO SUCH THING as a teacup breed. Teacup is not a recognized size in ANY breed. If anything, you'll find a toy, miniature or standard size. Teacup is a marketing ploy by irresponsible people in order to con people into thinking they're going to get a teeny tiny dog. Often times, you're not. The teacup dog ends up weighing double than what the breed standard calls for. Not only that, when you breed below the acceptable weight per the breed standard and end up with really tiny dogs, there are health issues involved and some of them are very serious. The most common are Hydrocephalus, Hypoglycemia, liver problems and having fragile bones which can easily lead to broken spines and legs. This trend is getting so bad that the Poodle Club of America, Chihuahua Club of America, Yorkshire Terrier Club of America and the American Shih Tzu Club have issued statements about this issue and their Code of Ethics prohibits members from using such terms to describe their dogs.

Well I think that about covers it. I hope this has helped in your search for a puppy. Keep in mind a dog can live 10+ years so please make your choice based on research. Good luck in your search!