Beware of puppy ads that state...
"Furry little stocking stuffers,"
"Easter Puppies," etc., for these come-ons could
indicate that the pups were bred simply as a moneymaking scheme.
That furry little stocking stuffer at eight weeks could become an
80-pound unmanageable giant at eight months if it's the wrong breed
for your family. And what do you do with a chocolate Lab after
Easter, when the color appeal may have worn off and you're faced
with caring for a growing, exuberant puppy that needs obedience
training and lots of exercise? "Puppies: full-blooded, no papers." These
"breeders" are so inexperienced that they don't know the correct
terminology to refer to purebred, pedigreed, registered puppies. The
breeding was probably an accident or was planned because the dogs
would make pretty puppies or to give the kids the experience of
seeing a birth, not because they would actually contribute anything
to the health and stature of the breed. "Full-blooded" probably means that the
parents are of the same breed. However, it could be an attempt to
characterize puppies of mixed parentage. A cocker-poo is the result of one
breeding of a cocker spaniel to a poodle. At the risk of repetition,
it is a mixed breed dog. It cannot be a full-blooded anything but
dog. Offspring of two cocker-poos (or any other -poos) are mixed
breed dogs. "Papers" in an ad could refer to a pedigree or
to a registration certificate. A pedigree is a family tree that
tells something about the quality of the parents, grandparents, and
great grandparents of the puppy. It can help to trace the dogs in
the background to find out if the puppy may be a carrier or a
potential victim of several genetic disorders. A registration
certificate allows the owner to register the puppy with the American
Kennel Club, the United Kennel Club, a rare breed registry, or an
independent kennel club or breed registry. Eligibility for
registration does not affect the health or genetic fitness of the
puppy. It only affirms that the puppy comes from registered parents
of that breed. If you are tempted to call the folks who placed this ad, be sure
to ask them why they produced a purebred litter that could not be
registered. And find out about prices before going to see the
puppies -- don't assume that the lack of papers means the price
quoted is less than the price for a comparable register able puppy of
the same breed. If the ad reads "papers available," find out if
the papers include both a pedigree and a registration form. Don't
pay extra for the pedigree, and only pay the registration fee to
reimburse the breeder for registering your puppy if the breeder
asks. Breeders who register the puppy for the buyer usually do so as
part of the cost of the puppy. A registration form is given to the
breeder by the AKC when the litter is registered; don't be suckered
into paying extra for it. AKC - registered refers to the
American Kennel
Club, a registry that depends on breeders to keep accurate
records of the sire and dam of each litter and to forward that
information to its North Carolina office whenever a litter is born.
Thus AKC registration means that the dog is likely to be purebred,
but it makes no guarantees as to the health or temperament of the
dog. Breeders who are careless, particularly those who breed two or
more similar breeds, may offer AKC registered puppies but may not
actually know whether the pups were sired by Sandy or Brandy. Thus a
"Shih Tzu" may turn out to be a Shih Tzu-poodle mix or a Shih
Tzu-Yorkshire Terrier mix or a Shih
Tzu-anything-else-on-the-premises mix. "Pups OFA registered" or "Good hips."
Puppies cannot be registered with OFA (Orthopedic Foundation of
America). The quality of their hips can be guesstimated based on the
OFA certification of their parents, but this certification is given
only upon examination of radiographs (x-rays) taken after the dog is
two years old. If one or both parents are less than two years of
age, they can have preliminary x-rays that indicate the absence of
hip dysplasia, but they cannot be certified free of this
debilitating, inherited bone malformation until they reach two years
of age. "Both parents on premises." Although we always
recommend that potential buyers see the mother and father of the
litter, the presence of both parents on the premises is often an
indication of breeding for profit not to better the breed. Reputable
Breeders have their pick from thousands of studs for their dam why
would they breed to just one. Right! only for convenience! Often these are
backyard breeders with a bitch that is bred every time she comes
into heat (or whenever the family needs a few extra bucks). The
parents may have good temperaments and be genetically healthy
specimens of their breed, or they may not. So, investigate further
if the breed is one you are considering; a few questions should
ascertain if this is a source you can rely upon. Many responsible
breeders choose mates for their bitches from other kennels in order
to diversify their breeding program. If so, the sire of the puppies
may live across town or in another state. The absence of the father
of the litter should not influence selection of a puppy if all
questions are answered satisfactorily by the breeder. "AKC champion background." It depends on how far
back the champions are and how many there are in the four generation
pedigree. A champion great-great- grandmother means little to the
value, health, or genetic fitness of that puppy. The presence of OFA
numbers and a history of eye testing and other genetic testing can
make up for the lack of champions in the pedigree. "Prices lower than the local average for the breed."
The average cost of a particular breed can be determined by talking
to several breeders, not by looking at pups in a pet store. One area
pet store offered a mixed-breed cocker-poo puppy for $300 and
another had a mixed breed shih-poo for $150. Frequently, the sale
price of pet store puppies is considerably higher than the price for
a puppy from a responsible breeder. Expect to pay at least $200 for a small breed puppy, $300-500 for
a medium-breed puppy, and $500-800 for a large-breed puppy. Some classified ads tout "rare colors" that are
actually different labels put on common colors or are unacceptable
colors or patterns for the breed. Many of these so-called rare
colors and patterns are disqualifications in the breeds because of a
genetic association with health problems, particularly deafness and
eye problems, or because white is at a disadvantage in a herding or
guard breed. In a recent newspaper, a breeder offered "rare white Dobermans";
white is a disqualifying color in this breed developed as a personal
guardian. White Dobermans may indeed be fine pets, but they are no
more valuable than colored Dobermans and may be less so if the white
in Dobermans is connected to deafness or other health problems. White is also a disqualifying color in Boxers, Weimaraners,
Miniature Schnauzers, and German Shepherds, and Great Danes. Often
white or Harlequin ( white with black spots) Great Danes with very
few or no spots on the head are deaf, have eye issues, skin issues,
and can be difficult to train unless you are willing to learn how. Unless you are ready to learn how to train a deaf dog, do not
buy one. Merle, a color pattern with a reddish or gray background mottled
with darker splotches, is a pattern also connected with a variety of
health problems and is unacceptable in Great Danes. Yet merle Great
Danes appear in the local classified ads as well. Dogs of so-called rare colors and patterns should not be bred. If
color or pattern is important, a buyer should choose a breed in
which white or merle is acceptable. If color is not that important
or is outweighed by the dog's other characteristics, a dog with a
disqualifying color should not be purchased with the idea of
eventually producing more dogs of disqualifying colors or patterns.
All such dogs should be sterilized in order to maintain the
integrity of the breeds. Beware of ads for older dogs stating...
"Needs room to run." Don't even consider this
one unless you have a securely fenced yard and intend to do some
obedience training. "Friendly." Could also be overbearing,
untrained, undisciplined, obnoxious, destructive. "Protective." Read "overprotective." Otherwise
the appropriate words would be "good watchdog." "Free to a good home." Could mean "get him out
of here before he drives me crazy." or "Good Home with minimum
standards of care, just take it!" Buying a puppy is not as simple as it seems. The chances that you
will get the right dog for your family increase with the amount of
work you put into the selection of a breed, a breeder, and a
particular puppy. Call your local rescue group, they know who is
breeding responsibly and which breeders to avoid. Related Articles: