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Choosing a Puppy?

Why you should Not  buy from a pet shop or puppy mill?

Health?

The Myth about AKC papers.

What will the pup look like when it is full-grown?

What do you know about the breed?

Housebreaking and training problems

About Socialization

What is a pedigree?

Well do you want to support puppy millers?

How to find a good breeder

 

Choosing a puppy

In order to choose a Mastiff Puppy wisely, you should consider a few facts before you make the initial plunge. The place to buy a puppy is from a reputable breeder who specializes in Mastiffs. He has spent many years, and thousands of dollars, establishing his name and excellent breeding stock. You can take advantage of a breeder's experience and knowledge and buy a puppy that will be credit to the breed. A reputable breeder will stand behind his stock and be eager as you for the puppy to turn out well. 

Don't make the mistake of buying from a puppy mill, a pet shop or backyard breeder, as they have no interest in the breed and are only interested in the money they can make on the sale. Not all of these puppies can be registered, and it is doubtful that you could ever obtain accurate information about the puppy's ancestry, let alone see these ancestors for yourself. It is questionable weather you will get a healthy puppy or, just as importantly, one that will remain healthy. All puppies are adorable when they are tiny, don't let your heart overrule your common sense.

Even though you may have to shop around, find a conscientious breeder who believes that good nutrition, good care and clean kennels are necessary and vital in order to produce strong, sturdy, healthy puppies. The breeder who doesn't skimp on food but provides the puppies with well balanced diet that includes plenty of lean meat is doing his best to safeguard the health of his stock and build up resistance to diseases. Good care also means more cleaning up after puppies. It also means that time has been spent with the puppies to develop their personalities to help socialize with strangers and other puppies.

Every puppy deserves puppy kindergarten. Starting a puppy at 12-20 weeks of age separates siblings; gives them individual experiences; and encourages them to become independent of each other. The internet has made it possible to find and locate classes. A simple keyword search in Google will provide a list anywhere in the United States. Simply put dog training and the city and state, and Voila, It's a fun class!

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Buying A Puppy
 The Benefits Of Buying from a Reputable Breeder!

Why you should Not buy from a pet shop or puppy mill?

You want to add a puppy to your life.  This is a big commitment that has to be made for the life of the pup.  There are many breeds to choose from and many places to purchase your new puppy.  You must research the different breeds and decide which fits your life style. Some breeds are laid back, some are high energy, some need a lot of exercise, while others are known for intelligence, or protective abilities and some for their friendliness.  Not all breeds will fit into your life style. 

You have to plan for your new pup because you want the puppy to be with you a long time.  Do not purchase a pup as an impulse buy or as a gift for someone.  People what want a dog need to do all their own research to figure out which breed or type they want.  Sure it would be a great surprise but just because they love dogs and talked about getting one does not mean they want the responsibility or have time for a puppy.  Let them decide for themselves. 

There are important reasons to purchasing a puppy from a reputable breeder than a pet shop or a puppy mill.  I recommend you look at these options.  Remember puppy mills or backyard breeders supply Pet shops; these places should be shut down. So if you purchase on from a pet shop all you are doing is keeping them in business

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Health

A cute puppy is hard to resist, but you may be paying a lot of money for a pup that you know nothing about.  Pet shops rely on impulse buys to sell you a puppy.  Puppy mills and Back yard breeders usually advertise in “free ads” newspapers. There is a good chance that a puppy from one of these places will develop a health problem sometimes for the entire life of the pup.  This gets very expensive not to mention your heartache.  When it comes to these types of places, most likely the puppy’s parents were not tested for genetic diseases that would be passed to their offspring.  Every breed of dog has genetic problems and is passed from generation to generation of breeding dogs.   They carry the defected gene.  Most of these genetic problems can be diagnosed with today’s scientific technology. These test are expensive. The Reputable breeder who is concerned about the health, welfare and future of their breed will have thee tests conducted to help improve the future quality of their breed.  Reputable breeders are concerned about the health, preservation and quality of their breed, than the money they will make on the production of a litter.  In fact there is little or no money to be made from selling puppies if the job is done properly, raising puppies properly costs a lot of money!

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The Myth about AKC papers. 

Pet shops and puppy millers would like you to believe that a puppy with registered papers from the American Kennel Club, guarantees the pup will be healthy and is a quality representation of the breed.  This is not true.  The only thing AKC papers certify is that the puppy is a pure bred pup and was produced from Registered AKC parents.  This sometimes is not true either. Some puppy miller’s register more puppies than were actually born to a litter.  This gives them extra registration papers to give out with “un-register able” puppies.  The parents of your pup may be unhealthy or carriers of crippling or deadly health defects which is passed to their off spring – your pup.  They may be poor representations of the breed you are purchasing.  Often the lineage of these puppies is questionable due to poor record keeping by the breeder(s).  So your pup may not even be a pure bred, even though you have AKC papers.  A reputable responsible breeder registers their pups with AKC, but that is just the beginning.   

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What will the pup look like when it is full-grown?

Hopefully you have seen adults of the breed that you are purchasing, But that is not a guarantee this pup will fit the breed standard.  You so do not know if the parents meet the standard either. There is no perfect dog, But a Reputable breeder will discuss the faults and strengths that each of their dogs possess.  You should also be able to see at least the mother of the pup you are buying.  A responsible breeder will have at least the mother or father of the pup you will be purchasing.  Even then you cannot tell exactly what the puppy will look like, but you will have a much better idea of what to expect.  Why spend all that money without even knowing what the pup’s parents look like?

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What do you know about the breed?

 Pet shops and puppy millers know very little about the pups they sell.  If you are lucky they can tell you a little about the breed and then show you a generic dog book!  What do you do when you bring the pup home, only to find that this breed is not right for you and your family?  Responsible Reputable breeders are knowledgeable about the breed of pup you are interested in. They will be able to tell you about temperament and qualities of the breed to see if it is right for you. The will warn you about health problems with that specific breed and what the advantages of that breed are.  Not one breed of dog is perfect for every person.  A responsible breeder is concerned that their pup goes to a good home and will fit with your lifestyle.

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Housebreaking and training problems

A puppy purchased from a pet shop or puppy miller has spent most of its life in a cage or shed.  Many of these pups have never seen a carpet and may not of seen grass or soil. The conditions these pups are kept in have forced them to eliminate in the same area they sleep and eat.  This goes against the dog’s natural instinct, buy your pup had no choice.  This habit makes housebreaking your pup difficult.   A responsible breeder keeps the puppy area very clean and makes sure the pup has a separate elimination area.  When the pups are ready to go to their new homes they will be well on the way to being house trained.

Depending on the age of the pup a responsible breeder will start teaching their pups how to walk on a lead and to lie quietly for grooming.  A pet shop or puppy mill pup has likely never walked on a lead or been brushed before.   It is difficult to teach a pup these daily exercises that has not been brought up properly.  A Responsible breeder breeds responsible and makes their decision to breed on temperament, personality and testing.  Not only on looks or the fact they are pure breeds.  Pet shops and puppy miller pup’s parents have not been selected for any reason than to produce puppies that are sold as cute “purebred” registered by AKC.  Some pups are registered with unknown new Kennel clubs….Do not be Fooled.

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About Socialization

A pet shop or puppy mill pup may never of been in a house before.  If this is so then everything in the home will be scary for the pup. The normal daily sounds in the home such as doorbell, vacuum cleaner and children playing are all new to the pup and can be terrifying to an unsocial zed pup.   A responsible reputable breeder raises the pups in their home the pups are exposed to many situations making the pups use to the normal sounds of a home, by the time they go to their new homes.

Responsible breeders evaluate the temperament of each of the pups before they are placed in a new home.  A responsible breeder will know by the many hours of observation and interaction with the pups which ones are dominant, shy, energetic or easy going. The Responsible breeder will be able t match the pup to the new owner and make sure the personality and temperament of the pup fits with the new family’s lifestyle.

By the reputable breeders careful evaluation of the pups this breeder can choose a pup that will fit with your household and the guesswork is taken out of the selection process.  A Responsible Breeder will help you make an educated decision to all aspects of your puppy’s feeding, training, maintenance and care based on your family lifestyle and situation.  If you are going to spend so much money on a pup that you plan to keep for its lifetime, shouldn’t you have one that fits into your lifestyle?

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What is a pedigree?

Pet shops and puppy millers make a big deal out of the pup’s pedigree.  A pedigree is really just a family tree. It is a piece a paper with names on it.  Unless you know the dogs whose names appear on the pedigree it is just a piece of paper. Can the sales person tell you what the pup’s grandparents died of, or if they are still living?  Do any of the dogs on the pedigree carry genetic diseases?  Can they tell you anything about the dogs named on the pedigree?  Pet shop sales people and puppy millers do not know any more about your pup’s family tree than you do. A responsible reputable breeder can give you all of this information and more.  When you purchase a pup from a reputable breeder you are getting more than a piece of paper, you are getting knowledge and information about the names on that piece of paper.  Just about all Reputable responsible breeders will show or participate in dog-related activities with their dogs.  They show their dogs in show with unbiased judges to be come aware that their dog is a good representation of the standard of their breed.  Some Reputable breeders obtain titles that related to the job of their breed, obedience titles, and Canine Good Citizen awards. Or show you proof of accomplishments of their dogs. 

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Well do you want to support puppy millers?

About all pups that are in pet shops come from puppy millers, the name puppy miller implies mass produced pups with money as the first motive.  Their breeding dogs are often dept in poor conditions (dark overcrowded barns or small crates).  Often the dogs are malnourished and not tested for genetic diseases, many are not wormed or receive proper vaccinations. Puppy mills often obtain there breeding stock from people who are in a hurry to get rid of their dogs for some reason, often through “free dog” ads in newspapers. Or they have someone purchase a pup under the pretense that it is for their family.  Some are stolen from their owners.  They breed their females every heat cycle until they cannot produce any more pups then the female is sentenced t death. (Not a kind death either they are usually drowned or shot!)  The horror of puppy mills is encouraged every time a pup is purchased from a pet shop or puppy miller.

 How do you know that your pup comes from one of these places? A Reputable Responsible breeder will NOT sell pups to a pet shop.  Puppy Millers usually deliver the pup to you, or if you do go to their “home” you will only be shown “your pup.  You will not meet the human or canine family.  The process will be very mater of fact (clinical), The puppy miller does not give any information they do not want you to know either.

A Responsible Breeder will make you feel comfortable when you visit. They will offer you food and drink and be prepared to have you visit for a considerable amount of time.

They will allow you to see the pups, parent(s) and any other of relatives of the pups.

A puppy miller just wants to conclude the transaction as quickly as possible and with minimal effort on their part.  Not all puppy millers live on farms. (Indeed some Reputable responsible breeders live on farms and would be horrified to think that a puppy buyer would assume they are puppy millers because of where they live)  Some puppy millers will bring the pup into their home and try to pass it off as home raised.  Where a Reputable breeder will have all the pups in the home with at least one of the parents.  Despite the “home” surroundings you should have a “gut feeling” that all is not well. Remember to ask questions the “right” questions and you will soon get a feeling for the breeder.  If you are not comfortable with purchasing a pup from the breeder ask yourself why?  Do not be afraid to make a polite excuse to leave, you will be doing yourself and the pup favor in the long run.  Responsible reputable breeders want to make sure that their pups go to good homes and are well loved and taken care of.  They don’t want the purchaser to feel interrogated. But they want to be actively involved in screening you to ensure the pup is going to a good home.  Responsible Reputable breeders want you to keep in touch with them on the pup’s progress. They want to know if any health problem arises and if you have any questions or problems to contact them. They love to get pictures of the pups or a quick email to the responsible breeder about the pup is always appreciated.   A pet shop or puppy miller generally does not care. You will not save any money if you purchase from a pet shop or puppy miller. When you purchase a pup from a responsible reputable breeder there is no middleman involved to take his share of the profit out of the price of the puppy.  When you adopt/purchase a pup from a Responsible reputable breeder, you are paying for more than just the quality of the dog, you are paying for the pup’s excellent ancestry, the breeder’s assistance and knowledge, the time given to the puppy while in the breeders care, and the care given to the mother while she is pregnant and during the actual delivery and the days following.

 Then there is the socialization, handling, care, feeding and all the cleaning required.  Puppies require a lot of social interaction and time spent with them, aside from that they are messy creatures and requires a lot of time cleaning up after them!

 Knowledge and experience raising pups and health care can make the difference between life and death for your pup.  Raising a litter of pups requires most of the Reputable Breeders time, patience, food, record keeping, puppy health records, written information, proper equipment (whelping boxes, puppy pens, etc) puppy grooming, worming and vet bills and much more. And, after all these things… there is the breeder’s integrity.  Without that, all of the above would be suspect.

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How to find a good breeder 

Please be aware that the AKC (American Kennel Club) does not guarantee that breeders on this list re Responsible Reputable Breeders.- potential puppy buyers should not assume this and should learn for themselves whether a breeder listed is the kind they would be happy to purchase a puppy from.

Many dog-related websites have listings for breeders.  Again a puppy buyer should not assume a breeder is reputable because their name appears on an Internet listing – commercial breeders (puppy millers) can also be found on these lists.

 Another way to find a Responsible Reputable Breeder is by “word of mouth”. Often you will meet people with the breed you are considering. If you like their dog and the people ask them where they got their dog.  People who are happy with their dog will usually recommend  “their” breeder to you.

Many show breeders (and breeders engaged in other dog related hobbies) will have websites of their own.  Using a “search engine” with the appropriate words will usually show a list of breeders websites.  You should get a “feel”  from the website whether you would like to purchase from that particular breeder

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Please Remember no matter who you purchase your pup from and no matter who recommended the breeder; you must be satisfied with yourself that you are happy with the breeder and the puppy!

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