22/02/2021
Great article posted by FoxFire Beagles. (No relation to me) I agree completely. Worth the read.
To Puppy Buyers near and far,
Trust me, I get it. It sucks being told time and time again this year when reaching out to good breeders that they have nothing available or they have 1-3 year waitlist. I understand that you do not want to wait that long for a well-bred puppy when you are ready for one now....heck even tomorrow!
But, While I hate to be brutally honest, those backyard breeders, those puppy mills and those greeders only exist because of people being eager (and often times impatient) for a puppy, line their pockets with money. The public who are buying these dogs are the reason why they exist.
At the end of the day as much as I would love to educate homes in the importance of shopping responsibly, we are in a world of getting what we want and fast. And hey, I have Amazon prime! I get the perks of being able to access something on demand, but buying a dog should never be an impulsive decision nor should it be as easy as an Amazon purchase.
I cannot tell you the amount of people that have reached out to me for a puppy, I break the news of the wait period and the following week are messaging me about their sick Kijiji Beagle mix they impulsively bought. Mind you, I will offer any guidance I can to these impulsive buyers but my first question is always ‘What did your breeder say?’
And Do you know what their reply almost always is?
They ‘don’t know’ because their breeder disappeared the second money was handed over.
A backyard breeder doesn’t necessarily mean a large scale puppy mill of 100’s dogs in small crates. It also means a family that put their two family pets together and had a litter. Both are irresponsibly bred, even if it means one lives outdoors and the other on the family couch.
Expect more from the breeder of the dog/breed you’re looking for. Pet homes need to ask about health testing and be prepared to walk away when they find out that the puppies are not health tested.
The sire and dam being seen by a vet is NOT health testing. Health testing is being tested and cleared by the Orthopedic Foundation Of Animals in areas that effect the breed in question. Whether it’s a echo cardiogram done on Cavaliers parentage, hips xrayed and scored with a passing grade for a Newfoundland or even extremely Important genetic DNA tests done in Doberman’s - these tests vary per breed and it’s important buyers are educating themselves on proper health testing.
Because while it’s tempting to hand over 2k to a person off Kijiji for a cute puppy, that same person will not be there for that same puppy after you leave their property.
That same puppy could be affected with a life risking genetic disease that could’ve been prevented with a simple DNA test. That puppy could be infected with parvo due to lack of vaccinations due do ‘breeder’ neglect and will likely die. That same puppy could also have a severe heart condition and only live until it’s 7 months because the parents hearts were not tested. Basically that puppy you fell in love with could possibly be a walking health issue time bomb or you could be one of the lucky ones.
So, I know you want a puppy.
I know the thought of having to wait 1-2 years for a puppy is depressing.
I know it feels like it will never happen but patience in this case may save you from HUGE heart break of buying a sick, poorly bred puppy.
We deserve better than a poorly bred dog from a person who will take your money, not put it towards bettering their breeding program and do it again and again. Backyard Breeders are the reason dogs are ending up in shelters, not the reputable breeders.
Reputable breeders health test, we socialize our puppies, we temperament test our puppies, we screen the heck out of our homes. We take calls at 3am from homes who puppies are sick, we laugh with you and we cry with you. We celebrate every update you provide us with and are thrilled you keep in contact as we loved our puppies as much as you have. When you are entrusted with one of our puppies you also get us - the GOOD breeders. The same people who would drive across the country to pick up a puppy who had to be surrendered vs allowing it to end up in a shelter.
I just want each and every one of you wonderful homes who are waiting for a puppy to have a little bit of patience. Get to know your breeders. We may not have anything for you currently but we are happy to talk about the breed or just even in general. Be patient with us as many of us are receiving upwards of 50 applications a week.
I know the wait seems unbearable but that’s a good chunk of time to research the breed, get out to some dog shows (if we ever get back to the norm) and get to know the breeder as well as their dogs whom you hope to get a puppy from.
In the meantime, be careful of the scams out there, be wary of puppies that almost seem too good to be true and please do your homework on proper breeding practices no matter what breed you’re looking at.
We need to do better for these amazing breeds we are preserving and it starts with buying responsibly and ending the purchase of BYB dogs.
Trust me, it’s worth the wait.
