Chris
New York,#2Consumer Suggestion
Sat, April 12, 2003
I'm so sorry for the problems that you encountered with your dog! Without being too overbearing, and trying to stay as objective as possible, I'd suggest the following. Never buy a dog from a petstore. You can safely assume that all are inbred, will develop physical as well as pshychological problems and have not received adequate care. Never use a dog from a petstore for breeding. As noted, these dogs are genetically poor. Yes, they can be sweet, etc...but when their parents were bred, genetic relationships were certainly not taken into consideration, nor were attempts to foster good traits and limit bad traits. The pedigree of the dog from the pet store is an unknown. Never breed dogs without the supervision/mentorship of an experienced, reputable breeder (follows the breed's code of ethics). They would have immediately alerted you to these issues, among others...Hip certifications (only post 18 months, etc..), awareness of genetic pre-dispositions in the breed, and on and on. Never breed any dog without the notification and possible permission of said dog's breeder. They are most familiar with it's line and will have the most information about it. Breeding is not a back yard hobby, nor a cash cow. It is a labor of love. Best of luck-
Dawn
Buffalo,#3Consumer Suggestion
Wed, January 08, 2003
Did you know that ALL pet store puppies come from puppymills ! any reputable breeder has all their puppies spoken for before they even plan on breeding their dogs, and also it is against the breed clubs CODE of ETHICS to even place a dog for sale in a pet shop or auction, they can be revoked all their privaleges from a club . The only way to stop these puppymillers is to stop buying those poor puppies you see in there ! it is all based on demand & supply ! you buy a puppy because you feel sorry for it, now the pet shop will get in 2 more - because they sold the first one so easy !, another thing - they only pay at the most $200.00 for the same dog you are paying $1,000.00 for with a 1 year guarantee (if your lucky)- purchase a healthy dog from a responsible breeder, most give a lifetime warranty- not one that runs out when all the health problems are ready to surface - most hereditary problems don't surface until the dog is 18 months or older, before buying any dog, do your homework, check out the different health problems that exist in EACH & EVERY breed, check out the temperments- all puppies are cute and social- but some - once they are 6-8 months can be the worst dog on earth with aggression. NEVER jump into buying an animal because you feel sorry for it. and NEVER FROM A PET SHOP ! check out www.nopuppymills.com or just type in puppymills and read about some of the stories and view the pictures where these cute puppies come from .