Buying a Breeders Dog - Your Head Verses Your Heart

By Tobias Charles

When purchasing a breeders dog it is important to purchase from the head and not from the heart. Not every breeders dog is exactly what they state. Now the author is not stating that every breeders dog is of suspect origin, but as a dog lover about to purchase a beautiful new pet, you have to be careful. As an owner of four dogs the author has been through the process of choosing a respected breeder and performing as much research as possible. However, a Shih-tzu that the author bought ten years ago from a supposedly respected breeder had many serious problems that had not been stated on any of the certificates or forms that the breeder shared.

This particular breeders dog (Benny) had what was described as a 'cute grunt'. Now I know this was naive at the time but my girlfriend fell in love with Benny and we went through with the purchase. Over the years this particular grunt turned into something that needed a serious operation. We loved and cared for Benny but it soon became apparent that he had multiple problems that we were unaware of. Benny had to have many operations on his throat and more operations on a slipped disc. Throughout this process we regularly checked with the Vet that Benny was not suffering and his life was worth living (Benny's bouncy behavior proved this). This is an example of a breeders dog being sold purely for profit as no previous surgery had been performed on Benny's 'cute grunt' (you may be happy to know that Benny reached a good age). We did buy another breeders dog from a well respected breeder, but this time performed more research, had more than one visit, and used word of mouth and good, honest and well respected opinions from previous purchasers. Consequently this breeders dog was happy but more importantly healthy and had no health issues from the start.

So should you buy a breeders dog? The answer to this is yes, but do your research and buy from the head and not from your heart. Do back ground research on the breeder and the breeders dog Check previous clients who have bought from the breeder before and whether the breeders dog is still healthy, happy and hasn't shown any obvious symptoms since being purchased. However, it is important to remember that a recent situation in America has highlighted the danger of unscrupulous breeders. A recent case in America highlighted by the humane society showed the dangers of unlicensed breeders; but don't believe that all licensed breeders are safe. The American Kennel Club or other particular registration papers and certification may also not account for much regarding the breeder and the breeders dog The AKC (American Kennel Club) registration only accounts for the breeders dog to have both parents of the same breed. No governmnet or dog registry in the US requires breeders to socialise the puppies or do health checks on the dogs parents, including eye tests, heart tests and orthopeadic tests. Also, which is quite worrying, a breeder is not even expected to have a particular knowledge about the dog they are breeding.

Tobias Charles writes on all subjects of particular interest. Visit his blog on dog training for more information or visit More Dog Training Tips