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Originally Posted by AshleyRhea  Thank you so much to those of you who are actually supporting my decision. And to those that do not, I totally understand why.. but at the same time its a puppy.. and it isn't his fault! Should we euthanize all puppymill dogs just because they are from a very undesirable place? Didn't think so. Like I said before if I didnt buy it, someone else would. And maybe that person wouldnt know about puppymills and not know what kind of conditions they have faced.
I am educated enough to know when a dog is sick. I have gone and played with him everyday for 3 days now. He plays and runs with the other puppies in the crate with him. He jumps. He plays and then randomly (and rather dramatically) topples over. He bites like regular puppies with those amazingly sharp teeth. I felt all over his body to make sure nothing felt weird and I checked in his ears to make sure he didn't have ear mites. I know I am no vet but I am taking him as soon as I get him tomorrow. (His appt is at 2:15) I got Roxie (my miniature dachshund) from a breeder and she had some infection that made her hair fall out and REALLY bad ear mites. I have not seen anything wrong with Oliver so I will assume for this rare circumstance he is healthy. He is current on all of his shots and will have a health guarantee. I wouldnt neceassarily say that puppies from breeders are any healthier than pet store dogs.. or at least in my case that is what happened.
For whoever asked how much I am paying for him... $400. I would never pay $600 or $900 or whatever you mentioned for a "mutt" (dont tell him I called him that!!).  I know they have Yorkie mixes on websites but I have never found one I love like this one. I walked in and immediately fell in love with this dog. I don't know what it was about him but I think he's great!
I don't remember if there were any other questions/comments I intended to answer but these are my thoughts for now. I will take pictures as soon as I get him tomorrow and post them right away. Yall will all fall in love with my *possible* puppymill boy!  I already got him a crate ready with tons of toys! All I need is the puppy now!
Oh and thank you so much to those who have offered advice about potty training. I think I am going to go with the crate training but take him outside all the time. And very excitedly scream "POTTY!!" everytime he's about to go. haha. |
I bought 2 of my dogs from pet stores and they were from puppy mills. I knew better after Bentley when I looked up his "breeder" information and it was listed as a well known puppy mill. The second time around Sean my husband bought me a lhasa apso from a kennel. He thought the kennel was different because they were bred at the site by the owners. She had horrible kennel cough that took weeks to get better. I could not change his decision, so there we were again with supporting a mill.
I know you say that "you know if a dog is sick", but what a lot of us are saying is that genetic problems can pop up down the road from the poor breeding. You of course will not know that when buying him, and YES any dog can have health issues.. but you take a bigger chance on one w/no thought breeding practices.
You might also notice that your puppy will have an underbite as he grows. That has happened with both of my mill dogs, and of course I love them just the same -- but it shows that there was no thought on breeding dogs that shouldn't have been bred in the first place.
It makes me just as upset to see dogs in pet stores and want to rescue them and give them a better life. But, the only way to stop puppy mills from happening is to stop feeding into their pockets by purchasing the puppies. Every time I walk into a pet store that sells dogs I have to remind myself what their mothers and fathers are enduring.. wasting away in their own filth.. in small cages.. those dogs that will never know love or the comfort of a warm, safe loving home.
But, this is how puppy mills stay in business... people with soft hearts that think they are helping, and people that impulse buy rather than wait it out for a puppy from a reputable source. These kinds of actions will only help these places stay in business.
Anyhow, I'm sure you have your mind made up and you'll be getting your new puppy regardless of the facts. I just could never in good conscious buy a puppy that perpetuates such sadness and I made a promise to my wonderful dogs that I never will again.
Sorry for busting in on your thread, but I had to say my piece on it. I do hope that regardless of if you get this puppy or not you know that yt members will be there to help you with questions you may have.