Ok I think if you can afford it you should buy from a reputable breeder. The genetic testing is worth it. Of course that is no guarantee that the dog will never have problems and there are genetic things that they can't test for yet and illness that can't be prevented. Here is the problem, REALLY GOOD breeders are hard to find and tons of people are breeding and asking 1,000s of dollars for puppies who's parents have had no testing. I would not buy a puppy from a puppy mill and will warn any one else against them. Here is were people are not going to like what I have to say. A small back yard breeder isn't the worst thing!!! My sister had Shelties for a while. This was ten years ago or more when there was no genetic testing. She has owned a total of 5 shelties and carefully looked in to there pedigrees before breeding. She had a total of 6 litters I think. Her dogs and puppies were well taken care of and loved. The puppies were 10 weeks old before she would let them go and she didn't just give them to any one who showed up. I still know 3 people who have puppies from her and they are old puppies now. I am also not against mixes. I got my Yorkie mix from some one who intentionally breed him that way. It was the same thing. This lady has 3 dogs and has a litter of pups once in a while. They are her very loved pets and she doesn't let the pups go to just any one with a little cash. She asked me tons of questions. I would never go to some ones barn and pick a puppy from tons of puppies!! { my niece did this and I could have kicked her!!!} What it boils down to is don't buy a puppy from some one who just wants the cash!!! |