Yorkieman10, I have been following your thread, and I think I understand what you are trying to say. But let me share my story. I wanted a dog. Now, when I was young, my father came home with a Purebred Chi from a friend (no idea of the history of that one), and I added another Chi mix because of an OOPS breeding of a friend's dog...but I was now an adult, and I decided I wanted a dog. Being the personality that I am I did my research. (It took me 12 months of research before I bought my first car...reading reviews and ratings...then I walked into a dealer, chose the car and bought it in under 60 mins) When it came time to find a dog, I researched what made a good breeder, I researched what breed would best fit my needs...I went to dog shows to see/meet possible breeds that I had not really considered. Then I went to the CKC (I'm Canadian) and the Canadian Guide to Dog Breeds to find the breeder of the breed I wanted in my location...then I visited homes...at the first home the breeder seemed great, dogs looked good, she answered my questions, but it didn't just "feel" right. The next home I visited, she answered my questions, allowed me to see the pups (3 wks old), meet the dame and the father. We talked about my needs, and she determined which of the 3 puppies in that litter would be the best fit for me. We arranged a time for pick-up and I placed a deposit. I'm not particularly "close" to my breeder, but I've called when I've had a question and she has been a great support when my puppy turned out to have some skin issues. She also provided a 5 year health guarantee...not 30 days!
But that's me...and I know many people like yourself that say, "I don't want a show dog", why go to a "show breeder". The answer to that question is, you don't need to show a dog from a show breeder, but if your breeder's only purpose in breeding is to make money...then you might as well stick your money in the slot machine and see what comes out...because I am certain that a breeder breeding for money is not wasting that precious commodity on things like health checks, vet appointment, quality food etc. If you don't want the "standard" of the breed you are looking to get...then go to a rescue. They are full of puppies of "oops" litters, and rescued puppy mill dogs and others that have been "rejected" because their owners did not do their research and make the appropriate choices. In fact, the dog I bought through the above process is my Miniature Schnauzer, and my Yorkie in fact is from rescue. She came with papers, due to a change in circumstance her original owner could not keep her, and her so-called "breeder" wouldn't help her out...she would rather see her end up in rescue or a pound...
I apologize for the long reply, but its important to echo a number of the statements made in this thread. If you do your research and buy from a reputable breeder, you will have a resource for the lifetime of your puppy. People who want to buy without doing the research should look to a rescue or pound for their dog...after all any breeder who is breeding for money and not to improve the breed should not be considered an option...and if you can't stop yourself from looking at those poor dogs in the pet store, stop visiting the pet store...I have. And if you can't delay the gratification that doing the research requires than you are at risk for making a poor choice, and I'll likely soon find your puppy on Petfinder.com looking for a new home. |