Very true. I have seen many puppies in pet stores that IMO are not purebred. And no, it isn't their fault. They didn't ask to be here in the first place. And they sure as heck didn't ask to be plopped in a pet store waiting for someone to buy them.

Yes, it breaks my heart to see these little guys just sitting in a cage for days on end with nothing to do except wait!! They are so cute, and appear to be so friendly and huggable, but from what I've seen (and heard), they go to a home and that's when the trouble starts. They shake, won't eat, have no control of their bowels, get sick, the unexpecting new owner doesn't know what to do. The puppy is scared, the owner is scared. So now you have a double problem. I'd wait until I found a pup from a breeder. Pet stores are great...if you want to buy a fish!!

JMOP
Suz

Puppies or dogs that come from pet shops are really hard to house train because they are use to going when they want to and wherever they want to, but that does not mean it is impossible. One thing to keep in mind is that due to fact that alot of pet shops keep the puppies in the cages where they learn these bad habits can have alot of health problems because of it. The trick to house training pet shop puppies is to be consistent and patient, these puppies will take longer to housetrain than a yorkie from a good breeder. Take your yorkie out every couple of hours to start off with. If he/she does happen to go outside praise them like they just did the best thing in the world and give them a special treat for going. Always take your yorkie out to the bathroom every time right after, she eats, plays, and wakes up from a nap. Remember if you let her out of her crate make sure you are paying attention to her 100 percent, it only takes a minute for them to wander off and go on the rug. If you catch her in the act, do not scold her or punish her, this will only cause her to go when you are not looking. Instead pick her up and rush her outside or if you start off with pad training, then rush her to her nearest pad. Make sure you clean the area up with a good cleaner so she won't be attracted to it again, natures miracle is a good product. It really is much easier and better to purchase a puppy from a breeder, but I know it can be hard to find a breeder with available pups, and then you go to a pet store and see those adorable faces, but if you do purchase a puppy from a pet shop, you will have your work cut out so be prepared! If you felt like waiting a little while, there are alot of breeders that will have puppies available soon, because alot of breeders will have puppies available as spring continues, it is one of the peak times for new puppies to be born and sold. Good Luck on your puppy hunting!! :dogsm6:

I agree with you completely! I always see a puppy in a pet store, and they are so cute, I feel bad that they have to live in those cages until someone buys them. Yet, I have my rules, one of which is to never buy a puppy from a pet store, there are to many problems and risks, buying from a good breeder is the best way to go! If more people would buy from good breeders rather than a pet store, less puppies would have to go through this terrible experience of being a pet store puppy. :Puppy2:

I think it really depends on how you want to spend your time. You can spend more time looking for a breeder and to get a younger puppy that hasn’t developed bad habits or you can spend more time re-training the pet store puppy. One of the books I read had a really interesting method for training “untrainable” dogs. The book was called Smarter Than You Think and the method involved keeping the dog on a leash and with you at all times so you could immediately correct him/her. I suggest checking it out (literally – I got my copy from the library).

I would like to remark on the “fishy-sounding” breeder who “claimed” be training his puppies at 8 weeks - he’s probably telling you the truth. My little yorkie came home a week ago. He’s 10 weeks old and he uses his potty pad and goes potty outside during walks. He has had a few accidents, but the breeder definitely got him started for me. So, don’t dismiss his claim right out.

I would also like to point out that I was able to talk to my breeder’s vet before I bought my yorkie. I learned about the type of care the breeder provides, the type of tests the breeder did, and the general temperament of her puppies and so on. I didn’t pay that much more than what you’re considering paying. I have several long-term health guarantees and if he ever develops a serious congenital disease, ever, I even have the option to sell him back to the breeder. I have that in writing and that beats a 3-day money back guarantee right into the ground.

I know it’s frustrating, but just know that there are good breeders out there who can work with your budget. Don’t get discouraged by those cagey breeders who won’t give you the information you need to make a good decision. Just accept it as an indicator that they’re not the breeder for you and move on. Good luck!

My daughter brought Gucci from a pet store. I wasn't prepared and did no homework on the breed. We lucked out , we got her at 2 mts . old and is trained indoors and outdoors. So it is possible . She has a very sweet personality never yaps or barks. .. I wouldnt give her up for the world and just because they come from petstores does not mean they don't deserve a warm and loving home.. Just my opinion.

Just because a puppy deserves a loving home doesn't mean the puppy's parents deserve to be locked up in tiny, dirty, puppy mill cages because it continues to be profitable to breed them and sell their puppies to pet stores.

Sorry to be rude, but your opinion misses the bigger picture.

Totally agree :thumbup: This is how puppy mills and pet stores profit because people make impulse purchases or think that those puppies have no better chance of being healthy than any other puppy :thumbdown

I've got a number of problems with the breeders I've found and why I've lost interest in waiting for one of them. For starters, I have no idea how long their lists are, if they bump personal friends and family up before the rest of us, ect, ect. There's no telling how many females they will have, if they have females, if they end up even having puppies, period. It could be over a year before we make it to the top of one of those lists.

If I know and am willing to deal with the risks that come with pet shop dogs, why should I wait for a dog from a breeder, that in reality, whether you guys like it or not, comes with all the same risks? Most people here that are singing the praises of a certain breeder seem to have dogs under one year old. My mother's old dog had a genentic heart defect that the vets weren't aware of until she was six years old and had to be put to sleep, at which time the breeder that came so highly recommended to her had moved to another state and would not return calls. There are no real guarantees ANYWHERE .

I totaly agree with you that the parents to not deserve to be locked up that way, I am just saying if you read my thread that my daughter did buy her upon impulse and I did not do any research.The question was about training them whether from a pet store or from breeder. I had no problems training her. The rest of the post is that I am happy to have her as my own and she is full breed and I have the papers. I never had any problems with her. Now that I know what goes on if I was to get another yorkie I probably would go to a shelter.

That is the same misconception some people have, and then they go buy a puppy from a pet store, saying they know the risks. Then as the puppy grows, they are unsure if it is even full breed, and there are behavioral problems and down the line health problems. Getting a dog from a breeder who gives you a lifetime health guarantee, and gets the dogs tested for genetic disorders before breeding them and treats them like family instead of cattle. As a dog lover I would NEVER EVER condone buying or supporting a pet shop, broker or puppy mill, because I wouldn't want to feel responsible for making that poor yorkie mom a cash cow for the breeder. It's one thing if you buy a dog from a petstore unknowingly but to knowingly support those people is wrong :thumbdown JMHO

See above: they're not making any profit off of the dogs that I'm interested in buying.

The pet shops are not closing down, they're popping up more and more...me not buying one dog from them changes nothing.

The people on here say that you should not buy a puppy younger than 12 weeks. From my understanding, your dog was 9 weeks when you brought it home so you can't even keep your own story straight.

Further more, I did not ask anyone's opinion on whether or not I should buy from a pet store, I asked about house breaking, hello!

He was 10 Week...He's actually 11 now. He was born on January 26, 2006.I researched multiple books and websites before purchasing him. You've obviously done very little research.

Doesn't matter what you asked. You don't deserve an answer if you can't respect the people you seek advice from.

And...my puppy's parents....aren't suffering in a puppy mill. I've SEEN their home.

One person at a time, and things can change. By the way they ARE making a profit off the dog, even though she's been there forever because now they have another customer that bought into their scam and it leaves room to bring in another poor little puppy to replace the one you bought. :thumbdown

You may not have asked for the opinion's about buying from pet stores but
you keep adding yours so you are going to get reponses, like it or not.

You can buy the dog and if you do I hope you never have a single problem but that doesn't mean there isn't any victims. The breeding dogs are the ones that pay.

"The pet shops are not closing down, they're popping up more and more...me not buying one dog from them changes nothing."
There are two groups - people keeping the mills in business one purchase at a time and those that aren't. It's that simple.