Why It Can Seem So Hard To Buy A Puppy From A Responsible Breeder
For most people, I'm sure that the adoption process from a Responsible Breeder seems difficult and near impossible. For instance, an application to adopt a Slip'Not puppy is six pages long. Most breeders require a deposit to hold a puppy as soon as they are born and then an adopter doesn't even know which puppy will be theirs. At this point an adopter may loose their patience and move on to a pet shop, puppy mill or back yard breeder to buy their puppy because it is EASY and requires little or no work on the adopters part. It has always been my belief that if the adopter has only the best intentions in mind for their puppy and are serious about their new family member, then they should not have any trouble following the adoption process and understand why breeders are not willing to allow just anyone to take one of their prized puppies home. Puppies are an extension of a responsible breeder and no resonsible breeder wants a puppy in a temporary home or a home that can not provide optimal care.
The purchase of a puppy should be one of the most important purchases an adopter's family will ever make. Pets are NOT disposible because they bark, dig, have accidents, etc. An adopter wouldn't give their child away or put them to sleep because that child is difficult to potty train or because they scream or yell. No, as parents we correct our children or seek professional help and the same should be true with pets. Unfortunately it isn't and yet I hear more times than I can count, "My dog is my child or baby". When I hear this sentence I always cringe as dogs are not children and should never be treated as such. Dogs are dogs and have a dogs way of thinking that is very, very different than human thinking. Dogs are not moral, or immoral; they are amoral and this is where most adopters get confused. Adopters want their cainine friends to have human thoughts and emotions. Dogs have become quite brilliant at facial expression coinsiding with the facial expression or body language of their adopter and therefore give the adopter the fuel for arguement on this topic. Over the many, many years, dogs have trained us for their own survival. Unfortunately adopters have also learned how to take away that survival by undersocializing, treating them like humans, allowing their human children to treat them like toys and failing to properly train. If a problem develops, it is far easier to take that pet to the pound, put it to sleep or give it away to someone else. Then in turn those same people that couldn't control or want to control their first pet go out and purchase another one because it is EASY. I guess maybe the first dog was just a learning experience of what not to do with the second. It will take me my entire lifetime to understand this logic...I may need a few more lifetimes to grasp the concept.
Responsible Breeders are not easy to adopt from and there are countless reasons why. But if an adopter is serious, has done the research on the breed they want, understands the responsibility of the breeder, and owning the breed, then an adopter will not mind the process and actually welcome it. Remember, the process is as much for the breeder and adopter as it is for the puppy. Humans have a choice, dogs do not.
Below is a list of reasons why pets loose their homes:
Moving
Doesn't get along with other pets
House soiling
Pet illness/medical bills
Landlord problems
Allergies
Personal problems
Inadequate care
No time to spend with the pet
Cost of the pet's upkeep
Already have too many
GIFT that lost it's excitement
This list could go on and on...
Why it costs so much to adopt a puppy from a Responsible Breeder
"What You Are Paying For"
Unfortantely when buying a puppy, the old adage does not hold true. You do not always get what you pay for. With a Responsible Breeder you are paying for:
Hours of pedigree research
(this doesn't seem important to most, but this will determine what a breeders goal is. from a single pedigree, a knowledgable breeder can know possible health issues he/she is creating, possible colors, possible faults, and the overall look of the puppies they are attempting to create)
Health testing for the dam and/or sire
(this includes OFA for hips and elbows, thyroid tests, heart tests, eye tests for most breeds. it is a good idea to know what health problems your breed is known for)
Stud service
(this amount varies within breeds and titles on the stud. the bitch must be taken to the stud so there is traveling expense and sometimes a dam must be artifically inseminated which will include big reproductive vet bills and most breeders have progestern testing done so they know when the bitch is ready to breed.)
Breed knowledge
(this entails knowing how to live with, discipline, reward, train, etc the breed in which the breeder has chosen. this is a big help to a first time breed owner or an adopter having problem with a new pup or older dog)
Understanding of the breed standard
(every breed of dog that is recognized by the American Kennel Club has a standard in which responsible breeders breed to. this standard tells length of coat, faults, ear size, height, length of tail, length of muzzle, etc. it is every responsible breeder's goal to create the perfect specimen of their breed)
Overseeing and assisting in the actual breeding
(this doesn't sound all that difficult, but sometimes a bitch doesn't want to be bred even when her testing says that she is ready. this means that the breeder must take precautions so that the sire doesn't not get injured or that he doesn't injure the bitch.)
Knowledge and quality care of the dam and puppies
(knowing how to feed the bitch and keeping her exercised properly, giving her just the right amount of supplements etc. knowing when to worm the puppies and when to give the first shots. bottle feeding or rotating puppies if necessary)
Hand delivery of each and every puppy
(this requires knowing what problems could occur during whelping, how long is too long to wait between puppies, knowing when to get professional help from the vet. everytime a bitch is bred, a breeder takes the chance of her dying)
Helpful advice and education every step of the puppies life
(this involves phone calls, emails and visits to the breeder if the puppy is having problems or if the adopter is having problems, or just to update the breeder on how the puppy/dog is maturing)
Temperament testing
(temperament testing is done before a puppy is picked for it's new home. it tells the breeder what type of family would be best for each individual puppy which helps for that life long commitment to go even easier)
Super dog program techniques
(this technique begins at three days old. it involves stressing the puppy gently for very short periods of time which stimulates the nervous system and in time makes for a puppy that can handle stress easily throughout it's life)
Well adjusted puppies that can go from the house to family visits to the show ring to the obedience ring, etc.
(the above does not mean that every dog will perform well or succeed in the show ring or obedience ring. but every puppy/dog should be able to go to a dog show, an aunt's house, or the pet supply store without fear, or too much stress)
Available rescue throughout the puppies lifetime
(if life doesn't turn out just the way it should, sometimes a puppy/dog will become too much for the adopter or personal problems sometimes can get in the way of keeping a puppy/dog. a responsible breeder will gladly try to help any way they can. they will either offer to take the puppy/dog back or seek professional help for the adopter in their area. No responsible breeder wants their puppies/dogs in shelters.
This is just a general guideline of things a responsible breeder go through to bring a litter of healthy, happy puppies into the world. An Adopter never sees and rarely knows/understands the pride, the fear, the anxiety, the hope and the commitment that goes into each and every puppy.
Consider a Responsible Breeder's obligations to the breed inwhich they breed
and decide for yourself if a puppy from a local petshop with a 30 day guarantee or
a puppy from a back yard breeder without a guarantee is worth the money.
How will YOU feel when you have to turn that animal into the pound knowing
that you are responsible for putting it to death.
Good homes are NOT a dime a dozen and good puppies aren't either.
We have the choice to make ~ animals do not
Choose wisely
Laurie Smith
Slip'Not Aktitas
2005
