Purchasing A Japanese Spitz

[nicolatu]

Hi,

I am interested in the breed Japanese Spitz and keen to get one of them. But the problem is that I live in Melbourne, Victoria and there is apparently no Japanese Spitz breeder that could be found here. I contacted one of the breeder in NSW and there is currently 1 male puppy(we want a male) available but we are not sure whether to buy from them. We haven't see their parents and could not visit. Is it advisable to buy online through dogzonline.com.au?

Thanks in advanace.

[Rozzie]

http://www.dogzonline.com.au/breeds/breede...C&Submit=Go

Victorian breeders

[ellz]

Hi,

I am interested in the breed Japanese Spitz and keen to get one of them. But the problem is that I live in Melbourne, Victoria and there is apparently no Japanese Spitz breeder that could be found here. I contacted one of the breeder in NSW and there is currently 1 male puppy(we want a male) available but we are not sure whether to buy from them. We haven't see their parents and could not visit. Is it advisable to buy online through dogzonline.com.au?

Thanks in advanace.

Many feel it essential to view the parents, however IMO it isn't always necessary. You need to ask lots of questions and be comfortable with whomever you are dealing and sometimes even seeing the parents doesn't make you like the breeder any more (or less).

As an example, I am located in Tasmania but have recently bred a litter of Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppies. One is now located in Cairns, one in Melbourne, one is on Flinders Island and another is going to a new home in Townsville when her new owners get back from a long-planned trip to Japan. None of them saw anything except many photographs of the puppies and their mother (and my home and other dogs) and we had many phone conversations and emails as well. Without exception all are very happy with their puppies as far as both quality and upbringing.

If the breeder in NSW has what you want and checks all of the boxes and you trust them, then I say go for it.

[Blakbelgian]

Did you try contacting DogsVictoria???

I know one lady with Jap Spitz, not sure what her breeding plans are though.

'

BB

[nicolatu]

Thanks for the reply. My girlfriend and I will seriously consider the different options.

[Trisven13]

Morsha68 on here has Japanese Spitz. She has no puppies atm but may be able to give you some valuable information.

[percyk]

personally id never buy a puppy sight unseen

i have bought two ragdoll kittens online and they arrived safely and were fine

the 2nd one was not the kitten we thought we were getting..no way were his markings as good as the ones advertised but as a pet he turned out fine...beautiful really

with a dog...nope...too much to consider in temperament

i have to go see the breeder to check the kennels anyway...and to see at least the mum

but if you have no chance id honestly get a cheap flight up and put the legwork into getting to see the breeder before committing

photos can be deceptive and with jap spitzes looking the same colour wise you wont know what pup youre getting anyway///you have to go play and check the pup out yourself...

if it is for the showring then maybe you could depend on the breeder...you know, to guarantee the quality but with a pet...the temperament of a companion dog is so important

good luck

dont plunge into anything

theyre good little dogs so you should be able to get one

if you pal-ed up with someone ...maybe they could go check out the litter for you? ive done that before for a friend

[ellz]

with a dog...nope...too much to consider in temperament

i have to go see the breeder to check the kennels anyway...and to see at least the mum

but if you have no chance id honestly get a cheap flight up and put the legwork into getting to see the breeder before committing

photos can be deceptive and with jap spitzes looking the same colour wise you wont know what pup youre getting anyway///you have to go play and check the pup out yourself...

One would think if the puppy were coming from a responsible breeder that the puppies would have been given a suitable form of identification from birth so the puppies CAN be told apart. Try telling me that 9 Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppies with very little white (if any) don't look the same? Yet every one of my puppy people was able to identify each puppy from the very first photo taken on the day they were born, by the colour of collar they were wearing.

Also, if you are purchasing from a breeder who is keeping something for themselves, you will probably not know which puppy you may be getting until very late in the piece anyway. A reputable, responsible breeder will want to choose for themselves first and there will then POSSIBLY be an opportunity for a purchaser to select a puppy from what is left. But this isn't always the case.

A good breeder will know their puppies temperaments and be able to match individuals to a situation. A purchaser who is confronted by a litter of cute puppies may not be able to do this objectively. I didn't make any selections for anybody until my puppies were 8 weeks old and by then I had chosen the two I was keeping and knew the temperaments of the others.

It is not always possible, or practical for somebody to jump on a plane to go and view a litter of puppies. In an ideal world, yes, every person would view at least the dam of every single litter of puppies that are for sale before they buy them. But sometimes, a leap of faith is needed. And believe me, that leap of faith isn't JUST on the part of the purchaser. It isn't exactly an easy thing for a breeder to allow a puppy to go to a new home if they haven't met the prospective family, that is why emails, phonecalls, photos etc are a very valuable thing for BOTH parties.

If ANY prospective puppy purchaser has any doubts about the breeder, the temperaments of the dogs, the quality of the dam or anything else then the only thing I can advise is that they steer clear. OR that they voice those doubts and see what the breeder can say, or do, to put them at ease.

[Gayle.]

I bought a puppy sight unseen. Well, I saw photos from the day she was born right up til when she flew over to us, but we never met the breeder, never saw the parents, and our girl is everything we ever wanted in a pet. She is a beautiful, sweet, lovely girl and I totally adore her.

She came from a registered, ethical breeder who has an excellent reputation within the breed.

To be honest, I can't really see the point in looking at the parents unless you are interested in particular bloodlines for breeding or showing. As a pet buyer, you probably wouldn't know what to look for. The stud dog is not always there anyway, and bitches who've recently whelped may have very different dispositions than they normally would, especially around strangers who are handling their puppies.

[Kavik]

I bought Kaos sight unseen. Breeder has a good reputation and I knew someone with a dog from same breeder. I discussed with the breeder about what I was looking for and what the dog would be for.

[percyk]

nice to hear it ellz

but i have never had a breeder follow up on anything

nor be that interested in my circumstances

they all were from clubs and some very well known

sorry

but id still get plane train or automobile and see the litter

in my experience the dollar has spoken well and truly before any judgement couldve been made about me and my family... i have never got the feeling that the breeders were really interested in placing a particular dog with us...when questioned the answer was along the lines of 'oh theyre all lovely'...most times thered be only one left anyway...take it or leave it

[ellz]

nice to hear it ellz

but i have never had a breeder follow up on anything

nor be that interested in my circumstances

they all were from clubs and some very well known

sorry

but id still get plane train or automobile and see the litter

in my experience the dollar has spoken well and truly before any judgement couldve been made about me and my family... i have never got the feeling that the breeders were really interested in placing a particular dog with us...when questioned the answer was along the lines of 'oh theyre all lovely'...most times thered be only one left anyway...take it or leave it

I'm afraid you've only seen the bad side then. Or maybe it is a breed thing?

And being a member of a club doesn't necessarily mean that somebody is doing the right thing.....just that they are being a tad more visible perhaps. Likewise with being well known. Sadly, as with many facets of life, being well known isn't always a good thing. Sometimes it can just mean that you think you can "get away" with more because you are well enough known that people won't cross you.

To be honest, before ANYBODY gets one of my puppies they are almost literally forced to jump through hoops and over barrels. Many never get past my first stage, let alone to the point where I am happy to actually discuss them getting a puppy.

And it is for this reason that I rarely have returns and to the best of my knowledge, no dog ever bred by me has been rescued or ended up in the pound. And yes, I do take back what I breed and it is clearly stated so in the written agreement that all purchasers are required to sign.

I don't accept a cent until a very long way into the decision-making process and only after I am positive that there will be a puppy for the individual. And quite often, not even until the few days before the puppy is due to leave home.

And as is the case with my last litter of 9 puppies, many of the purchasers had been "on board" and in constant communication with me via weekly PUPdates since before the litter were even born....in addition to phone calls and emails with cute photographs or other information or any questions/concerns that they might have.

I was fortunate to have made the right judgement calls when it came to placing the puppies as well. The outgoing "talker" went to a family with a young family who are merrily wearing each other out now. The quieter boy went to a young bachelor looking for a (reasonably) well-behaved mate that he could take to work with him and have as his constant companion. The quietest girl went to a young couple who had grown up with Staffords but who had never owned a dog of their own as adults or as a couple before....she's now their "baby" as they aren't planning on starting a family for some time for professional reasons. These are just a few. I could have EASILY sold each and every puppy, probably for a lot more money than I did to any of the literally HUNDREDS of email or telephone enquirers if I didn't give a toss where my puppies end up. You have NO idea how popular Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppies are. Every Tom, Dick and Harry thinks they should own one but not every Tom, Dick and Harry is good enough to own one of MINE!!!

And in the last situation you mention...the last puppy, take it or leave it. Well I have to say that is quite often the norm if you are dealing with a breeder who is breeding for themselves or who has orders for the show ring or breeding. You won't always have a say. And the breeder, if they are any good will be "culling from the bottom and selecting from the top". That is, they have their particular "picks" in mind and the rest are ranked in order so once they get down to a couple of puppies, then no, there probably won't be a choice. And the same applies if they have a litter with only a couple of puppies in it. They'll make their choice and sell what is remaining, be it one, three or five puppies. Had I not had to have my second American Cocker puppy euthanased at 3 weeks of age, there would have only been one for sale from the litter of two so the purchaser wouldn't have had a choice because my choice ALWAYS comes first. I breed to keep, not to sell.

As I said before, it simply isn't practical for everybody to visit a litter. I've sent puppies to Cairns, Townsville, Melbourne and Flinders Island from my Stafford litter recently. I didn't reduce my prices (and nor should I have to) and the freight wasn't inexpensive either but adding a plane ticket onto that would probably have made the cost incredibly prohibitive so they trusted me and their judgement. All of the people were very satisfied with our dealings (or so they have said to me anyway). All of them spent time looking locally for puppies and were disappointed with what they saw (or didn't see) and then took a leap of faith to have a puppy bred by me sent to them. I met three of the other new families personally at handover time. My transaction with the people in Tasmania was exactly as the same as those on the mainland and they have been the same as the ones with people to whom I have sent dogs in New Zealand and the USA. Perhaps not every breeder has MY ethics but I treat people as I would want to be treated myself and having purchased puppies in the past from people who have let me down severely (and I'm still awaiting a refund for one some 12 months down the track), I would NEVER do the dirty on somebody who is a) trusting me to give them good advice, assistance and a good puppy or b) who has paid me a not inconsiderable sum of money for the best bred, socialised and reared family member that I can give them.

I like to be able to sleep at night.

PS. If you'd like to PM me, I will point you to the direction of my website (if you haven't already found it) and literally take you through my "puppy placement" procedure so that you can see how somebody who takes it seriously does it.

Oh and PS......when it comes to identifying a litter that all look the same.....this is how I accomplished it. All puppies were identified at birth with a particular coloured collar and that collar was only taken off them until the age of 9 weeks when it was being replaced by a larger, or less "ratty" collar of the same colour.

[Crazy Daisy]

Is it advisable to buy online through dogzonline.com.au?

I bought my Shih Tzu through a breeder on Dogzonline sight unseen. I liked the look of the mum and dad and more research into their lines and showing history showed they were nice dogs and did well in the ring. I spoke to the breeder on the phone quite a few times and got photo's emailed to me and I chose from three remaining puppies. The breeder told me all about their temprement and even though there was one I liked the look of better than Daisy the breeder suggested she might be too timid for us because we had young kids. I was really happy she was honest with me.

The breeder flew down with Daisy (she had stuff to do in Brisbane anyway). I was so happy when she arrived as she was exactly what I wanted and has been the best dog I could have asked for.

If you are interested in a certain breeder's dogs. Give them a call and you will get a feel for them. Trust you instinct too.

[poodlefan]

I bought a puppy sight unseen.

Me too. The breeder came highly recommended and I have never regretted doing it.

[WreckitWhippet]

I never saw Sessy, Spanky, Phil, Clarkie, Pat, Brook, Norman, Mary, Cullen and numerous others in the flesh before they arrived. Eventually I have met a few of the parents over the years but did not see any of them in the flesh before the pups arrived here.

I've not had any problems with temperaments ( across a range of breeds ) nor have they been anything other than what the photo's suggested.

[nicolatu]

Thanks everyone for their advice.I have learnt a lot from this website.I was wondering if Yongyuan(a jap spitz breeder) good?any1 had contact with him/her before?I found them from the puppy listing.

[Guest Tess32]

I would if I was active in the dog world and already knew what to look for, but there are plenty of less than great breeders on the DOL listing and there are also plenty of people who can convince you they are great breeders.

My friend from ex work was about 2 steps away from getting a puppy from a DOL listed breeder who is not considered a good breeder at all. People new to dogs aren't always privy to what we find 'obvious' and from all accounts to them she sounded ethical. It's not that hard to say what people want to hear these days.

It's not that important to SEE the parents, it's more important they would let you, if requested.