Did You Buy Your Puppy From A Less Than Reputable "breeder"?

[Danois]

Our Poppy is a CKCS cross Cavoodle.

CKCS x CKCS/Poodle cross

[Alfie02]

Hi ,

My family got both our dogs from BYBers as we didnt know any better. I know much better now but absolutely LOVE both my dogs to the end of the earth and wouldnt change them for the world. Our first dog who is turning 11 this year has pretty significant behaviour problems including not being social with unkown dogs and being agressive towards strangers. Now when our boy was a puppy he was socialised as much as humanly possible, and he still has these issues. All became clear when he was about a year old when we saw the lady who bred him and she came over tho pat him and asked us to 'hold his head incase he bites me'. OMG!!!! Anyway other than that he is so healthy and the vets say that he will live for a long time yet .

I really hope that you enjoy your puppy regardless of where she came from, dogs didnt decide how they were born or where they were born, they just know how to be awesome companions and love you no matter what. Best wishes!

[SalTheGal]

My first boy was from a Pet shop- when I was 18 and didn't know any different.

He was sold as a Boxer x Shepherd.... after a year or two was clearly a Bull Mastiff x Shepherd (well thats what all the vets I took him to agreed on).... and didn't have an ounce of boxer in him!

He also suffered to the tune of several thousand $$$$ of treatments/operations with skin allergies, ear infections.

But his temperament was fantastic- and I wouldn't swap him for the world, I <3 my big boy, and miss him dearly.

This time round we bought Penny from a registered breeder- who has shown her dogs in the past, but doesn't anymore, but I trust implicitly.

[KJS]

I bought an unpapered Amstaff from a BYB, big mistake in Queensland with the BSL laws.

After 9 years I've had no health issues, the only issue I have had has been saving her from death row at the hands of the fools at Toowoomba City Council.

It was a month of hell while I tracked down the breeder and gathered enough evidence to force the council into returning her.

The good thing that came out of it was that I found DOL while looking for help.

Fortunately I found help and have learnt a lot since then from this site.

My second dog is a papered JRT from a pet shop (pre DOL), He's in in for future hip problems according to my vet but is otherwise healthy and happy.

Hopefully it will be a number of years before I buy my next dog (another Amstaff) and a lot more research will be done before then.

[BMAK]

I bought an unpapered Amstaff from a BYB, big mistake in Queensland with the BSL laws.

After 9 years I've had no health issues, the only issue I have had has been saving her from death row at the hands of the fools at Toowoomba City Council.

It was a month of hell while I tracked down the breeder and gathered enough evidence to force the council into returning her.

The good thing that came out of it was that I found DOL while looking for help.

Fortunately I found help and have learnt a lot since then from this site.

My second dog is a papered JRT from a pet shop (pre DOL), He's in in for future hip problems according to my vet but is otherwise healthy and happy.

Hopefully it will be a number of years before I buy my next dog (another Amstaff) and a lot more research will be done before then.

QLD have major issues with dogs that look like pit bulls but are infact eng or am staffy's it is insane :S

well im guessing my two dogs are from BYB but my first dog came from a fantastic pedigree line and papers to prove so shes has proven to be a dog that a lot of people would really want from her breeding lines.

and my other dog i was more feeling sorry for him although he had his mother dad and brother from first litter there that were all happy and looking healthy and all the pups had been sold except two, i should have gone to a known breeder, because it eliminates health and joint problems as well as knowing the dogs healthy and friendly but he has turned out to be a great dog except his few issues of DA to big dogs. but when you are buying from a rep breeder you deffinately know what out comes to expect from the pup and like how it is going to behave like aswell as his long term health.

you can get many lovely dogs from rescue groups but you will never know the long term effects for its health because of its back ground.

[Skye GSD]

I have owned 5 GSD's.

(1) - Dax - from a reputable breeder - HD in both back legs which were operated on in varying stages, skin complaints all his life, ruptured bowel at aged 8 which eventually gave him permission to cross the rainbow bridge

(2) - Cass - from a reputable breeder - the most beautiful bitch and my 1st CDX - left us at age 10 with spinal meningitis

(3) - Shar - from a reputable breeder - just hitting her stride when poisoned by a delusioned neighbour at age 4

(4) Sascha - my heart dog - from a BYB - the most wonderful natured girl I have so far owned and my 2nd CDX. My daughter bought her litter sister and the two bitches (although not brought up in the same house) were the best of friends during their lifetime and both had the same fantastic temperaments with never a cross word between them. We lost Simba at 9 with spinal meningitis and we lost Sascha last year at 11 with cancer. Their breeder owned both dog and bitch, puppies were kept in a great environment and were not released to their homes before nine weeks of age.

(5) Skye - from a reputable breeder - she is a beautiful high spirited ratbag and at only one year old is yet to reach her potential. I also researched the breeders in Australia as I wanted to renew my obedience enthusiasm and she was flown from Queensland to us in Perth

My youngest daughter bought her GSD from a BYB in Perth six years ago and although sold as a "pedigree without papers" has turned out to be a crossbreed with temperament issues.

Their 2nd dog is a Maltese/Shitzu x bought from a petshop - because he was so ugly that my son-in-law reckoned no one else would buy him and he felt sorry for him - cute little man and Skye's BF

Would I buy from a BYB again - NO

Would I buy from a petshop - NO

Would I buy from a reputable breeder - DEFINITELY

[Christina]

Throughout my childhood & adult life my dogs have been mostly pure breed from various places.

Some unwanted, some literally dumped in my yard, some in very bad states, from marriage break ups, some found, owners couldn't be found, & from breeders. Never from the pet shop.

To be honest the young dog that came home with my sister & the owner couldn't be found was the best. Big mongrel. Not one health issue & died at 19 years old.

Had pups from less than reputable breeders too but didn't realise at the time.

No one, no matter how reputable can guarantee that a dog won't have any health issues, nature & genes don't work that way but a reputable breeder will do as much as they can to produce happy, healthy dogs, do whatever health tests they can & care for their dogs well & give pups the best start in life.

That's a good start & a better prospect.

Many byb pups, rescues etc are great & live long healthy lives but its more of a gamble, good job someone loves them & gives them a home though.

Re the pet shops whenever someone buys a pup its just giving them more money to continue the cycle & they don't care where they source the pups from or who they sell too. Puppy farms will thrive while pet shops sell pups.

[Leithy]

Back when I was younger, my parents always got dogs from BYB's as far as my memory recalls- we've had a foxy terrier who passed with a slipped disc as a result of someone kicking her at age 4;

A staffy cross with major behavioural issues;

A beautiful white staffy that fell in love with the neighbours down the road, she stayed with them for a week when we were on holiday and loved it. She is now twelve years old, happy and healthy, and helped her owner through some tough times;

A jack russel who is five years old, beautiful dog with no health problems and socialises great;

And currently my two dachshunds. Meg I suspect was from a BYB but had all her shots, socialises well and is friendly; Gypsy was flown from Melbourne from a -cringe- pet store, in very good health and brilliant personality. I got my two before I joined DOL and have since learnt, but am so happy with my two girls.

My dogs in the future are going to be rescue dogs.

[Danielle]

Abbi came from a pet store before I knew any better. I must admit she has been the most incredible dog I've ever owned. Loyal to a fault and protective and loving. She does have behavioural issues in the way of slight aggression but I do not regret buying her. She has gotten me thru some very hard times and has been my best friend for 10 years. I don't know where she came from but she is mine and I love her to death.

I bought a toy poodle from a registered breeder a few years back. When I viewed the pups the parents were locked in the breeders garage, I shouldve known something was up. My pup had an undershot jaw which I was assured would 'correct itself' over time. She is now 5 yrs old and still looks like a bulldog. She is also painfully thin and always has been. Vet has helped me with her for years and we've never been able to get her to put on weight, she is a little anorexic dog. Do I regret buying her? No. She has a wonderful temperament and is extremely gentle and affectionate, especially with my little girl. I just feel sad for her, poor little mite. But she is in a good home and is well cared for and very loved.

[Dory the Doted One]

First dog I ever bought for myself came from a registered, but not ethical breeder. Although they did do the basic breed tests, their dogs were kept in pretty awful conditions. I got him because no one else would sell me a dog of his breed because I had never owned one before, despite having owned and titled a GSD from a very young age. And depsite the fact that I told them I wanted an obedience dog/show dog. I was after more of an obedience dog than show dog. He sucked at both due to a less than sterling temperament, but he got my foot in the door.

I was always very disappointed that depsite saying I could provide references, and that I had been a long standing instructor at our obedience club that they STILL wouldn't sell me a dog because I had never owned one before. I stayed with that breed for over 10 years, and got a few dogs from various breeders with various levels of ethics...they cared for their dogs better though.

Now I have Dory who is a Rescue Dog, and I'm very very happy. I still have dreams of another pedigree dog at some point, haven't decided what or from where yet.

[Pollywaffle]

I blush to admit that both of ours are pet shop bought..I've certainly lived and learnt since joining DOLers..and will not make the same 'mistake' again..that said, I wouldn't replace my two for anything or anyone! Whatever their pedigree..their love is totally pure-bred...

[Melbomb]

Occassionally I spare a thought for his two brothers - I hope they are in loving committed homes who won't be put off if the dogs have suffered similar problems as Finn.

Same here Kiwioz.

Re the pet shops whenever someone buys a pup its just giving them more money to continue the cycle & they don't care where they source the pups from or who they sell too. Puppy farms will thrive while pet shops sell pups.

Absolutely agree Christine and i often feel guilty about adding to the puppy farm problem because i purchased Bomber from a pet shop even though i did it not knowing the consequences. On the other hand i won't ever regret getting Bomber. If i hadn't i would have breezed through life knowing nothing of the plight of pet shop and puppy farm dogs. Not knowing about rescue. Basically Bomber has taught me everything.

[irl]

For me some of the warning signs about dodgy breeders would be:

Cant spell the name of the breed they are breeding.

They advertise RARE color or breed.

They dont know the proper color names.

They arent registered breeders because someone tried to sue them.

The list goes on. but pretty muchly if they are trying to push a puppy on you and dont care if you know about the breed you are purchasing, I would say run a mile.

[huski]

My mum bought Cherry from a pet store, we didn't know better and had no idea it was wrong or where else we should buy a puppy from. She had a lot of health problem so after some research we made sure our next dog came from a good breeder.

Micha's breeders are registered breeders, they are small scale breeders and whilst they probably aren't the most reputable around they have always been there to support us and help us and have given us a dog with an absolutely fantastic temperament... almost eight years on he's also very healthy.

Daisy's breeder is also a registered breeder and has been around a long time. She was also really helpful up until we bought Daisy home and then she became pretty disinterested and stopped replying to my emails with updates/questions/etc. That's my only complaint, though - Daisy is everything I wanted in a beagle and on temperament and health alone I would be happy to have another dog from her breeder (I doubt I will though). I think if Daisy was a show dog she would have more interest in her.

Edited August 11, 2010 by huski

[whiskedaway]

Akira is from a BYB. We had already decided on a Husky, we had already been offered a male from a registered breeder in SA, but we really wanted a female, preferably black and white. Friends of ours knew someone who had a male and a female Husky that had just had puppies. So we rang him, and he told us about how the litter was an accident (someone let the male in with the female while the female was in season while he was overseas) and he had one black and white female left who he wanted to keep, but his wife wouldn't let him. So we went and met Akira and we met her parents, who were both beautiful, well-cared for pedigree Huskies, and we fell in love. He tried to do the best by the puppies - they were socialised with kids, but not so much with adults, but they had never been inside before. We had a few issues with her being scared of things that she'd never seen before and should have, and she still has a bit of an issue with bigger men, but she's perfect. And the vet said that she's perfectly healthy (a blood test when she was spayed on Monday confirmed that).

Would I buy from a BYB again? No. I know better now, and Akira's issue with men should have been solved if she was socialised properly before we got her. But I definitely do not regret her. TBH, with the amount of times we've been told that "she could have been show quality if she'd been born on the right side of the blanket", we're actually very lucky that she DID come from a BYB, because we wouldn't have gotten her otherwise.

[toy dog]

I blush to admit that both of ours are pet shop bought..I've certainly lived and learnt since joining DOLers..and will not make the same 'mistake' again..that said, I wouldn't replace my two for anything or anyone! Whatever their pedigree..their love is totally pure-bred...

my very first dog came from a BYB and he was a mix. i was only 13 at the time. now i have a rescue mixed breed with breeds we don't know he's a true bitsa (we think kelpie cross pointer cross.... ) lol and i wouldn't change that for all the pedigrees in the world.

they always says that pedigree breeders are the best snobs, and they don't like crosses, but im here to say that we LOVE ALL DOGS no matter their origin or breed and that includes cross breeds too.

[toy dog]

Daisy's breeder is also a registered breeder and has been around a long time. She was also really helpful up until we bought Daisy home and then she became pretty disinterested and stopped replying to my emails with updates/questions/etc. That's my only complaint, though - Daisy is everything I wanted in a beagle and on temperament and health alone I would be happy to have another dog from her breeder (I doubt I will though). I think if Daisy was a show dog she would have more interest in her.

thats just not right, poor doggy. im always interested in talking to my new dog owners, 13 years on.....we had one lady come back to us. she is the one that doesn't want to be in contact with us which upsets me but what can you do, but i know the dog is well looked after and she paid enough for it, you can't push the owners to contact you if they don't want to but it sure is nice when they give you updates regularly and continue to do so.

we are a bit the other way.

[huski]

Daisy's breeder is also a registered breeder and has been around a long time. She was also really helpful up until we bought Daisy home and then she became pretty disinterested and stopped replying to my emails with updates/questions/etc. That's my only complaint, though - Daisy is everything I wanted in a beagle and on temperament and health alone I would be happy to have another dog from her breeder (I doubt I will though). I think if Daisy was a show dog she would have more interest in her.

thats just not right, poor doggy. im always interested in talking to my new dog owners, 13 years on.....we had one lady come back to us. she is the one that doesn't want to be in contact with us which upsets me but what can you do, but i know the dog is well looked after and she paid enough for it, you can't push the owners to contact you if they don't want to but it sure is nice when they give you updates regularly and continue to do so.

we are a bit the other way.

That's lovely though! I wish Daisy's breeder had a bit more interest in her, I will let her know when she gets her first obedience title which you think most breeders would be want to hear about. Small achievement but still relatively uncommon in the breed and exciting for me and Daisy

[Guest belgian.blue]

Our first two dogs are farm puppies, so no reg breeder there but that is going back about 15 years.

Our Dalmatian [RIP] was a pure but backyard bred.

My two current dogs are from reg breeders and I'd have to say they are of high standards this time around

I personally think it is a hit and miss when buying from a less than reputable breeder, they won't al be sick and cost a fortune at the vet but you take chances .. you take chances with any dog really.

[lanabanana]

When my fiance and I started seriously looking for our puppy we were warned off BYB's and pet shops. We were told all about why it was NOT such a good idea to buy a puppy this way. We took due note and started looking for a "breeder". We just didn't realise that there were breeder and then there were breeders.

To this day I don't REALLY know where our puppy came from BUT I suspect a puppy farm.

A LOVELY lady in Brisbane sold her to us. The puppies were hand raised by her at her home from 4 weeks of age! And sold at 8 weeks.

She sells the "Designer Breeds" and that was another thing we didn't realise. Delibrate cross breeding = NOT a good breeder.

I don't know if this women is oblivious or knows what she is doing but she kept on of the litter that Poppy was in and still sends me photos and updates of Poppy's sister. She also LOVES when I send photos of Poppy and tells me how grateful and happy she is that we gave Poppy such a loving home and that we keep in contact with her.

Of course I know better now and I would never buy a second puppy off her. AFTER we got Poppy I had members of another forum tell me that she would most probably have health issues and that she probably was full of worms, fleas and had anal gland problems. ;) The response I got on this forum from those members about our new puppy ruined the puppy experience for me. I was petrified we would go to bed and wake up in the morning and Poppy would be dead! I was so scared that something would happen to her. Looking back I was a bunch of nerves.

We are lucky that she IS healthy and happy and has no problems as yet.

So, who else brought their puppy from a not so reliable or reputable place and then learn't all about it after? I can't be the ONLY one???

I haven't read the rest of the thread, but definitely not the only one.

Our wee girl Pippi (foxy/shih tzu x) came from a BYB.

I didn't even like small dogs but saw the litter advertised in the paper and we went to have a look. An hour later we were home with our tiny tiny bundle of gorgeousness who has turned us into big small dog fans - we cannot wait to get our next small dog (I want a purebred shih tzu next although OH may have to get his Bulldog first as he has been waiting a long time LOL)

The breeder was breeding her own two dogs (who has gone out when we got there - we were early admitedly), the pups hadn't been deflead or wormed though had had a vet visit. I asked about health checks on th eparents and the lady didn't have a clue what I meant only responding that the dogs were healthy (she was not an English speaker so that also didn't help).

Anyway, our wee girl is now 14 months and thus far as fit as a fiddle. All our dogs have been x-bred and apart from one who developed allergies when she was older, they have all been very fit. Our other dog is of totally unknown parentage and he is and has always been in excellent health (although recently had some issues with his back - suspected strain not major). We don't go into having a new dog with the expectation that they will become ill or be of perfect health. We just take em home and love them and then whatever happens happens.

At the end of the day, any dog can be a genetic timebomb regardless of how they were bred, and any dog can be in perfect health all it's life. A good breeder just tries to minimise this.

I know this is a purebred forum but I don't necessarily agree that ALL purpose cross breeders are bad breeders, it just so happens that it is trendy to have a cute fluffy wee mutt so they attract puppy farmers, but some pures do too.

Anyway, I have started waffling now so better stop.