The Scandal Of Marketing Purebred Dogs

[Podengo]

The Scandal of marketing purebred dogs

Did I get your attention? I hope so.

Because it’s true. It really is a scandal. We, meaning the community of reputable breeders, have a HUGE problem with our marketing plan.

As in, we don’t have one.

Here’s how it usually goes-does this sound familiar? Have you maybe said this yourself?

Good breeders never have to advertise-their puppies are sold before they’re born.

Good breeders are never found in the paper or online.

If you have to advertise, you’re doing something wrong.

I am sure people are bristling right now at the mere thought that I would imply that they needed a marketing plan. What are we, puppy mills?

I have one question for you: Did you sell your last litter or give it away?

Did you require a contract and a bill of sale?

Did you interview buyers and pick the best ones?

If so, you are a producer. You made, and sold, a product.

But-but-they’re not products! They’re our loves, our blood and sweat and tears!

YES. And that is EXACTLY why we need to market, and we need to get on the stick and do it NOW.

Because you know who is really, really good at marketing? The community of bad breeders, careless breeders, puppy mills, and the euphemistically titled “commercial breeders.” And you know who else is really, really good at marketing? PeTA, and the HSUS. They’re geniuses at it, in fact.

As is revealed in this fascinating and essential video given to beef producers, PeTA and the HSUS work hand-in-glove in an extraordinarily effective way. PeTA is the one that makes the outrageous statements. They’re the ones asking that fish be redefined as “sea kittens”; they’re the ones putting naked models on billboards. They are purposely outrageous, outré, over the top. Because coming right behind them is the HSUS. The HSUS seems so kind, so moderate, and isn’t it a humane society? Those are the people that run shelters, right? So if there’s one of the whole United States, that’s pretty good. When governments and town councils and businesses are thoroughly freaked out by a couple hundred PeTA protestors, in comes the HSUS to say “Just give us a little bit. It’s for the good of the animals. You can save so many by mandating spay/neuter at four months-your shelter populations will plummet. You can do a great thing by making sure that there are no animal hoarders in your city-nobody needs more than three dogs at once.”

And communities and companies and individuals say wow, these people are so reasonable, so well-intentioned, so organized and supported by studies. We love animals. We need to protect them. This seems like a really good law, or a really good regulation, or a really good city bylaw.

And where are we, the careful and responsible breeders? We’re driving our vans into school gymnasium parking lots where the city council meeting is scheduled, having been alerted by our newsgroups or the AKC that an important vote is taking place.

And we all come in, all of us middle-aged women with sensible hair and skirts that still have dog hair all over them, and we line up to speak.

And the city council says, “I’m sorry, who are you?”

“Bob here from the HSUS-he’s the one sitting over there in a suit, talking with the mayor-has been working with us for weeks, helping us craft this policy. I’m sure you breeders are concerned about losing your livelihood, but we love animals. We have to protect them.”

And THEN, only then, do we try to explain about a hundred very complex concepts involving who the HSUS is, what its agenda is, why dogs are not our livelihood, why we’re not the enemy.

So far, we’ve gotten away with this in a lot of towns and cities. But our days are numbered. You can bet they are. And if breeders show up at a city council meeting and there isn’t a very eloquent and organized argument, if there’s not someone who can systematically make and refute points, we look like idiots. Idiots who make money by breeding dogs.

So that’s one problem. We have no visibility and no identity in our communities.

The other one is all about selling puppies.

And this is where I know I’m ruffling feathers. So before you yell at me via the comments, hear me out. THEN yell at me.

We – meaning the small community of reputable breeders, because we are very small compared to the community of careless breeders or commercial breeders — have done an incredibly poor job at articulating why it is a legitimate choice to purchase a well-bred purebred, but it is NOT a legitimate choice to purchase a poorly bred purebred. We have done an even worse job articulating why it is that we’re not the enemies of homeless dogs everywhere. And we’re invisible.

When Joe and Sally Smith decide it’s time to get a dog, and they love their neighbor’s Lab so they decide to get one, they are making a purchasing decision. The intent has been resolved. Joe and Sally are savvy consumers, so they are looking to make a good decision about where to get their dog. They have heard about puppy mills and have a vague idea of wanting a high-quality puppy. Their neighbor said that he paid $500 for his dog, which sounds really high to Joe and Sally, but they want a healthy and nice dog. They turn first to the Internet. EVERYONE TURNS FIRST TO THE INTERNET. This is an absolutely VITAL thing to realize.

Joe and Sally google “Labrador retriever puppies.” Well, you know what that results page looks like. When they click on the nextdaypets or puppyfind or pets4you links, they find hundreds of results, with dogs ranging from $300 to $2000. Some are “champion sired,” some “champion lined,” some “champion quality,” some have a “champion pedigree.” From reading through the pages, Joe and Sally get the idea that the whiter the Lab is, the higher quality it is. And the blockier the head is, the better. And it seems like people mention health a lot, and hips. But FIFTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS for a dog? That’s ridiculous!

Let’s look at it from a marketing perspective.

The couple has already decided to get a dog. They do not need convincing to purchase.

They are confronted with many PRODUCERS and many PRODUCTS. There is zero clear differentiation between products. There is a huge price range. There is no authority, no CNET reviews or Consumer Reports. No external expert means that the decision is typically made based on LOCATION, CONVENIENCE, and PRICE, as long as a basic level of product quality is promised.

During this search and deliberation process, Sally and Joe were never made aware of the differences between products. There was no clear statement of how you distinguish between good and bad producers. There was no explanation of why prices vary so much, or what you get for your purchase price. And they had NO idea that there was a Labrador Retriever breed club that met every third Tuesday three blocks away.

I just googled “Labrador Retriever Puppies Massachusetts.” Do you know where the link for the Labrador Retriever Club of Greater Boston, which is a great club that has a ton of good information, was? NOWHERE. I went out to page 23 of the search and it never showed up.

Try it for your own state, for your own breed. I did it for about ten breeds in Massachusetts, and the only one that brought up the breed club within the top one or two listings was “corgi puppies Massachusetts,” because whoever runs the Mayflower site is really, really good (seriously, it’s a great site and should be a model for breed club sites everywhere).

Sally and Joe spend an hour on the Internet and receive at least two dozen “touches,” which is adspeak for contacts (ads or review statements) about a particular product. NONE of them have been by reputable breeders. No, we’re in our houses sitting on hair-covered couches talking about how no good breeder should ever advertise.

The classic line of thought behind our abhorrence of advertising is that if you advertise, you must be selling to whoever responds. Only breeders who don’t care about who they sell their puppies to advertise.

Think about this. We want to be more choosy about who we sell to, so we don’t tell anybody we have stuff for sale.

How do you think Harvard got to the point that it can reject over NINETY PERCENT of applicants? By refusing to advertise? No, Harvard spends millions of dollars a year to make just two very clear statements: We are the most selective university in the world, and a degree from Harvard is a jackpot. They don’t see selectivity as a liability-they brag about it. And so the very best and the very brightest fight like the dickens to present themselves as good enough to get admitted.

Or how about Sub-Zero, or Ferrari, or any one of a hundred top companies. They don’t hide and think they’re diluting their brand by advertising. They advertise precisely so that they can attract a huge pool of potential buyers, the vast majority of whom can’t afford the product. But those people don’t say “That car is too expensive; the manufacturer must be cheating.” No, now they desperately want the car, or the fridge, or the ring, or the coffee.

We MUST do the same thing. We MUST make very clear, unequivocal statements. We MUST clearly articulate who we are as producers. We must be absolutely positive about what makes our product preferable to others. We must become top-of-mind when Joe and Sally decide they want a puppy, and we must be so attractive that they will change their lives (install fence, hire a dog walker, sign up for training, etc.) so they will be approved for a puppy.

If you think the AKC is going to help us, think again. Whoever the geniuses are over at AKC who are panicking about the fact that registrations are down has decided that the way to fix it is to do exactly what they SHOULDN’T do. They’re leaping to dilute the brand by courting commercial breeders and pet shops. Don’t believe me? http://viewer.zmags.com/showmag.php?mid=wqstdd&spid=-3#/page6/

This is a direct quote from the October AKC Gazette: “Management has been directed by the Board to aggressively pursue all dogs eligible for AKC registration. We intend to reach out, communicate and educate those in the retail sector as to why an AKC puppy is the gold standard and why they should be registered with the American Kennel Club… The AKC used to dominate the marketplace. Even places like Macy’s and Gimbals sold AKC puppies. Owners who purchased their first purebred from a retail outlet… added to AKC registrations.”

This has the very real potential to pit reputable breeders against the AKC. We’ve already been saying that AKC registration means nothing more than the paper it’s printed on, and we should now be preparing to actively fight the perception that AKC means quality. We have to emphasize that AKC as a registering body is a filing cabinet, nothing more. It keeps track of our pedigrees and it keeps track of our show wins, and for that favor we give them a lot of money. We are happy with the AKC’s support of shows and health studies and welfare, but that doesn’t mean that a white piece of paper with a seal on it means squat about the quality of the dog. Again, it all comes down to defining the producer and defining the product.

So here are my rather controversial recommendations on how to change the current situation:

Breed clubs (and I mean local as well as national) need to hire a consultant for search engine optimization. It’s a relatively small expense.

Breed clubs need to have a front page oriented toward potential buyers, with market-acceptable statements (like “Labrador retrievers: the whole package”) and a forward-facing (consumer-facing) series of articles. This does NOT mean that you have to “sell” the breed. Quite the contrary. When the potential buyer clicks on the “whole package” link, he or she will be brought to a market piece that emphasizes how only the most qualified and prepared buyers should be thinking about this breed, what the huge misconceptions are about the Lab and its needs, and how to distinguish between a good and bad breeder.

Breed clubs and individual breeders need to make very clear PRODUCER and PRODUCT statements. We need to differentiate between good and bad breeders. We’ve been reluctant to do this in the past for a variety of reasons, but it’s a huge mistake. We have invited the public to perceive the entire community of dog breeders as a cohesive group, when nothing could be further from the truth.

I would say we need to become more aligned with the community of dog rescue than anything else. Most of us are extremely involved in rescue, far more than any other group of dog professionals. We need to forge alliances (as individual breeders–I think that the clubs are already doing a really good job at this) with local rescue professionals not only for the good of the dogs but so that, when the legislation is introduced, the rescue people see us as friends and not enemies.

We need to become very visible to the community. I ranted a bit about this in my article on breed-specific legislation, but it bears repeating. I rarely if ever see an obviously show-quality dog being walked in town or down the road. We are not the visible dog lovers in our towns and cities. Clubs can get involved too-a meet the breed booth at the local “town day” (around here they’re all “festivals”-Apple Festival, Blueberry Festival, Strawberry Festival, etc.) with massive distribution of pamphlets that are rescue-friendly and that do a good job at telling interested people why you never buy from a careless breeder.

As breed clubs, we need to address the issue of the puppy advertising websites. I don’t think it would be out of the question to have good breeders actually participate on the sites, as long as the care in placing the puppies is not compromised, but there should at least be an effort to provide an ad that’s a “front” for the breed club. Make it the MOST adorable and MOST perfect, renew it once a week, and direct people to that rescue-friendly information about how to find a good breeder and why the breed isn’t for everyone.

We need to recognize the power of the lowest-common-denominator sites-craigslist is the flagship. I would advise AGAINST advertising actual dogs on craigslist, but the breed club should have a constant presence. If the club posted two messages a day: “NEED TO FIND A NEW HOME FOR YOUR LHASA? WE’RE HERE TO HELP” and “LOOKING FOR A LHASA PUPPY? DON’T GET SCAMMED! CLICK HERE” a great deal of good information could be given out.

Here’s what I’ll be doing personally (so hold me to this, Internets!):

I’m writing to our state Extension office about leading a dog 4-H club. Goodness knows I am bossy enough. I was heavily involved in 4-H growing up, it’s a good program, and it teaches kids personal responsibility and self-efficacy. That makes it a really good fit with dogs.

I’m writing to my local shelters and rescues offering three things: 1) that I will foster/get into national rescue any rare breeds and definitely any corgis. I will almost certainly get no nibbles on that, because the Northeast has the opposite of a problem with homeless rare- or small-breed dogs, but it has to be done. 2) I’ll offer health-information or breed-specific help. Good breeders basically have PhDs in “Dog”-I’ve spent the last ten or fifteen years gathering information and doing research. If I can be of use, I’ll try. 3) I’ll offer free baths and grooming to dogs being surrendered. I have a boatload of expensive grooming equipment, and while I am not a great groomer I can at least get a dog clean and de-matted and do a 4f strip with the clippers.

I’m talking to my library about offering a reading-to-dogs program. This is the most long-term goal, because generally dogs should be certified therapy dogs before they get into this program. So the first step is to get the Cardigans’ championships finished so I can get them back into training, second is to enroll them and Ginny in a TDI class, third is to get them actually certified. The great thing about this is that I’ll also be able to take the dogs to hospitals and so on once I am not drowning under little kids here at the house.

I’m going to do a pretty big re-design of my website (not this blog, the Blacksheep website) to conform to some of the above ideas on giving information to potential buyers. I don’t get a lot of traffic there but I have to practice what I preach. I’ll let you all know when I’m done.

And-yes-I’m going to get out there on the roads with the Cardigans. I know why we don’t do this, believe me. Most good breeders have enormous fenced yards and at least somewhat enormous bottoms from sitting all day in front of the whelping box. But the community needs to know that I exist, that the Cardis exist, and that the real enemy is not good breeders.

I’m going to be in West Springfield this coming weekend, all four days. I renew my offer to walk any dog show newbies around and show you what a dog show means, and I welcome any discussion (or verbal beat-down) from other breeders. Come find me–I am the one with the gorgeous fit Cardigans and the beautiful children and the sensible hair and enormous bottom .

[~Anne~]

Some really great points made. I found myself nodding again and again.

[Flashsmum]

Me too. I'm not a breeder, but see the sense in this.

[silentchild]

Good post, I agreed to several things in this despite not being a breeder. I work in web content and SEO, the number of times I've waggled my hands in despair when I see a poorly made breeder or breed club website...

[Rascalmyshadow]

Great post, I'm not a breeder and never have been but I am a consumer.

Having worked with dogs for the last 18 years and having at least one purebred in the house at any given time for the last 16years, I still find looking for a pedigree dog quite daunting, especially if it isn't my chosen breed.

Breeders need to become friendlier, easier to approach and find and more willing to treat everyone as individuals.

My example two years ago we were looking for a purebred Pomeranian, went through DOL breed pages and rang/emailed (depending on the breeders preference) numerous breeders with puppies available, only one breeder got back to me and we were told they don't home their puppies to people with children. End result we purchased a gorgeous pom x chi puppy from a lovely family that had allowed their dogs to have one litter.

Just recently my husband agreed I could finally get my purebred chi as I am no longer rescuing. I felt sick just applying for my pup of choice and thought for sure we would be turned down due to having kids. Luckily my girls breeder was a much more approachable person and my pup had actually been shown by her 10 year old son, she is the most gorgeous girl and we have had a great experience this time round.

The only way ethical registered breeders are going to be able to compete with byb's, pet shops and puppy farms is if they advertise where the public looks, keep their dogs at a reasonable price, make every potential puppy buyers experience a good one and mostly give the public good reasons for buying a purebred. The majority of customers I speak to go for xbreeds because they 'don't want a show dog' and don't see any need to spend big $$$ getting one from a breeder.

Edited July 3, 2013 by Rascalmyshadow

[Phyria]

From the perspective of someone who is interested in getting into breeding without the title of "backyard breeder" this makes loads of sense.

It would be so much easier for me to research different breeds and talk with owners/breeders about their animals if the information was easier to find!

I'm still after loads of info too... I need to research energy requirements, trainability, how easy/hard are pups to sell on (I don't want to breed animals that aren't wanted).

As it is it's really hard to find the info I want without asking loads of pesky questions on here. It would be so nice to be able to find a page online and read up information and be able to take a couple of years to make a good decision.

Edited July 3, 2013 by Phyria

[Wobbly]

From someone with a dog who is not bred by a responsible dedicated breeder, I support this. I am here to tell you first hand, if you don't have a good pool of breeders, who are dedicated to the improvement of the breed, understand the principles of heredity and have a solid understanding of their own dogs' gene pools over multiple generations, the gene pool ends up in a disastrous state. There is no homogeneity of structure or temperament. People get pups from BYBs and they can't know what to expect, the whole point of selective breeding is to give you a solid idea of what to expect from a pup (ofc genetics is by nature a bit random, so you can never have full control, but good breeding programs are the best way to produce good healthy dogs that display all the correct physical and mental characteristics of their breed).

The lack of really good American Pit Bull Terrier breeders in this country has put the breed in a disastrous position, dogs are poorly bred by clueless people who have no concept of hereditary mechanisms or the importance of careful breeding, and temperaments can be very dodgy as a result, it's a terrible situation. The APBT breed club in this country is fantastic, but right now all their time and energy is taken with simply saving family pets from ill conceived legislation. And the legal situtation means it's difficult, if not impossible for them to promote and support responsible breeding practices. It's a dire situation.

I'm not a breeder, and never will be so I can't help you with where to start, but good on you. The future of dogs health, temperament and structure relies absolutely on dedicated knowledgeable breeders with sound breeding programs. The general public lacks awareness of this.

[Rebanne]

From the perspective of someone who is interested in getting into breeding without the title of "backyard breeder" this makes loads of sense.

It would be so much easier for me to research different breeds and talk with owners/breeders about their animals if the information was easier to find!

I'm still after loads of info too... I need to research energy requirements, trainability, how easy/hard are pups to sell on (I don't want to breed animals that aren't wanted).

As it is it's really hard to find the info I want without asking loads of pesky questions on here. It would be so nice to be able to find a page online and read up information and be able to take a couple of years to make a good decision.

Most breeders breed because they love the breed, they want to see the breed continue into the future.

[Phyria]

From the perspective of someone who is interested in getting into breeding without the title of "backyard breeder" this makes loads of sense.

It would be so much easier for me to research different breeds and talk with owners/breeders about their animals if the information was easier to find!

I'm still after loads of info too... I need to research energy requirements, trainability, how easy/hard are pups to sell on (I don't want to breed animals that aren't wanted).

As it is it's really hard to find the info I want without asking loads of pesky questions on here. It would be so nice to be able to find a page online and read up information and be able to take a couple of years to make a good decision.

Most breeders breed because they love the breed, they want to see the breed continue into the future.

And that's what I'm going to do an my frame of mind.

I just love several different breeds of dog and can't pick them all!

[mita]

I’m talking to my library about offering a reading-to-dogs program. ...

And-yes-I’m going to get out there on the roads with the Cardigans. I know why we don’t do this, believe me. Most good breeders have enormous fenced yards and at least somewhat enormous bottoms from sitting all day in front of the whelping box. But the community needs to know that I exist, that the Cardis exist, and that the real enemy is not good breeders.

I

Me, too, I nodded & nodded as I read....I was like one of those things on the back ledge of cars.

The tragedy is that recent research in the US shows the likeliest best adjusted dogs come from the hobby, home-style, non-commercial breeders. Not the large scale commercial sources. Most of our purebred breeders work, in that hobby, home-style.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/canine-corner/201305/behavior-differences-in-dogs-pet-stores-versus-breeders

Many of us lucky pet owners had already sussed that out. But I continue to be amazed how many good, decent pet people don't know. And some even think pet people can't buy from 'show people'.

So I continue to do lots of word-or-mouth 'marketing' .... & I know other pet people do, too.

Just a personal note.... I'm delighted that the author is a Cardigan Corgi breeder. Tibbie tragic that I am... I love the Cardies, too. We grew up with one who was a dog for all seasons.

And I hope she sorts something with the reading-to-dogs program. A US Tibbie breeder has one of her retired showgirls who 'works' as a read-to-me-dog in a library:

Edited July 3, 2013 by mita

[pare]

This is right on the money. My own education from buying from pet shops to actively seeking ethical breeders or rescue organisations was a long 15+ year process, mostly because I was uneducated about what a 'ethical breeder' is.

I don't think most people know what an ethical breeder or a registered breeder are (not that being one means being the other).

My cousin is a good example. She told me recently "I know pet shops are bad, but the one in Highpoint is ok because a friend told me they get their pups from registered breeders."

[Phyria]

I don't think most people know what an ethical breeder or a registered breeder are (not that being one means being the other).

THIS!

I would feel much more comfortable going to someone who is an ethical breeder and not a registered one.

Obviously I would prefer to go to someone who is both of course.

I personally know someone who is an ethical breeder, but is unregistered. I like to think most registered breeders are like this breeder, they just happen to have an extra piece of paper with their name on it.

[minimax]

I don't think most people know what an ethical breeder or a registered breeder are (not that being one means being the other).

THIS!

I would feel much more comfortable going to someone who is an ethical breeder and not a registered one.

Obviously I would prefer to go to someone who is both of course.

I personally know someone who is an ethical breeder, but is unregistered. I like to think most registered breeders are like this breeder, they just happen to have an extra piece of paper with their name on it.

So you want a be a breeder, but you'd be happy to go to an unregistered one and you don't want to be labeled a backyard breeder? How's that going to work?

[~Anne~]

Phryria, I think you missed the point entirely.

Did you read the blog?

The discussion isn't about being ethical or not, it's about marketing and messages.

[Rebanne]

I don't think most people know what an ethical breeder or a registered breeder are (not that being one means being the other).

THIS!

I would feel much more comfortable going to someone who is an ethical breeder and not a registered one.

Obviously I would prefer to go to someone who is both of course.

I personally know someone who is an ethical breeder, but is unregistered. I like to think most registered breeders are like this breeder, they just happen to have an extra piece of paper with their name on it.

in what way are they ethical if they are not registered with a governing body?

[sandgrubber]

1372819087[/url]' post='6243185']

The lack of really good American Pit Bull Terrier breeders in this country has put the breed in a disastrous position, dogs are poorly bred by clueless people who have no concept of hereditary mechanisms or the importance of careful breeding, and temperaments can be very dodgy as a result, it's a terrible situation. The APBT breed club in this country is fantastic, but right now all their time and energy is taken with simply saving family pets from ill conceived legislation. And the legal situtation means it's difficult, if not impossible for them to promote and support responsible breeding practices. It's a dire situation.

Unfortunately, equally true in the USA. And true for many breeds other than the APBT.

Show breeders are often as bad as the BYBs when it comes to temperament. See www.svartbergs.se/pdf/Personality_in_dogs.pdf for an evidence-based stud on differences between show line and working line dog temperaments.

[sandgrubber]

1372819087[/url]' post='6243185']

The lack of really good American Pit Bull Terrier breeders in this country has put the breed in a disastrous position, dogs are poorly bred by clueless people who have no concept of hereditary mechanisms or the importance of careful breeding, and temperaments can be very dodgy as a result, it's a terrible situation. The APBT breed club in this country is fantastic, but right now all their time and energy is taken with simply saving family pets from ill conceived legislation. And the legal situtation means it's difficult, if not impossible for them to promote and support responsible breeding practices. It's a dire situation.

Unfortunately, equally true in the USA. And true for many breeds other than the APBT.

Show breeders are often as bad as the BYBs when it comes to temperament. See www.svartbergs.se/pdf/Personality_in_dogs.pdf for an evidence-based study on differences between show line and working line dog temperaments.

[Phyria]

in what way are they ethical if they are not registered with a governing body?

There are puppy farms that are registered with governing bodies.

My idea of an ethical breeder is one who does the right thing by their animals, tests for genetic diseases before breeding, breeds to improve/continue the breed they love and sells puppies to good homes. They are also willing to take back dogs that they have bred if the buyer falls on hard times.

Phryria, I think you missed the point entirely.

Did you read the blog?

The discussion isn't about being ethical or not, it's about marketing and messages.

Yes, I read the blog. I already posted about that earlier in the thread... I said I'd find it a lot easier to find information if they had good marketing.

So you want a be a breeder, but you'd be happy to go to an unregistered one and you don't want to be labeled a backyard breeder? How's that going to work?

I mis"spoke". Writing comments while tired will do that. I could have phrased that a lot better.

Of course if I want to show and then breed from dogs that do well I'm going to have to go through registered breeders and get puppies that are the offspring of good animals themselves.

I'm just saying that I would be more comfortable buying a dog from a loving home where I know the bitch and dog are looked after very well. If that breeder is registered, so much the better.

[pebbles]

Great article - do you think the Clubs/breeders here would get behind this concept?

[Furkidsforever]

[The only way ethical registered breeders are going to be able to compete with byb's, pet shops and puppy farms is if they advertise where the public looks, keep their dogs at a reasonable price, make every potential puppy buyers experience a good one and mostly give the public good reasons for buying a purebred. The majority of customers I speak to go for xbreeds because they 'don't want a show dog' and don't see any need to spend big $$$ getting one from a breeder.

The price of puppies from pet shops is not cheap - so why should registered breeders sell their pups cheaply when they can have very high vet fees for a litter, including after hours assistance in whelping, vaccinations, microchipping, even desexing. Small sized litters hardly bring in enough to cover the costs. One of our pups had a problem which cost us $800 to resolve, and we let the pup go without cost.

Puppy buyers also need to realise ethical caring registered breeders like to know the background of and type of home their puppy will go to are of utmost importance but so often puppy enquirers do not give any information and get angry when asked. I am not desperate to sell our pups, so why put out lots of advertisements - it is not difficult for a buyer to find litters from authentic sources and we never have problems finding homes for our puppies as we just wait until the 'right' home comes along.