Basset Puppy choices

[hcammack]

Nope I haven't but if its not nice we won't risk getting a dog from them it looked OK to me.

 

[TubbyChicken]

...It's looks like a puppy mill.

Very cute dogs, but very sad circumstances. I wish you the best and if you'd like to know more I'd be happy to tell through pm.

Good luck with your choice!

 

[hcammack]

Tubby I have talked to the breeder and gotten about 10 recomendations from many different breeders and friends who did not have puppies available at the time or had gotten a puppy from him. He does have many litters every year but is very careful about placing them in good homes. Please PM me about what makes you think its a puppy mill. I will make sure that we are comfortable getting a puppy from him after looking over his kennels. Thanks for the warning I would never knowingly buy from a bad breeder or a puppy mill.

Thanks,
Henry

 

[Andora]

Those puppies are all so adorable!

I also thought it looked like a puppy mill though.

Even if the pups are healthy and clean, why would you want to support someone who breeds large amounts of dogs for money? Think what kind of life that must be for the breeder dogs, living in a barn raising litter after litter. Wouldn't you rather get a puppy that has been born to well loved parents and socialized properly with a loving family and had experience living with humans inside a house rather than only knowing life with a pack in a barn? If you want the dog for an indoor family pet, I would be careful getting a puppy from here.

 

[hcammack]

Quote:
I will make sure that I look over where they live and how he treats them. He is AKC registered and as I said before came highly recommended. We will make our judgement call when we get there. I know many hight quality show breeders keep there dogs in kennels. I WOULD NEVER BUY FROM A PUPPY MILL! I will make sure its not when we get there I don't think that all breeders that have two or three litters at a time are Puppy Mills but My family and I will make sure we are comfortable with getting a dog from Tait's bassets before we make a snap decision and get a dog from him.

Thanks for he help,
Henry

 

[hcammack]

This page on the breeders website addresses the issue of puppy mills http://www.bassets.tait.net/puppies.html this and he many conversations and recommendations we have had with and about him are what makes me believe he is a responsible breeder.

Henry

 

[Reinbeau]

I like puppy #2 myself. I love bassets, I had one for 13 years, Molly was my four legged daughter with a tail. I miss her.

As for it being a puppy mill, I don't think it looks like that at all, it looks like a basset breeding farm, those dogs look well kept and happy. Would you look disparagingly on the same set of photos if you were looking at a chicken breeder?

 

[hcammack]

Quote:
Exactly my thoughts! I love bassets also they will always be a part of my family.

Henry

 

[TubbyChicken]

Quote:
I don't want to turn this into a debate, so this will be my last post to the thread, but wanted to address this question directly...

Chickens are not dogs. Their lives or no less or more valuable to me but they were not bred and domesticated as companion animals. Therefore, I cannot compare the two. However, if you would like further elaboration, I would be happy to discuss with you why keeping that number of dogs, confined in a barn with indoor/outdoor run for the sole purpose of breeding is a puppy mill. Please pm me if you'd like more info or discussion.

Unfortunately a breeding farm is a puppy mill. If you're defining puppy mill based on caged animals in unsanitary conditions you're missing the broader scope which includes dogs in even bigger confinements with decent levels of care but without essential human interaction and socialization.

Henry, good luck, if you need any more info please feel free to email or pm me. I know you will give your pup a good home, regardless of it's origin!

 

[farmergal]

#2 is WAY too cute... I'd go for her... but she'll probably have you wrapped around her little finger (or floppy ear)!!

I agree with Henry -- after an initial feeling of revulsion (woah! so many dogs), I thought the same thing. Someone who had that many chickens wouldn't necessarily be a "chicken mill," would they? I think what makes something a "mill" is not the number of dogs, but the quality of the dogs' lives. However, with someone who has that many litters I would just do extra due-diligence and ask about how they socialize the pups, how much people-time they get, how well the breeder knows their personalities, what the dogs' lineage is, etc. They're questions you should ask any breeder -- but especially one who's balancing different litters at the same time. A good breeder should be able to tell you why he bred the father to the mother (what traits made them a good match), where the pup falls in the dominance spectrum of the litter, etc.

Who knows, maybe breeder spends his/her workweek playing with puppies and loving every one of them! And some breeders who only have 1-2 litters a year have a very similar set-up (kennels with runs) for housing their dogs.

Another thing that makes me think it's not a puppy mill: the person was proud to display the dogs' living conditions and invites people over to come see them. And seems pretty proud about breeding bassets for so long.

ETA: Yes, chickens aren't dogs, but like chickens, dogs need a flock/pack. Given how many owners (with only one dog) leave them home alone all day, is it really worse for a dog to have the run of a yard with other fellow canines? I'm assuming he doesn't breed his females every heat, and uses the dogs for hunting, interacts with them, etc. -- but again those are questions to ask the breeder.