I got a puppy for Christmas! Information and opinions needed

[Roosterboy]

I haven't actually gotten the dog yet

I was wondering where i should get it from

A shelter
The Puppy Barn ( A dog store)
Other

I was going to get one from a shelter for a couple weeks but i had no luck on petfinder (I did but they were adopted)
I have a person coming on saturday from a shelter and i will go to the petsmart adoption day

I am hoping someone can help me find a puppy that fits me

I found some dogs at The Puppy Barn that i could, in theory, go back and take the dogs i am interested in into the corner where you can interact with dogs if you are interested and find out if i like them.


I saw a mini Schnauzer and a three mix dog that interested me. They get more dogs every tuesday.

I would never even consider buying from here but i have filled out so many applications and i can't find a dog near me that fits my lifestyle. Also, when i visited today (To see breeds as puppies, check the costs of supplies, and see what types they had) and the dogs were in fair sized pens, all the poop was cleaned, and the dogs all had water (Unless they did something to it but you could tell because there was a wet dog there)

What really impressed me were the staff. They constantly went around grooming, petting, holding, feeding, cleaning, and watering the dogs. They checked the genders and told us everything we didn't know about buying puppies

They are a bit pricey but it is well worth it.

So what should i do?

What about introducing a new dog to an old dog. I have an 8 year old lab that hates males but usually does well with females. We are getting a small-medium sized dog and we don't want any issues.

Should we crate train. We have never done so before. We were going to because of what we have read about it but one application was denied because we said we were going to.

I have done plenty of research but i wanted to hear from you guys(and girls)

 

[greyhorsewoman]

While the 'puppy barn' may take very good care of the puppies there, you have to realize where those puppies came from. As a former AKC field inspector, I can tell you most of them come from what is commonly referred to as 'puppy farms/mills.'

In these places, multiple dogs are kept for life in small cages, often 2-3 to a cage. The only time they get a respite is when they whelp a litter, which can be up to twice a year. After they are 'worn out' (no longer produces regularly or large enough litters) they will be culled.

Every time you buy a puppy from a pet shop you support these puppy 'factories' ... it's hard, because those little puppies desire good homes too. And don't for a minute believe them when they say they only get their puppies from 'reputable breeders.' As a long time dog fancier, I will tell you that NO reputable dog breeder wholesales to pet shops.

Keep up the adoption work. Look online for folks needing to place a dog. Or if you are going to spend the money, go to an individual breeder.

Good luck.

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

I would try craigslist.com They always have several puppies and or dogs. Maybe you can find you one you like on there.

 

[Cara]

Pet store puppies are the product of puppymills. Along with the inhumane treatment of the dogs that produce these puppies, you should also take into consideration the high likelihood of buying a puppy with a genetic defect/disorder. Health testing is costly, and puppymillers don't want to eat into their profit margin by buying quality breeding stock or having them examined by a vet.

These problems can include hip dysplasia, skin conditions, congenital eye defects, behavioral problems such as anxiety or aggression etc. Basically as hard as it is to forget about the moral issues surrounding puppy mills, these puppies just aren't good value for money when you add in the heartache and vet bills.

Petfinder is great, i've found five dogs through them, each of which were/are wonderful. It's important to remember that shelter staff do not often have the time to keep their pages updated or reply to e-mail inquiries, so a visit to the shelter is usually more effective. I got my first Bloodhound that way, she wasn't even 'adoptable' yet, and it was the longest week ever waiting to see if she was claimed!

If you find a breeder, absolutely make sure they allow you to visit them and the litter. If they offer to meet you, run like hell, they're hiding something!

 

[BeckyLa]

Well, what is your lifestyle? What breed of dog are you looking for? A pet or a working dog? House dog or yard dog or LGD? It's hard to help you find what you need if we have no idea what you need. Do you want a purebred or a mutt or does it matter?

Small dog or big dog?
Girl or boy dog?

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Try a rescue. Never ever purchase a puppy from a petstore. Those puppys all come from puppy mills, and purchasing one supports those horrible puppy mills. If you cant find what dog your looking for, then go to a responsible breeder. I went into a puppy store a couple months ago, and it made me sick. The puppies were laying on the grates, had nothing to cuddle up in. I saw a min pin there, and asked how much they said $1500. All I could think was $1500 for puppy mill puppy that is most likely going to have problems. I got my min pin from a breeder for 1/3 that price.


What size dog are you looking for? Small, large, x-large?
Long hair, short hair, non-shedding?
Male or female?
I would suggest doing a lot of reasearch on different dog breeds and narrow it down to 2 or 3 breeds. Remember to take time deciding, as this dog will be with you for over a decade.


I personally would suggest a Golden Retreiver. They are the best dogs. Easy to train, friendly with anybody, pets, children. Just wonderful dogs. Mine would lay next to the baby chick pen, and when one would squeeze out, she would stay right there until somebody came to put it back.
Good Luck!

 

[Beed]

Hi,

I think you should adopt. Check all shelters and rescues in your area like said. I agree that Craigslist is a great place to find a pet-you probably won't have to go through an application process. Working for a Vet, I see lots of Schnauzers. They are sweetie pie dogs, really good pets. They are prone to skin problems but that is not a big deal. When my old Beagle/Basset hound needed a pal we rescued a Keeshound mix. She was the best girl and kept old doggie alive and happy for longer than I think she would have made it. Poodles live a long time and are wonderful. We have one girl who is 21 years old! Good as gold.

I agree that Pet store dogs should not be bought as it supports puppy mills and BYB's (back yard breeders). Rescue a dog and save a life.

Good luck,
Beed

 

[hollyclyff]

Please don't buy a puppy from a store. Way back in my younger days, I worked in a pet store for about 3 months. It was all I could stand. Our puppies on display were always clean and healthy looking, but you wouldn't have seen the ones that were sick and died in the back room. Just in the short time I worked there we had so many puppies die. We had puppies that came in that were already growling aggressively at people at 8 weeks. We had deaf puppies, puppies with seizures, puppies with parvo, puppies that died from who knows what. And the particular store I worked at had a district manager that was awful. Any puppy with anything wrong with it that prevented it being sold right away was ordered put down. He and the owner only cared about money. Luckily for the puppies, the store manager had a bit more of a heart and often paid for treatment on his own, or gave sick (but treatable) puppies away to regular customers and wrote on their paperwork that they had died. It was so common for puppies to die, that it wasn't questioned. And of course if someone came in to see a puppy that had been there before, but had died, they were told it had been sold. And like was said before, none of those puppies came from responsible breeders. Because no truly responsible breeder will sell to a pet store. Please don't support such an *industry*.

If you want to buy a purebred puppy, look for a good breeder. You may be very surprised at the price. I'm most familiar with prices for my own breed, but I have seen puppies in pet stores for the same or more than I have seen for even true show quality puppies from reputable breeders. Now you may have to wait a little while, but it will be worth it. One of the best ways to find a good breeder is to go to a dog show or other competition. There you can meet the people and their dogs face to face.

Or just keep looking for a shelter/rescue dog.

 

[momofdrew]

there are a lot of rescue shelters for just about any breed of dog...please do not get one at a pet store that just allows the crulity to continue...

 

[Hobbley_Farm]

try this website out
http://dogsindanger.com/

They have dogs in all states I believe who only have a matter of days left. You might be able to find the right dog there also. Whats so strange is all the purebreds you can find on there. Really weird