Puppy pet store rant...

[Chickerdoodle13]

My friend and I went to the mall tonight and he wanted to go into the pet store to take out one of the puppies. So of course I tagged along, but every time I do I gag at having gone in! The prices of those dogs make me sick! Today I heard $1600 and $2000! Ridiculous! Honestly, how many respectable breeders will sell to a pet store? Most breeders charging that amount will have the pups sold before they are even born! Not to mention, a good majority of the dogs were not even purebred. $1200 for a yorkie poo mutt?! It nearly gives me a heart attack every time. I can understand some people are into those designer dogs, but if I was going to pay that much for a dog, it sure as heck would not be from a pet store! Yes some of the dogs have papers, but that certainly does not make them show quality!

My uncle bought a dog from the pet store years ago and the dog has had nothing but problems. He paid a bundle for her too, and even more in vet bills. I just don't understand why you would pay so much for an animal if you can't speak to a breeder directly, but maybe that is just me

Oh well, that is my rant for the night. I do admit that the puppies are always cute...

 

[Moxiechick]

Respectable breeders do not sell to pet stores. Puppy mills do. Horrible, horrible places. So much suffering for the animals. Don't get me going on them...

Edited for spelling.

 

[reveriereptile]

I know what you mean. I'd rather buy from the breeder than a pet store. At least with the breeder they usually have a litter of the same type of dog that you can choose the one you want for a cheaper amount. If I'm going to pay $2,000 for a dog it better be a english bulldog from a breeder.

 

[JenEric Farms]

My daughter always talks me in to taking her to look at the tiny puppies in the puppy store. The yorkie-poos, puggles, toy what not...but, I'm with you, while they are cute you have got to be kidding me with the prices they are asking for what appears to me to be my neighbors dog accidently getting out and have a good time with another neighbors dog and then they give the accidental puppies away to the kids in the neighborhood.

$2000 for a mixed breed puppy from a non present, non caring breeder...NO THANKS!!!

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

I prefer going through breed rescues or making my own rescues. The Shih Tzu I raised from 2 weeks old. The poodle was a rescue from ARF. The two labs were shelter dogs.

idk...I just prefer shelter dogs.

 

[consdrs]

It takes a great deal of self control to go by the pet store at the mall... puppy mills.... turns my stomach. If any body that knows me was to even think of buying one of those puppies, naw scratch that no one that knows me would dream of doing such a horrible thing. I too could go on a huge long rant...

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Don't get me wrong...I have nothing against buying a dog for that price...but it darn well better be from a good breeder and a pretty nice looking dog! I plan on saving up some day to buy a nice, well bred, LARGE Great Dane...and I have no doubt that it will be a pricey animal. I plan on doing plenty of research on breeders though!

 

[hencackle]

Respectable breeders do not sell to pet stores.

Very true! And a good breeder will investigate the potential adoptive family as well, asking all kinds of questions to make sure they're right for that breed, will provide a good home, etc. A good breeder will have each puppy undergo Volhard Puppy Aptitude Testing, which helps in deciding which family is the best match. There's so much work to being a good breeder, including willingness to take a puppy back---even an adult dog, if things don't work out.​

 

[Chickie'sMoma]

my sister had the same thing happen when she bought from a local pet store in MA on an impulse buy for her son. my nephew had a bad fear of dogs till they saw their black cocker spaniel. a couple days after getting the dog they took it to the vet for the usual first visit. came back with medicine for giardia-a nasty intestinal bug, the dog had been eating stuff it should never have been able to access during the time it was whelped and then sent to the pet store. Mass laws at that time only covered the 2 weeks of meds after you bought the pet. now i think they've changed it to a longer time. but trying to get that stuff out of the dog took longer than the 2 weeks of meds they would cover. $600 dog and lots of vet bills and meds is what my sister got the first year they had it. they also had behavioral issues they needed to work on with the dog. nipping and snapping when it came to food and toys, grabbed my other nephew once but didn't draw blood.

i'm happy my dog didn't have issues when i got him from a rescue down in MO. i paid $100 for the dog, $300 to ship him up and about $100 for his first vet visit and then about another $100 to get him fixed. over all he was in perfect health for being a southern pup! for being sight unseen (well, had a few pics) he has a wonderful temperament and very intelligent!

 

[tonkatuff]

Wanna really gag??? You know the mark-up on the pups is typically over 300% .... the stores pay the brokers as little as $250.00 for the labs, goldens, cockers and slightly higher for the toy breeds... the bulldogs, frenchies and CKCS cost them the most, usually 600-800.00 but when you think about what you are getting... an ill-bred pup that barely fits the breeds description with a 7 day warranty... and people buy them. I sometimes wish I could stand outside the stores with a big rubber stamp pad that says "STUPID" and slap it onto the foreheads of anyone walking out with a pup.