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It is your sole responsibility to
fully investigate any breeders that you may adopt a puppy from. (Read
Below for suggestions in our "Buyers Beware" Area.
We do not endorse, guarantee or recommend any particular breeders
or their dogs and we are not responsible for any of the breeders
listed. Breeders listed are not examined by independent
authorities or by us.
Our web site acts
solely as a venue for advertisers to list animals or items (or, as
appropriate, solicit offers to buy). We are not involved in the
actual transaction between buyers and sellers and are not
responsible for anything that a seller or buyer may do. As a
result, we have no control over the quality, safety or legality of
the items or animals advertised the truth or accuracy of the
listings, the ability of sellers to sell items or the ability of
buyers to buy items or anything else relating to the foregoing. We
cannot ensure that a buyer or seller will actually complete a
transaction. At no time do we control or take title to any item
animal or inventory advertised on the web site.
American
Bulldoggers (and our officers, directors, agents, subsidiaries,
affiliates and employees) are not responsible for and shall be
held harmless from any and all claims, demands and damages (actual
and consequential) of every kind and nature, known and unknown,
suspected and unsuspected, disclosed and undisclosed, arising out
of or in any way connected with such disputes.
Buyers Beware:
We recommend you go to http://www.ripoffreport.com
and http://www.bbb.com
to see if there are any complaints filed against any breeder you
are thinking about adopting a puppy from.
The reputable breeder feels
responsibility toward the breed
itself, toward the dogs he breeds and to the people who
have dogs of his breeding. He spends astounding amounts of his time
and money on matters he thinks are for the best interests of his
breed.
It is this awareness of
responsibility that marks the difference between the true breeder
and mere "puppy-raiser". The breeder is an artist,
motivated by a drive to create perfection; the puppy raisers and the
dog dealers are motivated by the desire to make money.
Fortunate is the novice-buyer who
purchases his first dog from a reputable breeder! Whereas a
puppy-raiser may sell whole litters to dog dealers, the breeder
insists on direct contact with those who buy his dogs, and sells
only after the most careful screening of a would be purchaser in
order to ascertain the mutual suitability of dog and buyer.
While often not fully appreciated
until AFTER the dog is bought, this screening by the breeder is the
greatest protection a dog purchaser can have.
Though the cost of properly caring
for his dogs may cause him sleepless nights and untold worries, the
reputable breeder will never let a single puppy or older dog leave
for a home that is not as good or better than the one he is
providing. Even when the dog is sold, the breeder's help and advice
do not end but continue throughout the dog's life, a responsibility
cheerfully accepted by him without expectation of compensation.
When selecting a puppy, the
reputable breeder will show you a copy of the pedigree and explain
why they selected the bloodlines they used. He will allow you to see
the puppies and the mother and assist you in selecting the proper
puppy to meet your needs.
The Ethical Breeder:
1. Carefully interviews prospective buyers and has specific
requirements that prospective owners must meet, such as housing the
dog in a home with a large yard, agreeing to never let the dog off
lead in an unenclosed area
2. Sells by contract
3. Sells puppies with a health
guarantee
4. Insists upon getting the dog back
if the buyer is no longer able to keep the dog
5. Does not have more litters than
he can keep well groomed and well socialized
6. Does not have more litters than
he can keep housed longterm if he is unable to sell the puppies
7. Spends individual time with each
dog under his care every day
8. Tests his breeding stock for
known hereditary diseases and then breeds with the aim of decreasing
the incidence of hereditary diseases
9. Is very concerned with producing
puppies with excellent temperaments as well as health
10. Can identify each puppy and
chart it's growth and development from birth onward
11. Is willing to help educate the
novice buyer and happily answers any and all questions about his
breed and his individual dogs
12. Is willing and able to show the
prospective buyer the health certificates and test results on the
sire and dam of the puppies
13. Wants to be informed of any
health or temperament problems that his puppies develop through out
the lifetime of each puppy
14. Is available for help, advice,
and education to the buyer through out the life time of the puppy
Sadly, finding a reputable breeder can be
quite a chore. You will not find a reputable breeder through a pet
store. Pet stores sell puppies that they receive from "backyard
breeders," and "puppy mills." These terms get thrown
around a lot, and not many people actually know what they are.
A "backyard breeder" can be anyone- your neighbor,
coworker, anyone. They have a couple pets and decide to breed them-
thinking they'll make a lot of money. Any cretin can breed dogs, but
doing it correctly takes quite a bit of time, knowledge, and money.
Backyard breeders may adore their pets, but they can't seem to
realize that they are only making things difficult for the dogs. Not
only does breeding incorrectly put the health of the dogs in
jeopardy, but it creates more pets that are at a high risk of having
health and temperament problems. These poorly bred dogs are also
more likely to end up in shelters or abused, neglected, and running
the streets since most backyard breeders don't properly screen
potential owners.
A puppy mill is someone who mass breeds dogs. This means that they
breed their dogs whenever they come into season, just to get more
puppies to get more profits. Their adult dogs are not properly cared
for- the majority of the time they are kept in cages (constantly),
left standing in feces, not vaccinated, and fed a poor diet which
consists of the cheapest possible dog food which they mix with
things such as sawdust (as a filler) so that they don't use quite as
much food. Of course the sawdust sticks to the dogs teeth like glue,
and causes rapid tooth decay. The dogs never see a vet, so they sit
in cages filled with feces with rotting teeth, and nurse their
puppies in that manner as well. With most of these mills, once the
adult females are no longer of use, they are killed. They are not
humanely put to sleep- that would cost money. These dogs are either
shot, drown, or beaten to death.
By buying a dog from a pet store, you are keeping this process
going. I know that in your heart you think you will be saving one,
but you're not. You are simply taking one home and making another
cage open up at the pet store- that way they can bring in another
litter.
A reputable breeder cares about their dogs and the puppies they
brought into this world. Before they breed a litter, they have their
dogs tested and titled. The tests are for hereditary health
problems- joint disorders, eye disorders, as well as other problems
known in the breed. If their dog turns out to be carrying a problem,
they spay/neuter and give or sell the dog as a pet. They also title
the dogs- by competing with other dogs at dog events. This shows
that the dog is up to the breed standard- not only in physical
looks. Most breeders title in more than just conformation, they
participate in agility, hunting trials, etc., they put the dog up
against other dogs in what the breed was originally bred to do.
Labradors, for example, were originally bred to retrieve game, so
they compete with them in this type of activity.
A reputable breeder will also question you thoroughly about how you
are going to care for the puppy. They will want to know if you have
a fenced in yard- some breeders will not sell to those who do not
have a fenced in yard due to the breeds tendency to roam. They may
even want to contact your vet to see how you cared for your other
pets- if they were vaccinated on time, if they were brought in for
dental cleanings, if they always appeared to be well kept. If you
are purchasing a breed which requires grooming, they will also want
to talk to your current groomer or groomer for your past pet- to see
if you brought the dog in on a regular basis or if the dog was a
matted mess each time.
Do puppies from breeders cost more than a puppy you get from a pet
store or from a backyard breeder? Yes and no. For some breeds, the
price will be a little higher from a reputable breeder. This is due
to the amount of money that they put into each litter with the
testing, proper vaccinations, etc. But they do this to make sure
your puppy doesn't have a high risk of having health problems during
his life. A pet store or backyard breeder puppy may be cheaper to
get, but most likely you are going to end up paying a lot of vet
bills for problems that could have been prevented with selective
breeding. One big concern is Progressive Retinal Atrophy- this is a
hereditary eye condition that causes blindness. Since most dogs do
not show signs of this until they are over 5 years old, it is
extremely important that all the dogs are tested yearly for eye
problems- a reputable breeder does this to assure you don't have a
blind 5 year old dog.
It's a very sad world when people start looking at dogs as a
business- they should be looked at as family members and adored for
all the love they give us. Having a pet is a privilege-we all need
to treat them that way. If we can eliminate the demand for poorly
bred dogs, in turn we may eliminate the amount of dogs that are put
to sleep in shelters every day and the dogs who are suffering from
hereditary problems that could have been prevented in the first
place.
Ask questions! How and
what does the breeder feed? How often does he produce litters? Why
is he breeding AB's, what are his goals? Is the breeder a registered
kennel with a registry? Does the breeder follow up on puppies he
sells, keeping the rights to recover dogs he has sold should they
become available? Does he interview prospects such as you? He should
be very carefully screening potential puppy purchasers. If he is
not, then find another breeder, as a good breeder will not allow
just any home to have a puppy.
When you purchase a
puppy from a breeder, you are also in essence purchasing the
knowledge and experience of that person. Be sure that the breeder
you deal with is able to supply these.
Who is the vet that
this breeder uses? Sometimes a talk with this doctor is helpful,
too. Your new breeder friend will give you info on purchasing,
feeding, caring for and training their breed.
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