A dog represents an immense investment of time and money. As the prospective owner, it’s essential that you have a clear understanding of the right way to purchase a puppy to ensure you and your family are ready for this lifetime commitment.
Buying any animal, dogs, or cattle, is a “buyer’s beware” market; therefore, you need to go into the purchase as educated as possible about the breed and breeder. Unfortunately, the process is a lot like buying a used car, where you must always be skeptical. The best defense is to educate yourself on the breed, the breeder, and the total cost of ownership. The new dog owners will often purchase a specific breed based on the “cute” factor and not fully understand what it takes to care for and raise dog.
Choose a Breed (MOST IMPORTANT!)
Not all breeds will fit your lifestyle. Not all EOBs are the same. You must have a full and objective understanding of your needs and abilities when selecting a dog breed.
For example:
Suppose you live in an apartment or house that has a tiny yard, a Springer Spaniel or other “sport-type” breed is not a good fit because they have an ingrain need for a “purpose” or a “job.”
If you are an active family and what the dog to participate, you need to choose a breed that can handle the weather’s dynamic change.
All of these factors need to be determined before you ever start considering any one particular breed.
If you are considering a “Bulldog” after all of your research, I would strongly encourage you to consider the advantages of buying an Olde English Bulldogge. They are often confused with the English Bulldogs but are an entirely different breed.
You can never replace quality; this includes dogs as well. The initial purchase price is only a fraction of the total-cost-of-ownership. Paying a little more for a quality dog may pay dividends over the upcoming years in veterinarian bills and long-term care. You may find a OEB for as little as $300 – $400. Stop! There is a reason why and the reason my end up costing you thousands of dollars over its lifetime.
For example, bad hips are genetic; therefore, dogs with bad hips have a much higher occurrence of producing dogs with bad hips. You may not see this breeding’s ramifications from the buyer standpoint until the puppy is two or even three years old. The same holds true with Brachycephalia or Ectropion; these are genetic conditions that make the puppies more predisposed to these conditions.
Any one of these conditions alone can cost thousands of dollars over the dog’s lifetime, but more importantly, reduce the quality of life, vitality, and life span of the animal. In short, poorly bred dogs can be an emotional and financial drain, particularly if you are not prepared.
Selecting a Breeder:
To minimize future problems, buy your dog from a reputable breeder – KEYWORD REPUTABLE. The cost may be slightly higher; however, you are paying for the process of breeding and experience of producing quality animals. With everything it takes to maintain a quality and healthy breeding program (shots, worming, dock tails, due claws, health certifications, registration papers, microchipping,DNA testing, etc), a reputable breeder may have upwards of $300-$500 of direct cost in each puppy. This does not consider the annual cost of maintaining the health of the breeding parents. There is a reason why OEB/Frenchie cost what they do.
One of the most important steps you can take in selecting your breeder is GO AND VISIT and, like buying a car, take a “wingman”! While you are there, look and listen…and ASK HARD QUESTIONS! Go equipped with information. You would not buy a car without knowing what you want, how much you are willing to spend, and having some knowledge of the dealership. Purchasing a puppy is really nothing different.
On your visit take visual notes..How does the breeder take care of their breeding dogs – what do they look like?What are their living condition?
Are they house dogs or kenneled dogs? Pro’s and Con’s both ways. Is the area the puppies living clean and sanitary? Do you visibly see “care” products? What do they feed? What kind of record-keeping do they have? Ask for a vet reference and see what kind of reaction you receive.
In some cases, “hobby” breeders may be just fine; however, the risk is, will they be there for the long run? Will they answer your call 11mo and 29 days into their warranty period?