Tag Archives: designer dogs

Guidance for a puppy search

Most days working in a retail shop are pretty predictable. People come in and buy things. Or they order online. We do get to meet the best people in the world (dog people!) and we get to talk dogs all day. But we don’t usually get to help someone on a puppy search and change her life forever.

But today was really special. A woman came in after visiting the tailor next door, saying “I don’t know if you can help me, but…..”

And we could!

It really brought home the importance of what we do. What we can all do. Help each other.

Helping on her puppy search

Coconut, a purebred Miniature Poodle

This happened to be a question about finding a puppy. In this case, the woman has always been a big-dog person. Now that she’s a little bit older, she’s looking for a smaller breed of dog that she’ll be able to take care of throughout its life – and hers. She needed some ideas and recommendations for breeds of dogs; including personality, fur, trainability, etc.

She actually came in asking if we knew of any reputable “CavaPoo” breeders for her puppy search. We know we’ll catch some flak for what we’re about to say, but there’s no such thing as a “reputable” “***Poo” or “***Doodle” breeder. There may be some people intentionally breeding mixed-breed dogs who are good people. But we haven’t met any.

Finding a reputable breeder

We explained that a reputable breeder is one who:

  • Has had all health tests recommended for the breed performed on both sire (father) and dam (mother) of the planned litter.
  • Breeds only occasionally when he/she is looking to add to their family.
  • Belongs to the parent club of his/her breed and abides by the club’s Code of Ethics. (As an example, the French Bulldog Club of America’s code of ethics is here.)
  • Will not ship puppies to unknown people.
  • Is not a commercial enterprise.
  • Knows where every single dog they ever bred is – and welcomes any/all of them back if circumstances require it.
  • Gives prospective puppy owners the “third degree,” because their hearts and souls are invested in each and every puppy they breed.
  • Considers the future well-being of their chosen breed with every planned litter, including both health and temperament when making those plans.

Know where to look

Good, reputable breeders are easy to find these days if you know where to look. The American Kennel Club recognizes over 150 breeds – there’s one for anyone’s particular circumstances. Every single one of those breeds has a parent club. And every parent club has a website that includes a  “breeder directory” so people can find reputable breeders close to home.

Unfortunately the puppy millers and their outlets (pet shops that sell puppies) are incredibly media-savvy and have slick websites and even slicker sales pitches. When you do an internet search to find a puppy, chances are the “greeders” will be the first ads and entries you find. That just means they’re good marketers, not good breeders.

Better and possibly cheaper

The funny thing is, a healthy, well-tempered puppy from a reputable breeder will probably cost the same, or less. They don’t spend the money on advertising. They’re not part of a well-organized marketing machine. They’re just sharing their love for their chosen breed with people smart enough to look.

We’ve met some lovely people who have adorable mixed-breed “doodles” and “poos.” We’re not condemning anyone for falling in love with an adorable puppy face.

But, just like all of us, no dog gets the “best” genetic makeup from each of its parents. Every pure-breed club details the health concerns prevalent in their breed. As an example: Poodles are prone to epilepsy. (Here is the Poodle Club’s page: Health Concerns.) Has the “poo” or “doodle” breeder tested her dog for the disease? Will that person provide a health guarantee?

Another, less-serious consideration – “poo” and “doodle” coats are unpredictable. Some require a tremendous amount of grooming. Again – no individual get the best genes from their parents. Including hair! Before you consider getting a mixed-breed puppy – ask your favorite groomer how she feels about taking care of “poo” or “doodle” coats.

Happy to help

So today we laid out all of these arguments to the woman who stopped in, not knowing if we could answer her question. She heard a lot more than she expected, stayed a while, and we had a wonderful time talking about dogs. We think she’s headed home to research Havanese. We’re looking forward to meeting her puppy!