I.Dup. Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 where would you look, esp. if you live in a small town and don't have many options near you? And how much would you be willing to pay for a breed you really wanted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 online Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 It would depend on the breed for the price. I would seek out a reputable breeder or rescue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I'd choose a breed first and then find a breeder within five hours' drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Are there any cities withing 2 hours from you? We adopted a purebred dog from a rescue place in a mother town that had a foster home within a few miles of our home. It was the perfect situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paintedlady Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 We have 2 new dogs this year. One from a family I found on Craigslist and the other from a local rescue. The first one from Craigslist we paid a "rehoming" fee of $100 but we had to have him neutered and get his shots updated, and from the rescue we paid $250 but he was already neutered and had all of his shots. I'm equally happy with both dogs and love that we rescued one. :001_wub: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 We found our puppy's breeder through word of mouth. We didn't pay nearly as much for him as the dogs that are advertised in newspapers and online. The breeder is fantastic. Diesel, a Yorkie, is 4 months old, and I still call the breeder with questions. She is great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Get info on which dog you want. Choose the right temperment, size and activity level that is right for your family and living situation. Then, ask a vet; they often know the reputable breeders. Lara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I'd check petfinder.com, then the newspaper. But ask to see the parents....dog brokers are starting to sell puppy mill puppies in the paper. Usually they use a story along the lines of them "helping out" a family member that has the mother dog. It is a scam. Whatever you do, do not buy from a pet store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I found my beloved dog on Petfinder.com. I did lots of research and came up with a list of breeds that I thought would be the best fit for our family. Then, I got on Petfinder every day and searched for dogs with the specific characteristics I wanted. I found her within a few weeks, and adopting her was one of the best decisions I've made in my adult life. She is a mix, by the way, a mix of two of the breeds on my list. I was looking for a companion, not an animal with an impressive pedigree. The adotion fee was $60, and I had to pay later to have her spayed, because she was too little when she came home with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrid Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 online NO NO NO NO NO!!!!! NOT ONLINE!!! PUPPY MILLERS! IRRESPONSIBLE BREEDERS!!! HUGE VET BILLS!!! HUGE HEARTACHE!!! Sorry, rant over. But seriously. NO. Not the internet. astrid (donning flak jacket) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 We found our Boston terrier in the newspaper. We visited three.breeders. one was a puppy mill, we left. One had one puppy left and he was older than we wanted. We drove two hours and paid $350. We got him the day he.was ready to leave mommy. He thinks he is a little human. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 My MIL rescues older dogs and gets them on Craigslist or word of mouth. Not all dogs on Craigslist are from puppy mills. She would watch for postings from people who were being moved into old folks homes, or needed to rehome a dog due a move. She was always looking but never shopping. It would take a while for her to find the perfect matches for her home. She specialized in larger, hard to place breads like Rots. She was very, very picky about the animals she took in. She would visit the animal at its home a few times, and she even had the dogs come do a trial day or two, with her and her existing dogs. She was picky about temperament and history. She found the longer she could keep the owners talking the more information she would get. She had some sweet dogs. Most were well mannered but there were some personality quirks. Like one dog who came to her as a raw food/vegetarian, but he LOVED bread. If anyone left a sand which on a plate anywhere near where Ben could get at it, he would snatch it. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherMayI Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 My best dogs have come from craigslist. Like Tap's MIL, I have found some purebred dogs that owners had to rehome due to a move. These dogs were loved well, trained, and very well behaved. I still send updates and pictures to the previous owners and when I have had a question about something- they are more than happy to help me out. Ebay Classifieds is another free classified sales site. You can search by location. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 It would depend on the breed you are seeking and how available it is. We wanted a Klee Kai. Unfortunately, the breed is rare enough that there are no breeders in Florida where we live. I searched online for breeders. When I found the breeder who had a 3 page application and a 5 page contract to purchase, I knew she probably wasn't running a puppy mill. I did email her numerous times, however, to be sure. I also saw photos of her with her winning show dogs and agility dogs. She did have about 7 or 8 litters per year with her various dogs, which put me off a little. But, I just kept shooting off more emails until I felt extremely comfortable with her breeding skill and intentions. Of course, she was doing the same to me. She was very uncomfortable that I lived with alligators in my back yard. And she put a clause in the contract that states our dog can never be off leash. This is no problem since we would never allow her to be off leash where we live. At any rate, our sweet little klee kai at age 9 weeks was flown to us all the way from California. I'm sure it was a traumatic trip for her, but she is 3 years old now and doing fine. Enjoy your search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 (edited) I will pay the going rate for a healthy puppy of a breed I want. Around here, the breed I like best sells for $1,500 and up. I do not have that breed because I could not find a breeder within a 2-3 hour drive who had a puppy that met my requirements. A link to a discussion about how to find a reputable breeder (there is a lot more information online about this): http://www.dogforums.com/general-dog-forum/7077-finding-good-dog-breeder.html When I select a breed, I make sure I know as much as possible about the breed, including its health and temperament problems, before I visit a breeder. I make sure that I see the written results of any testing that is claimed to have been done on the puppies and their parents. I ask questions to which I already know the answers to weed out breeders who either lie or who disagree with me about various issues with the breed. I do not consider breeds that have genetic, serious health and temperament problems that I think have ruined the breed, because it is extremely difficult to find a puppy who will not have these painful and debilitating problems in the future. I do not buy puppies from puppy mills, backyard breeders, or pet stores. If the breed is among the most popular, that is a very good sign that disreputable breeders are in high supply. My goal is to minimize the risk of painful and/or debilitating future health issues in my dog, to minimize the chance of the dog having a shorter lifespan as a result, and to not incur very expensive vet bills in the future that could have been avoided. I do a lot of research on the breeds and breeders before I buy a dog. I call breeders and talk to them to find out more information. If possible, I talk to owners and go to dog shows to find more people to talk to and dogs to observe. When I visit a breeder, usually at least one of my children is with DH and me. The kids play with the puppies. I talk to the breeder about the breed, I make sure the breeder and I agree on serious issues, I meet the puppies' parents (at least one is on site) and the other dogs in the breeding program, I look at documentation of test results for both puppies and their parents (and further back in the line if possible), and I view the facilities. I observe the available puppies and discuss each one with the breeder. I do not involve my emotions in my choice. Aidan came from a good litter, and all pups being equal, I let the kids choose him. Teddy came from a good litter, and he chose us. I already know what I want before I visit breeders, and I do not deviate from my standard. I know the trade-offs I am willing to make, which are minor because I do not intend to show and breed the dog. For example, I am willing to take a collie who will be larger than breed standard if it has normal eyes, and I will not take a puppy who does not have normal eyes. I am not willing to take any dog that has different colored eyes or blue eyes because that creeps me out. I am not willing to take a collie whose eyes are too small to meet standard IMO, despite the fact that these dogs win championships all the time, because I look at the dog many times a day, and I want to admire its beautiful eyes. The other factor I keep in mind now that I have Aidan (too late for him) is tail docking and ear cropping. If I get a dog in the future whose breed is subject to either of these practices, I will select a breeder and ask them to reserve a puppy for me whose tail is intact (ear cropping is done later). I keep in mind that, no matter what the dog costs, it will cost much more over its lifetime, and I will love it. I am all about minimizing the risk that I get a dog that has foreseeable health or temperament problems. I am also careful to choose a breed that fits into our family well. I will never own some of my favorite breeds because we cannot provide what the dog needs in terms of exercise and work. Edited March 7, 2012 by RoughCollie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I looked at breeder sites and traced where they got their breeder dogs from and researched those sites. I called and talked with the breeders. When I purchased our black and tan puppy I knew his whole line by memory due to the research. Same for our white German Shepherd. I knew his line and had references. His breeder keeps records of health and asked us to report any problems. When our beautiful male died of cancer at age 3 (very very rare type) his breeder immediately offered a new puppy. She gave us the pick of the litter. He is now 9 weeks old and is so smart after being with us only a few days! I'm careful to choose breeders whose dogs are part of their family-- not just cooped up in a kennel. I want the puppies properly socialized BEFORE I get them. Because of schedules, we picked up our current puppy at 8 weeks (4 hour drive). Our last one was picked up at 10 weeks-- what a huge difference-- but our other dog is helping us out and the nipping has stopped. At 9 weeks he sits on command and before he goes outside or back inside, shakes, gives high 5s and leaves the cat alone (the important thing!). We have purchased one GSD that was flown to us (at 10 weeks)-- but the flight was less than 3 hours and he was not traumatized. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.