Has Anyone Ever Bought A Puppy From An Online Breeder?

[komondorok]

OMG, that website is really, really bad. Most of the listings do not even state DOB and many are not registered. OMG:Wow. Each puppy must be of 'puppy quality?'

She isn't familiar with her 'breeders' in any way and requires next to nothing to place puppies on this site. She also breeds 1/2 a dozen breeds herself.

No standards here whatsoever. Please do not support these backyard breeders.

Agree to spay or neuter if the CLIENT wants it? What the heck??

"Puppy quality" (whatever that is) puppies should have a mandatory spay/neuter policies. The breeder should demand spaying/neutering. Not the client

 

[poohandwendy]

Agree to spay or neuter if the CLIENT wants it? What the heck??

"Puppy quality" (whatever that is) puppies should have a mandatory spay/neuter policies. The breeder should demand spaying/neutering. Not the client

Exactly. I cannot think of a more glaring example of puppymill/backyard breeding than that web site. Seriously.

 

[poohandwendy]

And for the ones that are listed as 'registered'...registered where? Macy's?

 

[komondorok]

And for the ones that are listed as 'registered'...registered where? Macy's?

Nah - that is too fancy. Wal-Mart

 

[MickeyMouseGal]

And for the ones that are listed as 'registered'...registered where? Macy's?

I once had a pup come into the clinic where I was working with "National Mixed Breed Dog Registry" papers. Seriously, WTH???
Basically for about $20, you could give the puppy a 'registered' name and get a certificate back with the pup's name and a 'registration number'. What a scam!

 

[poohandwendy]

Nah - that is too fancy. Wal-Mart

 

[poohandwendy]

I once had a pup come into the clinic where I was working with "National Mixed Breed Dog Registry" papers. Seriously, WTH???
Basically for about $20, you could give the puppy a 'registered' name and get a certificate back with the pup's name and a 'registration number'. What a scam!

That is so true. You really have to be careful when choosing an animal and a breeder. I am sure there have been people who have been 'lucky' with sites like this...you know what? My dog is from the Humane Society and I was just as lucky, he is a great dog. But when you are looking for a purebred animal, you just do not leave it up to luck. Especially when you are talking about hundreds of dollars and potential health issues that come with disreputable breeding.

 

[komondorok]

I once had a pup come into the clinic where I was working with "National Mixed Breed Dog Registry" papers. Seriously, WTH???
Basically for about $20, you could give the puppy a 'registered' name and get a certificate back with the pup's name and a 'registration number'. What a scam!

There are several "registries" out there that were set up specifically for puppy mills to be able to claim their puppies are registered.

The puppymills/petshop industry created them when the AKC implemented the new DNA rules. Since breeders now have to supply DNA samples after x amount of litters, this was too cost prohibitive for the prolific breeding practices of the puppymill/backyard breeders - so forget AKC. They just created their own "registry."

The CKC or Continental Kennel Club (not the CKC Canadian Kennel club which is legit) is one of them.

 

[MickeyMouseGal]

Another thing that irks me about this site is that it makes a point of saying how tiny and small the puppies are going to be at maturity. Sorry, but a 4 pound Dachshund is not normal. Neither is a 6 pound Pug. Almost all of the 'teacups' I've seen over the years are riddled with health problems. Many of them are hypoglycemia (which can be fatal), hydrocephalic, have severe patella luxations, hepatic shunts, etc. Why everyone wants a dog the size of a gerbil I'll never understand.

 

[MickeyMouseGal]

Beautiful dogs btw Komondorok!
I've been out of showing for about 8 years, but only two more months until Walter hits the ring!

 

[Honu]

Sorry, off topic. I hope this doesn't come across rude. I see one of these dogs on my way to work quite often and my curiosity is peaked. What is the appeal of growing the long dreads? Wouldn't the dog be more comfortable with a shorter cut?

 

[komondorok]

Beautiful dogs btw Komondorok!
I've been out of showing for about 8 years, but only two more months until Walter hits the ring!

Thanks.

Since both dogs are finished, we are taking a break from the ring.

Walter is absolutely adorable. But I don't envy you with a Golden. You need a truckload of dogs to make a major in most regions, don't you? I watch the Golden classes (cause they are such gorgeous dogs!) and it seems like it takes forever to finish each class. With the Komondor - we are lucky to have 5 in a class - so I get to the show, and am in and out in half an hour

Here's hoping Walter goes back to back with 5 point majors!!

Ronniejo66 -
I noticed you took the puppykiss.com link out of your post. I am sorry if we offended you and am sure that most of us are happy for you that you had a good experience. But for those of us really involved in the dog world, that site is absolutely, downright scary!

Much luck with your dog! Hoping he brings you a lifetime of happiness!

 

[komondorok]

Sorry, off topic. I hope this doesn't come across rude. I see one of these dogs on my way to work quite often and my curiosity is peaked. What is the appeal of growing the long dreads? Wouldn't the dog be more comfortable with a shorter cut?

Not rude at all. Sometimes I wonder myself why we keep the cords. But since we show, the breed standard states that a Komondor must be fully corded by the time it is two years old.

Also, this is one of the most distinctive parts of why this breed was developed - so it is not just for looks - the cords serve a very important purpose for the Kom. This is a very old breed and the cords were developed partly as a protective coat for the dog. The komondor is a livestock guardian dog, so it was bred to lay with a flock of sheep and protect it from predators. It does not herd, it just protects. When a wolf, bear or other predator comes looking for dinner, it finds one of the sheep has very, very big teeth. The cords protect the dog from a predator's bite. The predator gets a mouthful of cords, not the throat or other part of the dog.

And actually, the cords keep the dog well insulated - so cool in the summer and warm in the winter. There is a lot of air trapped between the cords, so it is a good insulator.

That said, the cords are a pain in the neck to maintain. My dogs take about 3 hours to wash and over 24 hours to dry - in crates with multiple fans blowing on them, in the humidity free climate of Colorado. Many komondor owners do shave down their dogs, or keep them in very short cords to cut down on the maintenance.

 

[katerkat]

My neighbor recently bought a black pug off the internet, because even with shipping it was cheaper than a breeder up here. He seems OK so far, and I know she had a LOT of contact with the breeder before buying him.

As for the shipping, he didn't seem adversely affected. And I've also put my cats in cargo (going to my parents for 7 weeks) and they got over it within 24 hours. Oddly, my "braver" cat was more freaked by the whole experience.

 

[Honu]

Cool. Thanks. My border collie thinks all white dogs are sheep that have escaped the flock.

 

[MickeyMouseGal]

Walter is absolutely adorable. But I don't envy you with a Golden. You need a truckload of dogs to make a major in most regions, don't you? I watch the Golden classes (cause they are such gorgeous dogs!) and it seems like it takes forever to finish each class. With the Komondor - we are lucky to have 5 in a class - so I get to the show, and am in and out in half an hour

Here's hoping Walter goes back to back with 5 point majors!!

I think in Goldens right now it's about 20 dogs for a major.
Some of the smaller shows will only have a few entered, but it depends of course! Big shows like the Louisville cluster will have 30 to 40 in the open class alone! We'll probably show there for practice in the puppy classes, but that's not a show I anticipate winning BOB anytime soon!
My Cardigan Welsh Corgi had just the opposite problem. At the time, we were showing in the deep south and couldn't find any competition. It would usually be us and one or two specials. I would pay the entry fee only to have no competition (and no points) and then wouldn't even get to go into the group ring because there was a special! Grrrr!

 

[komondorok]

Thanks.

Awwwww yorkies . . .we are looking at the yorktese/morkie puppies . . .

Just curious OP -
And I am seriously not trying to be rude, but what is the draw to paying $1,100.00 (morkie on the puppkiss website) for a mutt? Just don't want to see you get scammed for a lot of money from a not-so-reputable breeder type.

You might be better off getting either the yorkie or the maltese from a reputable breeder. When you get the purebred dog - you know what you are getting. You can research the health issues for the lines that your breeder is breeding, you can research the dog's history, and you can be reasonably sure your dog will follow the breed standards and will look like what it is supposed to when it grows up. With a mutt, you have no idea what the dog will look like when it grows up, nor can you resonably predict what kind of health issues you might end up with.

To get started researching breeds, start with AKC.org. Look up the breeds you are interested in. Under each breed, the website for the national breed club will be listed. This is a great place to start research. The experts are the ones who belong to the breed club! They can give you lists of reputable breeders in your area and answer just about any question you have about the breed.

There are cases where there might not be a dog that is a good fit for your family in your area. Some reputable breeders do ship. Done properly, it can be just fine. Just make sure that you have done all your research. The more research you do, the more familiar you will become with the breed you want.

There was a great suggestion earlier about visiting a show to meet reputable breeders. To find a show, AKC lists them: http://www.akc.org/events/search/index.cfm?action=refresh_index&active_tab_row=1&active_tab_col=2
Other good places to look for a show is:
www.infodog.com
www.onofrio.com
www.jbradshaw.com
www.royjonesdogshows.com
www.raudogshows.com.
I know I am missing some, but it is getting late. When you find a show that is close to you, you can look in the program and see what time and what ring the breeds you want to look at are showing.

Word of warning though - don't try to talk to a breeder right before they go into the ring. They are concentrating on the job they have to do and usually are not at their chattiest. Most breeders would be happy to talk to you when the breed is finished, or back by their set up. Also, don't pet any dogs without asking first. Some of the grooming takes hours and a hand in it could ruin a hard morning's work.

 

[Planogirl]

OP, aren't you glad you asked now?

Truthfully, do your research first. You'll likely be better off and good luck!

 

[lil mermaid]

Oh my gosh this "breeder" is seriously disturbing! NO REPUTABLE BREEDER has multiple breeds of dogs. These are called backyard breeders and are unscrupulous! No wonder her adoption fees include "shipping" she doesn't want anyone to see the conditions these dogs are kept in! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do your research and do not support a backyard breeder.

ITA - it is a puppy mill.

 

[hiwaygal]

For the OP...and anyone else looking for a dog from a QUALITY breeder...

Obviously, many of us are very aware of the problems backyard breeders, puppymills, and brokers cause. And we continually tell folks considering a pup to research the breeder...but often folks don't know how! They don't know the questions to ask, or what should be asked of them.

I want to give a couple of links so you will know what to ask, what to look for, and what to consider:

Questions to ask a breeder

From Dog Breed Info

From the Humane Society

Help with finding a dog

About Dog Registries and Kennel Clubs

There is SOOOO much information out there!

My two basenji's are purebred RESCUES! I got them from a basenji rescue group. I paid $400 for BOTH of them! There is NO REASON to pay more than $500 for any dog, unless you are going to show them. Most folks aren't, so a rescued dog from a local shelter or a recognized breed group is a great way to save a life!

Good luck finding a companion who will change your life for the better!