Exercise 3 revised “How Much Is that Puppy in Window” Really?
While I was growing up, I remember my Dad taking me to the local pet store. They always had puppies in the windows, and I was allowed to take them into the play rooms and play with them. I knew that I would never be allowed to take one home, but I always looked. Even if I saved my allowance for three years, I would never be able to afford one of those puppies. They ranged anywhere from $700 to $1500. Although occasionally there would be a sale and the puppies would be as low as $500.
What I did not know as a child was the high price often hid a variety of possible problems. I only saw the cute puppy I wanted to take home, but buying a puppy from a pet store is a bad idea. Many pet stores purchase their puppies from puppy brokers who originally purchased the puppies from breeders. The original breeder may have charged anywhere from $300-$500 for their puppies. As a result, the puppy broker must increase the sale of the puppy to make a profit. The same thing happens when the pet store purchases the puppy resulting in exorbitant inflation of price for what is at best a pet quality puppy.
A pet store does not have control over the quality of dog it receives and as a result they may be selling puppies with questionable genetic health. Someone who breeds exclusively to sell puppies to brokers or pet stores is generally not concerned with breed standards. Since they sell all their puppies for a set fee, they usually do not have the knowledge or the experience to recognize the difference between a show quality dog and pet quality dog. That difference simply does not matter because it will not bring in more money. They do not know who purchased their animals so they are unable to know if a certain mating produced bad or defective puppies. These puppies may suffer from genetic conditions, health conditions, temperament issues, or socialization issues.
Why would you want to pay $700-$1500 for a pet quality puppy when you could get a champion or show quality puppy for the same price? Why pay two to three times as much to get a puppy with a questionable genetic history, which may have aggression or health issues later on life?
There are other options besides pet stores if one is searching for a pure bred dog. Humane Societies and Animal Control Agencies frequently have purebred dogs who have either been found running stray or have been surrendered by their owners. Pure Breed Dog Rescues exist simply to re-home displaced dogs. There are also Responsible Breeders who focus on producing quality animals.
It has become significantly easier to locate a responsible breeder with the advent of the internet. Simply perform a web search to find a list of dog breeders, their contact information, or their websites. After the information has been located simply contact the breeder and ask questions. Quality dog breeders rely on their reputation and referrals, and past buyers are good sources reference checks. A responsible breeder has nothing to hide and will let a buyer meet the parents and see the see the conditions in which the puppies were raised.
Quality dog breeding is not an impersonal business. They know their breed, the breed standards, and what to look for in their puppies because prices are based on quality. For example some show quality puppies can sell for anywhere from $1500-$3200. Breeders keep track of their puppies and their lines, particularly if the puppies are show quality. Championships and high placings on the show circuit bring prestige to a breeder’s line, and the demand for their line will increase.
On the bright side a pet class puppy could be priced as low as $300, sometimes less depending on the breed and the age of the puppy. A flop ear, wrong colored eyes, wrong fur texture, rough gait are all things that would disqualify a puppy from show standards. However, that does not mean these puppies are defective they are just not what someone wanting to show would purchase.
Purchasing a puppy from a pet store is a bad idea. It is financially unsound and opens the buyer up to a variety of possible problems. It simply does not make sense to pay more for something when it could be purchased at a higher quality and for a lower price.
