.com Forum · Real Show Dogs

Okay so my roommate and I have been discussing what she may want in a dog. I have been her some pointer on finding the right breed/breeder/puppy for her. I pushed a shelter until I was blue in the face but she is set on a pure bred pup. So whats my problem now? She doesn't want to go to a "breeder" because they charge to much. She think that backyard bred puppies are way "nicer". I can't seem to get it through her head that BYB dogs are not the way to go. I was hoping that maybe some of yall may have some more advice to pass on to her during her choosing process.

Much thanks.

-Ande @ Little River GSDs

Nicer in what capacity? Does your roommate realize that having a dog, purebred or not, is a commitment? If she thinks breeders charge "too much", will she be able to afford basic health care and other necessities for a dog? Scare her with the truth. Wherever she gets it from, it's not a joke.

I guess she can read:
www.woodhavenlabs.com/comparison.html

eta speaking of health care, you might want to present a case about the health of some of these BYB pets. Not so cheap in the long run if the dog were to come up with problems.

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Last edited by Leotyde Kennels on 8/8/2014 1:14:27 PM

A good breeder has an investment of time and money into their breeding stock. They have spent money doing health testing on their dogs to be sure they are producing the healthiest puppies possible. I gladly pay more for puppies that have parents with health clearances appropriate for the breed.

Good breeders are also a resource long after the puppies go into homes, available for questions and assistance.

Just think, you are spending money on a puppy that will hopefully be a part of your life for 12 or more years! It is worth a little extra money for the assurance that everything has been done to stack the deck in your favor for a healthy, happy puppy.

(My vet has 4 dogs, 3 rescues and one from a very reputable breeder. She says the one from the breeder is the only one not on some form of daily medication, and is far the healthiest of the bunch! Healthy dogs have fewer vet bills.)

If she's thinking reputable breeders charge too much, then I wonder if she's even taken into account the financial expenses involved in the general care and maintenence of a puppy? Additionally, I'm guessing she is currently in school...does she have the time to properly attend to the pup? I would maybe bring up those issues.

I also wonder what she means by "nicer?" Knowing what she means might help people tailor advice to her situation and needs.

Yes, I've seen some sad incidents happen with friends that ended up doing the impulse buy even after asking how to start the search for a dog; dogs with the exact temperaments/size/coat issues that they were hoping to avoid, but tbh, nothing really seemed to sway any of them until after the fact.

I used to be really intense about my suggestions, but this whole "I want advice on getting a dog but then I did the exact opposite of everything that you suggested" thing happened so many times that now I give a very honest opinion, tell folks what I did personally to get my dogs, and then I shut up, lol.

In fact, what I found has made a bigger difference than anything is just quietly enjoying/taking pride in my dogs and allowing them to be ambassadors for their breed. Two of them do/did know lots of cute and goofy tricks, and hey, not to toot their horns, but they were/are pretty nice to look at, and for some reason people freaking LOVE watching cute dogs do "stupid pet tricks." Suddenly the dog is a personality to people and they start imagining what it would be like to have a dog like that. Obviously any dog can learn to do tricks like this, and their ability to do them has very little to do with where they came from, but because they are seeing it in the moment, and there aren't necessarily a ton of dogs out there that look like them and do tricks, people are intrigued and they start asking you questions and then you get to say, "Oh, I went to so and so, a really amazing breeder who has been working with this breed for this long, and her dogs do X,Y,Z." " Anyway, the point is that now instead of being a lecturer, I'm a conversationalist, and it's generally a conversation that *they* initiated, instead of me. No one has to feel like they are defending themselves or out to prove something.

If she's open to the experience, you might take her to a dog show; some people get a kick out of them and have a great time; they get sucked in and then they end up liking the idea of going to a breeder.

The other thing you could do is see if she's interested in looking at a purebred rescue organization?

Edited for clarity.

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Last edited by ShoStopper on 8/9/2014 2:42:55 PM

Thank you all for your informative responses. I should've clarified. When she said "nicer" she meant temperament wise.

I have been talking with her since I've posted this and I seem to have gotten her into the idea of a shelter with stories of my shelter boy. But she is going with me to a local dog show coming up and there I hope to get her to meet some actually breeder who look to improve the breed not make money off it.

Financially she is set to have a dog. That was a big issue we discussed. She is used to only paying 100-250 for a BYB pup so when she saw the prices I was looking at she was caught by surprise. I explained these puppies were much healthier. They were bred for a reason, not just for the money.

Any other info is much welcomed. Sorry my post is short. In a rush to get to work.