Dogs are Great, but They Don’t Always Come From Great Places
Most people love dogs. They are cute, loyal, and are too pure for this world. Getting a dog should not be a heat of the moment decision. It is very important to do some research before getting a dog.
If you are going to get a dog, NEVER buy your pup from a pet store. Pet stores support puppy mills, which breed for commercial purposes. Puppy mills have no care for the dog itself, but for the money the dog makes them. Dogs from puppy mills are usually stored in overcrowded crates without food or water. The mothers of the puppies are taken away from their babies shortly after giving birth to their litter, and used to reproduce puppies as soon as they recover from giving birth. When these female dogs can no longer be used for reproduction purposes, they are usually killed. Some puppy mill breeders have the mothers’ breed with their sons, if it will make them money. Several breeds of dogs have drastically changed throughout history due to massive inbreeding. Pugs, English Bulldogs, Bull Terriers, Basset Hounds, and Saint Bernards are all breeds that were drastically changed due to inbreeding.
Puppy mills can be either be something that looks like it is out of one of those factory farm horror films, where there is a poorly lit room with the walls filled with crates stacked on top of one another. There are several dogs in these crates, which are only meant to hold one dog, covered in urine, feces, and have no food or water. Their mother is nowhere near by her young pups, because she is being bread with another dog, so she can produce more puppies. Puppy mills can also appear to be normal homes or kennels on the outside, but do the same thing that is listed above.
If you choose to go to a breeder, it is crucial to know certain information. Breeders should be comfortable with you going to their houses, kennel or wherever they bread the dogs. This place should be clean. Never meet with the breeder in a parking lot. Good breeders care about the well-being of the dogs, and stick to breeding one specific type of dog, two tops. You should also be able to meet one or both parents of the liter. Observe the behavior of the dogs and puppies around the breeder. Are the dogs anxious or timid, or are they relaxed and content? The behavior of the dogs around the breeder can be very telling. A good breeder will not let you take a puppy home until he/she is at least 8 weeks old, some breeders wait until the puppies are 12 weeks old.
The best option is to adopt. There are thousands of dogs in shelters waiting to be loved. If you are set on a specific bread of dog, there are several rescue organizations that are breed specific. Most of the dogs in these breed rescues are either surrendered, or saved from puppy mills. You should still do research on the shelter or rescue organization before doing business with them. Just remember to keep your options open when looking for a dog, and whatever you decide to do make sure you are not supporting any shady businesses.