* Make sure that you research the breed thoroughly before you buy a puppy or dog, never make an impulse purchase and buy the first puppy from the first breeder you find.
* Be honest with the breeder about what you’re looking for when you go to see the puppies or dogs, if you are looking for a show dog then don’t tell the breeder you want a pet because you think this will cost you less. A responsible breeder will sell their French bulldogs as pets with limited registration papers and you will not be able to show your dog without full papers.
* If you buy a frenchie as a pet, then you probably wont be able to show it, the breeder will sell their frenchies as pets if they know the puppy wont meet the strict requirements needed for showing.
* Even if you purchase a dog or puppy for show there is no guarantee that you will be successful, not every show dog has the superior qualities which are needed to win major prizes at the top shows.
* Don’t buy a show dog just for the sake of it, if all you want is a companion then buy a puppy for a pet, they might not meet the exact standards required of the breed but if you bought your puppy from a reputable breeder who does breed show dogs then your companion will be pretty close to meeting the requirements without costing you an arm and leg.
* Make sure that you get yourself a copy of the breed standard and also equip yourself with the knowledge of the problems know to this specific breed.
* If you wish to purchase a dog for showing then attend as many shows as possible before you go looking for a puppy, make sure you know the breed and the colours that are required for showing.
* Even if you don’t intend to show your frenchie it doesn’t hurt to get acquainted with the breed’s standard before you choose your puppy, what better way to learn about the breed than from those who have been breeding and showing frenchies for years.
* Contact and view puppies from as many different breeders as you can before making your final choice.
* Makes sure you take a list with all the questions you want to ask the breeder, a reputable breeder will only be too happy to answer all your questions, they should also ask some questions of you too.
* A breeder who isn’t affiliated with a dog club is no worse than those who are, their puppies and dogs can be just as worthy of the show ring than those belonging to a club.
* Don’t be taken in by breeders who claim their dogs are show worthy but who don’t actually show them, a good breeder will show their dogs and have proof with certificates and trophies of what their dogs are actually capable of. The breeder who claims their dogs are champions without having the proof and who makes the excuse of not having time to show their dogs should be avoided especially if you do want to show the puppy.
* Look for a breeder who has several years of experience in breeding French bulldogs.
* Ask how many litters a year the breeder has and be wary of those who claim they always have litters available, the good breeder will only breed a few litters per year, those who say they always have litters haven’t got the best interests of the dogs at heart only their pockets.
* Does the breeder give you registration papers; health records and micro chip the puppies. A reputable breeder will give you the puppy’s pedigree records and health records. Most breeders know have a micro chip inserted into the puppy very early on, this helps to locate dogs that are lost or stolen.
Labels: French bulldog, pedigrees, pet shop, puppy tips
Every pet shop that sells puppies will assure you that their puppies don’t come from puppy mills but only from the finest breeders who have surplus stock, this is often a downright lie and this is reason alone for you not to buy your puppy from a pet store.
A responsible reputable breeder would never sell their litters to a pet store in the first place, the simple reason for this is that a pet store must by law sell a puppy to anyone who walks in and can pay for the puppy, regardless of if that person can take care of a puppy. A pet shop by law isn’t allowed to screen buyers before selling them a puppy and a responsible breeder always screens potential buyers to assure their puppies only go to good homes.
The pet shop owners and staff are trained on how best to sell their wares and unfortunately this also includes live animals, selling is all that matters regardless of whether the person buying can look after a young puppy or not. Here are two of the lies you should be aware of.
We only buy from local breeders
It doesn’t matter whether the pet shop buys from local breeders or anywhere in the world if the breeder is willing to sell their puppies to a pet store for re-selling then they are irresponsible.
The puppy’s health is guaranteed
Some pet shops will offer a guarantee that the puppy is healthy, all this generally means is that should the unfortunate puppy have some defect or become ill then the pet store will replace the puppy. This however doesn’t help the poor little puppy and many times won’t help the buyer either if they have become attached to the new puppy.
The guarantee doesn’t mean that the puppy is healthy and free from defect or disease all it means is that it will be replaced just as faulty electrical equipment or any other purchase you made that was found to have a defect would be.
While we all feel sorry for the puppy’s in pet shops and stores and many of us want to save them or rescue them from the small cages they are stored in we shouldn’t give into temptation. True, we may rescue one but there will be many more to quickly take their place and we are only helping to feed the industry by buying from them.
Buying from a pet store will * Increase the misery of females being bred time and time again just to supply pet stores with puppy’s.
* Increase the misery of people buying from pet stores only to be heartbroken when the puppy becomes ill or has some serious defect.
* Increase the misery of animal shelters who are flooded with pet shop puppies due to their owners becoming disillusioned with the problems faced them.
