Puppy Sickness

Are You Sure You Want to Buy a Puppy From a Pet Store

If you choose to buy from a pet store, you are most likely buying from a store clerk with minimal or no knowledge about the breed. There will be minimal information on the pup's parents and no information on health testing. Pet stores are not concerned with the health of the sire or dam. There is no thought to possible genetic problems that will make the puppy sick as it gets older. Close line breeding or inbreeding is common since the main objective for pet stores is quantity and sales.

If you bring home a puppy from a pet store, there is a good chance he will not be feeling well from intestinal parasites and probably the vaccination records are not correct or missing altogether. The pet store may offer you a health guarantee but it usually means that if you bring the puppy back, they will replace it with another one. You should be aware that some states have a "Puppy Lemon Law", which provides you with some leverage and protection when dealing with corporate owned pet stores. The pet stores are counting on the fact that by the time you realize the problem, you will have already become attached to the pup and not want to return it. If you do take your sick puppy back to the store, they will probably resell the puppy to some other family or return the pup to the facility that it came from. There is no way they will spend money to make it healthy.

If your new puppy doesn't have serious health problems, you may find there are behavioral problems. You have to remember that these puppies have had no socialization. Many times they are taken from their mother well before they are 8 weeks old. They have lived their entire lives in small cages. The adjustment to a family home and all that entails can be too much for the puppy. Your pup won't be used to something as simple as walking on grass or carpet. Housebreaking can be extremely difficult because the puppy doesn't know anything but his cage. This is especially difficult if the puppy you bring home is a little older. Often the puppies in a pet store are 12-16 weeks old by the time they are bought.

You may want to save a puppy from that small wire cage, but, although your intentions may be good when you buy from a pet store, it is very likely you will have to return the puppy or even give it up to a shelter because of the behavioral problems. The best thing you can do is buy from a reputable breeder. This will take a good bit of research on your part, but it will be worth your time. An even better option is to adopt a puppy from a shelter or rescue. Spread the word to your friends and family so they can save themselves the heartbreak of a pet store puppy.

Joseph M. Sabol is a world class Doberman breeder. Please go to http://petvitamins4u.com or to http://theroadhousedobes.com for further information.

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