Sigh...pet Shops.

[Lillynix]

Ahh yes, pet shops. There's a notorious one in Hobart that charges $1000 or more for it's cross breeds, lab x poodle, matese x shih tszu (sorry for spelling!) Etc etc but worst of all is the ads on TV for "Tasmania's own Labrodoodle"!

[jakeyjangels]

makes me so angry

Me too

[toy dog]

you'd think with all the technology today with info on the net and how well informed society today is that people like this would know better and not be fooled. they can say anything and people believe them which is what is clearly happening with these cross breed dogs today.

i went into a petshop a few months ago as i know they always have a couple of pups in there it always makes me so upset so for some reason i go in this shop again one day on my walks and low and behold they have about 20 pups running around, all saying cross this and that no prices.

a shop assistant came up to me and said can i help you, i said where do all these pups come from? sort of acting like i don't know much. she goes from breeders. i said not puppy farmers or farms? she goes oh no we would never source pups from a farm. i said, isn't breeders who breed cross breeds the same as puppy farms they have the same dogs? (its the same bloody thing!!! big or small they are still puppy farmers farming their dogs!!! i didn't say that though) she goes no they are family breeders. i said oscars law, she goes oh yeah we've had many people quoting that.

its like as though she saying oh thats rubbish, like as though she hasn't a clue. its just all mad people shouting oscars law. there's a message in that trying to warn the public don't buy from petshops or backyard breeders we have enough in shelters.

grrrrrrr always gets my dander up. i now try and steer people clear of going in that petshop as its the only one around in the city. the industy im in, there are several thousand of people involved so i have a wide audience.

[lucknow]

Bloody Pet Shops..

We had a 9 week old British Bulldog in at 3am the other day with a URTI.

Owner had 'researched' aussie bulldogs for a year until daughter saw this (extremely cute) pup ina petshop and apparently this was 'the one'.

Pup scanned to confirm microchip on sale and none was found, all paperwork was 'lost' but would be posted to her, oh and by the way, if when she took pup to a vet for vaccinations they couldnt find the chip 'just bill it to the shop'.

Poor owner was stoked that she had found dog of her dreams, and white to boot (already had dermatitis on his face and she had no idea so research was obviously limited).

Nothing sadly, was too out of the ordinary so far until vet told me papers showed sale price of $3000!!!

For an unchipped (and given no chip when he supposedly done, and no paperwork, presumably unvaccinated) pup with a respiratory infection 2 days after purchase, I can only say OMG!.

[Maddy]

Ahh yes, pet shops. There's a notorious one in Hobart that charges $1000 or more for it's cross breeds, lab x poodle, matese x shih tszu (sorry for spelling!) Etc etc but worst of all is the ads on TV for "Tasmania's own Labrodoodle"!

I know the one you mean and.. yeah..

For a while there, they were advertising in other places and the list of dogs and breeds available was just unbelievable.

We have a chain pet store up in Launceston that's very similar. The last time I ventured in there, it was staffy x chi puppies :rolleyes:

[toy dog]

Bloody Pet Shops..

Nothing sadly, was too out of the ordinary so far until vet told me papers showed sale price of $3000!!!

eeeekkkk some people must have more money than brains.

[bedazzledx2]

It strikes me that registered ANKC breeders are terrible marketers! . Many of my clients have purchased pet shop puppies and the most recent was a baby shih tzu x something. It was supposed to be 7 weeks but I reckon it would be lucky to be 6 weeks old

Now these people are nice, average, well educated people who are not short of a dollar and wanted to get a friend for their other pet shop girl who is now around 4 years old. I asked them why they bought their puppy from a pet shop rather than a breeder and their response is fairly typical to what you get from Joe and Jane Public.

"We don't want to show so we didn't go to a show dog breeder" We don't want to do competition stuff so we didn't go to that sort of breeder either" We just wanted a nice pet so we went to a pet shop...why wouldn't you?, after all, look at 'Fluffy' she was from a pet shop and she's been a great dog"

Many, many people want a small, fluffy dog and the Maltese/Shitzu (deliberate sp ;)) fits the bill and thats what they see every time they go past the pet shop at the shopping center. Of course there is the impulse buy which is what they depend on and exactly what good breeders don't want to foster.

The problem is many fold.

A biggie is that people are simply unaware that there is a difference between being registered with a State and National Kennel Club and the code of ethics that go with that, and a backyard breeder and some may even see breeders as puppy farmers.

What is the incentive to go buy a puppy from a registered breeder??? Bear in mind that Mr and Mrs Public have been told ad infinitum by the gardener, along with some vets and the media that pure breeds are full of health problems and cross breeds don't have these health problems.

Its all very well to sit back and say people are stupid and this type of forum is preaching to the converted but is there a solution? I believe there is and I think it needs to be in the form of education. We need to be mindful of what most people want and to try to use the media to make them aware of the advantages of buying a pure breed from a registered breeder.

BTW I am not a breeder but have a great respect for those that are.

[Brennan's Mum]

I can't even bear to look at the pet selling pet store in my local mall. If I have to pass it I hurry past it. Normally it's easy to pass without seeing the poor animals. There is generally a small crowd of people looking at the ''Cute little puppies and kitties''. Last time I did see the animals in there they had 2 Siberian Husky pups in the small window cage

[Liath]

Last time I was in a pet shop, I made sure to tell everyone looking at the 'cute' puppies that i paid half the price for my fluff ball and she is pure breed with papers!

[Dogsrawesome]

Last time I was in a pet shop, I made sure to tell everyone looking at the 'cute' puppies that i paid half the price for my fluff ball and she is pure breed with papers!

Good on you

I seen people in a petshop holding a cattle dog pup saying oh they are so cute and i asked if i could have a pat and i said politely that they need plenty of interaction or they will destroy your house.

[mumtoshelley]

Sometimes I wish owners had to do a course on how to care for pets etc, Where given a robot one that indicates and holds data like if it was feed,watered,walked every day,trained etc. Then if they pass that,then they go volunter at the pound for a month. Then taken to puppy farmers and told about backyard breeders and pet shops. I also then wish they had licencing for dogs just like they do for reptiles. Then I reckon the local council should have the right to knock and check everyones yard/house and ask for proper paperwork if they have a animal on there property. Just like my auntie she got given her dog from a friend, Back then my auntie worked all the time had no time for a dog yet she still took it. She took it knowing quite well she wasn't allowed pets where she was, The landlord luckly didn't kick her out or told her to get rid of the dog. My auntie just has no respect for other people.

[toy dog]

It strikes me that registered ANKC breeders are terrible marketers! . Many of my clients have purchased pet shop puppies and the most recent was a baby shih tzu x something. It was supposed to be 7 weeks but I reckon it would be lucky to be 6 weeks old

Now these people are nice, average, well educated people who are not short of a dollar and wanted to get a friend for their other pet shop girl who is now around 4 years old. I asked them why they bought their puppy from a pet shop rather than a breeder and their response is fairly typical to what you get from Joe and Jane Public.

"We don't want to show so we didn't go to a show dog breeder" We don't want to do competition stuff so we didn't go to that sort of breeder either" We just wanted a nice pet so we went to a pet shop...why wouldn't you?, after all, look at 'Fluffy' she was from a pet shop and she's been a great dog"

Many, many people want a small, fluffy dog and the Maltese/Shitzu (deliberate sp ;)) fits the bill and thats what they see every time they go past the pet shop at the shopping center. Of course there is the impulse buy which is what they depend on and exactly what good breeders don't want to foster.

The problem is many fold.

A biggie is that people are simply unaware that there is a difference between being registered with a State and National Kennel Club and the code of ethics that go with that, and a backyard breeder and some may even see breeders as puppy farmers.

What is the incentive to go buy a puppy from a registered breeder??? Bear in mind that Mr and Mrs Public have been told ad infinitum by the gardener, along with some vets and the media that pure breeds are full of health problems and cross breeds don't have these health problems.

Its all very well to sit back and say people are stupid and this type of forum is preaching to the converted but is there a solution? I believe there is and I think it needs to be in the form of education. We need to be mindful of what most people want and to try to use the media to make them aware of the advantages of buying a pure breed from a registered breeder.

BTW I am not a breeder but have a great respect for those that are.

you've got a good point and i agree. some are not that approachable. when we were looking for a pom puppy from breeders i got 2 who slammed the phone down on me and i wanted a show dog so can you imagine how they would have treated pet people! so rude. not a good reputation for reg breeders, guaranteed to turn anyone off enough to go to a petshop or backyarder.

hence why i have written 2 articles on the subject and tell anyone that will listen about the pitfalls of petshop pups also try and grab people who enquire through my website i get several people each week. also have a rescue dog that i use to promote and i sometimes ride the trains with him and tell people about shelter dogs and dogs like my Jake. i've inspired 3 people to get rescue dogs themselves through my jake. equally i also promote reg breeders and what we are about.

riding the train with a well behaved dog is very interesting i've had people come up and ask if he is a seeing eye dog as he sits under my seat (dogs are allowed on the trains as long as they are contained and muzzled) and then others come up and tell me about their dogs and it creates conversation.

i am thinking of writing a pamplet to do a letter drop with, something about puppy farms and reg breeds and to go to dogsvic etc.

Edited May 29, 2011 by toy dog

[mita]

We've talked often on DOL about the need for facts about the benefits of getting pets from registered breeders to get to the public. One example, I'd like to see informative material handed out to the public, in those pet supplies stores that refuse, on principle, to sell puppies & kittens.

So many pet people do not know what they're missing out on.

A while back, I was in a pet store getting some item only available there.

The assistant asked me what dogs I have. When I said 'Tibetan Spaniels', her face lit up.

'You'll be so pleased to know that we're getting in some Tibetan Spaniel X.....!' She never finished the sentence. I pointed out that was appalling, watering down one of the finest, well developed breeds & selling them to people whose only screening was that they had the money to pay.

At the same time, I knew excellent registered breeders who had puppies & older dogs for adoption....to only well screened homes. And the prices were nothing like the highly inflated prices being charged for the crosses from god knows where, in the pet-shop.

When walking our 2 tibbies, I'm continually approached by strangers who admire them. And then express surprise that it's possible to get such lovely purebreds....as pets. They think pedigree dogs are for showing.

Edited May 30, 2011 by mita

[lucknow]

I also then wish they had licencing for dogs just like they do for reptiles.

I agree with you regarding instruction for caring for dogs. My only point is that we already have a system in place the same as licencing for reptiles.

Apply by mail, dont need to show any knowledge of husbandry requirements or ability/wish to meet these, pay an annual fee and off you go!

I kept licenced snakes, lizards, birds and frogs for over 10 years with no checks whatsoever. Paid my fee and off i went.

Rather like dog ownership.

[Olivebaby]

Hi. I am just reading all these posts. My Labrador pup is 17 weeks old. I bought her from a registered breeder in NSW. She comes with full papers for breeding. I would like to breed from her as she is just so gorgeous but would i be considered a 'backyard breeder'. Of course I would use a stud dog with papers etc. But yer was just wondering whether it is frowned upon if you breed from a pedigree that has not been in shows etc. What is the breeding etiquette in other words? Thanks :-)

[budgiew]

Olivebaby- The papers you get with your pup from a registered breeder is a warranty or guarantee;as much as one could warranty a live animal. This shows that the dog is from pure breed ancestors and has been screened for diseases .Also it is i think a contract that if there are problems with the dog then you may get assistance from the breeder after sale.If you were to breed your dog with another registered dog ,and register the puppies and sell with papers then you are not a byb.That is how i interpret it;i am not a dog breeder.If say you were to breed your dog with the labrador down the road ,you would not know if the dog had other breeds in its ancestry and selling the pups without papers and health screening that could be interpreted as backyard breeding . If i am incorrect in my interpretation someone please let me know.

[Maddy]

Sometimes I wish owners had to do a course on how to care for pets etc, Where given a robot one that indicates and holds data like if it was feed,watered,walked every day,trained etc. Then if they pass that,then they go volunter at the pound for a month. Then taken to puppy farmers and told about backyard breeders and pet shops. I also then wish they had licencing for dogs just like they do for reptiles. Then I reckon the local council should have the right to knock and check everyones yard/house and ask for proper paperwork if they have a animal on there property. Just like my auntie she got given her dog from a friend, Back then my auntie worked all the time had no time for a dog yet she still took it. She took it knowing quite well she wasn't allowed pets where she was, The landlord luckly didn't kick her out or told her to get rid of the dog. My auntie just has no respect for other people.

I really have to disagree with this sort of attitude towards dog ownership, for several reasons.

First up (and perhaps most importantly) is the flawed idea that more legislation will make Joe Public behave nicely. As has been proven time and again (to our detriment) ownership laws do little to prevent the bad owners and serve only to make things harder on those who do the right thing.

Then, there's the powers that would have be bestowed upon animal management officers to achieve total compliance- some government employee with the authority to search my house and yard without any process in place to protect the public? No thanks.

Further regulation and berating the general public isn't going to bring about any positive change. For positive change, there needs to be education (with a focus on how to do things right, rather than why everything is wrong) and incentive needs to be provided for people to do the right thing. Buy your dog from a pound or rescue? Get a discount on registration. Desex your dog or own a desexed dog, further discount on your registration. Attend dog training or socialisation (or education) programs/groups, another discount. Help people do the right thing, rather than just whinging and demanding laws when people make inapprioriate decisions.

There's just no point making new laws when people won't understand the point of those laws or why they're in place.

[lovemesideways]

Hi. I am just reading all these posts. My Labrador pup is 17 weeks old. I bought her from a registered breeder in NSW. She comes with full papers for breeding. I would like to breed from her as she is just so gorgeous but would i be considered a 'backyard breeder'. Of course I would use a stud dog with papers etc. But yer was just wondering whether it is frowned upon if you breed from a pedigree that has not been in shows etc. What is the breeding etiquette in other words? Thanks :-)

So you want to breed your 17 week old puppy because she is "pretty"? And you don't want to show her? .... So why do you want to breed her? I can't imagine any reputable lab breeder would want to breed their prize stud dog to a bitch that hasnt been shown and whose owner wants to breed her cause she's pretty.

I also can't imagine that a reputable breeder would sell a puppy to be bred without being shown ect first... All sounds pretty unbelievable to me.

[iltby]

Hi. I am just reading all these posts. My Labrador pup is 17 weeks old. I bought her from a registered breeder in NSW. She comes with full papers for breeding. I would like to breed from her as she is just so gorgeous but would i be considered a 'backyard breeder'. Of course I would use a stud dog with papers etc. But yer was just wondering whether it is frowned upon if you breed from a pedigree that has not been in shows etc. What is the breeding etiquette in other words? Thanks :-)

Yes, that would be backyard breeding.

[casowner]

Hi. I am just reading all these posts. My Labrador pup is 17 weeks old. I bought her from a registered breeder in NSW. She comes with full papers for breeding. I would like to breed from her as she is just so gorgeous but would i be considered a 'backyard breeder'. Of course I would use a stud dog with papers etc. But yer was just wondering whether it is frowned upon if you breed from a pedigree that has not been in shows etc. What is the breeding etiquette in other words? Thanks :-)

Many registered breeders do not show their dogs, however unless you are registered with your canine association it would be considered backyard breeding. I suggest contacting your breeder for guidance and /or mentoring so that you can make informed decisions