Breeder vs. Shelter or Animal Rescue

Buffy

What is the best place to find Jake or Buffy? There are some things you will want to concern yourself with to ensure that "Buffy" and "Jake" are healthy when deciding where you find your dog, where this be from a breeder or a shelter.

Are their shots current?
- At minimum they should have rabies and distemper.
- Puppies purchased from a breeder at a young age, probably will not have had a rabies shot. They should have DPPH (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus)
Have they been spayed or neutered?
- By six months, both Jake and Buffy should be altered unless you intend to breed your dog.
- If your dog is less than six months old, chances are, Jake is not neutered and Buffy is not spayed.
- Each shelter has different rules about adopting dogs and cats under the age to alter.
  - Most will not adopt their dogs until they are altered.
Ensure they don’t have worms and parasites.
- Whether they’re from the shelter or a breeder, dogs eat myriad of things, including feces (one’s own, other dog’s and cat’s) that give them parasites.
- Don’t assume because your dog is from “a top breeder” he or she is immune to worms and parasites.

If Jake is coming from a breeder, it’s important to visit the breeder to ensure its cleanliness. Breeders, unlike shelters, are not mandated by the same city and state regulatory agencies and some are not very clean or ethical. Some breeders admit to inbreeding – father/daughter, mother/son, brother/sister and see nothing wrong with it. The justification is that it’s all to ensure the “champion blood line” is preserved. If this is the case, you would hate to learn that because of inbreeding Jake or Buffy suffer from:

Hip dysplasia[1]
- Very common in GSDs, Huskies, Akitas and other large breeds.
Neurological problems and has seizures.
- Very common in English Springer Spaniels.
Retinal problems and/or deafness.
- Can occur in any breed.
Can’t breath very well and is prone to allergies and asthma.
- Very common in Pugs.
Overheats easily.
- Very common in Pekingese.

There are myriad of other problems found at breeders, and most of these are found in puppy mills. But these are some examples to look for when you are checking out a breeder. It comes down to something as simple as visiting the breeder. If you are going to just buy one over the internet without seeing the conditions the dogs are kept in or seeing the papers and having the ability to verify this, you’re leaving Jake’s health and well-being up to chance.

Of course you almost never know the history of a dog you’ve fallen in love with at your local shelter. All you can do is take Jake or Buffy to the Vet and have a thorough exam. This is a good suggestion regardless where you decide to get Jake or Buffy.

[1] Is an abnormal formation of the hip socket that, in its more severe form, can eventually cause crippling lameness and painful arthritis of the joints. It is a hip dysplasia continued: polygenic trait that is affected by environmental factors in the production of the final phenotype. It can be found in many animals and occasionally in humans, but is most commonly associated with dogs, and is common in many dog breeds, particularly the larger breeds.

Photo Credits: mikebaird

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