 Commercial Breeders & Pet Store Puppies
If you find a breeder that is selling their pet puppies at prices extremely low compared to other show breeders "BEWARE". And if they offer those same pet puppies with full AKC registration at a higher price, you will know immediately you are NOT dealing with a reputable breeder. A responsible/reputable breeder will not sell their AKC show puppies without co-ownership and a contract to make sure that the buyer will show the puppy to their AKC Championship and not just breed the dog to make a profit. The breeder will mentor the buyer in order to make sure the new breeder will work to improve the breed with health testing and careful planning in their breeding program.
The breeders who sell their puppies with full AKC registration and breeding rights are breeding for PROFIT only! They usually have multiple breeds that they breed and produce puppies from. They have no concern for the numbers they produce, who they sell to, or the quality they produce. They do not do genetic health testing appropriate for the breeds they breed. They do not breed dogs that are correct for the Standards. They usually do not show their dogs in AKC conformation events and have no interest in obtaining AKC Championships on their dogs. If they are producing a mass amount of puppies that they can sell at very, low, low prices, then this is a breeder you need to beware of............
The dogs live (generally) in cramped quarters, have no socialization skills, usually not fed proper diets, do not receive proper vet care, etc. It is not unusual for pet store puppies to have behavioral issues & medical issues from puppy hood to adulthood. Housebreaking can also be harder. It is common practice for them to *dual-register* puppies... all this means is they register with 2 registries: generally AKC and some *other* registry, just incase they are suspended from AKC for their breeding records, or if they get *caught* registering puppies to parents they don’t belong to. This is why these types of breeders are so much AGAINST DNA registering.
Commercial dog breeders can sell directly to a Pet Store, Broker, or the general public. If they sell to the general public, a lot of them are getting smarter on how to answer questions people are asking. To legally sell to a Pet Store, a commercial dog breeder MUST be USDA licensed. So beware when you see a breeder that states he is USDA licensed as that means they are a commercial breeder.
"Beware Don't Be Fooled"
If you are searching for a Havanese puppy and the breeder states the puppy is registered with another registry other than AKC, it should make you aware you are not dealing with a reputable breeder.
Many of these registries were started after AKC instituted the Frequently Used Sires (FUS) requirment of DNA testing to verify the parentage of litters from frequently used sires. Some litters have been turned down by the AKC because of violation of this requirement and many other breeders are boycotting AKC as they cannot meet AKC's more stringent requirements for breeders. Anyone can register their dog with these alternative kennel clubs. If you are going to pay alot of money for a dog, make sure you are getting a true AKC purebred dog.
Some of the registries have similar or the same initals as the older, well established registries. This causes confusion for consumers. Don't be fooled and do your homework. Below are some examples of alternative registries.
ACA (American Canine Association)
APR (American Purebred Registry)
APRI (America`s Pet Registry Inc.)
ARU (Animal Registry Unlimited)
CKC (Continental Kennel Club)
CKC (Canine Kennel Club)
FIC (Federation of International Canines)
NAPDR (North American Purebred Dog Registry)
USKC (United States Kennel Club)
WKC (World Kennel Club)
WWKC (World Wide Kennel Club)
Pet Store Puppies
Holiday shopping looms and pet stores are ready with a supply of puppies. Prices may seem a bit high, but plastic money is accepted at the check-out counter. The puppies are playful, have quick tongues that lavish kisses on happy faces, and are AKC registered.
The staff is eager to put a wiggly bundle of fur into a customer's arms. The customer is reluctant to put that squirmy, loving puppy back into that tiny display cage with the wire bottom.
So the puppy goes home with the happy family. All may be well; the puppy may grow into just the dog the customer wanted -- easily housetrained, gentle with the baby, playful with the older children, a quiet companion for the adults, a healthy, easily-trained pooch that readily fits family and lifestyle.
Or all may not be well; the pup may be high-strung, destructive, impossible to housetrain, disobedient, nippy, and unhealthy.
Although many people get good pets from pet stores, chances are that the puppy will have one or more problems caused by poor breeding practices and the pet store will have no answers for customers seeking to solve those problems.
Most pet stores have some kind of guarantee or warranty under which they'll take the puppy back if certain conditions are met within a specified time. They are not equipped to handle training problems, behavior problems, or decisions about whether to breed a particular animal or to spay or neuter it. And the pet store staff generally knows little or nothing about the temperament, care, health problems, or behavior of the breeds they sell.
The source of pet store puppies
Commercial kennels often produce many breeds of dogs. They are required to be licensed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and must provide facilities and a plan for veterinary care that meet the guidelines of the federal Animal Welfare Act. However, a shortage of inspectors, protection by local authorities, and the difficulty of making a legal case against violators makes adherence to the AWA dependent more on the ethics of the kennel owner than on the fear of reprisals for defying the law.
Brokers buy dogs from large and small breeders who also must be licensed by USDA and meet the AWA criteria. Missouri, known as a "puppy mill state," has more licensed USDA kennels and brokers than any other state. Brokers advertise for puppies. They promise top prices, breeder programs, breeder appreciation events, veterinary exams, breeder education, loyalty, courtesy, and careful transportation to entice breeders into the fold. The puppies are a commodity to them.
Chances are slim that puppies from these sources come from dogs that have been tested for the genetic diseases common to their breeds. Hip x-rays, blood tests, and eye certifications cost money, and those costs could not be passed through the chain to the pet store without adding considerably to the cost. The breeders are also unlikely to either know or care about the breed standard, that set of guidelines that describes each breed and maintains its integrity; to carefully choose breeding stock for sound temperament; to use AKC's limited registration and require sterilization of pet quality puppies; or to consider the reproductive health of their dogs when making breeding decisions.
Some pet stores buy puppies locally from breeders who produce a few litters from one or more breeds each year. These people supplement their income by selling puppies and are spared the difficulties of interviewing prospective buyers or keeping unsold puppies. In all likelihood, these breeders do not test for genetic diseases, place no limits on puppy registrations, have a marginal health program, know little about the breed standard, and have poor quality breeding stock.
Pet quality puppies
Many customers look for a pet in a pet shop because "I'm looking for a family pet, not a show dog." They buy a pretty puppy that doesn't meet the breed standard in some way, and base their impressions of the breed on an animal that may be over or under-sized, have a poor temperament or crazy behavior patterns, or exhibit one or more physical attributes that violate the breed standard. Often, these dogs are not spayed or neutered, and they wind up producing puppies that are even further from the standard.
Today we have Labrador Retrievers with legs that belong on Great Danes; American Eskimos that look like Samoyeds with snipy heads; light-boned Akitas; Shetland Sheepdogs as big as Collies; Dalmatians and Airedales with screwy personalities; aggressive Old English Sheepdogs; neurotic Poodles; unsocialized Chow Chows; and dysplastic dogs of all breeds sold in pet stores. The buyer cannot visit the facility that produced the puppies and talk to the breeder; ask about genetic clearances, parent-dog temperaments, or breed characteristics; see the quality of adult dogs produced by the kennel; be reimbursed if the dog develops a genetic disease two or three years down the road; get help with training or behavior problems; ask for local references to contact about previous puppy sales; be assured that someone feels responsible for bringing that particular puppy into the world and will take it back if the family falls on hard times.
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