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I know all of us like to have a healthy well-bred purebred pup that is registered with the AKC. But with so many options where do you start?
Well Im here to offer this thread as a helpful place to start.
Right now the Labrador Retriever is America's most registered dog according to the AKC.
The top 10 registered dogs are as follows:
Labrador Retriever,
Yorkshire Terrier (aka Yorkie)
German Shepard Dog (aka GSD)
Golden Retrievers
Beagles
Dachshunds
Boxers
Poodles
Shih Tzu
Miniature Schnauzers
If you pick up any newspaper in America and take a look in the Classifieds section would see many ads for Labrador Retriever puppies going from $50 a head up to $400 a head. You notice most of them will say pure bred, or AKC registered, or nice block heads, or all black litter. It is hard for the novice buyer to tell the difference.
The average joe thinks a lab is a lab is a lab. They are all labs the only difference is price. WRONG.
There is a HUGE difference. Buying a puppy is a major buy regardless of the price. Buying the puppy is the cheap part, upkeep maintenance, healthcare, and even housing can far outweigh the initial cost of the pup.
In dogs as with most other major purchases, you get what you pay for.
Lets take a look at two identical ads from a news paper:
AKC REG LABRADOR RETRIEVER PUPS
2 males, 3 famales. All black litter. Sire HRCH Dam SHR
Nice looking! $100 dew claws removed
Heres the second ad:
AKC LABRADOR RETRIVERES
4 males, 2 females, black and choc pups.
Sire is strong hunter, Dam from hunting lines
Males $100 Females $150
Think you can spot the differences??
Lets dissect these ads and break em' down to plain English:
1st ad:
AKC REG LABRADOR RETRIEVER PUPS
This alone tells me there is a possibility that the labs are registerable with the AKC, they are not actually registered, you still have to fill out the paper work and pay the registering fee. which is around $50.
All black litter
Some people believe that a black lab is the best lab to have. This is an absolute myth. All colors are trainable and no color specifically means you will have behovioral problems or health issues. Color has nothing to do with ability.
But beware of so-called 'silver labs' - these are generally lab weim crosses or there is a weim somewhere in the shed that the breeders are not talking about.
Nice looking!
Sure the pups are cute as can be, but you dont know if these pups are conformation worthy or if they are sound.
Sire HRCH
This is a HRC (hunting retriever club of America) title. This is not a pet registry like the AKC it is a place where the dogs can perform hunting scenarios and earn titles based on a set standard of what a dog should be able to do for the title. All HRC dogs must be first registered with the AKC usually. HRCH means Hunting Retriever Champion. This is a finished title, the dog is very trainable, has good retrieving instincts, and likely has good temperment. But dont get caught up in titles only. Titles mean squat if the dog is not healthy.
Damn SHR
Another HRC title, this is a started title, basically the dog can be thrown a single mark, remain seated until sent, and can retrieve the bird within a 3 foot radius of the handler. Most dogs can be taught this, not just labs. And also for me just having a SHR title tells me this is likely a very young dog and is not likely physically or mentally mature yet to successfully whelp a litter of puppies on her own.
$100
this is likely a first time litter for the breeder and not a lot of thought has been put into it. No OFA or CERF was done likely, so your pups soundness may be questionable. The breeder is probably doing this as cheaply as they can.
Dew claws removed
The pups have had some vetting done, but dew claws are not required to be removed it is just that alot of people think they should be removed it is a ploy to get you to think these pups are going to be super healthy.
Heres the breakdown of the second ad:
AKC LABRADOR RETRIVERES
With the spelling or RETRIVERES something tells me the owner does not know her breed well enough to know how to correctly spell it. I can understand a typo but not a mangling of the spelling as seen here. The AKC part may be tacked on to get you as the buyer into believing these pups are registerable, but you dont know that until you see the paper work and send AKC the money.
Black and choc pups
again this is another color ploy to get you, Mr. Joe Blow, to buy these pups because you now have a color selection to choose from. Some people want a cute chocolate puppy. But just like the black puppies, the chocolates will grow up to be rambunctious teenage dogs that are tearing the house down if there is no proper training in place.
Sire strong hunter
This may mean the sire is regularly hunted over, but you dont know for sure exactly how good of a 'hunter' he is. He may be breaking at every shot, blowing off the owners commands and tearing the duck blind apart. The dog probably has desire, but no direction. No solid proof of training.
Dam from hunting lines
The dam may come from lines whos grandaddy might be Candlewoods Lean Mac, but very few traits are going to be carried that far down the line, and the parents of the sire, might possess some hunting qualities, but no sure fire way of saying hey this dog can hunt, especially if the dam came from an oops litter or was bred from a pet dog that has no hunting qualities whatsoever.
Males $100 Females $150
You will see this ALOT. Why are females worth more? because they can have puppies and there is a possibility that the new owner may take a female for breeding purposes only. But here's the kicker, males can contribute to the canine gene pool at any time after 18 months of age, sometimes younger, and females can only contribute to the gene pool twice a year. See the difference??? The second ad sounds a whole lot like an oopsy litter doesnt it?? Do you want to take a chance on an unsound breeding or an oopsy litter and end up with health problems down the road???
Now that we've broken down two similar newspaper ads now you know what means what. We've deciphered the gobble-dee-gook you can't decipher otherwise. After looking at both of these ads you realize you dont want either of the litters.
So what do you look for???
For one you can look at rescues. There are lab rescues (and other breed rescues) all over America. Almost every state has one. Getting a rescue pure bred is a good place to start for getting a first dog. You know have resources that are there and willing to help should things go wrong. but you still want a puppy you say?
OK here's what to look for and what to steer clear of:
1.) BYBs or Back-yard-breeders. These are casual breeders that dont put alot of thought into their litters, they are doing because maybe the kids can see a 'mircale', or maybe they think it would be a good way to make some extra income. whatever the reason the BYB at first glance looks like a good breeder, but further investigation reveals they are doing it for the wrong reasons.
2.) pet shops - pet shops should not sell pets, they should sell pet supplies only!! Pet shop puppies are often too sickly to survive and likely came from *gasp!* a puppy mill! Don't shop at pet shops that sell puppies, don't buy puppies from pet shops! When you do so, you support puppy mills. These are for-profit-breedings.
3.) wal-mart parking lot puppy sellers. I think these are the worst kind, very flea marketish, very sleazy and often not a lot of thought has been put into the breeding, they do it because they think it's cute. You see alot of toy breeds being sold this way.
Who to look to for a reputable breeder:
The AKC has a breeder registry for each breed in most states. These people breed to continue the breed and to improve the breed where they can. These breeders often spend alot of time at dog shows and seminars. They are continuously up to date on things in their breed. They have likely studied their breed for years and often they are not rich folks. They rarely make a profit off a litter and they only break even. Often the spouse has a full time job that pays fairly well so that the wife can take care of the dogs.
Go to the breeds parent club website. Often they have listed of breeders for the breed as well as breed specific rescues listed.
Tap into the performance ring a bit find out what the breed is historically known for - for retrievers it is waterfowling, so tap into that resource to ask people - where can I find a reputable breeder of labs? The information they will provide will be overwhelming at first but they are there to help you find that right dog for you.
Talk to trainers and veterinarians. And most importantly make this a well thought out decision. No impulse purchase. You wouldnt buy a new truck just because it looks nice would you? You want to know that truck through and through before you buy so you know what your'e getting. The same goes for a dog. Make this a family decision. Get the kids involved but let them know that you as the parent make the final decision on which puppy to get. You may have to spend six months searching for that perfect dog, but it will be well worth it.
Now that youve decided which litter to pick your puppy from, now it is time to think - can we actually AFFORD this dog??
lets list the expenses:
$200+ for a solid bred pup
$500 for enclosure outdoors
$200 for good doghouse
$70 a month for good dog food (not ol'roy - I am talking IAMS or Eukanuba, or Pro Plan)
$25 for food and water bowls
$50 for collars and leashes. ($15 leather flat collar, $10 ID tag for flat collar, $10 leash, $15 harness for tie outs at campgrounds if you go camping)
$50 for crate to safely transport the dog (never allow your dog to roam freely in the vehicle!)
$20 pooper scooper
$20 poop bags
$60 monthly heartworm and flea/tick treatments
$10 doggie shampoo
$50 AKC registration fee
$20 in water costs (dogs need water too!)
$50 city license tags paid annually.
$100 for first round shots
$75 for second round shots
$75 for third round shots
$100 annual shots after one year of age.
$20 indoor doggie bed.
$300 to desex if your'e not planning to breed.
$500+ for OFA and CERF if you plan on breeding.
$200 in annual veterinary costs (accidents do happen!)
$300 e-collar if you plan on using one.
$200 for training (this includes puppy classes, training materials, time spent training and this is just basic OB in the first year.)
$300+ monthly if you send your dog to a pro trainer for advanced skills.
$200 in puppy toys and paying for destroyed items in your house.
$500 in gas going to and from the vet.
And all of that just in the first year. If you take proper care of your pet, you can easily spend well over $2,000 in the first year alone and $1,000 in following years for the rest of your pet's life. It may sound ridiculous to spend that much on a dog, but it does add up. If you think you cant afford these costs at any point in time then you are better off without a dog. Instead volunteer your time at an animal shelter.
Heres what most people do not realize - they live one paycheck away from losing everything. IF you are in this position, do not get a dog! Get a goldfish instead.
Now you say you want a designer breed??? Hmmmmm well I think there is a similar dog at your local animal shelter that is in need of a home and can give you the same love and affection as a $10,000 mutt. Only 6% of all designer breeds are truly hypoallergenic. They were first bred to help blind people with allergies, but they percentage of actual non-shedding dogs was so low that it was not worth the effort. not only that there is no true conformation in designer breeds. Two lab poodle crosses from the same litter can look entirely different. Don't get caught in the -oodle or puggles craze, sure they look cute, but often it is a scam for first time buyers. If you want a cross breed, please look at your local animal shelter first, you may find that special crossbreed right there.
If you have any further questions or regards to finding a good breeding, or training issues, contact me, I would be happy to help.
Well Im here to offer this thread as a helpful place to start.
Right now the Labrador Retriever is America's most registered dog according to the AKC.
The top 10 registered dogs are as follows:
Labrador Retriever,
Yorkshire Terrier (aka Yorkie)
German Shepard Dog (aka GSD)
Golden Retrievers
Beagles
Dachshunds
Boxers
Poodles
Shih Tzu
Miniature Schnauzers
If you pick up any newspaper in America and take a look in the Classifieds section would see many ads for Labrador Retriever puppies going from $50 a head up to $400 a head. You notice most of them will say pure bred, or AKC registered, or nice block heads, or all black litter. It is hard for the novice buyer to tell the difference.
The average joe thinks a lab is a lab is a lab. They are all labs the only difference is price. WRONG.
There is a HUGE difference. Buying a puppy is a major buy regardless of the price. Buying the puppy is the cheap part, upkeep maintenance, healthcare, and even housing can far outweigh the initial cost of the pup.
In dogs as with most other major purchases, you get what you pay for.
Lets take a look at two identical ads from a news paper:
AKC REG LABRADOR RETRIEVER PUPS
2 males, 3 famales. All black litter. Sire HRCH Dam SHR
Nice looking! $100 dew claws removed
Heres the second ad:
AKC LABRADOR RETRIVERES
4 males, 2 females, black and choc pups.
Sire is strong hunter, Dam from hunting lines
Males $100 Females $150
Think you can spot the differences??
Lets dissect these ads and break em' down to plain English:
1st ad:
AKC REG LABRADOR RETRIEVER PUPS
This alone tells me there is a possibility that the labs are registerable with the AKC, they are not actually registered, you still have to fill out the paper work and pay the registering fee. which is around $50.
All black litter
Some people believe that a black lab is the best lab to have. This is an absolute myth. All colors are trainable and no color specifically means you will have behovioral problems or health issues. Color has nothing to do with ability.
But beware of so-called 'silver labs' - these are generally lab weim crosses or there is a weim somewhere in the shed that the breeders are not talking about.
Nice looking!
Sure the pups are cute as can be, but you dont know if these pups are conformation worthy or if they are sound.
Sire HRCH
This is a HRC (hunting retriever club of America) title. This is not a pet registry like the AKC it is a place where the dogs can perform hunting scenarios and earn titles based on a set standard of what a dog should be able to do for the title. All HRC dogs must be first registered with the AKC usually. HRCH means Hunting Retriever Champion. This is a finished title, the dog is very trainable, has good retrieving instincts, and likely has good temperment. But dont get caught up in titles only. Titles mean squat if the dog is not healthy.
Damn SHR
Another HRC title, this is a started title, basically the dog can be thrown a single mark, remain seated until sent, and can retrieve the bird within a 3 foot radius of the handler. Most dogs can be taught this, not just labs. And also for me just having a SHR title tells me this is likely a very young dog and is not likely physically or mentally mature yet to successfully whelp a litter of puppies on her own.
$100
this is likely a first time litter for the breeder and not a lot of thought has been put into it. No OFA or CERF was done likely, so your pups soundness may be questionable. The breeder is probably doing this as cheaply as they can.
Dew claws removed
The pups have had some vetting done, but dew claws are not required to be removed it is just that alot of people think they should be removed it is a ploy to get you to think these pups are going to be super healthy.
Heres the breakdown of the second ad:
AKC LABRADOR RETRIVERES
With the spelling or RETRIVERES something tells me the owner does not know her breed well enough to know how to correctly spell it. I can understand a typo but not a mangling of the spelling as seen here. The AKC part may be tacked on to get you as the buyer into believing these pups are registerable, but you dont know that until you see the paper work and send AKC the money.
Black and choc pups
again this is another color ploy to get you, Mr. Joe Blow, to buy these pups because you now have a color selection to choose from. Some people want a cute chocolate puppy. But just like the black puppies, the chocolates will grow up to be rambunctious teenage dogs that are tearing the house down if there is no proper training in place.
Sire strong hunter
This may mean the sire is regularly hunted over, but you dont know for sure exactly how good of a 'hunter' he is. He may be breaking at every shot, blowing off the owners commands and tearing the duck blind apart. The dog probably has desire, but no direction. No solid proof of training.
Dam from hunting lines
The dam may come from lines whos grandaddy might be Candlewoods Lean Mac, but very few traits are going to be carried that far down the line, and the parents of the sire, might possess some hunting qualities, but no sure fire way of saying hey this dog can hunt, especially if the dam came from an oops litter or was bred from a pet dog that has no hunting qualities whatsoever.
Males $100 Females $150
You will see this ALOT. Why are females worth more? because they can have puppies and there is a possibility that the new owner may take a female for breeding purposes only. But here's the kicker, males can contribute to the canine gene pool at any time after 18 months of age, sometimes younger, and females can only contribute to the gene pool twice a year. See the difference??? The second ad sounds a whole lot like an oopsy litter doesnt it?? Do you want to take a chance on an unsound breeding or an oopsy litter and end up with health problems down the road???
Now that we've broken down two similar newspaper ads now you know what means what. We've deciphered the gobble-dee-gook you can't decipher otherwise. After looking at both of these ads you realize you dont want either of the litters.
So what do you look for???
For one you can look at rescues. There are lab rescues (and other breed rescues) all over America. Almost every state has one. Getting a rescue pure bred is a good place to start for getting a first dog. You know have resources that are there and willing to help should things go wrong. but you still want a puppy you say?
OK here's what to look for and what to steer clear of:
1.) BYBs or Back-yard-breeders. These are casual breeders that dont put alot of thought into their litters, they are doing because maybe the kids can see a 'mircale', or maybe they think it would be a good way to make some extra income. whatever the reason the BYB at first glance looks like a good breeder, but further investigation reveals they are doing it for the wrong reasons.
2.) pet shops - pet shops should not sell pets, they should sell pet supplies only!! Pet shop puppies are often too sickly to survive and likely came from *gasp!* a puppy mill! Don't shop at pet shops that sell puppies, don't buy puppies from pet shops! When you do so, you support puppy mills. These are for-profit-breedings.
3.) wal-mart parking lot puppy sellers. I think these are the worst kind, very flea marketish, very sleazy and often not a lot of thought has been put into the breeding, they do it because they think it's cute. You see alot of toy breeds being sold this way.
Who to look to for a reputable breeder:
The AKC has a breeder registry for each breed in most states. These people breed to continue the breed and to improve the breed where they can. These breeders often spend alot of time at dog shows and seminars. They are continuously up to date on things in their breed. They have likely studied their breed for years and often they are not rich folks. They rarely make a profit off a litter and they only break even. Often the spouse has a full time job that pays fairly well so that the wife can take care of the dogs.
Go to the breeds parent club website. Often they have listed of breeders for the breed as well as breed specific rescues listed.
Tap into the performance ring a bit find out what the breed is historically known for - for retrievers it is waterfowling, so tap into that resource to ask people - where can I find a reputable breeder of labs? The information they will provide will be overwhelming at first but they are there to help you find that right dog for you.
Talk to trainers and veterinarians. And most importantly make this a well thought out decision. No impulse purchase. You wouldnt buy a new truck just because it looks nice would you? You want to know that truck through and through before you buy so you know what your'e getting. The same goes for a dog. Make this a family decision. Get the kids involved but let them know that you as the parent make the final decision on which puppy to get. You may have to spend six months searching for that perfect dog, but it will be well worth it.
Now that youve decided which litter to pick your puppy from, now it is time to think - can we actually AFFORD this dog??
lets list the expenses:
$200+ for a solid bred pup
$500 for enclosure outdoors
$200 for good doghouse
$70 a month for good dog food (not ol'roy - I am talking IAMS or Eukanuba, or Pro Plan)
$25 for food and water bowls
$50 for collars and leashes. ($15 leather flat collar, $10 ID tag for flat collar, $10 leash, $15 harness for tie outs at campgrounds if you go camping)
$50 for crate to safely transport the dog (never allow your dog to roam freely in the vehicle!)
$20 pooper scooper
$20 poop bags
$60 monthly heartworm and flea/tick treatments
$10 doggie shampoo
$50 AKC registration fee
$20 in water costs (dogs need water too!)
$50 city license tags paid annually.
$100 for first round shots
$75 for second round shots
$75 for third round shots
$100 annual shots after one year of age.
$20 indoor doggie bed.
$300 to desex if your'e not planning to breed.
$500+ for OFA and CERF if you plan on breeding.
$200 in annual veterinary costs (accidents do happen!)
$300 e-collar if you plan on using one.
$200 for training (this includes puppy classes, training materials, time spent training and this is just basic OB in the first year.)
$300+ monthly if you send your dog to a pro trainer for advanced skills.
$200 in puppy toys and paying for destroyed items in your house.
$500 in gas going to and from the vet.
And all of that just in the first year. If you take proper care of your pet, you can easily spend well over $2,000 in the first year alone and $1,000 in following years for the rest of your pet's life. It may sound ridiculous to spend that much on a dog, but it does add up. If you think you cant afford these costs at any point in time then you are better off without a dog. Instead volunteer your time at an animal shelter.
Heres what most people do not realize - they live one paycheck away from losing everything. IF you are in this position, do not get a dog! Get a goldfish instead.
Now you say you want a designer breed??? Hmmmmm well I think there is a similar dog at your local animal shelter that is in need of a home and can give you the same love and affection as a $10,000 mutt. Only 6% of all designer breeds are truly hypoallergenic. They were first bred to help blind people with allergies, but they percentage of actual non-shedding dogs was so low that it was not worth the effort. not only that there is no true conformation in designer breeds. Two lab poodle crosses from the same litter can look entirely different. Don't get caught in the -oodle or puggles craze, sure they look cute, but often it is a scam for first time buyers. If you want a cross breed, please look at your local animal shelter first, you may find that special crossbreed right there.
If you have any further questions or regards to finding a good breeding, or training issues, contact me, I would be happy to help.
