Looking for a puppy, tips?

[jrhaze]

Me and my girlfriend (of 6 years) are searching for a puppy. We have done lots of reading in books and online and have decided that we are going to go with a newfie. Then we were out camping last weekend and came across one, that sealed the deal!! They are such sweet/calm dogs, and for us they are the perfect dogs.

We have been contacting breeders and they have all been good with answering questions etc.

My question is how does one go about picking the "right" breeder? Does it even matter? Is it a bad sign if a breeder has a 2 week old litter with pups still available? Or am I just being over-dramatic? Some other breeders have a waiting list until next summer.

Is it reasonable to be expected to sign a contract stating that the dog can not be bread, or a penalty of $10k will be paid to the breeder for "damage to reputation"? That is the breeder that won't have anything available until July.

Any other tips to keep in mind, either in finding the pup/breeder or in the first few weeks of having the pup? This will be my first pure-bred dog and only my second dog ever - the first being when I was about 13!

 

[tcb]

get one that is about 2 yrs old and save yourself a lot of headaches. and get one from the pound.

 

[tcb]

Is it reasonable to be expected to sign a contract stating that the dog can not be bread, or a penalty of $10k will be paid to the breeder for "damage to reputation"? That is the breeder that won't have anything available until July.

and I'd tell this breeder to kiss my monkey ass... the only purpose, imho, of owning a papered dog is to profit from it.

 

[saint60]

i wouldn't worry about a breeder that has pups available that are 2 weeks old. that could just mean that they aren't marketing them as much.

if you ever want to breed the dog in the future, obviously don't go with the one that will make you sign a contract. i breed, raise, train, compete, and sell champ labs and i have run across a few breeders that won't sign off on breeding. i think it is pretty stupid. if you are going to buy the product, it is not their choice on how you use it.

that having been said, do your research on the breeder. reputable breeders have their dog's health certified (hips, eyes, elbows, thyroid). those are the ones for labs; i'm not familiar with the health problems that newfies are prone to. a reputable breeder will give you a signed 26 to 30 month health guarantee. papered doesn't mean chit as you can paper a genetically health hazardous dog. do your research on lines and find out who is healthy and who is making healthy crosses.

the only thing that is unfortunate about all this is that once you find the breeder that offers all of this, the price of the puppy is going to be a lot higher than a pup that you find out of the local clasifieds.

if you have any other q's or need help finding a breeder, pm me. you may also try the akc website and finding a registered breeder in your area for the newfie breed.

good luck.

 

[ballardcruiser]

I don't know about Newfies but we're on DAY TWO of having a puppy Berner, so I can answer a few of your questions.

First off, puppies are a pain in the ass (lack of two nights sleep talking, surely). Our other dog is a retired greyhound and he came from the track (3 years old) with near perfect manners, already leash trained, fit as can be and--aside from needing some socializing w/ people--pretty damn great. He's awesome, he's of course a pure bred (for folks who care about that stuff) and he was a rescue (something more folks need to do). Great dogs... I love greyhounds.

Anyhow... I digress. the needed a Berner. Her dream dog. So now we have one. And it's cute. I'll give it that. He'll grow on me. I hope the greyhound learns to like him too (so far, he's pretty indifferent).

Some guidelines:
A) You need to really go over your potential breeders thoroughly. Talk to them, make sure they're screening you as much as you're screening them (a good sign that they care about their dogs); talk to references--folks who already adopted their dogs; ask what they're doing to prevent genetic health problems (something these purebreds all seem to suffer from); etc. I could care less about showing the dog or breeding him again but ask about health records, hip problems, disposition, etc. That's the stuff that could haunt you later on.

B) Yes, breeders will often charge more for dogs that can go on to breed. Many request that the dogs get neutered within two months (and ask you to sign a contract) or neuter them before you get them. I personally think there are already too many dogs that need to find homes so this part doesn't bug me but it's something that keeps coming up. I guess you need to accept it or pay more.

C) How to find a good breeder? Ask a local Newfie club who they recommend (there's a ton of information online for these purebreds). Tell them what you're looking for and see if they can't help you/steer you in the right direction. Find some folks who have Newfies and ask who they used. Some breeders seem to make overly huge show dogs, some make performance/work dogs, and some just try to make good normal people companions who are healthy ... and some just make dogs to make a buck themselves and should be avoided at all costs.

D) Get pet insurance.

I don't mean to sound totally negative. I'm just sleep-deprived. But do your homework for sure. It may be that the breeder with the two week old pups has dogs that don't look like perfect specimens or something and no one wants to buy them, but are otherwise wonderful dogs. It may be that those breeders have a bad reputation for having dogs with health problems. It's hard to tell unless you ask around and get some more information. You really do need to grill dog breeders these days to make sure you don't have headaches later on.

And definitely look at rescue groups. They exist for almost every breed and there are a ton of great, already trained dogs that need a good home and won't let you down.

 

[Shahram]

I've had a few dogs in my life. I grew up with Scottish Terriers, then Fox Terriers, my brother rescues Aussie Shepherds, and I now have a pug (one of six in the family). If you want my advice, figure out what basic size and hair/fur type of dog you want, then go to the pound and pick the muttiest Heinz 57 mix of dog you can live with, take him home and love him to death. Pure-bred dogs are much more likely to have weird health anomalies due to inbreeding, unscrupulous breeding practices, and G-d knows what else. My next dog will be a pound puppy, part Whatdafuh and part Idunno.

Besides, pound puppies need a home. You have a home. It ain't rocket science!

 

[JRFJ4-]

www.petfinder.com

www.petfinder.com

Or, there is probably a rescue in your state.

There are plenty of newfie's that need a good home. Plenty of everything that need a good home. We have five rescue dogs living with us, and one that we are fostering.

Don't get a puppy.

JR

 

[wob]

Here is a puppy tip.....

 

[whodat]

Here's my plug for adopted racing greyhounds...they are usually 3-5 y/o when you get them.

They come potty trained
Don't bark
Are very calm (sleep all day)
Appreciate any attention you can give them, but don't demand it
Have good genetics due to very selective breeding(very few hip probs)
Shed very little
Are very very sweet
Need very little exercise

 

[greytandy]

Here's my plug for adopted racing greyhounds...they are usually 3-5 y/o when you get them.

They come potty trained
Don't bark
Are very calm (sleep all day)
Appreciate any attention you can give them, but don't demand it
Have good genetics due to very selective breeding(very few hip probs)
Shed very little
Are very very sweet
Need very little exercise

x100. And you'll be saving the life of a wonderful animal. You can easily get one 1.5-2 years old. We love our two greys and wouldn't have anything else.

 

[whodat]

The adoption center that I got Annie at sent me a video cd with all of her races on it. She won 2 out of 14 races, and didn't exit the stable on her final race. Didn't race again, except in my backyard occasionally.

 

[Sporin]

After a number of retriever mixes throughout my life, I've decided to go Greyhound next time as well.

 

[erics_bruisers]

christ, reading this message makes me want to vomit --

-- do good for society and go to your local humane society and adopt a dog -- there are thousands dying every day --

-- or look at www.petfinder.com -- you can search by breed and locale --

-- and don't support these backyard breeder trash -- they're often in it solely for the money, and from the sounds of their "contract", you've hit a real gem --

-- "dog breeding" isn't the way to go, saving a life and getting a great dog is -- we don't selectively breed people any more, and doing it with dogs is similarly outdated --

eric

 

[greytandy]

The adoption center that I got Annie at sent me a video cd with all of her races on it. She won 2 out of 14 races, and didn't exit the stable on her final race. Didn't race again, exept in my backyard occasionally.

That's too cool. All I know is our male was an excellent racer that was retired at four year due to injury. Our female washed out early at 2 years (as most greyhounds do). Both are from Wheeling Downs in WV.

 

[erics_bruisers]

Also, if you're "breeder" is "responsible", they'll be placing their dogs already spayed and neutered --

-- but since they're in it for the "money" and that surgery costs "money", they'd rather place intact dogs with junvenile "contracts" --

-- lovely.

 

[greytandy]

christ, reading this message makes me want to vomit --

-- do good for society and go to your local humane society and adopt a dog -- there are thousands dying every day --

-- or look at www.petfinder.com -- you can search by breed and locale --

-- and don't support these backyard breeder trash -- they're often in it solely for the money, and from the sounds of their "contract", you've hit a real gem --

-- "dog breeding" isn't the way to go, saving a life and getting a great dog is -- we don't selectively breed people any more, and doing it with dogs is similarly outdated --

eric

But how do you really feel.

Agree on all counts.

 

[wob]

-- "dog breeding" isn't the way to go, saving a life and getting a great dog is -- we don't selectively breed people any more, and doing it with dogs is similarly outdated --

eric

Then why the hell do you only rescue one "breed"?

 

[honk]

For any large breed be sure to get a gaurantee that will either replace the pup or your money if the dog develops any genetically transmitted conditions. Hip displasia is probably the most common large dog problem and it can disable the dog early and break your heart., but there are also elbow, eye, and skin problems that are seen too often. I've seldom heard of a gaurantee against such things that went further than six months as the conditions mostly become apparent by then IF you are careful to have the needed examinations done. A lot of people get slamdunked pretty early in their new friend's life.

Anyone who's read this forum for a while has seen just how expensive it can get. Wasn't there a recent plea for a $4000. repair of a four month old pup? Someone else described his $7000. woes with their "cute little guy". Consider carefully if you really want to enter such a risky situation just because this breed or that one is "cute". (Perhaps women should have no part in puppy selection)

Cancers of various kinds have become very common in purebred breeds. It's an unfortunate fact that as some breeds gain in popularity the prices for puppies goes up and that money attracts both outright uscrupulous breeders and breeders who are more interested in the money than in producing healthy animals. The latter tend to breed dogs who probably should not be bred.

I don't like to see breeders who have but one male and a crew of females. Obviously that's the way it works - a male can impregnate without the need of a heat and there's no need usually to be concerned about his health, but breeders who do it like that are too obviously out for the bucks by running a puppy factory.

Ask about the breeders association with known breed specific organizations. Most breeds have groups of people who organize with the intention of protecting their breed by requiring stringent testing and by holding to high standards in the practices of breeders.

The common "both parents on site" benefit is not such a big benefit as all that. You could look and look at your prospective pup's parents and still never get a glimpse of his genetic past.

 

[wob]

So, if I want a dog to retrieve birds, I should go to the pound and hope for the best?

 

[wob]

-- but since they're in it for the "money" and that surgery costs "money", they'd rather place intact dogs with junvenile "contracts" --

agree with that part.