If your pet of choice is a pure bred dog, then you should not be settling for anybody less than an established dog breeder. Reputed breeders place quality over profit and do not subscribe to the puppy mill operational strategy. The latter focuses solely on the commercial aspect of breeding and on how fat a tag each puppy is able to carry. When breeding takes the commercial route that’s when you should be concerned about how your pet will turn out. More often than not these breeding places are not maintained well, are overcrowded and adequate care is not taken when it comes to grooming and overall maintenance of the dogs. Not only will the animal be impacted physically by such conditions, in all likelihood this would also lead to a whole host of behavioral issues as well.
How do you go about finding a reliable breeder? You could begin by consulting your veterinarian, normally breeders will be quite close with someone within vet jobs, and they may be able to recommend someone to you. Kennel clubs and pet show organizers are also good sources you can rely on for information on established breeders. Look for reliable references, meet up with the breeder, check credentials and ask a lot of questions, seek out a client list and speak to people who have been dealing with a particular breeder. Good breeders will not hesitate if you ask to see the facilities or insist on having the pet examined before you buy it. Breeders who are passionate about dogs and their business will always run a clean operation and when you walk out of their premises with your dog you can rest assured that you not only have your money’s worth, but your dog is also healthy physically and mentally and is well cared for.