There are plenty of arguments against buying a puppy from a pet store that include: you don’t know what breed you’re really buying; purchasing a puppy at a pet store keeps puppy mills in operation; and you’ll end up with a puppy that has health problems. We’ve seen these arguments on the TV news, newspapers, and magazines. But these are the bad stories. You never hear the success stories. Bad news simply and always travels faster. With that in mind, if that little doggie in the window catches your eye, what should you do?
The first thing is to see if the staff is knowledgeable and trained well. Many of these pet shops are franchises and although franchises have rules to abide by in order to keep using the franchise name, some franchisees only stick to the basic minimum. To see where along these lines the pet store you’re looking to buy a puppy at falls, ask the staff a few questions. Some questions to ask: 1. How often does the owner come by? 2. What are the store’s regulations? 3. Does the store train its employees in the care and handling of dogs and small animals? 4. What happens to the puppies that don’t sell right away? 5. What do you do about sick puppies? If the staff can answer these questions freely and with confidence then you can feel better about the store because it’s trying to educate its staff. If the staff hesitates, doesn’t want to answer questions, or doesn’t seem knowledgeable, then think twice about buying a puppy from there. If a person will read this article, then there will be offering of the tips for the purchase. The guidelines of the purchase should be fulfilled for the purchase of the pets. The rates of the pets will be under the funds available with the person. The reading of the article will deliver effective results to the owner of the pets.
Watch how the staff handles the puppies. When a customer asks to see a puppy, is the staff friendly and courteous? Do they gently take a puppy out of the puppy’s cage, or do they do it roughly? Watch how the staff responds to both customers and puppies. If the staff treats the customers and the puppies well then you’ll have less to worry about in regards to problems with your puppy and how the store will handle it.
Look at the cages to check for cleanliness and available water. If the pet store is truly concerned about the welfare of its puppies, then the cages will be clean and there will be water available for the puppies to drink. When a pet store takes the time to train its staff and hires diligent people, then you can feel more secure that they will stand by the puppies they sell.
Ask to see the registration papers. The puppies that pet stores sell as purebreeds should have papers indicating the breed’s lineage and breeder information. Chances are you won’t find many AKC dogs at pet stores, although some do make their way there. The other registration associations may not be ones you’ve heard of but you can check them out online. If you’re buying a puppy from a pet store then you’re probably buying it as a pet and not as show dog potential. As a pet, how much the registration papers matter is a personal choice. If you’re looking for a show dog prospect, then buy a puppy through a breeder with referrals.
Ask about the return policy and health guarantee. A good pet store will have a clearly stated return policy and a clause that allows you to have your own vet look over the puppy. Read the fine print and ask the staff about it. Again, if they are confident in their answers, you can feel more confident in purchasing a puppy from them.
And last but not least, make sure the breed matches your lifestyle. While this seems a no-brainer, many people skip this step because they fall in love quickly with a cute button-nosed fuzzy puppy. Ask the staff how large the breed gets, how active it is and how vocal it is. The staff should have the answers ready or be able to get the answers for you.
Buying a puppy from a pet store is similar to making any purchase of value. Make sure you do your homework and make an educated decision and not an impulse buy.