# My friend bought a puppy from a pet store



## benimble (Feb 21, 2008)

I have a friend that I have known all of my life. She has always copied everything I have done. Growing up sometimes it bugged me, but usually I saw it as flattering. Anyway, when we brought Bogey home I emailed photos to all my friends. She emailed back that she would love to get a dog, but her and her husband work too much and with two young kids the timing wasn't right, maybe in a few years. Then a few days later she tells me that they went looking at the pet store, but they are going to wait until summer to get a dog! So, I told her in the most gentle way I could, my thoughts and information about pet store puppies. I didn't hear back from her until I get a photo the other day of the puppy that they bought at the pet store!:frusty: She said they weren't really ready for a puppy, but they saw this one and it was so cute. It is a bichon/poodle cross. So, you will never guess what comes next. They brought the dog to the vet and he has some sort of virus and is on medication now. I just feel bad about the whole situation. I wish I could have done more to persuade her to go to a shelter or a good breeder. I researched for months, read every book I could get my hands on, waited for what felt like forever for our sweet puppy and I am so thankful I did! I just don't understand why some people make such an impulse decision on something I feel is such a huge commitment. Sorry, I am rambling, I just felt sad about it all. Thanks for listening!


----------



## bentimom (Oct 10, 2007)

i agree with you . i like you, waited 9 months for my puppy belle. she is a treasure. i also called many breeders till i found one i trusted. my son has asthma so i was afraid to go to a shelter and get any breed. im glad i waited and found the perfect dog for me and my family.
michelle


----------



## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Oh yes. Sadly, even those who know better succumb to the pet store temptation. One of my dearest girlfriends did the same thing last summer. She was considering a Hav, but was smitten with a Teacup Yorkie in a pet store on a business trip and bought it for $2500. It died before her kids even got to meet it due to Parvo. She flew home with it, took it immediately to her veterinarian and it never left the hospital. It was very sad.


----------



## BeverlyA (Oct 29, 2006)

Oh Jen,
I know how you feel. I have a girlfriend in Ohio who has had friends go threw the heartbreak of buying a sick, EXPENSIVE, puppymill puppy from a pet store, but she still goes into their pet shops and coos over the puppys. I constantly remind her about what pet shops do, but I think it's just a matter of time before she takes one home.

It IS frustrating:frusty: but don't be too hard on yourself. At least you did the right thing and all you can do is encourage others to do the same.

I recently switched vets when I found out the office I have been going to for 30 years is now giving free visits to the puppy's from our cities pet shop.
Our pet shop that sells puppies is named "Pet Doctor", how sad is that?

Beverly


----------



## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Don't feel bad. You did the best you could. I have a cousin who has 7 dogs, and she bought all of them from the same pet shop - Shake A Paw. Every one of them has had some kind of illness, and one of them still has a chronic respiratory condition. You thing she would know better by now. She even had a few that she had to give away due to behavioral problems, then went back to the store and bought another one. :frusty: :frusty: :frusty:


----------



## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

That's so sad 

I'm a research addict too and really researched breeds to find a great match for me and my family, I rarely act impulsively, especially with something like adding a dog to your family, I do see it as a huge commitment and, like you, I'm miffed that people would approach something like that impulsively?! But I do think even smart people think with their hearts instead of logic, and sometimes there is a price to pay for that, literally. Hence that saying..no good deed goes unpunished, comes to mind. 

This last year, I've seen two more pet stores go up in my town, we just had ONE for a long, long time...the most recent one, is in the main mall.  i did walk through it and it made me SICK. The dogs looked SOO very sad and sickly. I don't know if we haven't really had a big problem with pet shops opening here because PETA is based here and deters them? Or what. I know when they aren't protesting abroad, they don't sit idle here, they do things around town..but I do hope they shut them down, Even though I disagree with so many things they do.

I guess we just need educate people more to not support them, if they aren't making money...the doors will close. Such a selfish, shady industry.

Kara


----------



## lulubella (Mar 25, 2008)

irnfit said:


> Don't feel bad. You did the best you could. I have a cousin who has 7 dogs, and she bought all of them from the same pet shop - Shake A Paw. Every one of them has had some kind of illness, and one of them still has a chronic respiratory condition. You thing she would know better by now. She even had a few that she had to give away due to behavioral problems, then went back to the store and bought another one. :frusty: :frusty: :frusty:


My sister-in-law TWICE went to Shake a Paw after I begged her not to get a dog from a pet store.

The first one was a 5 MONTH old Lhaso--so guess where he spent the first 5 months of his life??? Well, poor Pugsly had no manners and bit the children, so he had to be euthanized!

The second one was from this Christmas--they got a beautiful boxer named Boomer. When I asked her why the heck she went to a pet store again, she said (and I love this one), "Well this pet store gets them from breeders" ound:ound:ound: Well, Boomer was just recently hospitalized with pneumonia which she thinks he had a touch of since she got him! Big surprise!!! Now, she says to me, "Why didn't you tell me about going to a breeder?":frusty::frusty::frusty:

Some people will never learn!


----------



## Tritia (Nov 17, 2007)

I've mentioned on here before that my sister got Cooper, (our hav) from a petstore in MO. I'm pretty sure it's one of the biggest distributors of puppies across the country.
Hunte Cooperation. It's a terrible, terrible place. I know this, because AFTER she brought him to us..I went there. There was glass window and behind it about 20 puppies. Every hour, they'd rotate them with another puppy. Just kept cycling them through over, and over and over. I asked if they had any Havs, and they had to look at their computer log, to check the wherehouse!! About 10 mins later, they brought up these dirty, stinky little parti colored pups. They told me they were sorry they were such a mess, that they weren't getting "window time" today, so they hadn't had a bath.
I'm very, very sad Cooper came from a place like that. He came to us with mange, as well. For about 5 wks, all he did was scratch himself. He couldn't take 3 steps with out stopping to scratch. He layed around most of the time, refusing to really play. He lost hair all over the place and his face was practically bald by the time the THIRD freakin' vet figured it out. We were on all kinds of shampoos, meds, and changed food four times. By this time, Daisy also had it. And the sad thing was, it was cleared up in a matter of days. Then, we had a puppy! Chewing our shoes, chasing the kids, wanting to play.

He's never been like the havs I read about here and elsewhere. And that breaks my heart. Was it because of where he came from? And temperment leading back to his parents, etc?? Or because he had such a rough start?? I was really wanting another Hav these last few months. I admit, part of that was to see what all the fuss was REALLY about  Yes, I find him adorable. The way he runs, the way he dances for food. And a few other silly, little traits. I'm going to duck while saying this, but I've gotten more love, affection, and pure JOY out of the shelter mutt I picked up last month for $60. 
Rescuing Bodie has been the best thing to happen to our family in years. 

So, yep..I think petstores are BAD. My sister now knows all about puppymills, and regrets she ever stepped foot in the place. I don't, because we do have Cooper. Even if he's not all that I'd hoped for. I do love him and wouldn't trade him for anything. But, after our experiences, I honestly don't think I'd ever buy another dog.


----------



## Posh's Mom (Dec 20, 2007)

Tritia, that was very well said. I think everyone would agree that you rock and that by adopting Bodie, you've basically cancelled any Karmic petmill thing and you love Cooper and he's healthy now and that's what is important now.

I didn't purchase my dane from a pet store, but I did buy him from a "breeder" and I honestly don't even want to call her that, that set off a ton of red flags for me...which I didn't heed and instead fell in love with the puppy that she brought to meet me. I later referred a friend of mine to her (she had lost her Chinese Crested and this lady also bred these) and my friend went to visit her "farm." What she told me about the living conditions of the Danes and Cresteds was diabolical. Danes are extremely sensitive people dogs and these dogs were kept in kennels outside. They absolutely do not have the stature for being outside physically or emotionally. My friend did not want anything to do with this "breeder."
Mainly she does her "business" through the internet now, and nowhere does it say she is doing any health testing.
I had a lot of behavioral and physical issues with my Dane from an early age. At six months he was diagnosed with arthritis, which was crippling to him in his later years. At two years old, I spent hours working with a rescue organization and the woman from my local Dane club to figure out how I could live safely with two small children and a dog who was becoming fear aggressive, a dog who could easily kill a small child. I loved this dog, but obviously my children's safety was my main concern. I got some great advice from this woman and worked with my Dane's issues and although he was extremely fearful in some circumstances he came great strides with his confidence and trust. He was an "older puppy" at 18 weeks when I got him from the "breeder" and because she already had younger puppies she gave me a "deal."
Well, obviously I paid for my "deal."
I loved my Dane furiously and I don't regret having him in my life as he taught me so much about "fantasy of owning a dog" vs. "the reality of being a responsible dog owner." He also taught me that if you are planning on getting a dog based on research you've done about a purebred, if you really want them to be accurate to the breed's standard you absolutely must go to a reputable, responsible breeder! And, obviously, because we are dog lovers here, we do not and will not support puppy mills! I don't know how those people look themselves in the mirror.

Again I applaud Tritia and her adoption of Bodie. I am not surprised that he is such a lover. My mixed breed rescue dog that I grew up with as a kid was one of those one in a lifetime dogs (although now that I have Posh, I'm thinking I've been blessed with two of those!).

The other day someone told me they got a new puppy whilst I was waiting for my daughter to come out of her preschool class. She said it was a "toy lab." I asked her what that meant. She said, "Oh it's some kind of terrier, I don't know what, that looks like a lab puppy forever. I got it at that Amaze N Farmyard (basically a pet store that has hundreds of small breed puppies, in the country posing as a farm). I wanted to :argue: and educate her, but I didn't have it in me that day. I try to do as much "educating" to people before they go somewhere like that.
I got this off the Shake a Paw website:


> Why not buy a puppy from a breeder, instead of Shake A Paw?
> When deciding to purchase a puppy, there are many advantages to visiting your local Shake A Paw puppy store rather than finding a breeder. First, we have an enormous selection of puppies. We can offer a variety of breeds, price ranges, and temperaments. A breeder will typically have only 1 litter of pups and your selection will be limited to the particular breed of pups that they have.
> Second, Shake A Paw has an incredible, unmatched health guarantee. A breeder, though they may offer some sort of health policy, would not be able to afford you the same guarantee as the Shake A Paw lifetime guarantee.
> 
> Most important, the experienced staff at Shake A Paw is there to help you decide on a puppy that is right for you and we are here for you, 7 days a week to answer any questions you may have after you take your new puppy home. Our staff members include experts in the areas of training, grooming and puppy health care.


What a frickin' joke!


----------



## Poornima (Jun 29, 2007)

These stories are heartbreaking.


----------



## benimble (Feb 21, 2008)

Thanks for all your replies. I was feeling sad and helpless as I read about my friend taking the puppy to the vet and finding health problems. Seems like most people have experienced first hand, or know someone that has had horrible experiences all directly related to puppy mills. It is so depressing, but at the same time, I think the more we talk about it and make others aware, maybe it will make a difference.


----------



## Me&2Girls (May 11, 2007)

Jen, you are so right - all we can do is focus on education and be supportive of those who end up with the health problems.

My sister has a 2-year old pet store Pomeranian who was diagnosed with Epilepsy - talk about a rare disease at this age for these little guys. Luckily he's doing well on meds with the exception of a bit of a weight gain.


----------



## Jacklyn Weeks (Dec 23, 2007)

Thank you all for sharing your stories. While they are very sad, they can educate us all.


----------



## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Tritia, Amy, I Love/Hate your stories-- they are eye opening to both pet stores and less than reputable "breeders." I agree, let's keep talking about it. 

I too got Jasper from a "breeder" who raised all sorts of red flags-- and I always wondered what other Havs acted like. Because although he is and always has been incredibly healthy and of great bone structure, He has never acted like "a Hav." Now, it could just be him, he is incredibly independent and is not a lover at all (except when we come home) and he absolutely has no play gene. But he wears his emotions on his face and is very sweet and actually more "human" than "hav" and we love him to pieces. But when he is going through one of his moods when he slinks away to his hiding space like a cat-- we wonder what could have happened in his first months of life to make him this way.


----------



## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*temperament*

Even from good breeders, some dogs come in to the world a bit different. I remember seeing the puppies out of five. One was hyper, one was shy, the other three were somewhere in between. Don't know if it has anything to do with birth order or who gets the first milk.

I also know of some mill dogs who were rescued that turned out amazing. It is such a hard call. Some dogs, like people, seem to be more resilient than others.

I have two havanese who both act "havanese" but couldn't be more different in temperament. Maybe a male/female thing...

I am a human counselor...and some kids from abused families turn out just fine, while others have incredible challenges. Even from the same family. It is a mystery.

Linda


----------



## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*shake/paw's top 30 puppies*

Havanese are not listed as one of the top 30 breeds. I looked that the photos, there is a big sign...dogs for those on limited budgets. Good grief, go to a shelter! Sigh.

Linda


----------



## ginny (Mar 29, 2008)

We got our Bichon Frise from a pet store. I wanted to see what a Bichon looked like and fell for him. I tried to leave him behind, back in the cage, but ended up going back and getting him a day later. He did have many health problems, all more commonly found in Bichons. He was totally a Bichon in temperament and behavior. He was probably the largest Bichon in existence so not a good specimen that way. He was very cute and a total love. A friend said to look at this as rescuing a dog even though I know each purchase from a pet store encourages puppy mills. I called his breeder several times to report each new major health issue and they at least acted concerned on the phone, asked lots of questions and kept in touch.

Suzy is from a local breeder, I liked being able to go to her house and see her dogs before Suzy was conceived and being able to visit while the puppies were growing. I was tempted very much to "rescue another puppy from the pet store. I do know better so I just had to be patient and wait. Allergy problems and a lack of local smaller dogs at our local shelter prevented adoption. I tried a couple of the online rescue sites and after spending 90 minutes filling in applications I never heard a word back from any of them.


----------



## boo2352 (Dec 18, 2006)

I have a friend at work who just got a "Havashon" -- Havanese and Bichon. I had advised her to get a purebred from a reputable breeder, but she couldn't afford this and bought her dog online. She went to the house to pick him up and was horrified at the conditions -- she's ended up reporting the seller. I did some checking and found this person sells lots of different "designer breeds" and uses different names on the Internet so it looks like she only breeds one type of dog in her home. She also owns two pet shops and has been reported numerous times but is still in business -- its horrible. Fortunately my friend's dog is in good health and seems to have a sweet personality. She views it as rescuing a dog.


----------



## Sissygirl (Aug 8, 2007)

These stories are really sad. My best friend buys her puppies from the flea market - she has had a couple die. She has a pomeranian now. I try to tell her but I think she just thinks I am a crazy dog lady.


----------



## lulubella (Mar 25, 2008)

I just got home from a friend's party, and I couldn't believe what a coincidence this was. . .I was talking with someone and overheard someone else saying, ". . .Shake A Paw. . .they get their dogs from breeders. . ." I stopped mid-conversation with the other person to say, "Excuse me, did you just say Shake A Paw gets their puppies from breeders????" He said "Yes, that's what they told me." Well, I went into my whole speech about that place and all other pet stores, and the differences between backyard breeders and blah blah blah. They probably were thinking to themselves, "Oh, give me a break you dog freak!" But, even so--at least I might have stopped one more purchase from there!

They want a dacshund (sp?), so I told them to go to the AKC website and try to get a breeder from there. At least it would be a start!

We'll see what happens! They'll probably never bring the subject up again around me!!ound:


----------



## benimble (Feb 21, 2008)

lulubella said:


> I just got home from a friend's party, and I couldn't believe what a coincidence this was. . .I was talking with someone and overheard someone else saying, ". . .Shake A Paw. . .they get their dogs from breeders. . ." I stopped mid-conversation with the other person to say, "Excuse me, did you just say Shake A Paw gets their puppies from breeders????" He said "Yes, that's what they told me." Well, I went into my whole speech about that place and all other pet stores, and the differences between backyard breeders and blah blah blah. They probably were thinking to themselves, "Oh, give me a break you dog freak!" But, even so--at least I might have stopped one more purchase from there!
> 
> They want a dacshund (sp?), so I told them to go to the AKC website and try to get a breeder from there. At least it would be a start!
> 
> We'll see what happens! They'll probably never bring the subject up again around me!!ound:


You are right though, maybe you just prevented one more purchase that will end in heartbreak. You did a wonderful thing when you spoke up. I am not a confrontational person at all, but I would have done the same thing and it wouldn't bother me if they all thought I was a dog freak. I would take it as a compliment:laugh:


----------



## PiercePiemr (5 mo ago)

benimble said:


> I have a friend that I have known all of my life. She has always copied everything I have done. Growing up sometimes it bugged me, but usually I saw it as flattering. Anyway, when we brought Bogey home I emailed photos to all my friends. She emailed back that she would love to get a dog, but her and her husband work too much and with two young kids the timing wasn't right, maybe in a few years. Then a few days later she tells me that they went looking at the pet store, but they are going to wait until summer to get a dog! So, I told her in the most gentle way I could, my thoughts and information about pet store puppies. I didn't hear back from her until I get a photo the other day of the puppy that they bought at the pet store!:frusty: She said they weren't really ready for a puppy, but they saw this one and it was so cute. It is a bichon/poodle cross pets stores. So, you will never guess what comes next. They brought the dog to the vet and he has some sort of virus and is on medication now. I just feel bad about the whole situation. I wish I could have done more to persuade her to go to a shelter or a good breeder. I researched for months, read every book I could get my hands on, waited for what felt like forever for our sweet puppy and I am so thankful I did! I just don't understand why some people make such an impulse decision on something I feel is such a huge commitment. Sorry, I am rambling, I just felt sad about it all. Thanks for listening!


My friend got a new puppy on the 6th. It was a huge impulse decision on his part. He walked into a pet store not expecting to bring home a dog, but saw her... and he did. She is supposedly a purebred german shepherd who is registered with the AKC. He says he received her papers. She also supposedly has all her shots, except she needs to go to the vet within 20 days to get her second worms treatment.

This is my friend's first dog.

I'm now a puppy auntie (also no real experience with puppies), but seeing as I'm home for the Summer (4 months) I want to help with her as much as possible.

1) They are planning on crate training her. He bought her a crate yesterday. It's big enough to house a dog up to 80 pounds, I think. But it has a puppy panel so he can make it smaller when she's a puppy. He knows not to make it big enough so she could just pee on the other side because that wouldn't be good. I've looked for information on here about crate training, but I can't find a thread that gives step-by-step directions. So, any tutorials?

2) I bought her a harness yesterday because she didn't seem to like walking with the collar. I thought a harness would be more comfortable (no tension on the neck) and get her to get used to walking. Was this good or bad?

3) Advice on toys? I read somewhere to get a dog to not chew on anything, you have to make it known that everything is yours. The article said that the dog toys are the humans, not the dogs. Meaning they should be collected and put out of reach, and given to the dog. When the dog is done with the toy, it should be put back.
...But don't puppies chew? Shouldn't they have 'okay chewing' toys around constantly? How can we teach her it's okay to chew some things but not others?

4) Socializing? Is she too young? Should she even be out and about since she hasn't had her 2nd worming treatment yet? We brought her to PetCo yesterday and she didn't seem to enjoy all the attention too much. She ended up peeing (I assume this is totally normal for a puppy) but also puking in the store. May she have puked because she was scared?

5) How should he introduce her to his 4 cats? She saw a cat at Petco and was extremely calm, just sat and watched it, until the cat hissed at her... then she started barking at it like crazy (it was actually the first time we heard her bark).

-----------
Anyway, she is a super sweet girl. I really wish he put more thought into getting her, but now she's here and there is no going back. She's super fluffy and has gigantic paws, but she's a baby right now, only 7 pounds. She is AMAZING in the car, so freakin' calm, she just falls right asleep. She was in the car for hours yesterday (with plenty of chances to go potty). She is already improving with walking on the leash. She is not very mouthy at all. She is not at all food aggressive - We are able to carry her as she's eating (treats), pet her face and play with her ears as she's eating, take her food away as she's eating it, etc... no aggression what so ever.


----------

