pet store pup

[boxervolscam]

i have a question on this topic, could a pup purchased from a pet store be a good purchase. the dog that my family saw was a femal flashy fawn boxer that had 5 champion pedegrees in family...i would assume that this may indicate good lineage...again i say i assume, would this be something to shy away from or something to consider.......

[gmacleod]

Originally Posted by boxervolscam

i have a question on this topic, could a pup purchased from a pet store be a good purchase.

No, it couldn't. Putting money in the pockets of the sort of people who sell puppies to petstores cannot be remotely considered a good purchase.

The vast majority of dogs sold in petstores come from puppy mills. If you don't know the full scale and horror of this trade, take a look at this site: www.prisonersofgreed.org 100% of petstore pups not from actual mills come from backyard breeders and other irresponsibles. No ethical breeder would ever (seriously, not ever) sell a puppy to a pet store. Amongst other things, it's against the code of ethics of the American Boxer Club to do so and (I think) an expulsion offence. More importantly, however, it's outright unethical - what person who cared the slightest bit for the future health and wellbeing of their pups would ever shunt them off to a petstore, or any other broker, and have no clue as to who finally bought them?

5 champions in a pedigree, btw, is not much. Not unless it includes both parents and 3 of the 4 grandparents, anyway. Further back than that really isn't that relevant - and most dogs in the US would lay claim to a champion or two somewhere in their ancestry. Another thing to bear in mind with mill puppies is that the stated parents very often actually aren't

Another couple of links worth reading: Pet Store Puppy
Backyard breeding - the consequences
Health tests your breeder should do

[billbgh]

Did you know that Petland has a 1 year guarantee for the pups that you purchase? Who in the hell wants a 1 year guarantee for their dog? I want a lifetime guarantee that this dog comes from good stock, that there aren't any health problems that the breeder is aware of, that the dam and sire are of good disposition, on so on and so forth. I have to agree with gmacleod, if we purchase from a pet store(at their outrageous prices to fuel their greed) then we are only condoning the horrible lifes and fates for all of these defenseless animals. It is a horrible position to be in. You see this beautiful baby that you want to bring home and you know about puppy mills and think, I can save this dog, I can rescue this poor creature, when really all we are doing is perpetuating this ugly dirty cycle of ill breeding. I feel horrible for these little dogs at the stores, they didn't choose this life. (Sorry for the soapboxing)I would find a reputable breeder and fall in love with a pup with a better chance at life. Good luck.

Erin
Apollo & Rocky's mom

[elbykitty]

Hello. Coming from the perspective of someone that did purchase a boxer from a backyard breeder, I would never ever purchase a puppy from a pet store. When I got Oscar he had all the snazzy papers champion grandfather, blah blah blah. I was impressed. He will be 3 in January and I can tell you his nickname is Golden Boy because of the Vet bills I have accumulated over the years. We are at a constant struggle with the allergies and entropia when he was a puppy. Not that I had any plans of showing or breeding Oscar he turned out to be nothing close to the boxer standard with a longer nose and being 100lbs. Knowing what I know now I would never purchase a puppy from anyone but a reputable breeder. And it is not about the money spent or that he is not the prettiest boxer. It is truly about he has turned out to be one of the loves of my life and now I have to live with the fact that he potentially could get one of the boxer ailments that comes along with poor breeding. And that risk could have been reduced if the breeder had waited until her sire and dame where old enough to be tested for these potential boxer problems before breeding which a reputable breeder would have done. Good luck..

[K8IE]

Coming from someone who dealt with the consequences of buying a Boxer from a pet shop, (in TN as well) I can tell you that it is NOT a wise choice. All the pups at the pet stores come from either puppy mills or backyard breeders, like gmacleod said. This Boxer had serious temperament issues/flaws and had to be rehomed. Our Boxer puppy that we have now was purchased from a breeder that shows and does health testing, and I wouldn't have it any other way. We drove all the way to Chicago to get him, but I would (and probably will when we get another) do it all over again for the peace of mind that I have in knowing that we have a healthy and sound puppy and that we did not support the puppy mill trade.

[boxervolscam]

the pet store is a petland, they state that they have a three year warranty on pups...also come to think of it the pup was very agressive i felt. she would bite excessively and jump everywhere while looking at her, this may be normal i did not know

[simmons]

Please do not buy a puppy from a petstore......why would you even want to buy from a place that has a 3 year warranty on thier pets anyways? And also, what do you think they will do when the dog does get sick within those 3 years? The pup was probably taken away from her mother at just a few weeeks old, do not give into to puppymill and BYB greed and horror

[gmacleod]

Well, biting is normal for pups and you couldn't blame any youngster stuck in a pen all day for leaping around trying to get some attention. In short, I don't think that on it's own is at all a sign of poor temperament.

BUT the fact remains that buying a pet store puppy - that is, a puppy mill puppy - is giving financial support to a disgusting and cruel trade. It "saves" one puppy, but directly contributes to the next dozen being born into the same sad situation. Bottom line is that it's only when the buying stops that the supply will too.

And from your own perspective, you'd be taking on some pretty hefty financial and emotional risks. Puppy mills aren't concerned with screening breeding stock for genetically inherited diseases that can cost you thousands and reduce the quality and length of life. They're interested only in churning out more unfortunate pups and getting as many dollars as possible. Far better to give your money to supporting responsible breeding practices instead

[elbykitty]

LOL. Do you have any experience with a boxer pup in the past. I only ask because I can say my experience that they can tend to be a bit unruly. It is not really aggression but they like to play and that is puppy play.
You will do what you want in this circumstance. I really do think it is a bad idea to buy a puppy from a petstore for the many reasons stated above. I had a friend that bought a rott pup with a 3 year health guarantee from a unreputable breeder(which includes pet store that buy them)well at 2 years he came down with cardiomyopathy(sp?). Well they did stick by the guarantee(sp?) by offering to take the dog back only they were going to euthanize the dog. Of course he kept his dog because he loved him and was not refunded any of his money for the major medical expenses that came along. So although they may offer a guarantee that comes with conditions and for most pet owners they are not conditions that most could live with.

[ELubas]

Originally Posted by boxervolscam

the pet store is a petland, they state that they have a three year warranty on pups...also come to think of it the pup was very agressive i felt. she would bite excessively and jump everywhere while looking at her, this may be normal i did not know

Believe me that "warranty" will not mean much to you if your pup is chronically ill or deseased. It is a struggle in the US just to find the proper health testing being done by breeders-rest assured the puppy mills are not concerning themselves with that. As a rough estimate I imagine in six years I have spent about $7-8,000 on my boy (and thank God that I can as he is my love) and he came from a BYB-petstores are even less reliable. Run to your nearest boxer rescue and I guaruntee you will fall in love while saving a sweet life. Best of luck to you