Stepping Into The Pet Owner's Shoes
by Donald Schwartz - reprinted with permission

Some breeders feel that pet buyers do not need to know a puppy's parentage because the puppy is guaranteed and sold on a spay/neuter contract. Breeders need to step into the shoes of a pet owner again in order to see the view from the other side. A bond develops quickly between owner and pet. Guarantees to take the puppy back or replacement mean little once the bond is established. Love forces us to keep the unhealthy dog and all of its problems. It is not easy to send the dog back and many of us can not afford to maintain both the sick Swissy and a replacement.

Apparently some breeders can detach themselves from their dogs and place them once they are no longer useful. Those who can do this cannot see things the way a pet owner does. A pet owner would never rid their home of a loved dog. The breeders need to move out the useless ones to make way for the ones that can produce more pups for a breeding program may be legitimate. Some would argue that once a kennel is established automatically makes it necessary for the kennel to bring in money. Keeping several dogs beyond their breeding period would eventually lead to a bunch of non-breedable dogs to feed but no room for the breedable dogs needed to pay for the older ones.

Even worse, the need for money to maintain the non-breedable dogs would tempt a breeder to make poor decisions in their breeding program. The economic reality of running a kennel introduces a powerful incentive to make poor choices. Ethical breeders resist the temptation. Breeders are caught in a Catch-22 where it is better to rid non-breeding dogs than be placed in the position where economics force poor breeding choices. For some of us this is an argument for novice breeding.

But the point is that some breeders do make poor breeding choices, and knowledge about the puppy parents allows the puppy buyer the opportunity to check around to see if they are getting a good chance at health. It is very difficult to return a puppy from an emotional point of view. Hey, there are many other reasons that are out there to know the parents including desire for an obedience dog or even one with markings that are desired etc.

I always recommend to those who ask that they find out all about the puppy before the purchase, because there are no "guarantees". I recommend that puppy buyers avoid breeders who will not give out the information they want.