THE INDEPENDENT OBSERVER

Never buy from a pet shop. Never buy from a backyard breeder found in the local paper. Put your trust in a well-known breeder. Buying from a successful breeder guarantees you a good dog. These are the platitudes we have come to accept and repeat automatically to anyone asking our advice or help in finding a purebred puppy. These simple words may no longer be enough. Anyone interested in purchasing a dog should ask themselves and the person from whom they are considering buying the dog some real questions.

One of the first things might be how did I decide to call this kennel? Was it the result of a slick advertising campaign? Many ads in dog magazines are put in solely for the show dog owner's pleasure, a permanent reminder of a notable win. Some mark retirements or are thank you to handlers or other helpful people who have contributed to a dog's success. The text of these is usually minimal and does not contain references to upcoming puppies for sale or stud dog frees. The ads to question are the ones that promote a different dog each time with the same superlatives. We all love our babies and see them as perfect but is everyone the most perfect, thee best mover etc.? My particular favorite form of promotion is the one that reads something like this: here is a photo of my darling Fifi the Fifth winning yet another breed with his very dearest friend and devoted companion Joe Schmo. Without these two my life would be devoid of love. Thank you. Thank you, thank you...Fifi by way has been bred to several (meaning all) of our bitches and we welcome inquiries. Fifi's new owner is now an Asian syndicate (they needed to form a syndicate to meet my price) and he is now going to be shown all over Asia. Farewell my darling you were the wind beneath my wings. Translation: thanks puppy you paid off the bank. Oh and by the way all my dogs will from now until eternity is shown by my new best friend handler X.

Now that you have chosen a breeder from whom you might want a puppy you phone them. The conversation goes well. Does the breeder volunteer any history of medical problems or is the entire time devoted to show wins? You must make a decision based on conversations with a voice on the phone. Most of us are positive people wanting to believe what is told us. We also believe in the myth of the perfect dog. We all want to own one and are all too willing to think we are getting one. Gullible or naive does not however need to equate to stupid. We all know though not all of us will publicly admit that our breed has certain genetic predispositions to problems. Thyroid problems, blindness, kidney disease, hip diplasia are all present in varying degrees. Most of our dogs are somehow related to each other, so how can any of us claim to be completely trouble free? We can't. What we should be is more honest and open with each other for the betterment of the breed. Maybe we can't eradicate our problems but by working together we can minimize them.

Breeders who present themselves as trouble free are doing the breed a disservice. Shih Tzu are companion animals meant to bring joy to their families, A misrepresented pet cause untold heartache and medical expense for its family. A misrepresented breeding animal can ruin a breeding program by introducing unwanted problems undetected until too late. Since there is probably not a truly trouble free dog we should all be allowed to make informed decisions. We should be willing to give each other any help we can. If there is problem say so, allow your friends and your buyers the novelty of the entire truth. Consider the long term benefits not the short-term monetary gain.

Anyone buying a dog, pet or show needs to ask questions. They must not gloss over what their needs are in a potential purchase. If the buyer does not ask about health problems, guarantees etc. He has only himself to blame if he is unhappy later. In a perfect world our dogs would not be the source of anyone's second income but would only be bred cautiously for ourselves and a very select few. Unfortunately today there are some among us who exploit these innocent babies without regard for their well being.

What happens to the misrepresented dog? Sold to a breeder/exhibitor as a super star in the making he has proven ring shy. Taken home, reassured by the breeder that dog's shyness is not genetic trait but a result of poor handling, he is bred. The resulting puppies are a disappointment. Now what? The original breeder has washed himself clean and the buyer is stuck with a worthless stud dog and a litter of questionable puppies. Never mind that the buyer suffered a financial loss that the breeder will not reimburse. What will be the fate of the dogs? Will they be sold and perpetuate the fraud? Their fate is usually a sad one.

What of the pet person who buys one of these dogs? How different is it than buying from a pet shop? Lured in by ads of a different sort they still suffer the heartbreak of a sick dog. There are laws to protect the consumer in most states. In Florida there is a dog lemon law. So What? We should not need one.

Anyone buying a dog not only needs to ask questions but also needs to make clear what they want from the breeder. If you want a guarantee of some sort ask for one. Ask the questions that matter to you. Make a list of priorities.

What characteristics matter most to you? What flaws will you tolerate and which ones are unacceptable. Make an informed decision and demand honest answers and get them in the right perspective. Realize no dog and far fewer humans are perfect.