Julie Hill is
part of AKC Breeder Ambassador Initiative and
breeds
Scottish Terriers.
Her thoughts below can be applied to any
canine breed and
family's search for a canine pet and companion.
"Imagine yourself
as an average person, who goes to work in the morning,
goes out for lunch with
co-workers, maybe goes out in the evening for dinner
or just comes home to have dinner with the
family. You have a couple of
young kids who, one day at supper, announce
a friend at supper just got a puppy.
You and your spouse look at each other.
You know what's coming next.
Here it comes. " We want a puppy!!"
So what do you do? Tell
them no, they’re too young, or are they old enough?
What now? Do you pick up
today’s local newspaper and look at the pet section?
Do you google “puppies for
sale”? Or do you do the smart thing and start talking
with the family about what kind
of dog would be THE DOG for your family?
There are so many ways to find
out what breed would be THE BREED for your
family, so many resources you
can use to decide on one. Once you have made
that decision, now you start THE SEARCH.
How do
you find the right puppy? First, you have to find the right
breeder.
What, you might ask, is the difference?
If you’re smart, you’ll want a
responsible breeder, one who has spent years
researching pedigrees
of the breed, knows the
specifics of not only the breed, but of the line
she/he breeds. A
responsible breeder can tell you generations behind the
dogs you see in their home or
kennel. A responsible breeder will not let a
puppy go too young, before the
puppy has proper immunizations and socialization.
A responsible breeder is someone who is
willing to talk to you and answer questions
you have, whether you’ve already
committed to purchasing a puppy or not.
They are there for you and the
puppy whether the puppy is 5 months, 5 years
or 13 years old.
A
responsible breeder does not sell you a puppy; they have you join their family
and are available for
information, for advice, and, if necessary and
something unforeseen happens in
your life, they are there to step in for you
and take the puppy/adult/senior dog
back. A responsible breeder is there
before the puppy is conceived,
they are there thru all the crazy puppy antics,
they are there thru the
smiles and the tears.
A responsible breeder is the one who planned for a specific
breeding,
spent the long sleepless night getting the puppies here. A responsible
breeder is the one
spent days and weeks watching the puppies,
training the puppies, making
sure the puppies were ready when the
time comes to join their new families. A responsible
breeder is your best friend."
Take
time to find the right puppy/dog for your family.
Remember a dog is forever, not a fad or status symbol for your ego.
