I always knew that it was important to go to a good breeder or a shelter for a dog, but I understand even better now. A friend of mine got a Jack Russell puppy from a supposable breeder. Well this puppy was 6 weeks old, had worms, no shot, loaded with fleas, ticks and a bacterial infection in his eyes. The only good thing was that the puppy was free, well that was until the puppy was taken to the vet and the bill was over $600.00. And to top it off it is not even a Jack Russell pure bread. He’s mixed with something that will only be determined once he gets a little older. My advice is to be careful and know what your getting yourself into. 
How do you know you are dealing with a reputable breeder? Here are some questions you should ask the breeder:
Have your puppies been vaccinated? If so which vaccination were given and when?
Do you temperament test your litters?
Have your dogs earned any competition titles (Only if that matters to you)
Are your puppies tattooed or microchipped for identificaiton?
Have you paper trained the puppies
Do you have any references?
You have decided that you would like to get a puppy. Now where should you look for one? It is important to look in the right places, as there are some places that could be a problem.
You don’t want to get a puppy that has been abused or neglected, or else you might end up with problems later. You want to make sure you get a puppy from a place where he has been cared for well, a place that has happy, healthy puppies.
Read the rest of this entry »
