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• The most important thing to remember when choosing a new dog for you and your family is not necessarily which breed of dog will best fit your lifestyle, but what energy level will best fit your lifestyle. If you choose a dog/puppy with a high or very high level of energy and you are a medium or low energy level person, you will automatically become a follower, not a leader to your dog as ages. This will create communication problems between you and your new dog, as well as behavior problems in the dog in the very near future. Try to choose a dog or puppy with the same level of energy that closely equals you and your family's.

• Please do your research on the breed of dog that you are thinking of getting long before you start looking for a new dog. Each breed of dog was originally bred for a specific task or job and it will be very important that you know what your dog will need in terms of exercise, discipline and training. For instance, do not get a Rottweiler, German Shepherd or Doberman Pinscher if you are not looking for a guard dog. Do not get a Border Collie, Australian Shepherd or Heeler if you do not want a dog that will herd you around the house and nip at your children's heels. Do not get Labrador Retriever, Brittany Spaniel or German Shorthair Pointer if you have no intentions to doing any hunting. Get the idea?

• The pet store is the worst place to buy a puppy and as long as there is a market for pet store puppies other dogs will be condemned to death by mass breeding only so that a few people can make some money with no thought of their "products" welfare.

• Dogs From Shelters: Please adopt a dog! There are literally millions of dogs sitting in municipal and other shelters awaiting a new home. Not because they've done anything wrong, not because they're ugly, but simply because someone decided they don't want the dog any longer and the fact that there are too many dogs. There are so many people who must have the perfect dog, mostly those that hunt, show or compete with their dogs, and have no intention of adopting some strange dog without a known history. They will go to a breeder for a dog or will even breed their own dogs in an attempt to get just one perfect puppy out of a litter. Meanwhile, the rest of the litter will go to..... um, who knows, and that just adds to the already epidemic pet over population problem. Please, adopt a dog...............

• Dogs From Breeders: If you are one of those people who need or want a specific breed of dog for a specific reason/job, then a reputable and professional breeder is the way you want to go. Please keep in mind that everyone and their brother is trying to breed the perfect dog and that includes 'back yard breeders' who have no experience with genetics or DNA and have no clue what they're breeding into their dogs. A 'real' breeder will have a specific breeding program and will be able to answer ANY question you might come up with, including "what is a tandem repeat in a strand of DNA and what does it cause"? Sadly, if you are not paying about a thousand dollars for an eight week old puppy you are not going to get much of a guarantee on conformation, looks, even temperament, learning capability, genetic defects, etc. Please, do your research! Spending a few days or weeks online, reading books or talking to breeders simply is not enough time to educate yourself about what is really out there in the dog breeding world.

• Dogs From Pet Stores: The pet store is the worst place to buy a puppy and as long as there is a market for pet store puppies other dogs will be condemned to death by mass breeding only so that a few people can make some money with no thought of their "products" welfare. Pet store puppies are taught that living in their own feces and urine is normal and house training can be very difficult if not next to impossible, especially with the small breeds of dogs. Pet store puppies are exposed to potentially deadly infections from other puppies of other breeds from other puppy mills, as well as the daily handling by God only who knows what human with sometimes infections germs on his/her hands. Please, do not buy a puppy from a pet store! Please help to kill the market for pet store puppies, so the puppy mills can be shut down!

Here is some valuable information that I received from Yankee Staff, reputable Staffordshire Bull terrier breeders.

Breeder Q & A

So, you have decided to buy a puppy! Due to the immensity of the U.S.A. and the relative unavailability of reputable breeders of certain dog breeds in certain states, many people can only purchase a dog by long distance. If you are in this position and need to have some knowledge about the puppy that you are going to buy and the breeder of the puppy there are many questions that you can ask to further your knowledge of the breeder and the puppy. I would suggest that you ask a breeder if he/she is willing to put in writing any of the points that you will discuss and what he/she guarantees. By doing this you can save yourself a lot of hassle and hard feelings later if there is a misunderstanding between you and the breeder. You also have legal recourse if your puppy is not what was advertised or guaranteed. Many reputable breeders will require that you sign a contract that sets forth his/her expectations of you as an owner and elaborates on his/her policies regarding health guarantee, refund/return, breeding contracts etc.

•  Reputable breeders:

1. Will offer help with any questions that you have regarding your puppy and should be in a position to take the puppy or adult back in the future if circumstances force you to give up the animal. (Notice I did not say "buy back".)

2. May want to screen you as a prospective owner so he can ensure that the puppy is in a suitable home.

3. Will be very knowledgeable about the breed, genetic diseases, care and true temperament.

4. Will have clean, healthy surroundings and allow you to visit and see his stock.

5. Will follow up and be willing to answer any questions that come up about your dog.

6. Offer puppies that are wormed, have scheduled immunizations, heart worm prevention and are generally in very good health, with a lively personality.

•  Questions to ask a breeder - Request guarantees in writing:

1. What are your credentials in the breed and how long have you been breeding.

2. What are your puppies like. (color, style, pet, show, temperament, etc.)

3. Can you send me pictures of puppies. (I will reimburse your cost.)

4. How much do your puppies cost and are they A.K.C. registered.

5. Did the dam free whelp the litter.

6. Do you offer a health guarantee, what is it, will you put it in writing.

7. Do you offer a guarantee against genetic anomalies, what is it, will you put it in writing.

8. Do you offer a temperament guarantee, what is it, will you put it in writing.

9. If I can no longer keep the dog, will you take it back.

10. Do you offer a puppy health record regarding shots, worming, feeding instructions etc.

11. What does the puppy eat and where can I purchase it.

•  Things to watch out for:

Breeders who:

1. Say they will put their guarantees in writing and send them to you later. (Get your written guarantees before you buy your puppy.)

2. Try to sell you a puppy by "bad mouthing" other breeders you may have talked to.

3. Who will not let you come visit (for kennel security, some breeders may prefer to meet you at a neutral point and then take you to the premises.)

4. Will not guarantee the health or temperament of their puppies (remember dog aggression is part of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier's temperament, but people aggression should never be tolerated. There are no excuses.)

5. Do not send A.K.C. (American Kennel Club) papers or a bill of sale with the pup or adult dog. According to the A.K.C. the following information must be on the bill of sale: Registered Dog - Breed, Registered Name, Registration #, Date sold or delivered. Dog not individually registered - Breed, Sex, Color, Markings, Date of birth, Litter # (if available), Name and numbers of Sire and Dam, Name of Breeder, Date sold or delivered.

•  Some breeders will withhold A.K.C. papers for various reasons:

1. Until you see if the pup is suitable in your home.

2. Until it is neutered.

3. Until you finish paying or fulfilling other contractual agreements.

4. The breeder or seller still must send you a photo copy of A.K.C. papers or bill of sale with the above mentioned information.

•  Resource Material:

DOGS USA - Puppy buyers guide (available at bookstores, many pet stores, even grocery stores).

The American Kennel Club, Inc - 5580 Centerview Dr., Ste 200 Raleigh, NC 27606-3390

Don't Buy That Puppy in the Window!!!

10 reasons to NOT buy a puppy from a pet store

•  1. Health

That adorable puppy in the window of the pet store is hard to resist, but you are often paying a lot of money for a dog that you know very little about. Pet stores rely on impulse buys to sell their "product". There is a good chance that the pet store puppy will develop a health problem sometime in its life that will cost you a lot of money. When you buy a pet store puppy it is very unlikely that the puppy's parents were x-rayed for hip or elbow dysplasia. The parents have most likely not been checked for PRA, which causes blindness. Both of these debilitating diseases are genetically passed from generation to generation. These tests are expensive, but people who are concerned about the welfare of their breed will have these tests conducted to improve in the improvement of the breed. Good breeders are more concerned about the health of the puppies that the are producing than the money that they will or won't make on the production of a litter.

•  2. The Myth About AKC Papers

Pet shops would like you to believe that if a puppy is registered by the American Kennel Club that this guarantees the puppy will be healthy and a good representation of the breed. This is not so. The only thing that AKC papers tell are that the puppy is a purebred and produced out of AKC registered parents. Even this can be fiction, as some breeders register more puppies than are actually born in each litter to receive extra registration slips to pass out with 'unregisterable' puppies. The parents of your puppy may be dying of cancer somewhere else and be horrible representations of the breed that you are buying. Responsible breeders do register their puppies with the AKC, but that is only the beginning.

•  3. The Pet Shop Guarantee

Many pet shops provide a form of guarantee for people buying puppies from them but their guarantees are as bad as none at all. After your family has become attached to your adorable puppy you find out it is sick and it will cost you several hundred dollars to correct so you take the puppy back to the store to receive your guarantee. What they will most likely do is trade you puppies. Take away your beloved pet and replace it with a new puppy that might also get sick. They will euthanize the puppy you brought back, because this is cheaper for the store. The other tactic that some stores use is to tell you your puppy will grow out of the problem until their guarantee has expired. Do you want to take this risk?

•  4. What Will That Puppy Look Like When it is Full Grown?

You may have seen specimens of the breed that you are buying, but this does not guarantee that this puppy will fit the breed standard. You do not know if the parents fit the standard either and can not see the faults that each parent has. Their is no perfect dog, but a good breeder will be willing to discuss the faults and strengths that each of their dogs posses. You should also be able to see at least the mother of the puppy that you are buying if bought from a responsible breeder. Even then you can not tell exactly what the puppy will look like, but will have a much better idea of what to expect. Why spend so much money without even knowing what the puppy's parents look like?

•  5. What Do You Know About the Breed?

Employees of pet stores generally know very little about the dogs that are in the store. They might be able to tell you a little bit about the breed and then point you to a rack of generic dog books. What do you do after you find out that this breed is not right for you?

•  6. Housebreaking and Training Problems

This puppy that you are buying from a pet store has spent its life in a cage. It is almost certainly never seen carpet and may never have seen grass or dirt. They have been forced to eliminate in the same area that they sleep and eat. This goes against the dogs natural instinct, but your puppy has had no choice. This habit will make housebreaking your puppy much more difficult, if not impossible. A good breeder keeps the puppy area very clean and makes sure the puppy has a separate elimination area. By the time their puppies are ready to go home with you it will be well on the way to being house trained. Good breeders will often start teaching a young puppy how to walk on a leash and to lay quietly for grooming. A pet store puppy has never walked on a leash or been brushed before and will much more difficult to get used to these daily exercises than a puppy that has been brought up properly. Responsible breeders also base their breeding decisions in part on their dog's temperament and personality, not only on looks or the fact that they are purebred. Pet store puppies parents have not been selected for any reason other than they can produce puppies that sell as cute "purebreds" registered by the AKC.

•  7. How About Socialization?

Your pet store puppy has never been in a house before. Everything will be new and scary for them. The doorbell, vacuum cleaner, children playing are all new sensations that can be terrifying to an under or non-socialized puppy. Good breeders will expose their puppies to many situations so that the puppy is used to them by the time that they go to their new home. Responsible breeders temperament test their puppies before they are placed in a new home. This shows the breeder which puppies are dominant or shy. Then the breeder will match the puppy to the new owner and make sure that active pups go to active families and that shy puppies go to a home that can help them overcome their insecurity. Good breeders will also have more than one or two puppies to pick from and they can help you make an educated decision based on your family situation. If you are going to spend so much money on a dog that you plan to keep for a lifetime, why not find one that will fit into your lifestyle well.

•  8. What is a Pedigree Worth?

Pet shops often make a big deal out of their puppy's pedigrees. This is interesting as the pedigree is really just a piece of paper with names on it. Unless you know the dogs behind those names the pedigree is really quite useless to a puppy owner. Can the pet store tell you what your puppies grand-parents died of, or how long they lived? Do any of the dogs in your pups pedigree carry genetic diseases? A reputable breeder can tell you all of this information about your pups family tree. When you buy a puppy from a reputable breeder you are getting more than a piece of paper, you are getting the important information associated with the names too. Almost all responsible breeders will "title" their dogs by showing them under an unbiased judge. They will achieve championships on their dog, which tells that the dog is a good representation of the breed. Many also obtain obedience, hunting, herding or at least canine good citizen titles on their breeding dogs. These titles will be shown on the dogs pedigree before and after the parents names. Ask the breeder to explain what the letters mean.

•  9. Do You Want to Support Puppy Mills?

Almost all puppies that are in pet stores come from puppy mills. These operations are exactly what the name implies. They mass produce puppies with the prime motive as money. Their breeding dogs are kept in very poor conditions and are often malnourished. The dogs are never tested for genetic diseases and may not receive vaccinations. Puppy mills often get their breeding dogs from people in a hurry to get rid of dogs for some reason, public auctions and occasionally they are stolen from their owners. Females are bred every heat cycle until they are worn out and then they are sentenced to death. The horror of puppy mills is encouraged every time a puppy is bought from a puppy store. How do you know that your puppy comes from one of these places? The main reason is that responsible breeders will not sell puppies to pet stores. Good breeders want to make sure that their puppy goes to a good home and is well cared for. They want to be actively involved in screening the home that their puppy is going to. Breeders are also concerned about keeping track of their puppies that they produce. They want to know about any health problems that their lines may carry. A pet store generally never hears about their puppies once they leave the store, and really don't care.

•  10. After the Puppy Goes Home

Once you take the puppy home from the pet store they do not care what happens to the puppy. They do not care if the dog is left to run loose and kill livestock, or if it dies of liver disease at one year old. If you have a training problem they will not give you training advice. They do not care if you take your dog home and breed it continually. A responsible breeder is more than a person that sells you a quality dog, they are also a friend. They care what happens to their puppy once it is out of their house. Almost all good breeders sell on spay/neuter contracts or sell show quality puppies on limited registration, so that they still own part of the dog. This enables the breeder to keep inferior dogs out of the breeding population and also monitor what happens to their puppies. If you have a health or training problem they will be able to offer you advice and help you through the ordeal. A reputable breeder wants to make a good reputation for themselves and they care about each of their puppy's futures. They care not only about their own dogs, but also the impact their dogs will make on the breed as a whole.

So please next time you are looking for a new puppy to buy do your research buy attending American Kennel Club sanctioned shows, talking to many breeders, requiring proof of genetic tests and hip and elbow x-rays and request to see one or both of the parents of your new puppy. The pet store is the worst place to buy a puppy and as long as there is a market for pet store puppies other dogs will be condemned to death by mass breeding only so that a few people can make some money with no thought of their "products" welfare. This is not to say that a good pet has never come out of a pet store, as many have, but for each that has many more have not. Remember when you buy a puppy you are adding another member to your family, not just another piece of furniture that can be disposed of at the smallest whim, and you are responsible for every piece of extra baggage that puppy comes with. Why take the risks when so many reputable breeders are there to guide you along the way of your dogs development?

By: Cathy Sheeter