Life’s Storm Chow Chow Kennel
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Life’s Storm Chow Chow Kennel
Whant to buy a puppy? Read this…
Although you may only want to buy a Chow for a pet, you will want to purchase the best specimen you can get. Chow puppies which are purchased from pet stores, from newspaper ads, and from flea markets are rarely good stock. Truly good Chows are in great demand and are not easy to come by, particularly not at a small price. A prospective puppy buyer should ask the seller for a pedigree. If the seller cannot produce the pedigree for the puppy, in all likelihood the puppy in question does not represent much quality. The buyer should likewise ask to see the litter registration slip or the equivalent information in writing, that is, the puppy’s sire and dam with their registration numbers (pedigree), etc.
Buy your puppy from an involved, serious breeder/exhibitor. They put in long hours of obsessive study regarding pedigrees and lineage, evaluate and observe their dogs for faults and virtues, and give them the love, attention and care they deserve. Those of us who exhibit at dog shows proudly show the world the fruits of those efforts. Ask a breeder about the vet bills, the hours spent tending newborn puppies, the time spent with those who have purchased one of their puppies, the grooming, the training, and the socialization that go into producing quality dogs that they can be proud of. We breeders work very hard to produce the best pup that can be produced. Quality is no accident; it takes effort and dedication.
The buyer should look at the puppy’s pedigree to ascertain if there are any champions among the puppy’s ancestors. While champions in a pedigree are not a guarantee of quality, it is more likely that a puppy with a champion parent or several champion grandparents is a better specimen of the breed than a puppy with no champions or only a few in the fourth or fifth generations.
A reliable breeder should question the prospective buyer as to how the Chow puppy will be raised, housed, fed and cared for.
The puppy should not have excessively “watery” eyes which discharge onto the puppy’s muzzle; the puppy should not have any signs of diarrhea or skin problems; the puppy should be clean and healthy looking, full of life, and above all, alert and interested in people, not shy and retiring or “spooky”.
The prospective buyer should ask the seller for a written guarantee of the puppy’s good health for forty-eight hours, for the pedigree registration slip, and a pedigree. The puppy should be taken immediately after purchase to a veterinarian for a checkup at which time the veterinarian should ask for a stool sample of the puppy.
The prospective buyer might keep in mind as a good rule of thumb that a reputable Chow breeder will be most cooperative with the buyer in regard to the myriad questions that the buyer will have in regard to his puppy. If the prospective buyer is met with hostility or an unwillingness on the part of the seller to answer questions or contribute to the education of the buyer in regard to the Chow breed, the buyer might do well to look elsewhere for his Chow puppy.
What Questions Should you Ask to Make Sure to you will Get a Good Dog?
Newspaper and web advertisements can be misleading. A few simple questions by the purchaser can help to sort out the “for profit” backyard breeder and pet-shop operator from the reputable breeder/exhibitor. No concerned Chow Chow breeder will resent your questions. It shows that you care! Most breeders will have a few questions of their own to ask you as well.
DO YOU OWN THE PARENTS (OR MOTHER) OF THE PUPS ADVERTISED?
If not, this may be a pet shop operation.
ARE THE PARENTS (OR MOTHER) AVAILABLE TO BE SEEN?
If not, what is being hidden – poor quality, worse temperament?
WHERE WERE THE PARENTS (OR MOTHER) PURCHASED?
Beware of the litter of pups resulting from the breeding of two pet shop dogs bred for profit, with no regard for temperament, improvement of breed type, genetic flaws, or proper care and rearing.
DO PUPPIES COME WITH FCI REGISTRATION?
Please note that FCI registration does not imply inspection or evaluation of breeding stock by the FCI, just that the parents were registered.
Many reputable breeders choose to withhold registration applications until a pet quality dog is neutered or to supply such a puppy with a non-breeding registration, under which the dog’s progeny are ineligible for registration. These arrangements are always in writing in the form of a sales agreement or contract when dealing with a reputable breeder.
IS THE PEDIGREE (LINEAGE) OF THE LITTER AVAILABLE FOR THE PURCHASER ?
Dedicated breeders spend hours selecting just the right male for their female, based on four or five generation pedigrees, which are family trees for dogs. They know and are proud of their litter’s ancestry. A pet breeder usually knows no more than the fact that the mother and the father have FCI papers, and their names. They have no idea of their dogs’ ancestry or genetic makeup.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN BREEDING CHOWS ?
A breeder/exhibitor’s years of experience are a future resource to the purchaser if health, behavior or grooming problems appear in later years. What will the pet breeder have to tell you?
HOW MANY LITTERS DO YOU PRODUCE EACH YEAR?
Most breeder/exhibitors breed several litters a year, to produce a few show quality pups for their own use and for sale to other like-minded individuals. Those who breed many litters, 8 to 10 or more, may be shortchanging the pups for attention, care and socialization. Commercialism does occur in the ranks of breeder/exhibitors also, so try to purchase from people who take the time to breed fewer litters and spend more time and effort on them.
WHAT IS THE PRICE ?
No one ever forgets to ask the price, but when you evaluate prices, think of the answers to the preceding questions. A dog from an inexperienced backyard breeder may cost less, but where is the savings in the long run if the dog’s health and temperament are less than satisfactory? The cost-effectiveness of purchasing a pup from a breeder that stands behind his product, and who will continue to be available for service and assistance seems logical to us. How about you?