hi guys im planning on buying a maltese dog for my kids does anyonr know where a good dog store i can buy it . my friend says all dogs that ate in stores are from puppy mills. is that true. he says is better off for me to buy from a person who has a mother that gave birth.
dog advice
- Thread starter jadakiss
- Start date
- Location
- Jersey City, NJ
+1 to what Chiefmcfuz said.
- Location
- Jersey City, NJ
no, not necessarily, pet stores have a very high markup on dogs. A dog that may cost you a thousand dollars in a pet store can sometimes be found from a good breeder for half that. Your best bet is to ask anyone you know with a maltese or anyone you see walking theirs in the city. Eventually someone will have the number of their breeder and a good recommendation.
That's how my wife and I got our yorkie. We had a friend with one who had a great temperment so we got one from the same breeder, and he's a well behaved, smart dog. Our other friends got a yorkie after us from the pet store, and he's a terror. I was able to train my dog a handful of things in about a week after we started training him (after I let him settle in for a few weeks) and I've never owned a dog before that. But when I took my friends yorkie for a week, I could only train him to sit and nothing else. Any dog you get from a pet store is a total crap-shoot.
That's how my wife and I got our yorkie. We had a friend with one who had a great temperment so we got one from the same breeder, and he's a well behaved, smart dog. Our other friends got a yorkie after us from the pet store, and he's a terror. I was able to train my dog a handful of things in about a week after we started training him (after I let him settle in for a few weeks) and I've never owned a dog before that. But when I took my friends yorkie for a week, I could only train him to sit and nothing else. Any dog you get from a pet store is a total crap-shoot.
- Location
- hamburg, nj
That's not true its not the pet store that makes a dog a terror. I got my boxer from the pet store around here. He's very well behaved. Any reputable per store will show u papers before u buy so u can research the breeder.
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- Location
- Jersey City, NJ
I never said it's the pet store that makes the dog a terror, but the conditions they keep the dogs in certainly do help. It's that the pet stores generally buy from good breeders. Good breeders generally don't just pump out dogs as much as possible, and when they do have litters, they have such a good rep that often all of the puppies are spoken for before they're even born.
ryangrieder
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- Northern Jersey
my mother owns a dog store. I know it all when it comes to puppy mills or real breeders. Most pet stores like the malls and ect are not good. Puppy mills really are not that big anymore. The Amish Is more popular now. There are certain rules when it comes to the state and where the dogs come from. I know personally my mothers store would be shut down instantly if it was from puppy mills or ect. The ASPCA Visits my mother once a week to check up. She has always had a great reputation with them. My mother deals with a company called Lambrar who is actually quite popular. There side company has a tv show on animal planet about a year ago. It's pretty much a company where they go personally to the breeders and purchase puppies. They then go to there facility which has 4 vets on staff 24/7 and get all their shots, microchiped, registered, ect. They fax my mother a list of puppies which are usually about 10-20 types of dogs they have, and my mother picks which ons she wants. Soon after we get them delivered by a 18 wheeler custom made for dogs. Large pens were hand made in the back of the truck with ac, heat, automatic water and feeder bowls, video camera, the works. It's amazing looking. They then come to my mother place, explain the paper works and background, and my mom buys them. She then goes to another local vet, we use animal general because they are an amazing vet and very nice, and they get a full check up and and a certificate showing the puppy is up to date in nj. Then she keeps them for about a week or two, give them kenel cough pills, alabon, panacur, and we watch them.
About 9 years ago, my mother bought the store, but before then, puppy mills places were not against the law. Dogs use to be flown by airplanes in from random places and the old owners use to just pick them up at the airport. It was horrible. The dogs were disgusting, always had something wrong like kennel cough, and honestly was just cruel. When my mom bought the store, she called up every breeder and ripped them a new butt hole and called aspca and give them all their contact information and they shut it down. Then my mom started fresh. She started just hanging signs looking for local breeders ect. Problem is the dogs in our area were well... Not that many to select from. Only labs, jack russels, ect. And the prices are wayy to high, plus most never been to the vet. So, she started going through another company kind of like the people we use now, but smaller. She worked with them for awhile, but the whole Amish thing started becoming popular. She ended up stopping with that company because she did not trust it and did not want to risk it because most the dogs came from PA which is big amish county.
If you do decide to go to a local pet store, make sure they have something called "notification for consumers rights" that is at least for nj where i live, which is your rights when you get the dog. It's pretty much the health guarantee for the dog. It protects you pretty much if the dog you purchased becomes sick or Ill. My mothers store is mandatory to give them with the dog. Pretty much if anything is wrong, she has to pay up to two times the purchase price for what came back from the vet within 10 days. Or you get other options. Its pretty long, but i wont go far into depth with it. Also, make sure the shots are up to date. From booster, distempermint, everything. And make sure you ASK QUESTiONS. If you ask where they came from and all they tell you is a location, and not background, be concerned.
So, I'm not saying go to a pet store or go to a breeder. I do like the breeder idea because you deal with them personally. But, make sure you really check the place out. The location, how the owners are, how their dogs look, check what food they feed them, if they been taking records, if they do it regularly, how many times they bred the puppies mother, is any did not make it in the litter, ect. If you decide to go for a breeder, I wish you well, it's a good choice. If you go with a pet store, again, ask questions and make sure it feels comfertible.
Rescue is another choice, but don't think rescue is free. You still have to pay a few hundred, they have to check out your home, interview you, ect. wnd you don't know the background. Was it mistreated? Is it healthy? Personally, my one dog is a rescue and he is my favorite dog in the world. I got very lucky with him and would not get rid of him even for a million dollars. He is my best friend.
And my last piece of advice, do NOT buy a dog on the Internet.
If you ever have questions, feel free to pm me.
About 9 years ago, my mother bought the store, but before then, puppy mills places were not against the law. Dogs use to be flown by airplanes in from random places and the old owners use to just pick them up at the airport. It was horrible. The dogs were disgusting, always had something wrong like kennel cough, and honestly was just cruel. When my mom bought the store, she called up every breeder and ripped them a new butt hole and called aspca and give them all their contact information and they shut it down. Then my mom started fresh. She started just hanging signs looking for local breeders ect. Problem is the dogs in our area were well... Not that many to select from. Only labs, jack russels, ect. And the prices are wayy to high, plus most never been to the vet. So, she started going through another company kind of like the people we use now, but smaller. She worked with them for awhile, but the whole Amish thing started becoming popular. She ended up stopping with that company because she did not trust it and did not want to risk it because most the dogs came from PA which is big amish county.
If you do decide to go to a local pet store, make sure they have something called "notification for consumers rights" that is at least for nj where i live, which is your rights when you get the dog. It's pretty much the health guarantee for the dog. It protects you pretty much if the dog you purchased becomes sick or Ill. My mothers store is mandatory to give them with the dog. Pretty much if anything is wrong, she has to pay up to two times the purchase price for what came back from the vet within 10 days. Or you get other options. Its pretty long, but i wont go far into depth with it. Also, make sure the shots are up to date. From booster, distempermint, everything. And make sure you ASK QUESTiONS. If you ask where they came from and all they tell you is a location, and not background, be concerned.
So, I'm not saying go to a pet store or go to a breeder. I do like the breeder idea because you deal with them personally. But, make sure you really check the place out. The location, how the owners are, how their dogs look, check what food they feed them, if they been taking records, if they do it regularly, how many times they bred the puppies mother, is any did not make it in the litter, ect. If you decide to go for a breeder, I wish you well, it's a good choice. If you go with a pet store, again, ask questions and make sure it feels comfertible.
Rescue is another choice, but don't think rescue is free. You still have to pay a few hundred, they have to check out your home, interview you, ect. wnd you don't know the background. Was it mistreated? Is it healthy? Personally, my one dog is a rescue and he is my favorite dog in the world. I got very lucky with him and would not get rid of him even for a million dollars. He is my best friend.
And my last piece of advice, do NOT buy a dog on the Internet.
If you ever have questions, feel free to pm me.
+1 i'd adopt........
- Location
- new jersy
this is very true. i kno someone thats selling malteses pm ill give u the tel!!
ryangrieder
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- Northern Jersey
Although you may be right about training your dog, you cannot say that about ALL pet stores. My mothers store, her mark up is about 100-150 bucks higher then she pays. The most expensive dog ever in her store was a rottie that was 1100' because she paid 925 for it. Yorkies, which in the city can sell for over a grand, she has one for sale now for 650. Dogs are not overpriced at all stores, so you can't say that.
And you cannot say Training a dog from a pet store is a terror. Thats not logically possible. It's all by the owner. You can take the most aggressive Pitt in the world and train it to be a Teddy bear. When you buy a puppy for a pet store, its usually 8-10 weeks old. 12 weeks old is proper age to start any training. It has nothing to do with the pet store.
If your referring to a random pet store in a mall or something, well yes you are right then about mark ups, but training is all in the owners hand. Sadly, most pet stores are pet stores in malls and ect, those are the horrible ones. I feel so bad for the malls having a good 20-30 dogs in one shot there because you know all of them are not getting the attention they need.
If you ever want to see what a real puppy store looks like, go to my mothers and take a look. Its small and simple and primarily all about the dogs. She only has 5-7 dpgs at a time so we can gove them all equal attention. Too many becomes a head ache. She mops the store 10+ times a day, has hand sanitizers everywhere, paper towel rolls all around for the puppies "accidents" and ect. Although it is very small and not high class looking, my mother treats every dog she gets like they are her own. All the way to the point that while whoever is trying to sell one of the dogs, while the employee asks the customer questions, they are also secretly interviewing you. If the store does not feel you are fit for a dog or ready in your life for a dog, she will say sorry, and its not going to happen.
So, please don't call ALL pet stores bad names, because there are a few out there that try to do the right thing and get families new companions...
ryangrieder
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- Northern Jersey
More like 65%.
But adopting in good, as long as your ok with not knowing the past of it and ect.., I chose to adopt and like I said, it's the best dog I've ever had.
Buying from a ligit pet store may cost a bit more but will be health guaranteed and shots taken care of.
Straight from breeder is great too, as long as you find out the parents background and been vet checked once and have certificate of health
Sorry man but its fact that WAY MORE then 65% from puppy mills.
"breeder" has various definitions in the pet store world
No disrespect at all to your mothers business as I have no knowledge of her or her store but every single pet store I have dealt with for over 20 years has been from puppy mills and that is what I see.
Regardless its up to the potential dog owner to do whats best and get a good dog and as you said ryan your adopted dog is best dog you ever had.
Health guarantee is usually the pet store taking back a sick dog and euthanizing it and giving a new one, not ideal. These dogs dont have OFA checks usually or anything of that legit nature
"breeder" has various definitions in the pet store world
No disrespect at all to your mothers business as I have no knowledge of her or her store but every single pet store I have dealt with for over 20 years has been from puppy mills and that is what I see.
Regardless its up to the potential dog owner to do whats best and get a good dog and as you said ryan your adopted dog is best dog you ever had.
Health guarantee is usually the pet store taking back a sick dog and euthanizing it and giving a new one, not ideal. These dogs dont have OFA checks usually or anything of that legit nature
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