charlieusf
Lurker
How would I go about getting an intact female puppy from a breeder? im completely clueless. I want a gsd.
How to get an intact puppy from breeders
- Thread starter charlieusf
- Start date
At least in my country puppies are given away before they reach the age where genital mutilation is legally allowed. It is then the owner's responsibility to take care of these things.
Also gsd's have narrow hips, check that it is the correct breed for you. And do not support sloped backs when you pick your breeder.
dartel
Prized Citizen of ZV
If you're in the US breeders aren't going to be spaying or forcing it as a condition of adopting. It's rescues and shelters that almost always either do it themselves or include it in the adoption contract. Some will charge a spaying deposit which will be refunded once you return with proof that you've done it, others will require you set a vet appointment before the adoption. In both cases you could just say you'll do it and kiss any deposit goodbye, but if it's a serious rescue which requires home inspections and everything they could take the dog back if they find out you didn't uphold the contract.
The US is sickeningly pro dog genital mutilation and it can be hard to avoid it without going through equally sickening puppymills. A non-puppy mill family whose pets had puppies is the "best" viable option, but they can be hard to tell from backyard breeders who view their animals as little more than money makers.
The US is sickeningly pro dog genital mutilation and it can be hard to avoid it without going through equally sickening puppymills. A non-puppy mill family whose pets had puppies is the "best" viable option, but they can be hard to tell from backyard breeders who view their animals as little more than money makers.
charlieusf
Lurker
how do I find a breeder thats not a puppy mill though. I have never had to contact breeders or anything before all the animals ive had have been rescues
Umm... actually, many breeders absolutely do require your pups to be spayed and neutered, at least a good amount of breeders do. Many breeders require that you sign an agreement to spay and neuter before the purchase has even been made. In these contracts, they are allowed to follow up and get tangible proof that the altercation has been made.
This requirement isn't for "the greater good and to control the pet population." It's to eliminate competition in the future. It's to make sure that you don't breed and sell pups yourself when your dog gets to breeding age.
SouthEastDude
Tourist
I'm also curious to know. I'm in the UK so I imagine things are very different here compared to the US.
Obviously I'd need to look for a breeder, but considering how things are regulated here I imagine it'd be tough to find somebody where the dogs aren't already spayed/neutered before they're allowed to sell them.
Obviously I'd need to look for a breeder, but considering how things are regulated here I imagine it'd be tough to find somebody where the dogs aren't already spayed/neutered before they're allowed to sell them.
Rev216
Tourist
I've always found it very strange how pro-neuter people are here...even my own family. I'm the only person I know that is strongly against it. Sure I want to leave them intact for potential sex, but it's also just kinda fucked up to tear their body apart so you can be a little less responsible of an owner. My girl doesn't fit me but at least I was lucky enough to get her straight from a family friend without any contracts or spaying. She's 9 years old and I've been putting diapers on her every heat. Much prefer it over doing that to my baby girl.
Honestly, you're probably going to need to be upfront with the breeder, if your soul is set on getting a puppy, you're more than likely going to need to contact multiple breeders. One of the first things I would ask is something like this... "Do you require your puppies to have a spay and neuter contract with purchase? If so, it is against my religion to alter God's creatures from the way he intended them to be. I cannot in good faith purchase a puppy from you if this is a requirement."
I'm an atheist myself, but most people will not argue against a religious argument.
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SouthEastDude
Tourist
That's honestly not a bad idea, I'll have to use it if it ever comes a time when I look to adopt.
faultysleddog
Lurker
I'll echo others. Just be up front. I only went the breeder route once, because shepherds are a mess in the US. My other dogs were freebies.
My search was entirely online. Usually passionate people will put their thoughts out there on their web sites or social media. You're funding their business when you buy a puppy, so find a breeder you like. Research breed issues like hips and myelopathy. Find breeders that test for it. The one I liked had a neuter clause for non-working homes, but it must be done after full maturity or else the health guarantee is void. I loved this, as it means they not only read the research, but act on it (look up early neuter effects on bone structure if you aren't aware).
I told her I prefer to leave dogs intact unless there is an immediate medical need, but I will never breed him. She said (paraphrasing) "No problem. Honestly, I'm the same way, especially with the growing body of research against the practice. But, it's risky to have those opinions publicly in this business." So I put my deposit down and waited about 6 months on the "pet homes" list.
Show up in person. Any breeder worth buying from should let you visit, even if it's an "open house" type of thing where there are a lot of people at once. If they don't, that's a red flag that they don't want you to see the conditions there. You should talk/email back and forth a bit first. Even good breeders have to fear the animal rights crazies with hidden cameras. Be serious, meet the dogs, bring your deposit and decide.
My search was entirely online. Usually passionate people will put their thoughts out there on their web sites or social media. You're funding their business when you buy a puppy, so find a breeder you like. Research breed issues like hips and myelopathy. Find breeders that test for it. The one I liked had a neuter clause for non-working homes, but it must be done after full maturity or else the health guarantee is void. I loved this, as it means they not only read the research, but act on it (look up early neuter effects on bone structure if you aren't aware).
I told her I prefer to leave dogs intact unless there is an immediate medical need, but I will never breed him. She said (paraphrasing) "No problem. Honestly, I'm the same way, especially with the growing body of research against the practice. But, it's risky to have those opinions publicly in this business." So I put my deposit down and waited about 6 months on the "pet homes" list.
Show up in person. Any breeder worth buying from should let you visit, even if it's an "open house" type of thing where there are a lot of people at once. If they don't, that's a red flag that they don't want you to see the conditions there. You should talk/email back and forth a bit first. Even good breeders have to fear the animal rights crazies with hidden cameras. Be serious, meet the dogs, bring your deposit and decide.
SouthEastDude
Tourist
I've never heard this explained so well. I don't really know much about dog breeding, but all I've ever heard from friends is "never go to breeders, you should always get one from a dog home becuase too many dogs from elsewhere just come from puppy mills" and obviously I'm skeptical about that. Yes puppy mills exist but the idea that breeders are untrustworthy is something I've heard from so many people I know and because I don't know much about breeders I could never dispute their opnion.
HugDoggy
Esteemed Citizen of ZV
Visit them is a good first step, if a dog is being used as a puppy making machine the body language around the humans is often different as they don't tend to have a close bond with the dog and the dog will also look a little run down. It takes a lot of energy to be constantly growing and taking care of pups over and over. Know what a dog of that breed is supposed to look like when they are happy and healthy so you can compare that to what you are seeing at the place you are visiting.
HugDoggy
Esteemed Citizen of ZV
In Australia Breeders must be Registered if you are selling pure bred dogs as pedigree animals, this means that to remain registered you must obey certain regulations that are put into place to stop people running puppy mills. Such as you can only have a certain number of actively breeding dogs and those dogs must not have more than a certain number of litters in a set time frame, I think from memory it was only one litter a year, but I would need to read the code of practice again to be sure of that.
Things may be different where your from, but here at least Breeders and puppy mills are not automatically the same thing. Can a breeder do the wrong thing, sure but if they are caught they will be deregistered by the canine authority for the state they lived in and may face criminal charges.
Now buying from a pet shop if such things exist in your country I would say is more risky that the animal came from a puppy mill, as a shop wants to by their animals in at as cheap a price as they can to be able to put a better margin on the puppy. before selling them to some unsuspecting person who saw this cute little guy in the window.