This is one of the most pervasive sentiments that puppy buyers, especially
families, express when they're looking for a dog. What they really mean, of
course, is that they don't want a show BREEDER – don't want to pay the high
price they think show breeders charge, don't want to go through the
often-invasive interview process, and think that they're getting a better deal
or a real bargain because they can get a Lab for $300 or a Shepherd for $150.
I want you to change your mind. I want you to not only realize the benefits of
buying a show-bred dog, I want you to INSIST on a show-bred dog. And I want you
to realize that the cheap dog is really the one that's the rip-off.
Here's why:
If I ask you why you want a Lab, or a Shih Tzu, or a Samoyed, I would bet you're
not going to talk about how much you like their color. You're going to tell me
things about personality, ability (to perform a specific task), relationships
with other animals or humans, size, coat, temperament, and so on. You'll
describe playing ball, or how affectionate you've heard that they are, or how
well they get along with kids.
The things you will be looking for aren't the things that describe just "dog";
they'll be the things that make this particular breed unique and unlike other
breeds.
That's where people have made the right initial decision – they've taken the
time and made the effort to understand that there are differences between breeds
and that they should get one that at least comes close to matching their picture
of what they want a dog to be.
Their next step, tragically, is that they go out and find a dog of that breed
for as little money and with as much ease as possible.
You need to realize that when you do this, you're going to the used car
dealership, WATCHING them pry the "BMW" plate off a new car, observing them as
they use Bondo to stick it on a '98 Corolla, and then writing them a check and
feeling smug that you got a BMW for so little.
It is no bargain.
Those things that distinguish the breed you want from the generic world of "dog"
are only there because somebody worked really hard to get them there. If you
don't NEED those special abilities or the predictability of a particular breed,
you should not be buying a dog at all. You should go rescue one. That way you're
saving a life and not putting money in pockets where it does not belong.
If you want a purebred and you know that a rescue is not going to fit the bill,
the absolute WORST thing you can do is assume that a name equals anything. They
really are nothing more than name plates on cars. What matters is whether the
engineering and design and service department back up the name plate, so you
have some expectation that you're walking away with more than a label. Health
testing and Temperament go hand in hand. Both are of equal importance!
Keeping a group of dogs looking and acting like their breed is VERY HARD work. A
lot of planning goes into that litter Longevity of the pedigree, Health of the
pedigree as well as Temperament. These three things are taken very serious
at Ej's to insure a long healthy life with your new addition.