So you want to buy a Toy puppy?

                                                        

I have written this booklet out of frustration of seeing people spending big money on a puppy and then land up with problems.

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There has been an explosion on Trade Me of multiple breed puppies being sold for enormous prices. However I am now seeing lots of awful toy breed crossed puppies being sold quite cheaply. Please do not be tempted to buy one of these because of the price. People are just putting their cross bred girl to any boy they can find who are sometimes cross bred themselves. This is usually for money and the person has not checked out the father or often the mother for hereditary conditions.

 

ALL breeds of dog are predisposed to some condition, for example.

Maltese – Luxating Patellas ( floating knee caps)

Shih Tzu - Liver shunts and overshot jaws and umbilical hernias.

Poodles – Epilepsy

Caviliers - heart conditions

Lasa Apso – hip dysplasia and eye problems

 

I could go on through the breeds but I will leave it up to you to check out the breed you are interested in. PLEASE NOTE this does not mean if you buy a dog of this breed you will get a puppy with this condition. There are many dogs that live long healthy lives even with these conditions. However many backyard breeders are not even aware that their breed of dog carries a genetic predisposition and do not check for it. Genetics is a complicated subject and I will not go into it now but suffice to say that in a litter there will be a puppy that could get all 3 or 4 or 5 conditions depending on how many breeds are in the puppy. There will also be one or 2 puppies that get 1 condition or 2. There could also be a puppy that is totally healthy and gets nothing. But you will not know until your puppy is older.

 

Is it worth the risk? It is a fallacy that cross bred dogs are healthier than purebreds. If you go to a reputable breeder who is breeding selectively, purebreds should be very healthy. Multiple breed dogs used to be called mutts or mongrels not sold for extortionate prices.

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The other problem with buying a puppy with multiple breeds in it is the nature and activity level of the puppy may not be what you expect.

                          

A cross between a Maltese and a fox terrier is one of the worst you can get because one is a companion dog the other a working, busy dog that is designed to chase and catch rats.

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You may be buying a very cute looking puppy but what will it look like as an adult????

 

In the history of dog breeding, dogs were crossed for a reason which sometimes resulted in a new breed. Now we are seeing indiscriminate cross breeding for no other reason than making money and that gullible people will buy them.

                                                                                              

If you want a crossbred puppy:

Please buy puppies with only 2 breeds because of the reasons above and stick to similar breeds.

Good crosses are  2 of the following Bichon Frise, Maltese, Havernese, Louchen, Poodle, Lasa Apso ,  and possibly Sydney silky. These are all non shedding toy dogs

Bad crosses are any of the above with Chihuahua, Fox Terrier, Jack Russel , Cavalier, Schnauzer.

Poodles are crossed with much bigger dogs too and you need to ask how big these puppies will grow, often these dogs take on the non shedding of the Poodle

Please remember that each breed has a certain temperament  and by mixing 2 breeds together even if similar dogs you will not know what you are going to get long term.

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So what should you do before buying a puppy:

Do your research.

Why do you want a puppy? Who is it for? What size do you need? Who is going to do all the training and work a puppy entails? Are you prepared to look after this dog for 12-16 years? What breed would suit your needs?

                                                                                               

DO YOUR RESEARCH

Check out  Dogs NZ website and click “find the right breed button”.

Once you have decided on a breed then you can start looking for a breeder. Generally a registered breeder who can be found on Dogs nz website or Dogzonline site, is an ethical conscientious breeder and can be trusted more than a back yard breeder. Some breeders advertising on online platforms are good at what they do but many are not and it is buyer beware. One of the frustrations I see is that there are people who have come from overseas where dogs are not necessarily pets in their country that are breeding especially toy dogs and they do not have a clue as to what they are doing. Many go out to work and leave the mother and puppies by themselves. The welfare of the dog is not paramount to these people and there will be no support or returning the puppy if something goes wrong. They will not want to know you once the money is handed over.

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A good breeder will welcome you into their house to view Mum and Dad and puppies. If the bitch has gone out to stud they may only have a photo of the Father. Is the house clean and the puppies in a clean clutter free environment. Are the puppies free of fleas. Are the puppies kept indoors ( find out if this breed is supposed to be indoor or out door dogs). Most of the toy breeds are supposed to be raised indoors. PLEASE do not buy a puppy out of sympathy for the state the puppy ie rescuing it, all you are doing is encouraging disreputable breeders. WALK AWAY.

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You can always ask if the breeder has a recommendation note from their vet or ask to speak to them or a previous buyer about their experience of buying a puppy from this breeder. Someone who will spend time talking to you is generally a good breeder.

                                        

SCAMS

It is very easy to be caught up in an online scam. One of the first signs of a scam is poor English in the advert. If the puppy is free and they ask for the transport fees of a few hundred dollars this is a scam. If the puppy is really cheap especially if it is coming from overseas. These cost thousands of dollars to import.  If there is only a cell phone number and no address. If the photos of the puppy looks staged or professional with a little bandana or bows in their hair, you can tell if the photo has been taken in a person’s home. If they try to sell you 2 puppies together. If they are advertised on an obscure website. If they want you to pay into Western Union bank.  These are all scams.