Animal House

Want a puppy? Now's not the time

Denise Flaim
Animal House

November 27, 2006

As the holiday season gets into gear - and visions of wriggly puppies under Christmas trees dance, sugarplum-like, in some conspicuous consumers' heads - here is a little reality check.

First of all, there could not be a worse time to introduce a living creature into your household than the holidays. The influx of people, the confusion and, yes, the stress of celebration are not the calm, level atmosphere needed to help your puppy adjust to an unfamiliar environment.

If that's an inconvenient thing to hear right now, as your Platinum Amex burns a hole in your palm, consider this:

While there are many ways to add a dog to your home, only two are optimal: Either obtain your new best friend from a shelter or rescue group, helping to chip away at the animal overpopulation problem. Or, if you must get a purebred puppy, buy one from a reputable breeder.

For overwhelmed puppy buyers, the definition of the term "reputable breeder" is sort of like that famous Supreme Court definition of pornography: You'll know one when you see one. But, in fact, there are four distinct things that characterize reputable breeders - a group that, in the interest of full disclosure, I like to think I am a member of myself. They are:

Reputable breeders do all the health screenings required by their breed club - and often more. (To find a particular breed club, go to Google .com and type in the name of the breed and the words "breed club." Usually there is just one authoritative entity, though some schism-happy breeds, like Cavalier King Charles spaniels and Australian shepherds, have more than one. Visit both.)

Reputable breeders require all pet-quality dogs to be spayed and neutered.

Reputable breeders have contracts that require you to return the dog to them, regardless of age or circumstance, if you no longer want him.

Reputable breeders give back to their breed community through participation in clubs, shows or performance events.

Find a breeder who fulfills those four requirements, and you can hardly go wrong. But find a breeder who does, and he or she will likely not have puppies available in December - at least not intentionally.

In truth, reputable breeders are annoying to the speed-dialing consumer. They think you should meet many representatives of a breed before you conclude it is the right fit for you. They require you to visit them in their homes. They might conclude (quietly to themselves, of course) that your inability to control your screaming children as they topple potted plants and crayon the walls will somehow correlate to a poor aptitude for controlling the four-legged version. They ask annoyingly pointed questions about where the dog will live, who will care for it and what happened to previous animals you owned. And they often have waiting lists that require you to wait months, if not as long as a year.

This is why God invented the pet store, although perhaps positing divine intervention in such an establishment borders on blasphemy. Pet stores exist in order to accommodate people who do not want to go through the trouble or time to find a reputable breeder.

Because there is such a high demand for puppies produced by reputable breeders, they have no need to broker them. No self-respecting breeder will hand a puppy off to a retail establishment to sell. Otherwise, how could they follow the progress of their puppies for the rest of their lives?

This is precisely the reason why pet stores will always exist. There is no way reputable breeders can fulfill the demand for the puppies they breed, nor would they want there to be. If a breeder thinks you are unsuited to their breed - for a variety of lifestyle reasons having nothing to do with your intrinsic worth - they will not sell you a puppy. The persistent find a way, and that way is the pet store.

Puppies from reputable breeders and pet stores cost about the same - that is to say, a lot. In the case of the former, you are paying for the knowledge that went into producing your puppy, the care and socialization with which it was reared, and - most important - the role of your breeder as a support system for the life of your dog.

In the case of the pet store, you are paying for the privilege of getting what you want, when you want, with no questions asked.

If you choose to opt for convenience and purchase a pet-store puppy, you need to understand that the overwhelming odds are that your puppy came from a puppy mill, likely in a rural state such as Missouri or Pennsylvania. Such puppies often are raised in a wire cage or pen, with little or no socialization. You will not see the sire or dam, not know his or her temperament or health history. You will be on your own, as tracking down the breeder will be all but impossible.

But you will get your sugarplum when you want it. The choice is yours.

Write to Denise Flaim, c/o Newsday, 235 Pinelawn Rd., Melville, NY 11747-4250; or e-mail denise.flaim@ newsday.com. Visit her blog at www.newsday.com/ animalhouse.