Flo, you're "preaching to the choir" here (on this list) in saying "find a reputable breeder" and Don't Get a Puppy From a Petshop, but I hope you'll continue to spread the message to others (don't lose the soapbox!). I trust your questions were rhetorical, but just in case it's helpful to hear it from someone in the US ... <<<Is transportation several times over in such a young life for the betterment of any kind of animal?>>> No, since you're not referring to transportation in the company of a consistent, loving family travelling together - I believe you're referring to repeated uprootings of essentially *homeless* animals. <<<What enquiries do the 'upmarket' pet shops make of prospective buyers?>>> None, typically (except to ascertain that they have a valid credit card). <<<Do they make home checks?>>> No. (Nor do I think this is this feasible for most reputable breeders either, who instead spend time trying to ask the right questions, sometimes perhaps asking for references, and listening to intuition.) <<<What standard of care is offered while in the pet shop?>>> Custodial (i.e., feeding and paper-changing).
<<<What is the true standard of care offered by people who buy pups in this way>>> Undoubtedly this varies greatly. <<<and what education do they receive on the finer points of the living breathing responsibility they are taking into their household?>>> Usually none, otherwise minimal. <<<What about human company? Is there any or will the pup be left alone all day in distress?>>> Unfortunately this is very often the case, even when someone buys a puppy from a breeder. Many people work full-time outside the home. Some arrange for dog-walkers, etc. to break up the day. (I work too, but Remy's always with me in my home-office.) However, I also know people who do work outside the home who are the most devoted dog-loving owners you'd ever meet. <<<How will the family feel if their home and furniture are decimated by the puppy?>>> Depends on the family! But pet shops, puppy brokers, etc. are unlikely to screen buyers or prepare them for the realities of puppyhood - their involvement is generally limited to completion of a financial transaction. <<< Will it be passed on, and on, and on?>>> Often the answer is 'Yes.' Shelters are filled with puppies/dogs that a family was unable/unwilling to live with. <<<What recourse does one of these buyers have if the pup develops expensive health problems later in life? By this I mean hip displasia, patella luxosis, mvd, or eye defects to name but a few possibilities?>>> None, typically. (The answer would be in the fine print on the bill of sale.) Often there's a limited period (might be 7 days, could be up to 30 days) in which a buyer can take the puppy to the vet and return it (for refund or store-credit, depending on policy). But this clearly does not apply to your concern about health problems developing "later in life." Re the concept of "recourse:" I am very glad that there are breeders who are willing to take in an ailing dog - and I salute them! -- since there are owners out there who would sooner abandon or euthanize a dog than undertake what can certainly be considerable expense and inconvenience (as I well know having nursed my Augie for the last 3 years of his life, til he was nearly 16). If or when my Cavalier (Remy) ever develops "expensive health problems," my husband and I would certainly not ask our breeder for a refund or replacement! We would do everything in our power to obtain the help he needed. (And probably *some* who bought their puppy from a petshop would do the same.) We are committed to him for LIFE, in sickness and in health, for better or worse... ========================================================= "Magic Commands": to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL to start it up gain click here: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. Search the Archives... http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ckcs-l.html All e-mail sent through CKCS-L is Copyright 2002 by its original author.
