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Critical periods in your
puppy's psychological growth
: 0 to 7 Weeks Neonatal, Transition, Awareness, and Canine Socialisation. Puppy is with mother and littermates. During this period, puppy learns about social interaction, play, and inhibiting aggression from mother and littermates. Puppies must stay with their mother and littermates during this critical period. Puppies learn the most important lesson in their lives--they learn to accept discipline.
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Indiscrimanate Breeders
The Breeder
1)
the Hard Sell
technique -- any breeder who makes you feel pressured to buy a dog from them and
doesn't care about your questions or the pup's future home.
2) "clearence puppies" -- dogs sold for
substantially less than their litter mates or dogs marketted as being "reduced
in price."
3) the old "rare color" ploy -- most of these
colors are outside the breed standard, and thus are not worth more. Same thing
with the "exclusive bloodlines" scheme.
4)
any breeder who will not let you visit their
kennel upon request
5) breeders who are unwilling to discuss their
breeding goals, or states goals that don't include temperament, health, working
abililty/conformation to breed standard.
6) any breeder who cannot provide vet records,
health certification or verification of the dogs' pedigrees upon request.
7) not being able to meet the mother of the pups --
sometimes the father isn't on premise, due to away breedings, but you should
always be able to meet Momma-dog.
8) reluctance to talk about their dogs -- most
breeders can talk the ears off a brass monkey when it comes the their beloved
canines
9) repeatedly mentioning price if you haven't
asked.
10) bait-and-switch techniques: you chose a pup,
later the breeder says that pup was accidentally sold and offers you a different
dog than the one you'd agreed on
The Dogs
1)
an unhealthy mother;
look at her eyes, ears, etc. If the breeder isn't taking care of mom, what
guarentee do you have of the pups' health?
2)
puppies that look
sickly, lethargic, underweight, or generally unwell.
3) not providing proof
of puppy shots at time of sale.
4)
skittish,
aggressive, or otherwise unsuitable dispositions in the parents or the breeders
other dogs.
5)
puppies displaying
similar issues as mentioned above
6)
puppies / adults
that seem skittish or improperly socialized.
7) if the breeder
doesn't know the ages of his/her own dogs!
Newspapers
1)
multiple breeds
listed to one phone number or address
2)
adds that run for
long periods of time for the same litter, with repeated reductions in price --
ie: $1,500 eventually down to $700. (why can't the breeder place these dogs?)
3) anything that makes
it seem as if the breeder is trying to get rid of the pups as quick as possible
Websites
1)
Any website that
mispells their own dogs names!
(if the breeder can't even proof-read their website, how careful do you think
they really are with their dogs?)
2)
staged shots --
pictures of dogs inside in photo-shoots, but no pictures of dogs outside.
3)
no adult pics, just
puppies -- why aren't the adults shown?