With so much emphasis put on “What is a good Breeder?” Id like to ask “What is a good Puppy Owner?”. Even when a breeder has done everything right and you buy a near perfect puppy, it doesnt take long – if you are not careful and do not listen to your breeders advise - to undo all the good work and create problems that could trouble you and perhaps your pup for the rest of its life. And this is when occasionally breeders are blamed for issues that might arise. Once a puppy leaves a breeders care, it is very difficult for them to control what happens on a daily basis, a breeder will give you as much advice as they can, covering many topics, like what to feed, how to exercise, etc. etc. but if you disregard this advice and do not communicate with them when you have issues, or do not listen when they or your veterinarian gives you advise, the buck might just have to stop with you. A breeder will stay in touch, but to be honest, a breeder cannot contact every puppy owner on a weekly basis to check up on how things are going, so realistically its up to the puppy owner to contact the breeder especially when they need help, breeders have to rely on the owners to come to them with the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. When they place a puppy, the do not do it lightly and they are trusting you with one of their fur babies. Ive occasionally found that people sometimes worry that the breeder will think them stupid or a bad home if a problem comes up and become embarrassed about calling the breeder. Especially if its something that the breeder may have gone over during the conversations with the prospective new owners. Quite the opposite is true, the reason breeders often go over some of the problems is because theyve been there - done that. And will always want someone else to benefit from their mistakes. And if they have not experienced a particular issue, they will go wherever they have to, to find out the answers as best they can. When they place a pup they want to know that the new owner is looking at this dog as a life-time commitment. But they also know that things can change in a situation, and will want you to contact them so that they can help. And if you’ve done any research at all, you know that proper care, diet and careful exercise is critical during an Irish Wolfhound puppy’s first few months. The things your puppy experiences now are going to affect him for the rest of his life. No pressure, right? What really saddens me are the rare cases, when a breeder finds themselves tiptoeing around a personality of an owner whom over time, cant, or wont, get along. Any relationship between two people can come when we disagree with another persons views, attitudes and behaviors as they clash with our own. This is when breeders can get caught between a crossfire of personal feelings, instead of concentrating on a puppies welfare, however hard they try to stay on topic concerning the health and care of a puppy. And what people need to understand is that the health and welfare of their puppies is and will always been their main concern, they will be passionate, and will be until the day that dog leaves this world. Dealing with personal disagreements should never come between you, your breeder and your puppys welfare. These hounds give us so much, so we should try and give them our very best in return. Owning a dog is not just a privilege, its a HUGE responsibility, just like having a child. These animals depend on us for everything. So ask yourself, are you a good dog owner? Only you can decide. Do you care about your dogs welfare and needs? Are you willing to make sacrifices for your dog? Are you willing to listen and learn from your breeder? Even if you ultimately dont get along as friends? We bring these animals into our homes, we make them part of our family, and when we make that commitment, we need to live up to it. On a final note, I just want to be very clear about this, just because someone has already had a puppy placed with them, every breeder should do their due diligence and feel 100% sure they are happy with any placement. Because people lie to get what they want sometimes, its sad, but its true. Footnote: Don’t believe everything you read on the internet. Not all advice is good advice. Take everything with a grain of salt. And please, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, stay away from Yahoo! Answers.
Posted on: Sat, 07 Jun 2014 00:40:11 +0000
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