# Difference between breeders and want ad puppies?



## Kates (Jul 18, 2014)

Just wondering what the difference is between buying a puppy from a good breeder and buying a puppy from a person advertising on ebay or want ad digest? The prices seem a little bit lower in most of the ads. 
I am most interested in good temperament and early socialization over color or gender but I do like the creams and silvers over black. 
I grew up with a Catalan Sheepdog, which are not found in the US, he was probably dumped by a exchange student at a local college, the most intelligent and gentle of dogs. Of course he loved to play and exercise but he was not high strung at all and very easy to house train. The Standard Poodle seems to be very close in temperament and intelligence so I am very excited to find a nice dog.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

In general, eBay, small ads or any online site advertising lots of puppies will mean a dealer selling puppy mill pups, or a back street breeder, selling pups from untested, possibly ill assorted parents. In the UK puppies may be from overseas, imported without the necessary vaccinations or health certificates - some have been removed for quarantine or even euthanised as a result. Have you looked at the puppy buying thread for basic advice on what to avoid? Take great care - trying to save money on purchasing a puppy can be a very false economy if you end up with expensive vet bills and a sickly puppy. Even worse are the puppies who die in the first days or weeks.


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## Kates (Jul 18, 2014)

fjm said:


> In general, eBay, small ads or any online site advertising lots of puppies will mean a dealer selling puppy mill pups, or a back street breeder, selling pups from untested, possibly ill assorted parents. In the UK puppies may be from overseas, imported without the necessary vaccinations or health certificates - some have been removed for quarantine or even euthanised as a result. Have you looked at the puppy buying thread for basic advice on what to avoid? Take great care - trying to save money on purchasing a puppy can be a very false economy if you end up with expensive vet bills and a sickly puppy. Even worse are the puppies who die in the first days or weeks.


Thanks so much for the good advise. No I havent looked at the puppy buying thread yet, I am still trying to find my way around.


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

Kates said:


> Thanks so much for the good advise. No I havent looked at the puppy buying thread yet, I am still trying to find my way around.


Hopefully I'll link the puppy thread correctly; it's well worth the time to read through all of the discussion . http://www.poodleforum.com/5-poodle-talk/33522-buying-puppy-safely-basics.html

One difference between a responsible, reputable breeder who invests in all the expensive medical and genetic testing of dogs s/he breeds, and who proves his/her dogs in conformation and often performance venues is puppies from the reputable breeder stand a far higher chance of living healthier, happier lives than those bred by BYBs and mass producers. Temperaments will be more predictable, leading to better placements in the right homes with the right people. Not every dog in a litter, let alone a breed, is suited for every home.

My Tpoo came from a family who could no longer keep him and was not from the sort of breeder as my last dog. He seems mentally fairly well suited for agility, but his body is such that he isn't safe to even take a class.

I suspect he has some level of discomfort in his back legs--despite loving to run fast. He doesn't get to chase the ball as frequently as he'd love because I try and save those legs; he also gets carried on most stairs. Oliver doesn't have majorly bad patellas, but his angles are straight up and down in front and back and when I had him evaluated they also said his hocks aren't good.

If I were buying a Poodle from a breeder, the responsible type is where I'd want to go for the dog's sake. That's not to say no responsible breeder has ever advertised; some likely do. I'm not an expert by any stretch, and believe rewarding great breeders ends up helping dogs .


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## Kates (Jul 18, 2014)

Streetcar said:


> Hopefully I'll link the puppy thread correctly; it's well worth the time to read through all of the discussion . http://www.poodleforum.com/5-poodle-talk/33522-buying-puppy-safely-basics.html
> 
> One difference between a responsible, reputable breeder who invests in all the expensive medical and genetic testing of dogs s/he breeds, and who proves his/her dogs in conformation and often performance venues is puppies from the reputable breeder stand a far higher chance of living healthier, happier lives than those bred by BYBs and mass producers. Temperaments will be more predictable, leading to better placements in the right homes with the right people. Not every dog in a litter, let alone a breed, is suited for every home.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the great info and link, I really appreciate it!!


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