Anyone have a Pet Store puppy?

[Zsara]

Approx. 14years ago

I walked into the neigborhood pet store and saw the cutest puppy running around the inside of the store. He was about 5 months old but being a Shitz-zu he was still puppy size. When I inquired about him I was told that he was too old for the store to charge the regular price for, so I offered 200 dollars for him. SOLD! We went home with "Tiko" .

Tiko passed this summer, at 14. He was the perfect lap dog and was always by my side. When I approached a neigbor several years after bringing him home to show him to her because she had 2 females ......... she turned her nose up at us...... Stuck up i guessed at the time.

So I sent in and got his papers. WOOPPPEE DO! He was never bred. He also didn't have any heath problems that he was born with. As he aged he had hip related problems after being hit by a car. I spent over $1000 dollars to get my 200 dollar dog fixed, . My VET offered to put him down but I could see in his eyes he had plenty of living and loving to give.
He was a wonderful loyal companion.......I miss him ............

 

[Scorpio]

Not here, none of my cats or dogs ever from a pet store, but I have to say it has been tempting. Only hamsters, and fish, small creatures.

 

[matilda8255]

Ok, I have some examples of the shady side of pet stores....

When I was younger my parents bought an Old English Sheepdog Chloe. Our last Old English Gucci had past a few months before and we wanted a new baby. Our house was very lonely since she had gone.

Gucci was a purebred show quality pup from a breeder of champions she lived to 14 (unheard of for a sheepdog). My parents shleped us to New Hampshire from PA just to see her and pick her up. She was $1200.00 and worth every cent. The breeder had moved to Phoenix and they were searching for another breeder when my dad (a total sucker) walked by an Old English baby at the mall in a pet store.

Well needless to say he couldn't leave her and Chloe came home. Chloe although she was beautiful and a wonderful puppy developed serious behavior issues around 2. Especially around food where she would show teeth if you got near the bowl. By the time she was 5 she had bitten my father several times. And there was ONLY postitive training in my house.

We know now she was a puppy mill dog. She had her good moments and my parents would never give an animal up so they kept working with her and trainers. By 6 she had drawn blood from my dad had kidney problems to which she succumed 5mths later and starting signs of hip dysplasia. My parents would never ever get a dog from a pet store again. Now they drive to Maine where they found another reputable breeder.

 

[SweetGirlie1400]

Pet store puppys wouldnt NEED to be homed if people stoped buying from pet stores and back yard breeders because the only line of dogs that would be sold would be thoes that rise to the standards and each pup would be a "work of art" and each one would be given a much better chance at life... thats my opinion when people say that pet store puppys need homes too... they wouldnt havneta need homes if all this puppy mill, back yard breeder stuff was stoped.

 

[anni01]

We got Anni from a pet store. I just couldn't resist her when I saw her. She has been quite healthy to date (thank goodness) - we had some problems with parasites when we first got her, but that was cleared up in a couple of months.

I plan on rescuing my next boxer one day - I now realize the importance. But in my own way, I believe I "rescued" Anni from the pet store. She was already 3 1/2 months and I have no idea what they do to dogs that don't sell... I wouldn't trade her for the world.

 

[BXR MOM]

I rescued Lexus from a family member who I know bought her at a pet store. She recently passed away at age 8 1/2 from lymphoma. However, she never had any health issues except for a UTI about 4 years ago that took a long time to clear up. I always have a hard time warning folks about the perils of pet store puppies because Lexus was the complete opposite of what many folks end up with. She was very healthy, perfectly marked, and oh so very smart. She will always be remembered, not only because she was my first, but because she was the perfect pet.

I have yet to visit a pet store with a Boxer. I am afraid to even go in, because I know that I will not walk out alone. I have the same "fear" of going to the shelters.

 

[Sherry]

Taz

Taz our old guy of 7.5 was purchased from a pet store by my son-in-law. He was looking for a bulldog puppy, had no idea what kind of dog Taz was, but he looked so piteful (sp)he said I'll take him. They already had a lab and a cat. They were getting ready to move to FL. with no idea where they were going to live at the time so when they were packing up they asked us to babysit Taz for a wk or two. We both fell in love with this scrawny, most cuddley, loveable creature that we had ever seen the first day. We talked with each other and hubby said we should say we'll watch him until they get settled if they'd like. Long story short, they actually asked us to keep him as they saw how attached we became to him and he's been the smartest, best, most loyal and healthy (thank goodness) boxer baby in the world.

It makes us sad to see him turning into a very silver boxer. He's a beautiful brindle, with a very silver face now. We've always considered him a rescue, but everyone in our family knows now, no petstore buys.

 

[JennaP]

I personally do not have a pet store puppy. However, my best friend does. A minature poodle. He is 6 years old. At 6, he is losing his teeth to mouth rot and they are falling out of his head. He has a ruptured disc in his spine and he has an absolutely horrible temperment. She walked in and "fell in love". now they are facing several grand in vet bills just to make him viable. He growls at kids, he growls at dogs and he is not altered because they were going to breed him. There's a dog I'd want to breed, not.:mad: I'm sorry, from what I've seen of pet store dogs. No way in Hell. There is a Farmland here in town that has puppies. They have female boxer pups every once in awhile. I go in, I kiss them, pray for them and walk away. At present I am caring for 2 boxer females that were part of a small puppy mill operation. neither of them meet boxer standards. One has a great temperment but the other does not. When they were pulled in they were picked up w/ 14 min-pins. part of their breeding stock was an eptileptic down-syndrom male. He has puppies out there being sold in a pet store. :eek: Good luck to the unsuspecting person who pays 500$ for those puppies. I'm glad it worked out for some people. But I personally feel it worth sacrificing some of the animals in order to rid this earth of puppy mills. I hate the idea but if that is what it takes :mad: to close them down.....


Jenna

 

[alygator]

The only reason I would take them (boxers) is so they don't have to be in that damn place or go to a bad home....espically if they came from a horrible puppy mill!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Maniago]

JennaP

What is "mouth rot"?