we are getting a puppy - "show" quality vs. "pet quality"

[Loganz]

Sounds like she is trying to get you to pay more for your pup, period.

The lab in my avatar was my first dog ever, I purchased him from a breeder of award winning, show, labradors. He is not the hunting style lab, he is the short, stocky, show lab.

Well - I brought him home at 7 weeks and he had the worst case of worms our vet had seen (coming from a reputable breeder), he developed a very large and painful cyst on his nose that had to be removed, he showed early hip dysplasia at age 2, and last year he tore his ACL and we had to have TPLO surgery done on the right leg to repair the tear...

My point - breeders cannot guarantee anything - the breeder of our lab offered a two year guarantee on his hips and eyes - AS IF - after two years of loving him I would trade him in for another pup just because his hips aren't perfect.

Dogs become your best friends, your family - who cares if they aren't perfect, are any of us??

 

[AAA07]

How about a mutt?

 

[candace117]

Just curious, where in Oregon is the breeder based from, and what breed is the dog? Jason's sister breeds yellow labs and she's a psychohosebeast, so ummmm if you were going to buy from her I'd say NOT to!!!

She doesn't mistreat dogs or anything, but she also doesn't treat them like loved members of the family. They are a commodity to her.

 

[aaallabama]

Just curious, where in Oregon is the breeder based from, and what breed is the dog? Jason's sister breeds yellow labs and she's a psychohosebeast, so ummmm if you were going to buy from her I'd say NOT to!!!

She doesn't mistreat dogs or anything, but she also doesn't treat them like loved members of the family. They are a commodity to her.

^^ this is often sad, but true :true:

 

[aaallabama]

Sounds like she is trying to get you to pay more for your pup, period.

The lab in my avatar was my first dog ever, I purchased him from a breeder of award winning, show, labradors. He is not the hunting style lab, he is the short, stocky, show lab.

Well - I brought him home at 7 weeks and he had the worst case of worms our vet had seen (coming from a reputable breeder), he developed a very large and painful cyst on his nose that had to be removed, he showed early hip dysplasia at age 2, and last year he tore his ACL and we had to have TPLO surgery done on the right leg to repair the tear...

My point - breeders cannot guarantee anything - the breeder of our lab offered a two year guarantee on his hips and eyes - AS IF - after two years of loving him I would trade him in for another pup just because his hips aren't perfect.

Dogs become your best friends, your family - who cares if they aren't perfect, are any of us??

^^ excellent points Loganz!!!

 

[JCinwrppingppr]

Hey guys, thanks so much for your feedback.

I asked the breeder about the differences - she said the "show quality dog" had bigger ears, and a better shaped head. I haven't seen the dogs in person because I'm on the east coast but she sends me daily pictures and so far the "pet dog" doesn't seem to have any physical deformities or anything. and that the the "show" dog recieved one more point on looks than the "pet" dog by the evaluator. and she explained that the reason she never revealed the price of the show dog was because another family was interested in it so it wouldn't have mattered to us, but now that the other family backed down it is available.

But since I am not planning on showing or breeding I will stick with the pet quality.

Thank you all so much for your feedback.

oh and candace, I'm not buying from the breeder you are mentioning! I think I'm okay.

 

[aklein]

^^^ Personally, I would not rely on pictures. They don't let you see things you would see in person, like an over or underbite. More importantly, you don't get to see the puppies social environment or how they were cared for.
I would strongly recomend you contact the breeder's veterinarian as a reference and inquire about the veterinary medical care that they give their dogs.

 

[boxermom]

This is not true. Show quality animals do not necessarily have better health than pet quality. (I'm on my 2nd pet quality Persian; my mom is on her first.) If you're not planning to show the dog, there is no real reason to spend more on show quality unless you like the temperament/personality of that particular animal over any others in the litter.

Back in the day when we bought our Boxers from breeders rather than adopting rescue dogs, we bought a "show" quality Boxer puppy from a well-known breeder. She was adamant that the pup was worth more, but we bargained down the price. She was beautifully marked and the sweetest dog ever, but she had multiple health problems and died from cancer at about age 6. So ITA with lorihmatthews. Show does not equal healthy necessarily.

 

[fantasiatzu]

^^^ Personally, I would not rely on pictures. They don't let you see things you would see in person, like an over or underbite. More importantly, you don't get to see the puppies social environment or how they were cared for.
I would strongly recomend you contact the breeder's veterinarian as a reference and inquire about the veterinary medical care that they give their dogs.

well if it's a pet a an under or overbite won't be a problem as it won't be shown (in breeds that require scissor bites) it could be the dog was sold as a pet because of the bite.

In my breed undershot is the correct bite.

 

[aklein]

^^^ I am aware that an underbite is the standard for certain breeds and an overbite is standard for others; however, i think you missed the point of my post. There are certain 'malformations' that cannot be see in a picture that can cause problems down the line, depending on the degree at which they can occur.
One of the most important parts of adding a dog to your family is actually meeting the breeder and seeing how the pup was raised.
It is best to see the pup in person; how it was reared and to see the parents. I am not insinuating that this breeder is a backyard breeder; however, it is always a possibility when you do not see how the dogs is raised, the parents of the pup. You certainly have no idea what type of veterinary care the pup or dogs are receiving, if any.

 

[aaallabama]

Back in the day when we bought our Boxers from breeders rather than adopting rescue dogs, we bought a "show" quality Boxer puppy from a well-known breeder. She was adamant that the pup was worth more, but we bargained down the price. She was beautifully marked and the sweetest dog ever, but she had multiple health problems and died from cancer at about age 6. So ITA with lorihmatthews. Show does not equal healthy necessarily.

^^ oh no, how sad boxermom

 

[fantasiatzu]

Well actually the poster was inquiring about show quality VS pet quality not where she should get a puppy or what.

She has already chosen her breeder. So we are just here to discuss with her show and pet quality not about her looking at the breeder his/her facilities and vet whatever.

Show dogs are $$$$, I would think it crazy a show person not spend on vet care. 1 sick dog will affect the whole kennel.

I know many many show people who spend more on vets than on themselves, myself included.

 

[aaallabama]

^^^ I am aware that an underbite is the standard for certain breeds and an overbite is standard for others; however, i think you missed the point of my post. There are certain 'malformations' that cannot be see in a picture that can cause problems down the line, depending on the degree at which they can occur.
One of the most important parts of adding a dog to your family is actually meeting the breeder and seeing how the pup was raised.
It is best to see the pup in person; how it was reared and to see the parents. I am not insinuating that this breeder is a backyard breeder; however, it is always a possibility when you do not see how the dogs is raised, the parents of the pup. You certainly have no idea what type of veterinary care the pup or dogs are receiving, if any.

^^ yep, in most cases, that's absolutely true...the only case where it wouldn't be true is if you know the breeder thru a reliable source...in my case, i knew my new puppy's breeder thru my last puppy's breeder...i was able to visit my 1st breeder's home & see the mother & all the puppies...we kept in touch for years afterwards & i found my new breeder thru her (her & my new breeder co-own a show dog together)...my new breeder lives in CA & i live in NYC, so he shipped the puppy to me...i trusted him 10000% because we had a connection (not to mention the fact he breeds & owns champions & has the credentials to prove it)...so, if you're going to use a breeder, i'd be very careful about who you buy from...i wish i could do adoption instead, but due to my allergies/asthma, it's not an option for me...i've already rescued 2 dogs which i had to find new homes for because of my asthma & it's heartbreaking...unless a dog comes from a reputable breeder, it's very hard to determine whether they're 100% purebred or not

 

[aaallabama]

Well actually the poster was inquiring about show quality VS pet quality not where she should get a puppy or what.

She has already chosen her breeder. So we are just here to discuss with her show and pet quality not about her looking at the breeder his/her facilities and vet whatever.

Show dogs are $$$$, I would think it crazy a show person not spend on vet care. 1 sick dog will affect the whole kennel.

I know many many show people who spend more on vets than on themselves, myself included.

^^ well, i guess despite the OP's original question, we're trying to say that the breeder matters alot...whether you want a show dog or a pet, the most important thing is to buy from a reputable breeder (and you need to do alot of research to find one)...unless you have a special connection w/the breeder or know for a fact they breed champion show dogs & have the credentials to prove it, i'd never buy a puppy from someone i didn't meet IRL

 

[fantasiatzu]

Yes breeder matters a lot - you better choose the right one as that person will help you and guide you for as long as your dog lives, and sometimes even after that.

But it's also a 2 way street, a reputable breeder will not just sell anyone a dog just because they have money and we have been known to buy dogs back when it was not in the right home.