Dog sales online, and BYBs

Puppies are soooo cute, but care must be taken when buying puppies online. Many excellent breeders do not advertise, they have waiting lists and homes waiting for their litters.

Be wary of those who do not provide hip and eye certifications when selling German Shepherds. Be wary of those who demand payment for overseas shipping for Yorkies. Many trendy breeds are subject to overbreeding and fraud.

Remember that registration papers are subject to all sorts of unsavory techniques. All some of them mean is that the owner paid money to register the litter, it does not guarantee that the puppy in question arose from that litter.

A good breeder will be proud of his/her dogs and the care he has given and will happily answer questions about lineage and health. Be wary of those who don't answer or worse, don't know.

Buying a dog from someone you know, or someone with a longstanding rep, can be a rewarding experience. Buying from a stranger or a BYB can possibly bring grief and huge medical bills from genetic problems, parvo, etc.

And, remember, there are quality dogs to be had at shelters for many times no more that $65 or so, a good deal.

Before I learned of all the purebreed dogs in Rescue, I contracted to buy a dog from what I thought was a good breeder. First she didn't allow anyone to the property because she didn't want disease brought in. Then her daughter said she had 2 litters of pups, 4 in one litter and 3 in another. Well, after I get my puppy, I look at the registration papers and the breeder listed all 7 pups in one litter.

I now check shelters and rescues for dogs. We've gotten a Boston Terrier and 2 Boxer's. Our newest Boxer was just over $50 for dog, shots, spayed, microchipped.