Tuesday, February 19, 2008
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Moe...Okie...and Tonka.
Carlos and I have decided to raise two dogs.
Carlos has always wanted an English Bulldog. I searched on Petfinder for the past three months for adoptable bulldogs in our area and came up with nothing. Most are puppy mill dogs, which means that they are very ill, poorly socialized, and genetic disasters.
Read more about puppy mills here: http://stoppuppymills.org/
I tried to sway Carlos into adopting another type of dog. Buying from breeders unnerves me. It feels wrong, cruel even. Carlos stood his ground, and after endless searching for a reputable bulldog breeder, we went out to west Seattle today to meet his new puppy.
I walked into her home ready to inspect every inch of the dogs' living quarters. I was prepared to analyze all the pedigrees her website mentioned and quiz her on her breeding practices. I went in there like a hard-nosed detective out for blood.
All I saw were happy dogs living in a family home. Armonti is our puppy's father. He is a showdog, 50 pounds of blubbery bulldog grace:
Armonti, or Moe for short, came up to inspect us as soon as we walked into the living room. We sat on the sofa and he decided that he liked us. He sat on Carlos' lap and gave him a sloppy bulldog kiss that left Carlos' glasses a slimy mess. And then he leapt in a chubby bulldog fashion, onto my lap, wheezing all the while.
It's the pug-nose. Selective breeding means serious puggishness.
Oakley, or Okie, is our puppy's mom.
She was in a kiddie pool full of baby blankets in the living room, nursing five of her own pups. and three from another litter. The poor girl looked exhausted, but she came out to meet us and get some hugs, then she went right back to work.
We spoke to the breeder for a while, checked some pedigrees and picked out a puppy. Only two of the eight were still available.
She's a girl, born February ninth. We've decided to name her Tonka. She has a few weeks before she's old enough to take home, and even then, we've asked the breeder to hold onto her for an extra week, just to fit in her crate and potty training. We should get her sometime in early April, when we've moved into our new place.
I'm still trying to come to terms with the fact that we're buying from a breeder. Our puppy comes from good stock, her parents are wonderfully social and well behaved. I may not feel great about buying from a breeder, but at least I did some research before purchasing. And Carlos is quite happy.
So, if you're planning to buy a purebred dog, do your homework. A purebred bulldog will never sell for under 1,200 dollars. A good breeder never breeds more than two types of dogs, period. If you meet a breeder who has poodles, German Shepherds, Chihuahuas and Yorkies, the person is probably a puppymiller. Never buy a puppy off the side of the road or at a flea market. You should be able to inspect the animal's living conditions in person, don't trust photos. You should be able to meet the dog's parents and check their pedigrees. And never, ever buy a dog through the internet or at a pet store, as most pet stores buy directly from puppymillers. Meet the breeder. A good breeder will not budge on the price.
Always look into adoption first.
I'm going to meet Newton this Saturday. His foster mom says that he's great with other dogs.
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Comments (16)
He's gonna be real tough with a name like Tonka!
@Xcholo4u - hehe, yeah, her parents look like semi trucks.
Congrats! I want a puppy too...
You know, after looking at the picture of Moe I really want a bull dog.
But I did look at that site, and you know normally I'm not one to obsess over the whole PETA and animal rights thing but you've got me sold on this. I mean I do have Iris, my cat, and I guess that's why it hit me. I adopted her from PetsMart so according to the site she was not from a puppy mill. Thank god.
@ShatterFreak - I'm glad you went to the site! Almost nobody knows about puppy mills.
Its been a long time since I owned a dog, but my kids wanted one..I tought that u could still get them at a pet store (HA HA HA). After that, we tried the adoption thing. After months of searching, we found an awesome mini pin from a breeder. She was expensive- but a great dog- well worth the price! The only problem we had was that during the first few weeks, the dog kept making the funniest noises(no barking, this wierd howling). Then it hit me- The breeder had 5 large birds, and our dog was imitating THEM. It was pretty funny.
This is very good info. I had never heard of puppy mills before. Is Carlos looking to do dog shows or does he just have a hankering for that specific breed?
If I ever own my own home, I would consider getting a dog, no specific breed in fact I would prefer a friendly mix of breeds. I didn't know that it got so complicated getting a dog. I remember when I got a dog I had early in life, I think we went to North Shore Animal League and picked out a dog.
That's good advice. My second dog my family got from a good breeder. Most of what he said when we talked to him, you wrote on here concerning how to approach if one plans on getting a pure breed.
Is Newton a purebred? I can't tell because I don't know much about bull dog breeds, but he looks kinda like a Boston Terrier.
@das_jackson - Newton seems to be a purebred BT, but there's no real way to tell for sure, he was picked up as a stray, after a German Shepherd tried to have him for lunch.
I'm glad you guys found a good breeder, it's reeeaally difficult nowadays.
@aj_mudd - hehheh, I've always wanted a min pin, but I'm not sure it would pair so well with an English Bulldog, I also wanted an Itallian Greyhound....but that bone structure wouldn't really stand up to a hunkering bulldog either...lol.
@lotta_valdez -
"Aw". Stray stories always make me go aw.
Whenever I see a puppy it makes me want one.
puppy <333 She is SO adorable! ooh man I miss when my dogs were small & still had that puppy smell lol
I'm more of a cat person.
My family had a full-bred chocolate lab for 15 years. I was only 3, but I still remember going to pick him up from the breeder in PA. Like you, I remember the house being just a family home. They only had bred labs and there is an old photo of me with a few of the pups. Lol, funny you should mention never buying a pup from off the side of the road. Last semester I saw someone selling puppies in the Walmart parking lot.
Yeah, like I would ever want to do that...when I get a dog I will either adopt, like our cats, or purchase full-bred from a breeder. When I get a cat, I will most likely adopt.
I love English Bulldogs. I just wish there was a breed of dog that could stay that pudgy and clumsy forever. Not in the I want to carry my dog in my purse everywhere I go sense, but I just like puppies more than grown dogs. I think it has to do with a desire to nurture something. Something non-human.