Dog (pupp) Buying Guide Project

[Katniss]

I think this could get WAY too long if we start including training, grooming, etc. That wasn't the point of the project (I thought.)

The main questions we should stay focused on:

1. What should a puppy buyer look for in a good breeder?
2. What questions should they be asking, and what are red flag answers?

Lets keep it simple. We could always do another Sheltie "care" guide, but I think there have been plenty of books already on the subject.

Just my 2 cents!

I agree. There is so much information that we, as responsible pet owners could put out there. The main thing we want to focus on is educating the common buyer in selecting and buying/adopting a pup/dog. The purpose being to ensure that people are not "hood-winked" by the Puppy Mills/BYB. I hope I understood it correctly? Please let me know if I am off target.

However, I see no reason why data could not be gathered and saved for any other future projects Forum Members might want to participate in .

 

[BarbV]

Whew! I was starting to get scared reading some of the suggestions. It looked like we are in the process of starting to write an entire book. (Which I have no doubt that someday we could do, with all of our combined knowledge!)

I will work on a Table of Contents this weekend. The focus will be not just a Puppy Buying Guide but also a "dog" buying guide (i.e. what age should you buy, where should you buy), and is a "Sheltie right for you". It cannot got into "once you've brought the puppy home" and "grooming tips", etc. Some items of interest will need to be deferred, but I believe Kelly has ideas for what more to do to integrate the forums and the nation.

I will post it and put it out for comment. But I will leave the final decision as to the ToC to Kelly for arbitration. I don't want to get into individual discussion as to why or why not to include a topic. Kelly will also be the final editor vis a vis content.

Once the ToC is built, I would happy to delegate certain sections to those here have the expertise. I may contact you directly, or you can PM directly if you want to feed in

Kelly...my PM is almost at capacity. And I'm uncomfortable using my regular email address. Is there some "contact us" address that you could give me temporary proxy to for people to send their feedback, rather than cluttering up the forum?

Looking forward to starting this project! There are so many fantastic ideas already on the forum. My job is to find them all and put them into a package.

 

[danisgoat]

And I'm uncomfortable using my regular email address. Is there some "contact us" address that you could give me temporary proxy to for people to send their feedback, rather than cluttering up the forum?

You can very easily set up an e-mail address through yahoo, gmail, etc. They all offer free e-mail.

 

[vicky2]

I'm not sure if anyone mentioned this but what about including some adoption guidelines?
I've seen Shelties being re homed on craiglist and sites like that which could be scams.

 

[Kelly]

Sorry Barb, The forum doesn't have that capability.

If you would prefer users to email you privately, then I think creating an email is a good idea.

Although, using this thread is also perfectly fine. Goodness knows you all have "cluttering up" the forums with far sillier topics.

 

[BarbV]

Sorry Barb, The forum doesn't have that capability.

If you would prefer users to email you privately, then I think creating an email is a good idea.

Although, using this thread is also perfectly fine. Goodness knows you all have "cluttering up" the forums with far sillier topics.

I will noodle on this tonight...right now, supper would be good!

 

[BarbV]

Ok, post your ideas here. I thought about using my yahoo email address but that's just one more place to check!

While doing some research today, and specifically on the topic "is a Sheltie right for me?", this exact thread showed up on my google search!

But even more important was "re-finding" GeeRome's blog on the same topic as the first link in google on this topic!

Hope to have, if not an organized Table of Contents, at least a list of topics to be covered by tomorrow evening.

 

[Diana]

Is it going to be in a bulleted format? Or written out? I'm just thinking that depending how many areas are touched upon it could be a rather long read...and you know how we like to discuss many topics here on picking the perfect pup we could easily make this a war and peace novel or is it going to be a quick guide and than a more detailed description below?

This is just my two cents, but I think Lightplum is right in encouraging this to be shorter rather than longer. A prospective buyer might not have time to read through a long, multi-page description. I have seen many FAQ pages where a few questions are posed and you can click on the ones you want to see answered.

 

[BarbV]

This is just my two cents, but I think Lightplum is right in encouraging this to be shorter rather than longer. A prospective buyer might not have time to read through a long, multi-page description. I have seen many FAQ pages where a few questions are posed and you can click on the ones you want to see answered.

I'm thinking more of an FAQ format, potentially with links..

But first I have to get the topics nailed.

 

[BarbV]

Draft Table of Contents

​

Well, here you go everyone!

Here is rough outline of what I propose should be addressed.

•

​

Is a dog right for you?
o

Why do you want a dog?
o Can you afford it?
o Children in the house?
o Do you have the time?​

• Is a Sheltie right for you?
o

Grooming
o Exercise
o Loving
o Barking, herding and other “loveable” traits​

• Puppy or Older Dog?
o

Can you be home during the day?
o Do you have the time to train?
o Do you have dogs or other pets already?
o Do you have young children?
o Etc.​

• Male or Female?
• Where to find:
o

Online
o Word of mouth
o Newspaper ads
o Kennel Clubs​

• What to look for in a seller?
o

Puppy Mill, BYB, Hobby Breeder, Show Breeder defined
o What questions should I ask?​

 Can you trace the blood line? If not, why not?
 Can you visit their home?
 Can you see Mom and/or Dad
 Where were the puppies raised?
 Why is the dog for sale?
o What questions should they ask me?
 Do I have a fenced yard?
 How much time away each day?
 Are you committed to exercising your dog each day?
 How do you feel about dog fur? Any allergies in the family?​

[/INDENT]• What to look for in picking your pup/dog?
o

Health
o Behaviour​

• What should I expect in the first few days? What should I buy?
o

Breeder should provide you with food for a week or more to allow you to transition to whatever diet you’ve decided on
o Crates, dishes, toys, collars, leads, etc.​

• How much should I expect to pay?
• What should the breeder provide me with when I pick up the dog?
o

All papers
o Contract – limited if not a show dog; a reputable breeder would also include in the contract that they will take back the dog if for whatever reason you have to give it up, other?
o Vet history, including all vaccines/deworming
o Guarantee​

• Useful Resources
o

Links to various Kennel Clubs
o Helpful Books (the Monks, Sheltie Talk, Illustrated Guide to Sheltie Grooming, other?)​

Sorry for the formatting....it did not paste easily from Word into here.

Please advise if you think there are topics missing or if you want to put up your hand to write a particular section.

Please PM me at barb_vachon@yahoo.ca with your ideas/comments - I've no more room on my PM here and would prefer not to add to my regular email.