New Puppy Questions

[Chris]

Welcome! My Shelties ran around $900 from a very successful show kennel. Two were pet quality, and one was a show hopeful that the breeder feared would grow too large -- which he did!

We have one Sheltie with hip issues, but we use Vibrant Pets supplement, and that has taken care of the problem.

I bruch mine thoroughly once a week. all my Shelties have completely different coats. Bits' coat is like velcro -- collects everything. Beckon, on the other hand, always looks perfectly groomed -- until I brush him and a ton of old hair and dirt falls out.

 

[Tagg]

Please read health guarantees and think about the content carefully. Non breeding contracts are the norm for reputable breeders. Here in Canada we have contracts that are registered with the CKC which prevents litters from being registered by the governing body. It helps breeders to control indiscriminate breeding practices without knowledge or testing. Speaking of testing, there are things that the breeder should be testing for and you should ask to see the results and certification numbers.
Ask about after care. You are not just paying for a registered puppy. You are paying for the help that a breeder should be willing to provide.
There are lots of things I could suggest to you that might help you to get a puppy that is healthy and suitable for your needs. Coming to SN is a good first step but go out and meet breeders in their homes, go to your local obedience schools and see who has shelties that do well and find out where they got them. Don't be taken in by beautiful advertising. Anyone can buy advertising. Be prepared to wait for the perfect pup.

 

[cthulhucometh]

I emailed the only breeder in my state that shows on the ASSA website and am waiting a reply to see how much they sell them for. Also already planeed to go to the next AKC show that comes to my city hoping to maybe make some good contacts or leads for a good pup. I'm glad I found out about the breeding contracts before hand because I was thinking about possibly breeding later on in a few years.

 

[Diana]

ASSA is a great place to start for breeder recommendations. Some people here may also be able to PM you some breeders near your area if you tell where you are. I know around here if you call one person and that person doesn't have puppies they may be able to point you to someone who does. I give my breeder's name to anyone who (seriously) asks. My neighbors called her and she helped them get a great Sheltie from another breeder even though she didn't have any puppies at the time.

Even a reputable breeder in another state/area may be able to help you if it seems there isn't much in your area. Also look for Sheltie clubs or try to go to a breed show. This may be an overgeneralization, but I think all the best breeders know each other and others in the community. We were also willing to drive quite a way, including to another state, for the right puppy. Around here (Illinois) Shelties cost $700–$900. I got quotes from several people and they were in about the same range. (Don't pick a breeder based on saving $200... but it doesn't hurt to get a sense of it.) The one puppy mill type place I (accidentally) contacted was actually much more—like $1,500.

Be prepared to wait. We had to wait 9 months for the right puppy at the right time. It stinks to wait but it is worth it. I also was frustrated that many of the breeders didn't respond or took a long time to respond.... but anyway.... eventually we found someone. I also wasted a lot of time surfing around Sheltie breeder sites—often they link to each other. And I called several breeders to do phone interviews. We went to one breeder in the area that we decided not to go with... she was acting kind of suspiciously on the visit, worried about the neighbors seeing us and refusing to tell how many dogs were in her basement. Follow your gut and be picky. It is a 15-year investment.

I believe SN has some recommendations on the site about what to look for when buying a puppy. My personal soapbox is to pay attention to the parents—often the puppies get their personalities (and looks) from them.

Sheltie parents should be checked for hips, eye (collie eye disorder), and thyroid. The breeder should be able to show and tell you the results.

Good luck!

 

[cthulhucometh]

Price can greatly vary by area too. I keep snakes too, and I was wanting a Sunglow Boa and up north they sell $700+ but I found a breeder in the next town and got mine for $400 (same goes when buying animals, I checked the actually building that they kept all their animals at and things were clean and the mother was super gentle). Thanks for the tip on checking local clubs, that might be of great help alot.

 

[danisgoat]

And to anyone who might knoow of any breeders where I live, I live in central Arkansas.

Just a quick reminder here:
Only general discussion about the buying, leasing, selling and pricing of dogs is permitted. If the post contains the type of specific information typically found in a sales or wanted ad, and it’s related to a dog or service you or an associate are looking to buy or sell, it doesn’t belong in the discussion forums. If you are looking to purchase a puppy, you need to post a want ad.

I realize that this wasn't exactly happening here, but I just wanted to make sure that any discussions regarding specific breeders is conducted over the pm (private messaging) area of the forum and not in the threads!

Thanks so much!