What this forum has taught me

[Bentleysmom]

Originally Posted by CarolinaCasey

Glad you learned something here! Please make sure to 'pay it forward' and teach others looking for a puppy and the next time you are looking for a puppy, follow the new information you've learned!

Definitely pay it forward!! As for looking for my next puppy....not gonna happen Love Bentley to death but I'm too dang old to do this again

[Tayla's Mom]

Originally Posted by Bentleysmom

Definitely pay it forward!! As for looking for my next puppy....not gonna happen Love Bentley to death but I'm too dang old to do this again

I'll second that!



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[Mayve]

Nice post Joyce.
I knew about health clearances from my days of working with Leslie! But it had been years since I'd had a puppy and Golden's are different than Cocker's, some of the same concerns, but not all.
So for me this was a great place to update and learn new knowledge. I have all the clearances and the questions I had were all answered etc etc...yet...there are no guarantees...better odds yes, guarantees no.....it's sad that these beauties are subjected to so many ailments....

[Bentleysmom]

Originally Posted by Mayve

Nice post Joyce.
I knew about health clearances from my days of working with Leslie! But it had been years since I'd had a puppy and Golden's are different than Cocker's, some of the same concerns, but not all.
So for me this was a great place to update and learn new knowledge. I have all the clearances and the questions I had were all answered etc etc...yet...there are no guarantees...better odds yes, guarantees no.....it's sad that these beauties are subjected to so many ailments....

I agree!! I'm praying the study they're doing with GR's will help find a solution to this stuff, they deserve better!

[Bentleysmom]

Originally Posted by Tayla's Mom

I'll second that!



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Here's a proposition for you, lets trade....you can give Bentley back to me when he's 2 yrs old LOL....rough morning

[GoldensGirl]

Originally Posted by ssacres

Ok. What is a back yard breeder? Maybe I don't know what this means. Mia is AKC but I also know that means nothing. Allie was AKC but that didn't mean anyting.

I'm not an expert on this, but I'll try to explain what I have learned from reading many posts on the Forum.

"Backyard breeders" are people who breed their dogs without knowledge or understanding of genetics and/or the importance of getting tests and clearances for the genetic diseases that afflict a given breed. Their motives may or may not be good - some want the money, while some want a puppy to carry on the line of a beloved pet. But they do not help to make the breed as a whole healthier.

By contrast, "hobby breeders" are people who care deeply about the health and welfare of the breed. They invest a lot of time and energy in research and testing that lets them breed healthy dogs who will produce puppies that live long and healthy lives. They rarely make money on a litter and that is not the goal of breeding.

I hope this helps and I urge others who know more to correct any errors.

[Bentleysmom]

GoldensGirl: Thank you for answering that question for her. I knew I didn't dare because it would have come off all wrong. Beautifully said.

[MaddieMagoo]

Joyce, I'm SO glad you have found this Forum. I have been a member for a really long time and have made some great friends on here One of them happens to be a reputable breeder.

I, too, did the same thing you did, got a BYB dog. Do I love her any less? Absolutely not! She is my first dog, my friend, and a great teacher. She is still the love of my life and will always be. I have also learned so much about training and competing in agility and obedience. I wouldn't be where I am today, if I had not learned from my mistakes. But then again, we are all human and learn from each and every one of them.

I know my girls' health could be at risk, but I'm doing everything I can to provide the BEST quality of life she can possibly have.

I thank you for such a great post. You know we are always welcome to provide and guide you with answers to any questions you have in the future on breeders and genetic or clearances we provide (and why).

Enjoy your life with Bentley and focus on how much of a great dog he is!

[Golden999]

Originally Posted by Bentleysmom

When I decided that I finally wanted to get my first puppy I was super excited. I had never even looked for a puppy as we always rescued in the past. Therefore I had no idea about clearances or anything else.
I looked online and there were plenty of GR puppies very near my home that were ready to come home.
For whatever reason I called a woman 2 hours away. She had puppies but they wouldn't be ready to go home for another 3 weeks, she said I could come pick one out.
I didn't feel like driving to the store that day but I got in the car and drove all the way there to see the puppies. The first one I saw (out of 17) was Bentley. I picked him up, put him on my chest and said "You look like a Bentley". It was love. I didn't even look at the other puppies. I went out back and saw mom, dad, and grandparents. Paid and left.
When I got home I started looking online about puppies and that's when I found this forum. That's also when I learned about BYB, clearances ect. I will admit in the beginning I thought it was a load of doo-doo. Especially when I read about the contracts from the breeders.
I was appalled to say the least, about breeders demanding you do this and that, when and how or they would take back the puppy.
Well that was Aug and this is Nov. and I will tell you that I have come around.
I now know that it's possible that Bentley will have problems down the road, maybe, maybe not, but I know the possibility is there now. ( after I read about clearances I did check, Bentleys mom & dad have none, grandparents on both sides have either good or excellent. Not that that matters)
As for hating the contracts...how incredibly arrogant of me. (in hindsight).
I have spent my life rescuing the forgotten, unloved, abused dogs that had nobody in their corner.
At least these contracts guarantee that the puppies will always have someone that has their back, and I like that idea.

So I just wanted you to know that even though some of these threads get very heated, you are getting through to some of us.
Thank you for loving the pups enough to educate old, set in their ways, hard headed people like me

Respectfully, I'd point out that your post essentially reads to me as "I got the perfect puppy for me without conditions and on my time table, probably at a low cost, by choosing a puppy I had a personal connection with and meeting a breeder I was comfortable with, instead of doing things the way some members of the forum would insist I do things. Next time, though, I'm going to do things completely differently and get a less affordable puppy with tons of contractual conditions placed upon the purchase and how I handle things after purchase, plus maybe let the breeder pick a puppy for me without my input or a prior connection with the puppy, because the Internet told me that's the way to go.". Doesn't make much sense to me. If you'd come here and listened to the Internet prior to getting your puppy, Bentley wouldn't in your life today. Of course, it's your right to do and think whatever you please within the limits of what's ethical and what's legal, and I wish you the best of luck now and in the future, but I don't agree with you, and I don't think it makes much sense.

Again, I mean that in a respectful way, and not as a personal knock. I love reading your posts about Ky and Bentley. I just can't agree with what you're saying here.

But I will never, ever buy from a breeder or adopt from any place that makes me sign a contract that gives them rights to my dog and to dictate the decisions I make for my dog after I adopt him, is overly invasive of my privacy, or doesn't let me pick my own puppy out. Nor will I or could I pay the freight of what most of those type of breeders charge even if I wanted to, and no one would loan me *that* type of money for that sort of thing.

Thank God for back yard breeders. That's all I have to say.

And if people reply in a heated way, remember, I didn't knock anyone, I didn't make it heated. Anything that gets heated as a response to this post will be because people aren't willing to show the same tense of tolerance toward my point of view that I show toward their's.

[Sally's Mom]

I will not take the bait...