Puppy Buyer expectations - Page 1

I purchased a puppy a few months back where the puppy was far from my home. I decided to go pick up the pup in person and fly her home under the seat instead of shipping her as the breeder did not want to ship puppies In cargo if possible. I asked the breeder if they could have the pup in the crate for a bit each day the week before I pick the pup up and if the could also get the dog used to a collar and leash. There was probably a total of 15 hours from the time I got the pup at the breeders until we got her home and I knew a pup would need to come out at least a couple of times and potty and I thought that already having spent some time wearing a collar and leash would make things go as smoothly as possible. The breeder, who has just a few litters per year, and does not have a job outside the home seemed pretty put out at my request and told me they did not have time to do this. I said, ok, well that is that then and we made the best of it. Then I spoke with a friend who just got a pup recently and the breeder had ALL the pups used to a crate and collar and leash by 8 weeks. Even those that were being placed locally.

So which is the more common way of doing things? Was I asking too much or was my friends breeder going way above and beyond?

Some people breed for'easy money' , let the dam do all the 'work' and person gets pups out the door to new homes to fair best they can.
Others are breeders who truly care about their pups and want the best transition to their new homes, so breeder spends time and effort to prepare the puppies....all of them, not just requests fulfilled.

I get all of my puppies used to a crate, as well. They also wear whelping ID collars from the time they are born until 6 weeks and then I put small actual puppy collars on them and they are totally used to having a collar on them. I also will do house training and basic puppy obedience commands before they leave. I would guess that to be the standard for good breeders, because I want my pups to have as easy a transition possible and the things that I do with them tend to make things go much smoother for my buyers.

Some people spend a lot of time with other dogs and have other responsibilities even though they don't have a full time job. No one is in a place to judge how someone chooses to spend their time. Until you raise a whole litter of puppies, you don't really understand the difference between one puppy and eight. On top of that, the things you asked for could be quite time consuming and annoying...I've done it with a litter of puppies and as everyone knows...they scream their heads off the first few times in a crate.

Some people sell puppies by providing these extra services. It's easier than training and titling the parents, makes the customers feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and leads to good reviews because the breeder was so nice and accomodating. It says nothing about the quality of the dog and doesn't affect the dog in the long run...but it saves the breeder money on not having to actually test their breeding stock.

Now, I will say this in addition to my post above: I do train and am actively working on titling my adult dogs as well. I also have a part time job as a source of income and I still do all of these things on top of having a family with twin boys that are 4 years old. Yes it's very time consuming, but it's something that I love to do and IMO if you find working with your puppies that you produced is annoying or too time consuming for you, then maybe you shouldn't be breeding.

If they don't have time to put a puppy in a crate for 5 to 10 minutes a day and help acclimate them to collars, I'd say they shouldn't be breeding dogs.
In your case, I would be concerned with lack of exposure and socialization.
I handle newborns at least 3 times a day, start exposing them to different lighting and flooring at 3ish weeks, stake them out at 5ish weeks, and take them off property to socialize 5-6 days a week from 5 weeks on. Oh, and I'm a full time student(medical) and work part time. I make time for it.

 I also will do house training and basic puppy obedience commands before they leave.

This would bother me a lot... No offense to you kiesgsd but i would much prefer as little influence from the breeder as possible. For me an ideal purchase would a 6 month old that has never been worked with and only let out of their kenne to use the bathroom and exercise.

Working with puppies? You're kidding yourself if you think that any obedience you do with a puppy under 8 weeks old means anything. It's also just a funny statement that if you don't want to do certain socializing things you shouldn't breed. Taking 5 week old puppies off your property is just asking for parvo or some other disease. I'd also say that if you're that worried about socializing and exposing your 5 week olds to the world, you're breeding subpar parents and don't believe your puppies are genetically stable in the first place, more than likely because you don't train and title to figure out what they truly have in them. A little extra work before the breeding and whelping will save more time on the back end. But like I stated in my first post, the stories you can tell your customers that make them feel warm and fuzzy inside are a much cheaper marketing ploy than actually accomplishing something with the breeding pair.

I tend to agree. I played and loved on the little ones. But I didn't take them away from home unless it was to the vet and only would carry them in and out of the vets. I also had strict rules on when and how puppy visits took place. I did allow friends, relatives and children to visit upon request to socialize them with different people. That is just me though always trying to keep my pack safe and healthy.

Benefits far outweigh risks IMO. I know multiple breeders who do same thing, with no issues of parvo.

Breeding stable stock will get you so far, but when producing dogs for the real world, I(and many others) feel enviornmental exposure is crucial. With that said, thay aren't visiting pet stores or other high risk areas for parvo and other illnesses. They are taken to off-site facility that we own. 

Genetics are certainly important, but keeping puppies in a whelping box or kennel in your backyard until they go to their new homes isn't something I agree with. 

Look at the success of Logan Haus Kennels breeding program, he does tons of exposure and has recieved lots of positive feedback. Majority of his pups end up in real world homes. 

Dogs can be stable, but lack enviornmental stability, which is a very important thing for me in a dog.