Adopting a puppy is not an easy task to do. Once you decide on getting a puppy, you need to make decisions about whether you want a rescue or if you want a pure-bred dog. There are lots of pros to each as well as some cons. I would like to share my experience in getting a pure-bred dog and what efforts I went to get the dog that my husband and I wanted. We knew we wanted a dog. My partner used to show dogs and he was very specific about wanting a pure-bred dog. He wanted a very specific breed that didn’t require a ton of grooming . The first step was to get a dog book look at various breeds. He came up with 3-4 breeds and the one we decided on was a Vizsla, a great breed to have as a family pet.
Contacting Breeders:
I started calling breeders and wound up conducting a campaign about why we would be a great family for a Vizla. Turns out that breeders are very picky about who gets to adopt a specific breed and Vizla breeders were exceptionally picky. When I called to interview the breeder and ask about upcoming litters, they turned the tables on me. Each breeder asked me a laundry list of questions about our family, previous dogs we had owned, where we lived, why we wanted this specific breed. I contacted over 12 breeders in three states and was asked these questions and more. Typically, the breeder and I were on the phone for 60 + minutes. Luckily, I am a very patient person and I answered the questions that each breeder asked and waited for the bad news that they had no puppies to sell. I did have the opportunity to ask questions of each Vizla breeder about having a Vizla as a pet. The best descriptive language that I heard was repeated over and over: “Vizlas are very exuberant”. We thought that meant the dogs were playful. What it really meant was the dog was exceptionally high energy and super-smart. Vizlas can out-manuever a human being in terms of physical actions as well as being smart as a whip and “outfoxing” a human being when the dog wants to do something. We did find a breeder that did have puppies. She was selling 3 males and one female. The female was more expensive because of breeding. I wound up talking to the breeder at least 3 times and she asked me questions each time she spoke to me. When she finally consented to sell us a dog, she told us that the breeder group has been talking about our qualifications to become a Vizsla owner. Apparently we passed with flying colors. The process was almost 2 months.
Adopting a Puppy:
We decided to get a male dog and we drove 2 hours one way to pick one out. We had our choice of three and my husband made his choice. he took the runt of the litter because of his spunkiness. Little did we know that we would really learn what that spunk and exuberance would get us. He was tiny but a great dog who bounced back with vitamins, great nutrition and lots of attention. He was the dog of our dreams and also a few nightmares like eating my shoes and ripping up stuff. This dog was taken to obedience school 3 times because he wouldn’t mind me or our daughter. Finally my husband took him to class and the dog finally got the message that obedience was key to living happily with us. Lucky for him, we loved him. Lucky for us, he loved us too and did his best– though he would get out and wind up with us chasing him down.
Why am I telling you this? Because honestly, I had no clue what my dog was like when we bought him. We talked to a couple Vizla owners and they loved their dogs, but their Vizlas weren’t as energetic and exuberant as ours. So both dog and owners learned a lot in the process. If you choose to do a pure-bred dog, you do need help finding a good breeder.
There is a online concierge service that can help you find the right dog for you. You don’t have to spend the time that I spent hunting down and talking to 13 breeders “to qualify” to buy a dog. This concierge service makes sure you get a great dog from a reputable breeder. This concierge service is called PuppySpot.com
What is PuppySpot.com: (from their website)
PuppySpot.com is a service committed to helping responsible breeders place their puppies with caring individuals and families. More than just a service, PuppySpot is a community of dog lovers whose mission is to make lives better by placing healthy puppies into happy homes. The PuppySpot brand, with puppies at the center, is rooted in the belief that dogs should be celebrated, and owners deserve to experience trust, confidence, and transparency when searching for their new companions.
With a screened and vetted network of responsible breeders, PuppySpot makes fetching your new best friend a simple and enjoyable experience. PuppySpot uses a personalized approach that caters to the needs of those in search of a new furry friend as well as the breeders who are looking for their puppies’ forever homes. Each breeder within the PuppySpot community is held to the highest standards, with health and safety for all dogs (not just puppies) as top priorities. Following a comprehensive, proprietary screening process, less than 15 percent of breeders who begin the PuppySpot review process are invited to join the exclusive community — ensuring that both two- and four-legged friends receive a premium experience that is seamless and quality-driven.
Puppyspot wants to help you find a dog that you will love and one that will be a good fit for your lifestyle. They put together what you need to know when you are buying a dog — since a dog is a family member. With a screened and vetted network of responsible breeders, PuppySpot makes fetching your new best friend a simple and enjoyable experience.
You need to avoid puppy mills because often they are puppies who haven’t been treated well. Here’s an infographic provided by Puppyspot.com. It’s really interesting and shares a lot of information with you.
Thanks to Puppyspot.com for providing this insightful infographic. It will help you choose your breed or if you want to get a rescue puppy, it will help you evaluate which dog would be a good fit for your family!!
Stevie Wilson,
LA-Story.com
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