[milles2]

Linh:

Congratulations on making your decision about the pup. I knew when I brought Tucker home I was bringing into my heart the possibility that his breeding might carry with it health problems (ANY dog can have health problems...). To date, none!

Lulu came from a show breeder and clearly had faults/wasn't breed standard (a white face). But both are healthy and very sweet dogs.

Another piece of advice is schedule a check up with the Vet for the day after you bring her/him home. Your Vet will do a thorough check up to be sure the pup is healthy.

Both my pups came home w/ worms and both had received worming treatments from the breeder's Vet. A week of meds and they were fine.

Here is a true story: A good friend got a Corgi Pup and 2 months after I got Tucker. She went to a hobby breeder/backyard breeder. The pup was healthy with once exception, the inner workings of the ear had not developed.

After a few days my friend began to notice things, took the dog to the Vet and the dog had not developed ear drums, etc. Instant thought - take it back to the breeder.

Well, they had fallen in love with this pup, she had young grand kids who had fallen in love with the pup. She took it back to the breeder and switched for a nearly identical pup. The kids never knew.

Someone earlier posted Show breeder=hobby breeder=show breeder.

I don't know if it was GoCorgi where this topic got beaten to death or another one. My memory recalls Show Breeders breed for the perfect pup to meet the breed standard. Show breeders show - they are active in showing their dogs.

Hobby breeders tend to breed their pets and raise the puppies in their home until they go to families. I don't remember the story behind backyard breeders other than the insinuation that they don't know about bloodlines, don't test, don't whelp their pups in the best environment, etc.

A puppy mill to me is someone who lets dogs reproduce in deplorable conditions, the breeding parents are not pets and are not treated as such, and their dogs have poor quality of life. And then there are commercial breeders. Worry about all that stuff another day.

Happy shopping for all the fun paraphanlia. There is a recent thread about all the fun stuff to get your pup.

Susan