What is the difference between a “show dog” or a “pet dog”

Essentially very little. The Canadian Kennel Club has an official ‘standard’ of requirements that make an ideal shih tzu. These requirements include height, weight, length of nose, front and back leg placements, and eye colour, to name but a few. The shih tzu breeder then tries to breed to produce a puppy that adheres to this set standard, in order to produce a show quality shih tzu that will hopefully do some winning in the show ring.

Obviously it is impossible to attain a ‘perfect’ dog or bitch that has all of these requirements. So the breeder will select a puppy that they think most likely to meet these requirements and therefore do well in the show ring. The remainder of puppies are sold as pets to pet homes. I.e. people who have no interest in showing dogs.

This does not mean that you the pet owner, are getting a substandard puppy, rather, you are purchasing a puppy that has usually come from excellent lineage which has had considerable thought and research put into its breeding program to attain the best the breeder can obtain with the parents that they have. The only difference between the ‘pet puppy’ and the ‘show puppy’ is “show quality.” 

The pet puppy may be deemed unsuitable for the show ring compared to it’s litter mates simply because it’s nose is a bit longer than it should be, or it is mismarked, or it may have a little white in the corner of its eye, or it may be a little small for the show ring. Its tail could be too curly or not curly enough. Trivial matters for a puppy that is otherwise fit, healthy and sound with a good temperament. In fact none of these cosmetic faults are going to detract from the pleasure that the pet owner will get from their dog, or contribute to ill health of the puppy in any way. 

For a shih tzu to show well, the judges look for how well the dog fulfills the requirements of the breed standard.  Although the final adult appearance of an 8 week old puppy cannot be entirely determined, at that age the potential of a puppy can be evaluated.  Each puppy in a litter can be compared to the others and previous experience to predict which has the most potential to fulfill the standard and contribute to the betterment of the breed.  An entire litter may have the potential to show well, but usually there are one or two who stand out.  These puppies are usually placed in a home with the intent that they will be shown, and the remaining puppies become companions/pets. 

Presented by the Minnesota Purebred Dog Breeders Association with thanks to the Soft-Coated Wheaton Terrier Club.

You have decided that a Purebred dog is for you. What is your next move? What steps should you take to insure that your pup meets your requirements? Doubtless, this purchase should receive thoughtful consideration. It's no loaf of bread you're buying--this little pup will be a member of your family for a decade or more. Choosing a reputable breeder is primary to your objective.

Since it is almost impossible for YOU to know what any of these little pups will grow into physically and emotionally, you must rely entirely upon your faith in the person from whom you are purchasing your pup. There are three options open to you in choosing this person.

1. PET SHOP OR DEALER. The Worst Choice Possible! Pups are poorly bred and raised. They are thought of as merchandise (the loaf of bread) to be sold for a high profit. This high profit is possible because little has been put into the care of these pups. Many are sickly. Pet shops rely heavily on impulse buying via "the doggy in the window," which is no way to choose an addition to the family.
2. BACKYARD BREEDER. Also a Poor Choice. This is the person who owns a pet "purebred" and thinks it would be "fun" to have puppies or maybe that it would be a great experience for the children. Even worse, perhaps it's being done to make money. Usually this breeder knows little about grooming and care, and still less of the breed history or the CKC/AKC standard or how his dogs conform to it. The backyard breeders do not do regular examinations by veterinarians on any possible problems with their breed, nor do they x-ray hips. They are not even aware of breed problems nor do they care. There goal is to produce pups and when the "fun" is over, sell them quickly.
3. HOBBY BREEDER. The Very Best Choice. The serious and dedicated hobby breeder regards their dogs as just that--a hobby. They do not expect a profit. When someone breeds dogs for enjoyment and for the pleasure and thrill of producing the very finest specimens possible, rather than for profit, the result is SUPERIOR. These breeders acknowledge responsibility for each and every puppy produced and stand behind every dog they have bred. Without question, your choice should be the HOBBY BREEDER.

It is an interesting fact that poor quality pups from pet shops and backyard breeders are usually sold for the same price and sometimes even more than those purchased from the serious hobby breeder. All three of the above breeders sell puppies that are CKC/AKC registerable--this is not an assurance of quality or dedication to the breed. So, the question is: How does one recognize the serious, dedicated hobby breeder? Prepared below is criteria that you should require your breeder to meet before you consider purchasing your purebred dog. Do not be afraid to confront them with these requirements. It is your RIGHT and you can rest assured that the dedicated breeder will respond positively and with pride.

Your Breeder should:

1. Belong to a local breed club or a national all-breed club. Ideally, he or she belongs to several. However, sometimes this is impossible if there is no local breed club in the area. The reason for this requirement is that this sort of participation indicates depth of involvement. This breeder is exposed to other points of view, learns more about his breed, general dog care, modern breeding practices and is kept up to date. He is breeding in accordance with a Code of Ethics.
2. Be involved in showing their dog(s). This means that your breeder is not breeding in a vacuum. The breeder who does not show has no idea how good his dogs really are and is deprived of the opportunity to share information and ideas with others. Showing provides the competition which encourages breeders to produce better dogs. The breeder who shows wants to prove how good his dogs are in competition and is putting his breeding program on the line. He is not relying on just a pedigree to indicate quality. Even though you do not want a show dog, you deserve a pet that is the end result of a carefully planned litter--a pup which received the same care as a potential champion. The Breeder who is known by others and has a reputation to uphold will undoubtedly be as careful and honest in selling you your pet as he is in selling his show dogs.
3. Give you a period of time which to allow you to have the pup examined by a veterinarian to determine his state of health, so that both of you are assured as to its health. If a problem should arise, it can then be quickly resolved. This period of time is usually 48 to 72 hours.
4. Give you written instructions on feeding, training, care and grooming. You should also be given the pup's health/shot records. The breeder should supply you with information where you can purchase books about the breed.
5. Be able to show you proof that their stock has been x-rayed and is clear of hip dysplasia, preferably with and OFA certification number.
6. Make it clear to you that their responsibility continues long after you have taken your puppy home. Indeed, until your pup has departed this earth. Many dedicated breeders will ask that the pup be returned to them or placed with new owners who meet with their approval if ever for any reason you are unable to continue ownership.
7. Be curious about what kind of dogs you have had in the past and what happened to them.
8. Ask questions like whether or not you have a fenced yard or if the pup will be walked on lead. They will make certain you understand all the negative aspects of owning a dog as well as the positive. Having the pup's best interests at heart to say nothing of theirs and yours, a reputable breeder will take great pains to place his pups properly the first time around. A returned pup is a traumatic experience for all concerned and therefore, the breeder who is always willing to accept a puppy back will want to make certain that this specific purebred dog is the breed for you.
9. Be able to show you a clean environment, well-socialized puppies and a sire/dam with a good temperament (happy and self-assured).
10. Be willing to give you references--names of people who have purchased pups from him in the past or of others in the breed.
11. Perhaps be a bit hesitant to sell you a pup until they know more about you. Will not pressure you into deciding immediately, and encourage you to see other litters before making your final selection.
12. Provide a written contract and/or conditions of sale.
13. Require spaying or neutering of pet quality puppies. Breeders spend a lot of time and effort planning breeding programs designed to improve the breed. They selectively carry on their programs with only the best quality available. Pet quality puppies should be loved and enjoyed as pets. Reputable breeders don't want their dogs being used just to "make puppies" or worse yet, to have their puppies end up in "puppy mills" where they will be mass produced. Therefore, they will require that pets be spayed or neutered before being registered with the CKC/AKC.

If your breeder meets all the above criteria, you are in good hands. If you find yourself with a negative response to any of these, think twice, discuss the situation with someone else. Don't be impulsive and DO ASK QUESTIONS.

Keep this in mind: You are probably going to pay for quality. Whether or not you get it is up to you.

That adorable puppy in the window of the pet store is hard to resist, but you may be paying a lot of money for a dog that you know very little about. Pet stores generally rely on impulse buys to sell their "product". There is a good chance that the pet store puppy will develop a health problem sometime in its life that may cost you a lot of money to remedy. When you buy a pet store puppy it is very unlikely that the puppy's parents were screened for genetic diseases that can be passed to their offspring. Every breed of dog has genetic problems that are passed from generation to generation by breeding dogs that carry the flawed gene. Many of these genetic problems can be detected with today's technology, but these tests are expensive. People who are concerned about the welfare and future of their breed will have these tests conducted to preserve and improve in the future quality of their breed. Most good breeders are more concerned about the health of the puppies that they are producing than the money that they will or won't make on the production of a litter.

2. The myth about CKC/AKC papers-

Most pet shops would like you to believe that if a puppy is registered by the Canadian/American Kennel Club, this guarantees the puppy will be healthy and a good example of the breed. This is not so. The only thing that CKC/AKC papers certify is that the puppy is a purebred and produced out of CKC/AKC registered parents. Even this can be fiction, as some producers register more puppies than are actually born in each litter to receive extra registration slips to pass out with unregisterable puppies. The parents of your puppy may be unhealthy or carriers of crippling or deadly health defects which they may have passed to their offspring- your puppy. They may also be horrible representations of the breed that you are buying. Often times the parentage of pet store puppies is also questionable due to poor record keeping. In other words, your puppy may not even be a purebred, even though it has CKC/AKC papers. Responsible breeders do register their puppies with the CKC/AKC, but that is only the beginning.

3. The pet shop guarantee-

Many pet stores provide a form of guarantee for people buying puppies from them, but their guarantees may be as bad as none at all. A not-so-uncommon scenario goes something like this: after your family has become attached to your adorable new puppy you find out it is sick. It will cost you several hundred dollars to treat, so you take the puppy back to the store to receive your guarantee. What they will most likely offer to do is trade you puppies- take away your beloved pet and replace it with a new puppy, not necessarily a healthier one, either. They will most likely euthanize the puppy you brought back, because this is cheaper for the store. The other tactic that some stores use is to tell you your puppy will grow out of the problem- until their guarantee has expired. Do you want to take this risk?

4. What will that puppy look like when it is full grown?

You may have seen specimens of the breed that you are buying, but this does not guarantee that this puppy will fit the breed standard. You do not know if the parents fit the standard either and cannot see the faults that each parent has. There is no perfect dog, but a good breeder will be willing to discuss the faults and strengths that each of their dogs possesses. You should also be able to see at least the mother of the puppy that you are buying if bought from a responsible breeder. Even then you can not tell exactly what the puppy will look like, but you will have a much better idea of what to expect. Why spend so much money without even knowing what the puppy's parents look like?

5. What do you know about the breed?

Employees of pet stores generally know very little about the dogs that are in the store. They can probably tell you a little bit about the breed and then point you to a rack of generic dog books. What do you do after you bring the puppy home, only to find that this breed is not the right one for you and your family? Good breeders are full of information about the breed of puppy that you are considering. They should be able to tell you the general temperament aspects of the breed and help you predict whether this breed of dog will fit into your lifestyle. They will also be able to warn you about specific health problems that the breed is prone to and will be able to tell you what aspects the breed excels in. There is no breed of dog perfect for every person and a good breeder is concerned that their puppy goes to a home that they will fit into.

6. Housebreaking and training problems-

This puppy that you are buying from a pet store has most likely spent much of its life in a cage. Many pet store puppies have never seen carpet and may never have even seen grass or dirt. Due to the conditions that puppies are kept in at pet stores, they have been forced to eliminate in the same area that they sleep and eat. This goes against the dog's natural instinct, but your puppy has had no choice. This habit may make housebreaking your puppy much more difficult. A good breeder keeps the puppy area very clean and makes sure the puppy has a separate elimination area. By the time the puppies are ready to go to their new homes they will be well on the way to being house trained. Good breeders will often also start teaching their puppies how to walk on a leash and to lie quietly for grooming. A pet store puppy has most likely never walked on a leash or been brushed before. It can be much more difficult to teach a pet store puppy these daily exercises than a puppy that has been brought up properly. Responsible breeders also base their breeding decisions in part on their dogs' temperament and personality, not only on looks or the fact that they are purebred. Most pet store puppies' parents have not been selected for any reason other than they can produce puppies that sell as cute "purebreds" registered by the AKC.

7. How about Socialization?

Your pet store puppy may well have never been in a house before. If this is the case then everything will be new and scary for them. The doorbell, vacuum cleaner, and children playing are all new sensations that can be terrifying to an unsocialized puppy. Good breeders will expose their puppies to many situations so that the puppies are used to them by the time that they go to their new homes. Most responsible breeders have evaluated the temperament of each of their puppies before they are placed in a new home. A good breeder will know, due to hours of observation, which puppies are dominant and which are shy, which are energetic and which are easy going. Then the breeder will be able to match the puppy to the new owner and make sure that energetic pups go to active families and that shy puppies go to a home that can help them overcome their insecurity. This careful evaluation enables a breeder to choose which puppy will fit your household and much of the guesswork is taken out of the selection process. Good breeders can help you make an educated decision about all aspects of your puppy's feeding, training and overall maintenance and care based on your family situation. If you are going to spend so much money on a dog that you plan to keep for its lifetime, why not find one that will fit into your lifestyle well?

8. What is a pedigree worth?

Some pet shops make a big deal out of their puppies' pedigrees. This is interesting, as the pedigree is really just a piece of paper with names on it. Unless you know the dogs behind those names the pedigree is really quite useless to the new owner. Can the pet store tell you what your puppies grand- parents died of, or how long they lived? Do any of the dogs in your pup's pedigree carry genetic diseases? Most pet store employees do not know any more about your puppy's background than you do. A reputable breeder can tell you all of this information about your pup's family tree and more. When you buy a puppy from a reputable breeder you are getting more than a piece of paper, you are getting the important information associated with the names too. Almost all responsible breeders will achieve titles on their dogs by showing them under unbiased judges. They will achieve championships on their dogs, which tells that the dog is a good representation of the breed. Some breeders also obtain obedience, or other titles that relate to the job that their breed of dog was originally bred to perform. Many also achieve canine good citizen titles on their breeding dogs. These titles will be shown on the dog's pedigree before and after the parents' names. Ask the breeder to explain what the letters mean.

9. Do you want to support puppy mills?

Almost all puppies that are in pet stores come from puppy mills. These operations are exactly what the name implies. Most mass produce puppies with money as the prime motive. Their breeding dogs are often kept in very poor conditions and are sometimes malnourished. The dogs are almost never tested for genetic diseases and may not receive vaccinations. Puppy mills often obtain their breeding dogs from people in a hurry to get rid of their dogs for some reason, often through "free dog" ads in newspapers or public auctions. Occasionally they are stolen from their owners. Females are generally bred every heat cycle until they are worn out and then they are often sentenced to death. The horror of puppy mills is encouraged every time a puppy is bought from a puppy store.

How do you know that your puppy comes from one of these places? The main reason is that almost no responsible breeders will sell puppies to pet stores. Good breeders want to make sure that their puppies go to good homes and are well cared for. They want to be actively involved in screening the home that their puppies go to. Breeders are also concerned about keeping track of their puppies after they leave the breeder's home. They will know about any health problems that their lines may carry, and will be interested in any health problems that a puppy of their breeding develops. A pet store usually never hears about their puppies once they leave the store, and generally really don't care. Buying from a pet store does not mean that you will save any money in the purchase price of the puppy either. When you buy from a reputable breeder there is no middle man involved who wants to take his share of the profit out of the price of the puppy. Often the price that good breeders charge is no more, and sometimes less, than what you will pay buying a puppy from a pet store.

10. After the puppy goes home-

Once you take the puppy home from the pet store they do not generally care what happens to the puppy. Most pet shops do not care if the dog is left to run loose and kill livestock, or if it dies of liver disease at one year old. If you have a training problem they will often be unable or unwilling to give you training advice. Most do not care if you take your dog home and breed it continually. Responsible breeders are more than people who sell puppies, they will also be good friends to you and your puppy. They care what happens to their puppies' once they are sold. Almost all good breeders sell on spay/neuter contracts or limited registration. This practice enables breeders to keep dogs that are not breeding quality out of the breeding population and also monitor what happens to their puppies in their new homes. Some breeders sell show quality puppies on co-ownership, so that they retain a portion of the dog's ownership, for better control of what happens to their dog later in it's life. If you have a health or training problem a good breeder will generally be able to offer you advice and help you through the ordeal. Most reputable breeder care about each of their puppies' futures and will be concerned about their welfare. They care not only about their own dogs, but also the impact their dogs will make on the breed as a whole.

So please next time you are looking for a new puppy to buy, do your research. One of the best steps toward becoming an educated puppy buyer and dog owner is to attending American Kennel Club sanctioned shows and carefully researching each breed that you are interested in. Once you decide what breed of dog you would like to add to your household, talk to many breeders. Good breeders can inform you about genetic diseases common in the breed you want and are generally happy to share their knowledge. When you are ready to buy a puppy from a particular planned litter ask the breeder for proof of genetic tests specific to the breed and request to see one or both of the parents of your new puppy.

A common excuse for buying a puppy from a pet store is that you do not plan to show your puppy, you just want a companion. Out of each litter that a reputable breeder produces there is a good chance that at least a portion of the puppies in each litter will not be show quality, but would make outstanding pets. Not every puppy that a breeder produces is destined for stardom in the show ring, but might well be the next shining star in your household. Please pass up the next puppy you see in the pet store and contact breed organizations. They will be able to match you with a responsible breeder that will help you add a well adjusted and healthy new canine member to your family.

Other positive alternatives are adopting a dog from your local humane society or adopting a rescue dog from various rescue organizations located throughout the United States. Every breed of dog registered by the AKC has at least one rescue organization that will take in dogs of that breed and places them in new loving homes. There are endless numbers of dogs of all shapes, sizes, ages and personalities in need of a new loving home. When you obtain a dog from one of these organizations you are more than saving that dogs life. You are also sparing a female dog in some puppy mill from being condemned to produce yet another litter for pet shop sales. So please be rational and thoughtful when you go to get your next dog and help prevent irresponsible pet ownership.

A pet store is generally the worst place to buy a puppy. As long as there is a market for pet store puppies, other dogs will be condemned to death by mass breeding only so that a few people can make some money, often with no thought of the welfare of their "product." This is not to say that a good pet has never come out of a pet store, as many have. For each that has, though, many others have not. Remember, when you buy a puppy, you are adding another member to your family, not just another piece of furniture that can be disposed of at the smallest whim. You would not have a child without careful research and planning for the child's future ten or fifteen years down the road. Your new dog should be no different. Adding a dog to the family is a long term commitment and responsibility that should be taken seriously and only acted upon after careful consideration and research.

Click on the link below so you "Don't get Ripped Off"!

http://www.buyingapuppy.com/index.html      

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