In a few short weeks we will have a litter of doxie puppies. Mom and dad are purebreed but not papered. We don’t want to make money off the puppies, just find them good homes where they will be loved and well cared for.
What questions do you ask when shopping for adoptive parents of puppies?
Any one in the Vegas area want a puppy?
I’m in NC, but extremely interested in getting another doxie puppy. When are the pups due?
In another 2-3 weeks we think. We aren’t sure exactly when the, ahem, event took place. This was a bit unexpected.
When I was considering giving up my puppy (maybe I should have written an update post. I kept her and she’s ridiculously adorable and loves trash) I spoke with a few breeders and SPCA-type people about this.
Their advice: Ask about kids (doxies seem to be quite good with them, but are obviously fragile. And if they don’t get along, the parents obvs can’t get rid of the kids), previous dogs (often people are getting over the death of a former dog when acquiring a puppy. this can be good- they have experience, but sometimes bad- they expect the animal to have the same temperament as the last one), current dogs (like kids, their loyalty won;t lie with the newcomer if there’s trouble).
Also, you are completely within your rights to ask them for contact information and updates in a month, six months, then a year from the time they get the puppies.
Hi…
I would charge something for the puppies- don’t just give them away. Make sure they are willing to devote the time and energy to properly raising a puppy and that all members of the family are excited and will work together on doing so. Watch out for “getting a dog so the kids can learn responsibility”. It would behoove you to donate any proceeds you get from the pups to the local SPCA or doxie rescue.
I am trying very, very hard to be diplomatic here. I don’t know if you have watched the news over the past year- but I’m sure you have heard about the fiasco at the Lied Shelter. While the management of Lied is surely to blame for some of these issues, its the community at large that ought to be ashamed of itself for allowing “oops” litters as well as planned litters happen. While you may be lucky and find forever homes for each and every one of your pups, those same homes could have belonged to one of the dogs euthanized at Lied. Our hospital does some work for SPCA and believe me- its not only pit bulls that are out there. We see plenty of small breed mixes and purebreds that are in need of homes.
I am not an animal rights freak, I do obtain my dogs from responsible breeders and while I’ve fostered several dogs for rescue, I’ve never adopted anything but cats. I have bred my dogs in the past- over 7 years ago- and have provided lifetime guarantees, spay/neuter, microchipping, etc to those pups. It’s not the act of breeding your dogs that I’m against- I just feel that in light of the current situation in Las Vegas that it was highly irresponsible to allow it to happen when homes were not already lined up. Besides finding excellent homes for your pups (or keeping any you cannot find homes for) , you should also:
Provide a lifetime “home” for the pup in case it doesn’t work out. Microchip the pup in your name so you know it gets turned over to a shelter (not foolproof, but I’ve known breeders who have been able to retrieve pups this way)
Spay/Neuter the pups before they leave for their new homes.
Spay/Neuter your dogs as soon as possible.
Be a part of solution- not the problem!
I couldn’t agree with you more. I guess I should be a little clearer on the situation with the ‘oops’:
Without boring anyone with all the details, the male and female belong to my mother, who currently lives in another state. When she got them, they were puppies (not related) with every intention getting them spayed and neutered. Around the same time she and her husband divorced, she lost her business, home, everything…including every penny she had so wasn’t in a position to afford to pay the vet bills. I’ve done what I can to help her financially as much as I can, but don’t have much extra after paying the bills, so what little I did send went to her grocery bill or rent. (I’m not trying to make excuses, just the situation that happened.)
Now that my mother is in dire straights financially, she is moving here this weekend to live with me and try to rebuild her life and get back on her feet.
What happened at the Leid Shelter was completely horrific. A true tragedy.
Believe me, I wish that we weren’t in this situation but we are, and I want to make sure that the puppies find good, responsible and loving families. Like I said, I’m not looking to make a buck, perhaps recover some vet expenses is all I want.
Thank you for your advice. It is appreciated.
On edit: Once she is here the dogs will get complete check ups, vaccinations caught up, spayed/neutered, and microchipped. Las Vegas has several low cost pet clinics that we can take advantage of. Not an option in the little one horse (doctor) town that she is currently in.
Agree with this. Ask for an ‘adoption fee,’ but tell them you’ll pay for them to have the dog neutered or spayed. Again while considering giving away my pup I asked for one, and some people said they couldn’t afford it. I had to explain that I’d paid double that in vet bills and food that week alone, and that they should reconsider getting a pet at all.