pets wonderland

[accordpoop]

im planing on buying a dog from pets wonderland in richmond. has anybody have any good/bad experience with the dogs they sell?

[godwin]

buy only from certified/known breeders or just adopt from shelters for mutts

[ELITE_TRAYUNZE]

^
+1

[whitescirocco]

Originally Posted by godwin

buy only from certified/known breeders or just adopt from shelters for mutts

Well put!!!

Ask yourself if you really want to support back yard breeders or puppy mills?? Does you dog you are looking at have any health testing or guarentee?

[whitescirocco]

Originally Posted by accordpoop

im planing on buying a dog from pets wonderland in richmond. has anybody have any good/bad experience with the dogs they sell?

What kinda of dog are you looking at there?

[godwin]

Unfortunately there always will be puppy mills.. there are just too much demand.

However to the OP, you can also consider rescue networks for the specific breed you are interested.

Originally Posted by whitescirocco

Well put!!!

Ask yourself if you really want to support back yard breeders or puppy mills?? Does you dog you are looking at have any health testing or guarentee?

[babycake]

No, please never ever buy a dog from a pet store.

[b00tycall]

i bought my dog from pets wonderland.. and i know three other friends who have gone there as well. THEY ARE REALLY GOOD. they are not like a pet store.. they actually have their own home in richmond where they keep all of the dogs together. thats why if you see a dog that you would like to meet on their website you have to let them know so that they can bring that dog to the store in the morning for a meeting.

i regularly go back to the store with my dog to buy her clothes or get her nails cut, and its nice because they always remember us and my dogs name. i would definately buy another dog from them!

[babycake]

But it's not about whether or not the pet store takes good care of animals under their care; it's about supporting backyard breeders and puppymills. When you buy from a pet store, you are supporting the people who bred the animals and no *reputable* breeder would ever sell their puppies to a store, no exceptions.

Lots of information on this stuff on the internet. Search up "backyard breeders", "puppymills", and "reasons not to buy from pet stores".

[b00tycall]

but they breed their own dogs.. isnt that different???? its their family business

[Lil Bastrd]

Originally Posted by b00tycall

but they breed their own dogs.. isnt that different???? its their family business

Breeding animals shouldn't be a "business"
This is exactly what a backyard breeder is. Praying on people who think the puppies are cute. Did you get to see the parents of the puppies?
Were the parents health tested. Or did they just breed two dogs together seeing dollar signs.

[babycake]

Originally Posted by b00tycall

its their family business

That...is what a backyard breeder is.

[wasabisashimi]

what makes difference from backyard or "championship blood" backyard breeder? Just cuz their dogs won some useless medal? Its all business no matter what they claim it. Championship is just an indication of reputation. I think you can still have healthy puppy from a neighbor's backyard.


what about fish? Do you not buy them from pet stores?,, how about birds.!.... just because dogs' are consider men's best friend do we start to rank where they come from.

I think one can determine and make good judgement as to where to purchase a dog, but not solely rely the breeder's reputation with the championship belt.

people adopt dogs from the shelter regardless of where its from, as long as you take responsibility for it afterwards

[babycake]

Originally Posted by Lil Bastrd

Breeding animals shouldn't be a "business"
This is exactly what a backyard breeder is. Praying on people who think the puppies are cute. Did you get to see the parents of the puppies?
Were the parents health tested. Or did they just breed two dogs together seeing dollar signs.

Thank you.


Anyone who's done research into this topic will know that ethical/reputable breeders do NOT make money off what they do. Good breeders health screen their dogs and not just with simple vet checks -- they take the time to intensively test and have their breeder dogs certified/cleared of potential breed problems.

E.g. Chihuahuas are prone to luxating patellas. A good Chihuahua breeder will have their breeder dogs OFA certified against this condition. I dare you to go into a pet store or a backyard breeder and ask if their Chihuahuas are OFA certified. See if they know what that even means.

I bet you they won't have a clue and the BYBs will continue to breed their adult dogs and continue spreading this joint disease. A reputable breeder screens stuff like this because if any of their breeders show positive for any health issues, they are neutered and not allowed to be bred, period. Good breeders also breed for good temperaments. That means if a certain dog does not have a desirable temperament, again, neutered and not allowed to breed. Do you think pet stores and BYBs will do the same?

These are only TWO factors of many that differentiate the good breeders from the bad.

Breeders that show their dogs are working towards improving a breed -- what are the goals of backyard breeders? It's not ALL about the championship and why would you pay hundreds more to buy from a pet store when you can get a good quality and healthy dog for less? If you didn't know, GOOD breeders do not charge an arm and a leg for their pet quality dogs. Again, for example - a pet store Chihuahua can cost $1500 while one from a reputable breeder averages $600-800.

If someone wants to spend the extra money buying a sick dog from a store only to spend thousands later at the vet's trying to fix genetic health problems, that's up to them, but don't group all breeders into one category because it's not that simple. Don't judge until you've seen what goes on behind the scenes.

Lastly, reputable breeders actually lose more money than they "earn" and usually do not profit because they spend their time and money attending dog shows, making sure the breeders and the pups have quality care and nutrition, neutering and spaying the pet quality puppies before releasing them to their homes, and more. They require the dogs be returned to them if the owner can no longer keep them later on for whatever reason. What does a pet store do? At most, the puppy shots and a vet check.

Honestly, all this stuff is on the internet so if you're so inclined, search it up and you'll see why it's not all about the medals. It is SO MUCH more than that. One should not judge and make such sweeping statements without doing the research. Breeding responsibly is NOT about business or money -- when a breeder breeds RESPONSIBLY, they LOSE money. Pet stores and backyard breeders cannot say the same.

Originally Posted by wasabisashimi

people adopt dogs from the shelter regardless of where its from, as long as you take responsibility for it afterwards

This is a whole different story which I don't even want to get into. Why am I not surprised that the majority of the animals in shelters originally came from pet stores, puppymills, and backyard breeders?

[ELITE_TRAYUNZE]

So to sum things up, by supporting byb, petstores, etc., you are supporting diseases to be passed on through the pedigrees.

[godwin]

Errr no.

In fact, I would say mixing up the breeds, will make the dogs stronger genetically, but it will dilute the breed.

The problem with byb etc is there is not enough documentation or care. Since there is no documentation/ lineage information, you don't know about some recessive genes with bad implications might show up in dogs a few generations up and down the chain.

Pure breed dogs are too specialized at this day and age and the gene pool is way too small. So extreme care has to be taken to figure out the mom and dad to make sure you don't get a pup with all the bad traits. (well bad for the owner but good for the vet I suppose).

I don't advocate everyone to go get prize winning dogs, but have a clear understanding of genetics before you buy a pure breed.. If raised in same environment, mixed breed, will definitely be have less genetic problems.. than pure breeds.

Look going to petstore is like going to Kingways to buy a car. There will always be exceptions of dogs that are fine and have a healthy life. The question is do you want to take the risk. (I assume the person buying the dog will be someone that cares about the welfare of the dog for its natural life, not just those show and dump people).

Originally Posted by ELITE_TRAYUNZE

So to sum things up, by supporting byb, petstores, etc., you are supporting diseases to be passed on through the pedigrees.

[winson604]

In addition some of these Pet Stores don't breed shit and when they do it's wack. Lots of these stores just buy from a breeder out in Chillawack etc for like $300-$500 then sell it in their stores for like double or triple. Fuck that

[hopalong]

i bought a dog from petswonderland and i dont regret it at all. we got her checked right away and the vet said she was very healthy with a great personality.

[Lil Bastrd]

Originally Posted by godwin

Errr no.

In fact, I would say mixing up the breeds, will make the dogs stronger genetically, but it will dilute the breed.

The problem with byb etc is there is not enough documentation or care. Since there is no documentation/ lineage information, you don't know about some recessive genes with bad implications might show up in dogs a few generations up and down the chain.

Pure breed dogs are too specialized at this day and age and the gene pool is way too small. So extreme care has to be taken to figure out the mom and dad to make sure you don't get a pup with all the bad traits. (well bad for the owner but good for the vet I suppose).

I don't advocate everyone to go get prize winning dogs, but have a clear understanding of genetics before you buy a pure breed.. If raised in same environment, mixed breed, will definitely be have less genetic problems.. than pure breeds.

Look going to petstore is like going to Kingways to buy a car. There will always be exceptions of dogs that are fine and have a healthy life. The question is do you want to take the risk. (I assume the person buying the dog will be someone that cares about the welfare of the dog for its natural life, not just those show and dump people).

Mixing breeds can get rid of some health issues if the two breeds are different enough. Say if you bred a pug to a jack russel (yes the nose cavity is going to be longer so no breathing issues)
You will not however be able to get rid of everything. Yes some breeders have breed too tight, this does not mean all purebreds are bred tight. I'm not saying one is better then the other. I have known some breeders who breed a mix that do do health testing, temperment screening, and have contracts with the new puppy owners to ensure the dog never ends up in the pound. The problem with most of the mixes out there today is not the dog itself, but the reason that it was created. People see the all mighty dollar sign in their eyes and don't even stop to think what breeding entails. I use to manage a pet store and I'd have people come in saying "My dog just had puppies is there anything I need to give her?" I'd ask if they have had her on puppy food "no" they'd reply. They never even thought in todays information technology to look up some basic information to do with breeding.

Under one of the chinese forum sites (vansky), back in February one pet owner bought their Chihuahua pup from Pets Wonderland and took it back because it got sick, the store said it will look into it and nurse it back to health. Few weeks later Pets Wonderland called the owner and told them their pup had died at the store. No refund was given for the dog... Please don't contribute to the demand for puppy mills, buy from a reputable breeder or rescue one from a shelter.

[rageguy]

Please try to buy your puppy from a breeder. Look on kijiji for such breeders. Do not buy any puppies from a store, period. You risk a high chance of behavioral disorders, because pet stores either raise their dogs in bulk, or get them from some sketchy puppy mills. Since they focus in bulk, these puppies are neglected and not treated as well as a breeder.

During the developmental stages of the puppy, from day 1 to 1 year old, it is EXTREMELY crucial to train and to develop a positive relationship with the dog. These stores don't really have the time and effort to do such things, thus you will risk a high chance of getting a puppy with some disorder.

[threezero]

i think the attraction of pet store is that it is very convenient, ALL pet store owner will sell you any dog with no question ask. Probably not really concern with placing the dog with a proper home that can provide the best care. That is also why most of them only sell smaller breeds (less likely for a behaviour to arise becuz when small dogs jump on you its cute, when a big dog jump on you its bloody murder).

If OP is still thinking of going to the pet store to get a puppy after reading all the response, imo he/she should not get a dog. Dogs are not fashion accesories that you can purchase on a whim from a store, they require a decade of care and love. You own it to you soon to be best friends to do all the research you can and find a reputable breeder that actually care about their puppies.

Example, I have a german shepherd that I've brought from a reputable breeder after months of searching. My family friend fell in love with my dog's handsome look and wanted one as well. Of course I told him about all the exercise requirement + expense + training commitment + potential health problem that came with the breed. He just nodded and push it aside. Next time i see him he told me he purchase a shepherd from the pet store in richmond center after "getting tire of researching for breeders" and being annoy by all the questions being ask of from the list of reputable breeders i send him.

So he brought home a 2 month old shepherd without knowing his bloodline without knowing about the parents and without any guarantee on hip problems. Long story short, the dog turn out to be EXTREMELY neurotic and my friend's family had to give the dog away to the SPCA after a few month because they couldn't stand all the jumping, mouthing and otherwise naughtiness AND they are not aware of the amount of training required because the store did not tell them I had to go and help him take the pup to the spca because its getting so strong and out of control already. The pup was showing sign of hip problem at just under a year old... already bunny hopping a little as he walks....

Anyways I guess some people will never learn, after few years cool down period he is thinking of buying another puppy from the same pet store, this time a rottweiler

OP please don't be like my friend. Your best friend deserve more than this

[rageguy]

To the OP, you should have enough materials here to decide what you want to do. Either way, if you get a dog, I strongly recommend taking this training class (10 sessions). It is taught by a very famous animal psychologist in UBC, Dr. Stan Coren. Feel free to google his name.

http://vancouverdogobedience.com/

Go take this class after you dog received all 3 shots in the first year.

[butter_sashimi]

Originally Posted by accordpoop

im planing on buying a dog from pets wonderland in richmond. has anybody have any good/bad experience with the dogs they sell?

Holy crap, the man asked for an opinion on this specific store in question not for a ride on the drama llama. It's like fighting for world peace. Everyone wants it but you aren't gonna get it soon if not ever.
However OP, please do consider adopting an abandoned a dog from the SPCA or something. It really goes a long way for the dog you'd be helping.

Anyways, my family got a 2 year old chihuahua from Pets Wonderland. It's previous owner was moving and asked to leave the dog in the care of the shop owners. My parents went in just to get a new dog jacket for my existing dog and found the chihuahua sniffing around behind the counter. He was pretty scared of humans but he has an overall good demeanor and is extremely playful. He definitely wasn't damaged goods because of the store but obviously from longterm neglect at his previous owner's place.

Pets Wonderland is pretty ok. But the owners are Chinese so prepared to bargain hard if you want to haggle.

[Phil@rise]

Check out some or Richmonds animal shelters as many as 30 percent of all dogs in them are purebread and needing a good home. It is a cheaper alternative to buying a dog from a breeder and it'll be up to date neutered and usually have basic training done.