The Problems with Pet Store Puppies

We've all been there: you are walking down the street and you look into a store window only to see the big, brown eyes of several adorable puppies staring back at you. We stand there and watch them play for a few minutes, the whole time thinking about what it would be like to take one home.

Hold on a minute.

Pet store puppies may be cute, but they will most likely come with a multitude of problems. They are likely from puppy mills, may have poor health, have had little socialization, poor care, and lack of assistance from the seller when a problem arises. It is far more ethical, and in the best interest of your family and your pet's future, to adopt from a shelter or buy from a reputable breeder.

The puppies that come from pet stores frequently come with health problems. The animals used to breed are rarely screened for genetic disorders, which means they will pass their problems on to the many litters they are forced to produce. There are genetic disorders in every breed, and a reputable breeder will have the parent dogs tested before producing a litter. Even if a pet shop guarantees the health of the dog, stay away. The guarantee means that if you discover your beloved new pet is sick, they will offer you an exchange for another pet, which may suffer the same ailments, and euthanize the one you returned. Another common scenario is that they will tell you the pet will grow out of its problems, and when it doesn't, the guarantee will have expired.