Pet Shop Dog

Following Sunshade’s post earlier, I would like to share some of my personal experience and views.

I was unfortunately a petshop dog. I was purchased as a ‘school holiday gift’ to a young boy. The boy had wanted a jack russell because he had seen how attached Jack is to HC and also amazed by the tricks he can do…(ahem, it’s not really a big deal but non-dog owners are often amazed by how a dog can learn to sit, down, stay, beg etc. I know it is really silly! Hahahaha). At that time, HC was more interested in dog obedience and regrettably didn’t read up much about puppy mills and stuff to discourage the purchase.

To cut the long story short, the petshop owner sort of cheated the boy’s family. (On hindsight, HC thinks they, including herself deserved to be cheated for being ignorant.)

During the viewing, I showed signs of kennel cough. HC voiced her concerns that I will pass on the virus to Jack but the owner said kennel cough was not infectious (bullshit!). They gave a bottle of un-labelled cough syrup and said that the kennel cough would go away within days. In actual fact, it took two weeks of bad, persistent coughing and a visit to the vet before it clears up.

Not only that, I do not conform to the breed standards. For example, initially I had nicely folded ears but within a month it started to erect like Jack’s. I also had undescended testicles. (That said, I am not ashamed of my looks, as what matters most is that HC said I am the cutest dog in the entire world :))

The petshop also said that I ‘came with papers’, and that family innocently thought they meant pedigree certificate. When they were queried a month later when no ‘papers’ were received, they replied that owners have to approach our kennel club to get the ‘papers’. Their so-called ‘papers’ were actually breed certificate. I know alot of people were cheated through this way too.

Luckily, I had no other major problems (thank you god!). But I have heard/known of petshop puppies dying from parvo, or having genetic problems such as heart diseases, hip problems etc.

HC has become less ignorant nowadays about puppy mills and has decided that her next dog is either going to be a rescued dog or a dog from a reputable breeder, one who breeds dog for health, temperament and conformation (the order of HC’s preference). Do not buy just because the breeder said his/her stud/bitch is a champion! Cos you may end up with a dog that looks like a champion but suffers from health problems.

She has also made it a point to stop buying from shops that sell livestock.

Once, she accidentally saw the back of a popular shop (who gives really good prices) and almost had a heart attack. The stench was overpowering and the floor and crates were really dirty. There were also a few miserable looking dogs that looked like they were used for breeding.

HC used to frequent another popular petshop. One incident puts her off - there was this dog whose twice bigger than a standard JRT, has big pointed ears like a welsh corgi (wayyyyy bigger than Jack’s). When HC asked what breed that is, the owner said it with a straight face, "that is a jack russell… and he comes with pedigree certificate" and "is only 3 months old" (HC have seen that dog in the miserable crate for 2 months!). HC also heard that there were a few parvo cases from that petshop yet they continued to sell dogs there.

There were also unethnical home breeders whom HC detests. There was this ex-friend who boasted that he used to breed his GSD and earned quite abit from the litters. Luckily, in recent years, he has not been successful to breed his GRs. This unethnical person has been heard persuading other dog owners to breed their dogs (with one such dog displaying hip problems).

Needless to say, HC is not on speaking terms with such person.


See this picture.



















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