Violet & Magic's litter is nearly 7 weeks old! They are growing so fast! Next weekend they will get their first shot. Each puppy is amazing. All of them are beautiful. This is going to be a tough decision for me - I'm not sure yet which puppy or puppies to keep for myself. I have had a lot of calls for puppies but I have only chosen one solid home for one of my babies. Why? Because that person did their homework. That person knew that a quality dog was worth the investment. And she was at the right place at the right time to get the only girl that I knew would be available out of this litter for a pet home. And you know what - she still doesn't know which of the two girls she will be getting yet. But either way she won't be disappointed.
I don't play the waiting list game with the next litter just around the corner. I don't have the puppy galleria that most "breeders" have on the internet. I am not like most "breeders".
I do this for me - I don't breed puppies for money making purposes. Believe me - each litter is taken at a financial loss. I am looking for my next show prospect and the next generation of my breeding program. I get first pick - ALWAYS. Not everyone understands this. But that's what makes me different from most every breeder here in the valley of the sun.
I do this to move forward with a lineage of dogs that are healthy and sound. Not to line my pockets with money to pay my bills (I have a real job for that). And because I want the best for myself, that means too that my puppy buyers get the cream of the crop of puppies. To me it's about the future, about making sure the dogs I breed are healthy and sound for their lifespan - to be champions - to produce champions - because those champions will be everything a Shih Tzu should be. They will look like a Shih Tzu and act like a Shih Tzu. I do my very best at screening for health issues as well. To make sure that sound, typey package can live a long and healthy life - for ME. And the gravy of that to the pet buyer should be obvious. Today, as my only solid puppy buyer was visiting the litter, she even commented how all of the puppies in this litter would be hard to choose from. They are all that nice. And she was right. And that makes me proud. I have worked hard to produce the very best I can - and it shows in the puppies I breed.
One weekend of showing dogs costs close to as much as the selling price of one of my puppies. FYI - to go on the road to show - gas money, hotel, pet sitter for the kids still at home - for a four day show weekend, that totals to about $700. The show circuit in AZ is limited so travel is necessary to complete a title on a Shih Tzu here. The reason a breeder should show their dogs is to get a fair evaluation of their breeding stock. That's the purpose of showing dogs. When someone tells you they don't show because it's just a beauty contest or it's political or that it's a waste of time and money - well they are simply giving you excuses - they are more interested in their own bottom line than whether or not you get a sound, healthy puppy.
The costs to breed a litter - to health screen my bitch, to bring in the right dog or health screen my own boy, wellness care for a pregnant bitch, proper nutrition, x-rays to determine how many puppies are actually in there, have the puppies vet checked and dew claws removed and have their shots given by my vet, well that total cost is almost as much as the selling price of one of my puppies. I don't have ten or twelve girls that I breed continuously to any of a number of boys I may have, nor do I fore go appropriate veterinary care, so that I can have a steady stream of $350 puppies available to anyone that calls or emails me. If that's what you're looking for - you've contacted the wrong breeder.
Ninety percent of the calls I get are for girl puppies. Why is that? Boys make fabulous pets. Here's a newsflash for you - boys are easier to housebreak than the girls! Boys will only be lifting their leg or humping your leg or their toys if you a) don't have them neutered young enough and/or b) you allow obnoxious behavior of your pets. The fact is, boys make better companions than the girls. Boys are sweet and just want to be loved. And like I told one lady that contacted me recently - if you want a girl puppy from me you either have to be in the right place at the right time or be willing to wait a LONG time. There are no guarantees that a girl puppy will ever be available out of this house as a pet. Why? Because the best girls don't go to pet homes, they stay here. Because I only breed usually one litter per year, to prepare for future generations I have to keep the girls unless there is an obvious fault - like mismarking of coat or lack of pigmentation, or an obvious structural fault (which has rarely been the case in this house). Typically there are more boys than girls born - for whatever reason - that's just the way the numbers fall. But everyone wants girls. For all of the wrong reasons IMO, but to each their own.
So if you are reading this and you want a girl puppy out of this current litter - sorry - they are taken. And if you're looking for a $350 puppy, I don't have any available.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment