I went to a breeder to pick out a Shih Tzu; she is 8 weeks old, and I really adored her, but I was a bit concerned because she had a very unpleasant wet dog smell. The breeder also had cats and a big German Shepherd who continuously licked the pups. I am just wandering if the smell was from that or if these puppies weren't being properly taking care of.
I would love to rescue this little puppy, but I am afraid once I have her washed and groomed she'll still have that strong odor. Please help me. I will be a first time dog owner, so I am really unsure of what to do. Thank you.
By La Shonda from Detroit, MI
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How about adopting a rescue dog? Even in the small city that I live in, the animal shelter kills 1,200 lbs. of dogs and cats a month because people go to breeders instead of adopting one from rescue.
It sounds like you have gone to a backyard breeder. A quality breeder shows their dogs and will only breed to promote the best qualities in a breed and breed out the bad ones. You can still get a loving pet from these places, but there is often a compromise in the health and build of the dog. Hence the much lower price. I have two dogs myself, one is very well bred, the other a rescue. The difference is obvious to look at them, but they are both very loving animals and I love them right back.
This puppy may have an odor for a while, but if that is your only concern go ahead and get her. It won't last forever!
Adopting from a breeder can be tricky to make sure they are a good breeder. It seems like you have already been to the breeders. Is the pets area kept clean? Are the pets caged or are they able to get exercise? Is she breeding multiple dogs or just the one?
You are never really "rescuing" from a breeder. A good breeder will have a vet check on the dogs and puppies before they go to a new home. You should be able to get vet records. They should already have their first and maybe even second shots. The puppy should also come with a warranty (if a genetic death happens, you will get first pick of another liter for example). A purebred should also have Papers!
It seems to me that the place is not kept clean, which is why the dog smells.
Buying from a breeder isn't bad, as long as they are taking good care of their dogs. Many shelters have purebred dogs, check out petfinder.com! If the puppy is in poor health, the worst thing you could do is buy from them. If people keep buying, they keep breeding!
If you do get the puppy, first place you should go (with a shelter dog or from a breeder) is the vet for a full checkup!
Get the puppy! The smell is from being licked by the "surrogate mother shepherd" dog. Groomers use special doggie shampoo which should get rid of the smell. If it doesn't, talk to your vet. They have solutions for smelly dogs.
Please either take the puppy, or go to your local shelter and adopt a puppy from there. Puppies at the shelter will be put to sleep if they do not find a home.
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I am looking for local breeders for a Rhodesian Ridgeback.
By Carol from Norwich
Go to this AKC link for trusted reputable breeder information:
www.akc.org/
Pretty please consider adopting a Rhodesian Ridgeback in need of a home first though. You can search for one through your local animal shelters and/or go to this link to search for one up for adoption at this link:
www.petfinder.com/
PS - I just checked out the PetFinder link more thoroughly and there are currently 515 Rhodesian Ridgebacks awaiting a home. Go to this direct link, scroll down and then click on Rhodesian Ridgeback:
