Best place to find a puppy???

[Nitol]

I'm looking to get a Miniature Poodle or a West Highland White Terrier (Westie) puppy.
Any ideas where would be the best place to look for one?
Not exactly looking for champion bloodlines here!
Healthy,Good Temperament,cute and not expensive are my criteria :lol:
I live in Toronto but I do travel to Guelph/Kitchener/Cambridge/Brantford/Hamilton/Burlington/Newmarket/Oshawa/Whitby/Pickering outside GTA on weekly basis so if you know any good places,I'll take a look.
Thanks

[3weddings]

How about this one?
http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=638272&highlight=dog

[Aznkid2000]

also try kijiji

[beefy]

May cost a little more, but buy from a reputable dealer and NOT a 'puppy mill breader'.

http://www.dogsincanada.com/

[1V4N]

If you are sensitive to pricing (you didn't specify exactly how much), then you are not ready for a pet!

I'm sorry to say, I own a pet boutique (no we do not sell pets) and everyday we see people coming in with pets that they purchased based on lower pricing, however it usually ultimately costs most due to health issues that will be reflected in the vet bills!

There are so many people who purchase from classifieds and from online ads and normally these dogs are not healthy. In most cases the puppies for sale originate from puppy mills, or poor backyard breeders that breed for profit without regards to the breed standards/health/temperament etc.

We have a friend has 2x miniature poodles, who can refer you to their top poodle breeder (they know all the other poodle breeders) and we know the poodles come from good lines and don't have issues (health/mental, etc).

Another option is to try the poodle club of canada. This is a great place where only Canada's true poodle breeders are members, such as my friends breeder (they know each other and adhere to the highest standard of ethics for breeding), so you know the poodle will be bred for all the right reasons.

[iris1026]

DON'T buy from a petstore!

[1V4N]

I agree DO NOT EVER BUY from a pet store!!

Not only will you have lots of problems with the pet, but you will also over pay at least up to 3x the price if you would have gone to an actual good reputable breeder.

Normally Yorkies cost around $3K from a pet store, while from a CKC-registered Yorkie breed, it would be $1K or less!

So moral of the story:

Do not buy from store
Do not buy from classifieds
Do not buy from online/web

Do buy from good reputable breeder (check for those breed specific clubs).

[Nitol]

If you are sensitive to pricing (you didn't specify exactly how much), then you are not ready for a pet!




I was looking for something around $1000 give or take a couple hundreds.What I was trying to convey (but I guess I didn't do a good job) was that I'm not looking for a champion blood line and the price range it carries with it.I was simply looking for a good temper and Healthy puppy because as you pointed out I just don't want to get attached to an animal and few months later find out that the dog has major(and expensive) medical problems.

Am I ready for dog ownership?
Maybe ,maybe not (and I' haven't made up my mind either way) , I just wanted to clear up the price issue.

[TheFuteballer]

yeah take it from experience.. don't ever buy from a pet store or puppy mill.. go to a reputable breeder ONLY

[zoolander]

See the CKC resources and visit several breeders...
http://www.ckc.ca/en/

Love your dog through its lifetime, your dog will love you unconditionally :)

[1V4N]

I was looking for something around $1000 give or take a couple hundreds.What I was trying to convey (but I guess I didn't do a good job) was that I'm not looking for a champion blood line and the price range it carries with it.I was simply looking for a good temper and Healthy puppy because as you pointed out I just don't want to get attached to an animal and few months later find out that the dog has major(and expensive) medical problems.

Am I ready for dog ownership?
Maybe ,maybe not (and I' haven't made up my mind either way) , I just wanted to clear up the price issue.

If you are certain you will have lots of time to devote to its training as a puppy (for potty and of course for obedience) plus you will walk it everyday and commit to complete change of lifestyle where dog comes first (same as having a baby actually) -- then I can refer you to a great breeder of Miniature Poodles that is registered CKC and does adhere to a code of ethics and is just passionate about their breed.

As far as I'm aware if you want pet quality (not show quality as you indicated) either way they are very good looking.....here is a pic of one of the girls that came from a great breeder:
http://www.theuptowndog.com/images/CIMG0076.JPG
Buffy after recent visit
http://www.theuptowndog.com/images/Buffy_and_Tessa.jpg
Buffy with her mom (left of photo)

[1V4N]

I was looking for something around $1000 give or take a couple hundreds.What I was trying to convey (but I guess I didn't do a good job) was that I'm not looking for a champion blood line and the price range it carries with it.I was simply looking for a good temper and Healthy puppy because as you pointed out I just don't want to get attached to an animal and few months later find out that the dog has major(and expensive) medical problems.

Am I ready for dog ownership?
Maybe ,maybe not (and I' haven't made up my mind either way) , I just wanted to clear up the price issue.

If you are certain you will have lots of time to devote to its training as a puppy (for potty and of course for obedience) plus you will walk it everyday and commit to complete change of lifestyle where dog comes first (same as having a baby actually), and of course the knowledge of certain financial commitment in the feeding good quality food and of course the spaying/neutering and puppy shots (important to its health!!) -- then I can refer you to a great breeder of Miniature Poodles that is registered CKC and does adhere to a code of ethics and is just passionate about their breed.

As far as I'm aware if you want pet quality (not show quality as you indicated) either way they are very good looking and healthy.....here are some pix of one of the girls (and the mom) that came from a great mini poodle breeder here in Ontario:
http://www.theuptowndog.com/images/CIMG0076.JPG
Buffy after recent visit
http://www.theuptowndog.com/images/Buffy_and_Tessa.jpg
Buffy with her mom (left of photo)

These girls are sweethearts! If you wanted to meet them, I can certainly arrange for you to meet up and speak to the mom of these two (who can then refer you to the breeder where they came from).

[Ohboiya]

1V4N ... my wife and I have been discussing whether we take the plunge to add a dog to our new family. As a kid, I had a miniature poodle for 16 years and I'd love to add one to my new family. If you have a recommendation on a breeder who breeds white mini's, I'd love to hear from you.

[1V4N]

1V4N ... my wife and I have been discussing whether we take the plunge to add a dog to our new family. As a kid, I had a miniature poodle for 16 years and I'd love to add one to my new family. If you have a recommendation on a breeder who breeds white mini's, I'd love to hear from you.

I'm glad to hear that you are now ready to add a pooch to your family! :)

I'll PM (later this afternoon) all the pertinent details of the breeder of mini's.

[jandumm]

We've just gone through the puppy buying experience (we get her on Monday)...and can definitely attest to not buying from Kijiji, Craigslist, Classified or a Pet store.

We're buying a pure breed bullmastiff and purchasing her from one of the top breeders in Canada. We don't want a show dog, just a nice pet but went through a very reputable breeder for the following reasons:

- I can't tell you how many ads I saw on Kijiji and Craigslist offering "pure breed bullmastiffs" for a cheaper price (sometimes half) but but I would look at the pictures and they weren't even bullmastiffs. These people are selling mutts and trying to claim that they are pure bred and charging people ridiculous amounts of money
- The health screens and genetic tests and checks that the breeder is doing will hopefully save us big $$ in the long run - check to see what sorts of diseases your breed is prone too and make sure you ask the right questions and see if any sort of testing can be done - not a guarantee but it does provide some peace of mind
- Both parents were on the premises and we've seen how great their temperament and health is - the dad is 10 (really old for this breed) and in great shape
- My cousin bought a Siberian husky from Kijiji - beautiful dog but the breeder told him to feed the puppy "Purina Puppy Chow" <- thats some of the worst dog food out there....wtf!
- A reputable breeder will offer you a minimum of a 2 year guarantee - some may offer more or a life time - thus if a serious disease pops up that requires big $$ or the puppy to be put down, they will help you out with the cost of it or give you a new puppy

- In our puppy's litter, 15 puppies were born.....some of them had slightly crooked tails which made them not suitable for show - she sold them at a large discount as pets......any of the dogs that were to be used for showing and/or breeding in the future, sell for mucho $$$$$

Other tips would be to go see at least 2-3 breeders - within the breed, there's still many differences between different breeders and their lines and you should go with a breeder you are comfortable
Stop people on the street who have your dog breed and ask them about where they got their dog from, experiences, etc. It may sound weird but we visited our local dog park (without a dog) and struck up conversations with people there to do more research.

[katamari]

I'd also recommend looking into pet rescues. There are many perfectly great pets of all breeds and ages that have been let go of by their original owners for one reason or another.

There is added risk, as you don't necessarily know what the dog's temperament will be because you don't know who the dog's parents are, verses dogs from a breeders.

I have found the smaller agencies to be better, because they know all of the dogs they provide foster homes to. The reputable ones will perform veterinary exams to make sure the pet is suitable for adoption, and they will also spend time with the pet to get an idea of its temperament. Further, the screening process can be quite thorough because they want to make sure the pet and the adopting family are a good match; they do not want pets returned.

I'm quite the advocate because my family adopted our furry little friend Bobby from a rescue based in London, ON. We found him on petfinder.com.

[kin0kin]

Pet rescue is a very notable thing to do, but let's face it, a lot of people wouldn't want to adobt a pet. Not because they don't love pets, but:

- The dog's identity may be unclear
- It's like buying a used car, there may be things that you do not know, or the agencies do not know.
- People want a brand new dog that they can raise from a pup
- Raising a dog from pup gives you a full idea of what kind of live the dog has gone through in the past, or will go through in the future.

What we don't want is
- people who want a pup because they look cute when they are still a pup
- people who do not understand the responsibilities of raising a dog
- people who'd give up the dog because their future child may be allergic to the dog or whatever...and hence, the dog ends up in a relative's place or in pet rescue.

I raised my pup since he was 2 months old. I was quite prepared, but sadly, when you raise a pup/kid for the first time, you can never be TOO prepared.

Note that, just like a child, a pup needs A LOT of attention when they are still young. If you can't devote all your time for the dog during the first year or so, don't even bother with a pup. A lot of training and behavioral modification needs to be done when young. Chances are, you also have to revamp your house quite a bit (just like when you've got a new born), your dog will chew through everything it can get its teeth on. Average dog lives around 15 years +/-, that's almost 1/4 of a human's span. A good question to ask is if you have the endurance and energy to live together with your dog for that period of time. If you were 60+ obviously u wouldn't want a dog lol

My dog chewed through a power cord...good thing it wasn't plugged in!

[Ohboiya]

anyone have any comments and or experiences with pet insurance?

[milhaus]

anyone have any comments and or experiences with pet insurance?
Okay, here we go. I have some experience with this issue. The bottom line: financially, if you can afford the huge expense to keep your dog alive in case of an accident, it isn't worthwhile. Insurance agencies are always in the business of making money, and their actuaries have figured out exactly how much to charge, what exclusions to make, etc. so that they come out on top.

That said, as someone who can afford $600 a year on pet insurance, but can't afford - or would find a significant burden - a one time fee of 10-15K, I would definitely buy it. It gives me peace of mind, knowing that I won't ever have to make that decision between my pet's well being and my financial well being. It's the value of peace of mind.

I have carefully researched all options, and I have to say Vetinsurance is the company to go with. Look carefully at PetPlan, PetCare and others, and there are so many exclusions: Vetinsurance has a much simpler model, and it covers more.

[watching]

SPCA is a great place to find a new member of the family.

If you must buy from a breeder, make sure you see the kennels and the parents of the puppies, as well as their living conditions. Watch and see if the adult dogs are friendly and happy - if they're aloof, sullen, etc. they are not being well cared for by the owner. If the breeder refuses to show you around the property, run, don't walk, out of there and for goodness sake don't give that breeder any money for a puppy that could very well be born into a puppy mill.

[Ohboiya]

I'm glad to hear that you are now ready to add a pooch to your family! :)

I'll PM (later this afternoon) all the pertinent details of the breeder of mini's.

hey ... when you have a chance ... would love to hear your thoughts ... thanks!