The short answer is no. You should not get a Newfoundland puppy from a pet store. You shouldn’t get any puppy from a pet store.
You might think that you are doing the right thing by giving the puppy a good life, but in reality, you are supporting the irresponsible breeding practices that produced the dog.
We vote with our dollars. By purchasing that Newfoundland puppy from a pet store, you are essentially saying, “Yes, I support this. Please continue to sell puppies from irresponsible breeders.”
One of the local pet stores recently listed a litter of Newfoundland puppies that would be available soon. So we called to find out some information about them.
They have black and white and brown and white puppies. And before you start screaming that brown and white Newfoundlands are subpar, defective dogs, just don’t. And perhaps you could do some reading on the genetics of Newfoundland colors.
Where do pet store puppies come from?
Pet store puppies come from puppy mills and brokers.
Puppy Mills
Puppy mills are the lowest class of dog breeders. They produce puppies purely for profit alone and don’t put much care into their dogs. Evidence of this can be seen in the photo of the puppies provided to us by the store.
In the photo, they are around three weeks of age, outside in the cold Minnesota winter, on shavings. With this cold snap we had recently where our wind chill dipped down to -58F I can’t help but wonder how many, if any of these pups survived. Granted I am in a different state than where the puppies currently are, but Minnesota gets just as cold as North Dakota.
Puppy mill breeders also aren’t too picky about where their pups end up. They aren’t in it for the life of the dog and they won’t provide new families with any support. They’re like a deadbeat parent that you never see again.
Brokers
Brokers act as a middleman between breeders (more often than not, these breeders are puppy mills) and people looking to purchase the dogs. They acquire puppies in bulk from commercial breeders and then re-sell them to pet stores.
And it’s exactly as cold and clinical as I made it sound. There is no love for the dogs or the breed. It is all about the dollar signs.
But It’s So Cheap
Yes, these puppies were cheap. Around $1500 per pup. That’s less than half the going rate for a responsibly bred Newfoundland puppy.
If you are looking into getting a Newfoundland and are enticed by a cheaper puppy because you can’t afford what a responsible breeder can offer, don’t get a dog.
If you cannot afford one from a responsible breeder, it’s very likely you cannot afford one at all. The purchase price of the puppy is the cheapest part of getting a Newfoundland. Newfoundlands are not cheap pets to have.
Besides, I’m sure you’ve heard the saying you get what you pay for.
Age of the Puppies
Pet stores don’t care about what’s best for the puppies and that can be seen in how young the pups will be when they’ll be available to purchase in the store at seven weeks old.
The store mentioned they needed to be checked out by their vet before being available. Odds are, that means the puppies left home at around six weeks old.
No puppy should leave their mother at six weeks old regardless of the breed.
Health Testing on the Parents
This store in particular does not require the parents to be health tested.
Well, I take that back. They did say parents are required to be up on their rabies shots and have had a physical exam at some point in the previous year.
When they were questioned on joints and other common tests all breeding Newfoundlands should be tested for, the store was clueless.
Where can you get a Newfoundland puppy instead of a pet store?
There are a couple of places that are a much better option for getting a Newfoundland puppy than a pet store. The first and I would think the most obvious choice is a responsible Newfoundland breeder.
Responsible breeders do all the required health testing and are breeding for the betterment of the breed. They are often involved in the breed in some way and have an obvious passion for what it is they do.
If you don’t want to get a puppy from a breeder, you can check Newfoundland rescue organizations across the country. From time to time, they do have younger puppies that are deserving of a second chance in life.
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