Should You Buy a Dog Without a Pedigree?

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All of us that went through the process of getting a dog, know that the first step we all need to take is to decide what dog breed we would like to get. For most of us, that is the most important thing and we already start imagining ourselves with our new best friend.

The next step is deciding whether to rescue a dog from a shelter or to buy a pureblooded dog. Saving a dog’s life is certainly one of the nicest things you could possibly do. Many of us prefer adopting and would never buy a dog and some of us prefer buying. If you decide to adopt, you will do a beautiful thing and will probably get a dog that will be grateful to you and love you just as much as a bought, pureblooded dog would.

Adopting a dog

The next step for every one of us that decided to adopt is going to our local or any other shelter and apply for adoption. The process is different from state to state but it mostly involves some sort of a checkup, a small adoption fee, and soon you will be on your way home with a new best friend.

You must give your dog enough time to adapt to its new surroundings. If a dog spent a lot of time in a shelter, it is probably used to living there and people that took care of them every day. Changing their surroundings can cause them stress so make sure that you have enough patience and love to make them feel welcome and safe.

Buying a dog

If you decide to buy a dog, you can be pretty sure what a certain breed brings to the table. Small companion breeds are great for apartments and can probably adapt well to different living conditions. Working dog breeds are energetic, so you will need to make sure that you provide them with plenty of activity and exercise. Dogs that were bred to guard people and households can be protective so you should have experience in handling such a breed.

One of the biggest pluses when buying a dog is that you can be sure what that dog will look like and what their character will be like when they grow up. Another great thing is that good breeding nearly eradicated hereditary diseases and those that have not been eradicated, are brought to a minimum.

The study of genetics and veterinary medicine helped the development of healthy and stable dogs. Of course, the biggest question is what kind of dog breeder you are dealing with. This is the part where we will try and answer the question about buying a dog without a pedigree.

Dog breeding

One of the biggest problems of modern cynology is the lack of public knowledge regarding dog breeding and all the things that a proper, good breeder needs to do to produce a good dog. The second biggest problem is how strong the “animal rescue” groups became and how strong of an influence they have on people.

Solving this process will not be easy nor fast but only with combined efforts of dog breeders, clubs, and associations can we achieve our goal. That goal is breeding dogs of the highest possible quality and getting them into good, knowledgable homes.

Grey and black dog market

One of the side effects of these problems is the creation of perfect conditions in which grey and black dog markets can thrive. These markets are partially or completely uncontrolled and anyone can sell anything. The Internet brought us many good things but it has also made it possible for random people to put up dog selling ads on different ad pages.

Social networks made black and grey dog selling markets even more accessible to everyone. Some different groups and communities allow animal selling on their pages and the social network takes little to no action to stop such activities even though their official policy is that they do not allow unauthorized animal selling.

As a preparation for this piece, we have scrolled over 75 different pages from around the world that allow dog selling, and the things we have stumbled upon were, to say the least, shocking. One of the most interesting things we stumbled upon were ads that said “dogs can be with or without a pedigree”.

Random people are allowed to put ads and sell, for example, Golden Retrievers that are clearly crossbred. We even tried calling many numbers and we asked all of them what health certificate do they possess or do they have proper permission to breed and sell dogs. Most of them hung up on us or were incredibly rude after we asked a few questions. Out of more than 500 dialed numbers, we can say that less than 5% of advertisers were happy to answer us and show us the necessary documents and certificates.

Uncontrolled dog breeding

Uncontrolled dog breeding is becoming more and more of a problem. A large number of people pose as breeders when they clearly aren’t. We will not claim that people that are not registered in a cynology association or a kennel club cannot produce great dogs, but it is our firm belief that there should be some sort of control for all dogs that are being sold.

Producing a healthy animal is not an easy process and many backyard breeders are just not looking good enough at the animal’s wellbeing. Most of these “breeders” are in it for a quick cash injection and care little about the health and quality of the animal they are selling.

There is a lot of time, effort, studying, and dedication you need to invest in yourself to become a breeder. It is a term that is used too loosely these days.

Controlled dog breeding

Being a dog breeder is not just producing dogs and selling them. All animals have a possibility of reproducing and making offspring but that does not mean they are producing something of high quality and perfect health.

We spoke to many dog breeders and learned what they are going through when they decide to produce a litter. To make sure they are going to get healthy puppies that will remain in the best possible condition their whole life they have to know their breeding dogs. Breeders have to learn about their dog’s history, their ancestors, their potential health problems, their ancestor’s health problems, and so much more. It is not uncommon that a dog breeder from California travels to Minnesota for the best possible match.

After that, the breeder needs to make sure that the dog they chose for breeding doesn’t have any hereditary disease and that their health results are all in order. These tests and health certificates usually depend on the breed as some breeds are prone to some health concerns. Controlled breeding made sure that dogs with such health concerns did not get the green light to produce offspring as that can cause massive damage to that dog breed. One bad apple can produce a whole tree that will subsequently produce a lot of bad apples. Thankfully, responsible breeders made sure that only the best possible dogs are allowed to reproduce and in that way, most of the hereditary diseases were “bred-out” of a dog breed.

Confirmed pregnancy

The next step for a good dog breeder, if the conception was successful, is keeping the pregnant dog healthy. That usually means a lot of vet visits, ultrasound checks, blood testings, and the inevitable worry that goes along with it. We won’t even mention the amount of money it goes into all that.

If the pregnancy goes well and healthy puppies are born, for the next two and a half months the breeder is constantly in the service of the newborn puppies. The breeder wakes up during the night when the puppies wake up, and puppies sometimes have to be bottle-fed. Their whole life is dedicated to raising the new litter of pups.

Dogs on average have 5 to 6 puppies and all these puppies need to be in perfect health to be sold to a new family. All these puppies should also have all health tests and checkups so the breeder is sure that their new puppies will have a long and happy life with their new families. After the puppies stop taking their mother’s milk, they need to be fed high-quality food so their bodies properly develop. That is the most important part of their life and a responsible dog breeder is keeping a close eye on all of them.

During that time the breeder gets to know their temperaments and characters. That is also very important because only by knowing that can they recommend which puppy will fit which family best. Some puppies can be shyer than others and some are more active. If a breeder makes a bad connection, their puppy will live an unhappy life with its potential unfulfilled. The family that receives that puppy will also be unhappy because the puppy will never be what they expect them to be.

Pedigree dogs

Becoming a breeder is not for everybody and getting a pedigree dog does not mean you are getting a dog that is going to do great at dog shows. Getting a pedigree dog means that you are getting a dog that has the best possible start in life. It is as close to perfect as it can be and even if you want to exhibit your dog, you are able to do so. Buying a pedigree dog means you can become a breeder and have a great start with a quality dog. It means you are buying a dog and getting possibilities with it. It means getting a guarantee that someone has put their knowledge, time, money, and a significant part of their life in that puppy you are getting.

So if you are getting a dog that is going to be “just a pet” or you are “not going to attend dog shows” with your dog - think about adopting. You will save a life and if you do not care what breed is it, adopting might be the way for you.

Now that you know all these things, try and answer the question: Should you buy a dog without a pedigree?

World Dog Finder team