Opinions on pets4you website

Just as bad IMO.  If you are looking for a puppy, there are better places to go, and you will probably not pay any more.  Go to the AKC website and click on breeder referral.  Or, better yet, rescue a pup from a breed rescue group or shelter.

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Ugh.  This site promotes more of the same nonsense.  Factory produced pets...can't help but picture the producers of these litters and how their existence must be so pathetic.  They also list 20 or so breeders for wolf hybrid, actually a  #6 popular "breed" to choose from.
 
Brandy..have you not had any luck with petfinder or rescues in your area?  I'm in NJ...many, many groups will work with you on a prospective pup that they may encounter in shelters or that they come across in their rescues.  Certainly, time should not be of the essence when getting your pup.  Please consider contacting one for guidance and assistance in your search.  Often times, they will seek out a pup that will meet your needs and vice versa.
 
Please reconsider the online route.  Coming here and asking opinions is very wise...Just listen to the whispers of advice already given...Find a breeder (online or not) and MEET them IN PERSON.  Go the rescue route, let someone help you. 
 
Please.

Finding a dog online can be a rewarding experience.

However, instead of looking at websites that have many listings of many different animals for sale, look for websites of individual breeders.

First google the breed you might be interested - see if there is a breed club webpage. If there is, read it all! Most breed club websites have a listing of breeders affiliated with the club. That's a good place to start. Another starting place is the AKC's listing of breeders of your particular breed.

As was mentioned in some other threads, a good clue that you've found a good breeder is if the breeder asks you as many questions as you're asking him/her. You want to find someone who doesn't breed very many litters a year, who (ideally) specializes in breeding only one particular breed, who has their dogs health tested and certified (not just a physical from the vet), who guarantees the dogs, who will take the dogs back at any time if the arrangement doesn't work out, and who is going to be very picky about who the dog goes home with. This is how you know they really care about their dogs - and if they really care about their dogs, then chances are they've put a lot of time and effort into producing the best litter they possibly could.

You won't necessarily have to pay a lot of money. IMHO, if you want a purebred, the best thing to look for is a dog who was "almost" show quality, but didn't quite make the cut. The breeder is probably going to require that the dog be fixed. You'll be getting a well-bred dog who's a lovely example of the breed, but has some silly flaw that makes him less valuable for a show/breeding operation so he'll be (relatively) cheap.

I still recommend going to see the breeder's facility if you possibly can. Few things can give you as good an idea of the litter as meeting the parents and seeing the environment in which the puppies were raised. You might even ask for references. A truly good, responsible breeder will be happy that you're asking tons of questions and looking for tons of information and will feel much more comfortable sending a dog home with you if he/she feels like you are really invested in the animal.

If you're not looking for a purebred puppy, try a rescue organization. You can even find a dog that's been fostered so you know what you're getting in to with temperament, energy level, bad habits, etc. Heck, a lot of times they even come pre-trained!

I disagree. Pets4u is NOT anywhere near the same as nextday pets. The problem with nextday pets is that it's individual puppies posted for sale rather than kennels/breeders being advertised. So it's really easy for people to scam buyers by stealing pictures off someone else's website and just posting that puppy for sale.

Thanks!  I found the breed club webpage and contacted one of the registered breeders.  When I asked if the parents are certified CERF & OFA she said no & gave this explanation:

• OFA and CERF testing will not guarantee you a healthy puppy, just that at the specific time of the tests taken that the parents were ok.  In my experience as an owner and breeder of many different breeds of dogs through out the years, parents can test excellent in the CERF and OFA tests, but the puppies can still come down with hip/eye problems, etc...later in life as can the parents later in life.  It just means that the parents were fine when they were 2 years old. We feel it gives the buyer a false sense of security to rely on these tests and thus provide a genetic health guarantee to our families instead.

I really liked her pups, but I'm confused and frustrated if this means her liters aren't good.  Your thoughts?? 

She's full of it. Parents with failing hips SHOULD NOT BE BRED. That is the point of doing hips...to weed out the bad's before you breed. WHY wouldn't a breeder want to know if the dog has a problem that could compromise it's health down the line? If she doesn't belive it has ramifications on the dog's pups...why wouldn't she at least want to make sure "that dog" were okay, not in pain, or in need of supplements to keep arthritis at bay and make it's life more comfortable?
 
Personally...stats do NOT back up her arguement. Testing is a tool good breeders use....and they don't use to guarantee perfect pups. They use it to ensure only the best dogs are carrying forth...not dogs with problems that look fine to the naked eye. They use it to track problems and minimize risk...they do testing AND provide a guarantee....both.
 
I'd run a mile. If it's a crap shoot why even get a puppy from her and not the shelter? lmao...odds are the same according to her that the pup would have an issue...and the guarantee says what exactly...replacement? You going to want to give her the puppy back 2 years down the line when you're attached to it? I think not..

ORIGINAL: brandy76

Thanks!  I found the breed club webpage and contacted one of the registered breeders.  When I asked if the parents are certified CERF & OFA she said no & gave this explanation:

• OFA and CERF testing will not guarantee you a healthy puppy, just that at the specific time of the tests taken that the parents were ok.  In my experience as an owner and breeder of many different breeds of dogs through out the years, parents can test excellent in the CERF and OFA tests, but the puppies can still come down with hip/eye problems, etc...later in life as can the parents later in life.  It just means that the parents were fine when they were 2 years old. We feel it gives the buyer a false sense of security to rely on these tests and thus provide a genetic health guarantee to our families instead.

I really liked her pups, but I'm confused and frustrated if this means her liters aren't good.  Your thoughts?? 

 
While I would agree that good hip results for both parents is not a guarantee of good hips for a pup, it does give you a better indication than NO hip results.
 
And if both parents, all grandparents, great-grandparents, siblings of the parents and past litters have good hips, then I would feel pretty good about a pup's chances of having good hips.
 
As for an OFA test saying that a dog was just okay on THAT day---it sounds a bit off to me. I thought the whole point of waiting until age 2 was because the joints are set by then and HD could be spotted. Not to say a dog couldn't get hurt and damge his hips later, but the actual structural genetic reality of the hips could be seen at age 2.
 
Perhaps someone more knowledgeable can give you more definitive information, but IMO this sounds like an  excuse for  NOT testing which I find odd.
 
[8|] Why odd? Well, if I were breeding (and I don't) I would want to make sure my dogs were healthy and clear of things like HD. Why not check for these things so I don't inadverdently breed a dog with a health problem? If I believe the tests are not guarantees, I can tell puppy buyers the tests are not foolproof. Perhaps a dog will develop a problem as it gets older, but at the very least I would not be breeding a dog that has a problem NOW.
 
Just some thoughts from someone who doesn't breed.[sm=2cents.gif] 

Why not try looking at shelters in your area? All but one of my dogs are rescues, and I couldn't be happier with them. My BYB bred dog (given to me as a gift [:'(]) has more issues than all of my others combined.
 
I don't know what breed you're looking for, but I'm willing to bet a  quick search on Petfinder will give you loads of results for that breed in your area. The shelter that a couple of my dogs came from ALWAYS has loads of purebreds...and it's just a funky, run down city pound. I got Ogre there....and he's a purebred Akita. I always see Pitties there, Rotties, GSD's, Beagles, Huskies....and loads of smaller dogs too. They usually have one or two poodles, Bostons, Shih Tzus and similar breeds there. You can find ALOT of hidden gems at your local shelter. []

Ogre's an Akita? What kind of cropping did you do on his pic in your sig line?

To the OP. I'd check out the rescue route too. There's puppies in there too. And I do believe the satisfaction is even better than purchasing a purebred. Do you plan to show? If not, I would definately rescue.

Yep, he's an Akita. He's got weird markings so alot of people think he's mixed with husky or something. But no, he's all Akita. []  Her'es a link to a thread with pictures: [linkhttp://forum.dog.com/asp/tm.asp?m=304954]http://forum.dog.com/asp/tm.asp?m=304954[/link]

Oh he's gorgeous! So is Butter.

ORIGINAL: brandy76

Thanks!  I found the breed club webpage and contacted one of the registered breeders.  When I asked if the parents are certified CERF & OFA she said no & gave this explanation:

• OFA and CERF testing will not guarantee you a healthy puppy, just that at the specific time of the tests taken that the parents were ok.  In my experience as an owner and breeder of many different breeds of dogs through out the years, parents can test excellent in the CERF and OFA tests, but the puppies can still come down with hip/eye problems, etc...later in life as can the parents later in life.  It just means that the parents were fine when they were 2 years old. We feel it gives the buyer a false sense of security to rely on these tests and thus provide a genetic health guarantee to our families instead.

I really liked her pups, but I'm confused and frustrated if this means her liters aren't good.  Your thoughts?? 

She's full of crap if you are looking at a breed that is susceptible to eye or hip problems.
The byb's usually offer no testing and only a 72 hour health guarantee.  A reputable breeder shows or works their dogs, gets appropriate testing, and offers a lifetime guarantee.

I'm only looking at breeds I can judge quality on, and I am not liking what I see.  Looking at the APBTs I'm seeing prong collars sitting on top of flat nylon collars, heavy dewlaps, stretched pics to make them look wider and heavier, 3 litters on the ground at one time, heavy Razor's Edge background(usually not to ADBA standard), WAY too much blue for my taste (it looks like they're breeding for it specifically), 2 year health guarentees (I can't spell...).  Looking at Chihuahuas:  "teacup" puppies, 1 year health guarentees, "rare" colors, dogs shown next to soup cans to advertise their small size, CKC registration.  I cannot find one reputable breeder on this site.  I would go elsewhere if I were you.  What breed are you interested in?  I might be able to help you find a breed rescue or a reputable breeder for the type you are interested in.