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YOU
DON'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR
There are no set
prices that people can ask for in a Bullmastiff puppy. Throughout
the world, the average price of course would differ, but one thing
remains the same, no matter where you are living, you donít always
get what you pay for!
Newspaper classifieds have long
been a place for people to advertise puppies for sale, and the
internet has opened up an even cheaper and more effective ways for
people to sell items, dogs included. There are thousands of
classifieds sites offering dogs for sale and whilst not all of these
ads may be dodgy, a great majority of them are, and you need to be
aware of the pitfalls.
SHOW
AND BREEDING PROPOSITIONS
If you wish to
purchase a dog to show, then only buy your
puppy from a Breeder who exhibits dogs themselves.
Kennels who show their stock, have a reputation to uphold, and will
only sell you a puppy to show that they believe has show potential
(as much as you can tell at 8-12 weeks of age) and are happy to have
their kennel represented by you in the showring with that particular
pup.
Breeders who do not exhibit their
dogs, are less likely to be able to pick a puppy with show potential
over another in the litter. In fact, the entire litter may not be of
show quality, but without breed experience, how can they or you be
sure of what you are buying?
Most kennels who show their dogs
have websites, that are happy to display photos of their dogs and
their pedigrees, so that you can see the parents that are behind
them as well. Show kennels who do not have websites, usually will
be able to be searched in a search engine, and will usually come up
somewhere on the net.
Ring around, and ask these
recognized breeders, how much they charge for a puppy. You will
find, that there will be differences, but generally, it not be a
huge difference from one reputable breeder to the next.
There are always exceptions, for
example, a pup from either one or both imported parents, breeders
may incur a higher price than non-imported parents.
PET
PRICES
Whilst some breeders
may charge slighter less for a Pet only Bullmastiff, you will find
that most do not charge any different at all. All puppies in the
litter are raised, vaccinated, wormed and cared for in exactly the
same manner, so therefore, a Bullmastiff puppy is a Bullmastiff
puppy, regardless of whether it be for show, breeding or a pet.
NEWSPAPER CLASSIFIEDS - A CASE STUDY
Recently there were
some Bullmastiff puppies advertised in the weekend classifieds of a
major Newspaper. Both mother and father were registered, and the
breeder had registered her kennel prefix, just prior to this litter.
These puppies were advertised for
almost three times the current average price of a puppy. When
questioned about why these puppies were so much more expensive than
elsewhere, the breeder responded by telling the enquirer, that they
would not find Bullmastiff puppies of this quality anywhere else in
the country.
They were also told, that there
are two types of Breeders. There are breeders who show, and they
breed sometimes, and they put more effort and dedication into
showing than the breeding side of things. Then, there are the
people like them, who are the truly dedicated breeders. They do not
show their dogs but put all of their time and energy into breeding,
so they know more about what they are doing than those show people!
This is INCORRECT, and a
marketing ploy to get more money for their puppies, as well as to
try and stop people ringing around to other breeders. These type of
people are puppy farmers, out to get your money.
Just because a person has two registered dogs that they own, does
not necessarily mean these dogs compliment each other as far as
conformation goes. People who breed dogs together in this manner,
have no regard to what dogs or lines they are breeding together, so
long as they have puppies to sell, they will keep doing so.
INTERNET CLASSIFIEDS - A CASE STUDY
An ad for Bullmastiff Puppies for Sale was recently posted on a
popular internet classifieds site. According to the ad, both parents
have papers, but the resulting puppies do not as the Breeders
themselves, are not registered.
By not being registered, these Breeders and not regulated by the
rules of any Canine Council or Kennel Control.
What proof do you have that both parents are who the seller says
they are? What guarantee is that breeder prepared to give the buyer
these puppies? There is a strong possibility that the breeder of
these types of puppies will have a free email account, and a mobile
number that will no longer work, once all of these puppies have been
sold, so you will have no way of ever reaching them again, if
problems occur.
DO YOUR
HOMEWORK
Take
the time to find a breeder who you feel you can trust. Ask
questions. Visit their kennel and/or telephone them.
View their website, or ask for photos to be emailed or posted to you if they donít have internet access.
Some breeders ask for a holding deposit, however, this should not be
necessary until the puppy has been Vet checked (usually at 6 weeks
of age) and is reserved, in particular, for you.
Some breeders will not refund your holding deposit, so make sure you
are aware of all such things before handing your money over.
Most breeders sell on contract, so ask for a copy of the contract
before paying any deposit or full price, in case there are terms in
the contract you wish to discuss further.
Make sure you feel confident in your decision before you take that
step to purchase.
Above all, be patient. Be
prepared to wait for that special puppy that you want so badly.
Once you have made your decision on the breeder you wish to purchase
from, ask to put your name down to be contacted when they next have
some puppies available.
Bitches come into season usually
twice a year, so puppies may not always be available, just when you
are looking.
And remember, your purchase of a
Bullmastiff puppy is for the life of the dog, so make sure you donít
end up living with regrets from a poor decision you could have
changed from the start.
Nikki Marshall
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