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Originally Posted by lurkette
If you are dead set on getting a puppy from a store, ask the store who their supplier is and check them out thoroughly. Chances are, though, that it's a puppy mill.
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The newest trend in pet stores who want to carry live animals is "certifying" their puppies. They claim that their puppies have no health problems, and they "screen" the customer to make sure the puppy is a "match."
I'm going to say definitely right here that a reputable breeder will
never allow a third party (a pet store) to sell their dogs for them.
A reputable breeder expects a responsible puppy buyer to want to see the place where the puppy was born, to see the other puppies, to see the mother (and possibly the father, if he's on the premises), to experience the puppy in a natural setting, to see the interaction between the potential owner and the puppy.
A responsible breeder will very likely require that the dog be neutered to prevent backyard breeding.
A responsible breeder will certify their dogs through several generations, and guarantee that they will take the dog back if there is a significant health issue.
Some responsible breeders
require that an owner who finds that they can not care for the dog return the puppy to them and will refund the owner's money, thereby ensuring that they are the only ones who ever place their puppies in a home.
Since the boxer is the breed in question here, here are some ideas of what you can expect in health problems in that particular breed, if your breeder is not responsible enough to ensure that the health of the dogs for several generations is not perfect:
Hip Dysplasia... This is an
incurable disease that causes severe pain in the dog. It can only be corrected by surgery, which often doesn't work. The surgery is expensive, and once completed the dog faces many months of physical therapy. Yes, physical therapy... Done by a professional, who can train you to continue it once the dog is home for good. Hip Dysplasia is very, very common in larger dogs, but can be prevented by careful breeding.
Bloat... this happens in deep chested dogs. What happens is that if the dog is not fed correctly, and the intestines are genetically predisposed to abnormal formation, the intestines can twist, causing agony in the dog, and can kill them. Surgery is the only way to fix it, and it is something that only care and attention can prevent.
Aortic stenosis.... A heart disease that is prevalent in boxers.
Thyroid disease....
Only a responsible, reputable breeder will (
without exception) have health certificates certifying the health of not only the puppies they sell, but the health of the mother, father, and several preceding generations.
Source: The Dog Owner's Guide