The advent of the Internet has been incredible! It can be a fabulous resource for so many things. I research almost all my major and minor purchases on-line. What is sobering to me is that a recent poll showed that people spent more time researching their next microwave purchase than they did researching their next pet.
On-line scams are rampant these days. Lovely websites with pictures and videos of lovely puppies available for remarkably low prices.
They hook you and reel you in. People send in deposits, and then never hear another word......no puppy, no money, not another word.
And today the old adage "buyer beware" is even more important than it was in the past. A slick web page can be a very effective way for a substandard breeder to peddle puppies for far more money than you should pay.
Here are some red flags you need to be aware of:
NO good breeder sells puppies on-line and ships anywhere in the country with the input of your Visa number. A good breeder may use their website to explain their breeding program, background, philosophies, and dogs, announce an upcoming litter or to take applications or requests for a puppy, but that is just the start of the process.
There is NO such thing as a toy or micro miniature schnauzer. The standard calls for 12-14" height at the withers (top of shoulder blades). Anything under 12" is considered undersized and anything over 14" is oversized. Any other name is simply a marketing ploy to try to get bigger dollars for an undersized dog. And since the way that you get such small dogs is to keep breeding the smallest of the litter to the smallest of the litter, it greatly increases the chances for serious health issues in these animals. Want a tiny dog? Then consider buying a tiny breed like a Yorkie or Chihuahua instead.
DON'T buy into the "designer breed" hype. Schoodles, puggles, maltipoos, airedoodles and the like are nothing more than another slick marketing campaign to market mixed breed dogs as something special for premium prices. Mixed breeds or hybrids are not healthier than a purebred as some of the websites would like you to believe. In fact, the breeding stock used for most hybrid breedings are not the best examples of their breed. Think about it. As a good breeder, that last thing you would want is for one of your dogs to end up as breeding stock for a designer dog breeder. If you decide one of these mixed breeds, just make sure you don't overpay. A "designer breed" should not command a "designer price"!!!
DO realize that some breeders are advertising and marketing odd colors. You'll find a plethora of websites offering liver, chocolate, parti-colors such as liver-white or back-white and even Merle (which some websites actually admit they are mixed with mini Aussies). These are NOT colors that ever have been remotely associated with mini schnauzers. They are not "lost" colors. In order to achieve these colors, less than responsible breeders will interbreed with other breeds to achieve their desired results, and charge you big bucks in the process!
Just because it has eyebrows and a beard, does not make it a schnauzer!
On-line scams are rampant these days. Lovely websites with pictures and videos of lovely puppies available for remarkably low prices.
They hook you and reel you in. People send in deposits, and then never hear another word......no puppy, no money, not another word.
And today the old adage "buyer beware" is even more important than it was in the past. A slick web page can be a very effective way for a substandard breeder to peddle puppies for far more money than you should pay.
Here are some red flags you need to be aware of:
NO good breeder sells puppies on-line and ships anywhere in the country with the input of your Visa number. A good breeder may use their website to explain their breeding program, background, philosophies, and dogs, announce an upcoming litter or to take applications or requests for a puppy, but that is just the start of the process.
There is NO such thing as a toy or micro miniature schnauzer. The standard calls for 12-14" height at the withers (top of shoulder blades). Anything under 12" is considered undersized and anything over 14" is oversized. Any other name is simply a marketing ploy to try to get bigger dollars for an undersized dog. And since the way that you get such small dogs is to keep breeding the smallest of the litter to the smallest of the litter, it greatly increases the chances for serious health issues in these animals. Want a tiny dog? Then consider buying a tiny breed like a Yorkie or Chihuahua instead.
DON'T buy into the "designer breed" hype. Schoodles, puggles, maltipoos, airedoodles and the like are nothing more than another slick marketing campaign to market mixed breed dogs as something special for premium prices. Mixed breeds or hybrids are not healthier than a purebred as some of the websites would like you to believe. In fact, the breeding stock used for most hybrid breedings are not the best examples of their breed. Think about it. As a good breeder, that last thing you would want is for one of your dogs to end up as breeding stock for a designer dog breeder. If you decide one of these mixed breeds, just make sure you don't overpay. A "designer breed" should not command a "designer price"!!!
DO realize that some breeders are advertising and marketing odd colors. You'll find a plethora of websites offering liver, chocolate, parti-colors such as liver-white or back-white and even Merle (which some websites actually admit they are mixed with mini Aussies). These are NOT colors that ever have been remotely associated with mini schnauzers. They are not "lost" colors. In order to achieve these colors, less than responsible breeders will interbreed with other breeds to achieve their desired results, and charge you big bucks in the process!
Just because it has eyebrows and a beard, does not make it a schnauzer!
This is the only kind of toy schnauzer you should buy!