WHY BUY YOUR PUPPY FROM SOMEONE WHO SHOWS?

Show Breeders often keep only one or two puppies for show and sell the rest as 'pets'.  These pets have been bred with the same good health, good temperament and good looks. Don't save dollars on your pet purchase and end up spending them at the vet later as problems pop up!

Do not let price alone be your criteria for selecting a puppy or a breeder.  Your family deserves a healthy, well-socialized puppy.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A REPUTABLE BREEDER

They are not making their living from their puppy sales. 

They shows their dogs (the pet-quality puppies were produced with the same level of care) and will provide references upon request.

They will discuss which genetic problems exist in the breed and be able to help you with  it by any means possible if it should occur with your dog.
 
They keep the puppies until a minimum of 8 weeks and don't ship before 10 weeks. Puppies should have their first shot by the age of 8 weeks and have been checked by a vet for internal parasites and wormed if necessary.

They sell on a contract and want the dog back, no matter what age, if you can't care for them.
 
They don't have to advertise in the local newspaper. Many good breeders have web sites or are listed on other web sites that will direct you to them so you can be educated on what a reputable breeder is.

They NEVER import puppies for sale from other breeders (these would probably be from puppy mills but they would not admit it to you).

They let you meet mom or dad or an older dog from one or both parents if available.

They let you visit their kennel, but this will vary with each breeder. Some breeders have had puppies get sick after strangers have been to their kennels so respect their wishes if they don't want you walking through their kennel. 

They will spend time with you and expect you to call if questions come up either before or after you get your puppy.

They insist on a spay/neuter contract and sell only on a limited AKC registration unless the puppy is show quality and the breeder is involved in the process of mentoring and helping you learn to groom and show your dog.

They study the breed, often exhibit in conformation at dog shows and carefully plan and execute a breeding program. They are quite knowledgeable about the breed, does pedigree research and understands the genetic characteristics inherent in the dam and sire's bloodlines.  They also pay close attention to breeding for the health of the breed and for the correct temperament of the breed.

Responsible, ethical, reputable breeders are very careful to whom they sell their puppies.  Reputable breeders will be interviewing you as you are interviewing them.  They closely screen all potential buyers and educate the new owners of the puppies.

All puppies are sold with  AKC registration and with a 3 to 5 generation pedigree chart.

THE COST OF A GOOD PUPPY

The average price for for a well bred healthy pet Westie puppy is around $1,200.00, the price may be higher in some areas.

Many people say they just want a pet so why should they pay $1,200.00 and to me the answer is very clear. I have seen many $500.00 to $800.00 puppies that I question if they are even purebred and these puppies are usually sold without regard to who the puppy is going to. They have genetic defects that are not clearly seen by the untrained eye but the new owner will be paying their vet for these genetic defects down the road and if they had bought the $1,200.00 puppy to begin with the vet would be hard pressed to find anything wrong with it.

What are these genetic defects you ask, well let's start with structure, how the overall dog is put together. Problems that show up later from poor structure are knee (luxated patella) and hip problems (Legg-Calve-Perthes) and than there are those who take great joy in how small their dogs are. People who advertise Westies below the standard weight of 15 - 18 pounds for a female and 18 - 22 for a male are selling you a puppy that lacks the proper amount of bone to hold up to the ruggedness of what a Westie is supposed to be.

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