Not Again! Farm

I was approached recently by someone who was looking for a Cavalier puppy.  After explaining that they were very serious and had interviewed several breeders, they asked my opinion of a couple of breeders in the state.  These particular breeders happen to be people that I have visited and gotten to know over the years.

When I asked why they asked, they explained to me that the breeders they had visited had told them to stay away from those breeders because they didn’t health test their dogs, they were a puppy mill, and various and sundry other reasons.  This is something that comes up quite frequently in chatting with prospective buyers  and it really ticks me off.

Why is it that some breeders feel the need to trash other Cavalier breeders is beyond me.  Although perhaps it is because they feel the need to justify their exorbitant prices.  To make blanket negative statements about another breeder is not only slanderous, it is also just plain tacky.  And in the case above, was just plain untrue.

Most of the people who make these comments don’t know the first thing about the people they are trashing.  They haven’t met them, they haven’t been to their house or kennel, they haven’t even bothered to ask them whether they test their dogs or what their breeding program is.  They “know” this because someone told them the same thing.

I don’t vote for candidates who feel the need to run a negative campaign.  I don’t buy from companies that promote their products by trashing others.  I find it at the very least, tacky.  I certainly wouldn’t want to buy a puppy from a breeder whose standard practices included trashing others to promote their own and doubly so because I am going to be relying on this person for advice and support in raising my puppy.

I am not going to name names but if you breed Cavaliers and are thinking that I am talking about you, you are probably right.  So I guess this means that I will be put on the list of “bad” breeders but frankly, if I have to trash other people to get on the “A” list then that’s ok.

If you are a prospective puppy buyer, don’t be put off by rumor, gossip and hearsay.  Educate yourself and visit different breeders.  Form your own opinion and if you want to know whether a breeder tests their dogs, ask them.  You can go so far as to even ask to see the documentation but don’t take the word of people who just plain don’t know.