[Kissi's Mom]

I went to the hairdressers today and she was telling me about the "teacup
yorkie" she now has...it is 10 wks old...she has had it for a little over 2 weeks...she is only about a pound and a half. I got sick to my stomach just listening!! All I could tell her was she really needed to watch her very carefully (the pup was at home alone today...duh!!) because of her size and hypoglycemia. It would have served no purpose if I had blasted her for what she had done...she is so in love with the little thing and she has no clue so I chose to try and give her some advice instead. Later she was telling another customer about how wonderful her breeder is and I tried without being toooo pushy to explain to the customer just exactly what she might be getting into with a pup so small and told her to go online and research the many health problems that could and often do effect a pup so small/young and I told her that no reputable breeder would let a toy pup go before 12 weeks and that before buying she should see both parents, their papers, and proof of health testing if at all possible...just about that time the "breeder" walked in. NOT A GOOD THING!! He was talking about the different breeds he "sells" so I asked him if he bred them himself...he said no,his Mom did and he also buys from several other "breeders" in the area...I said...then what you are is a "broker"...he took great offense to that...we then had a discussion about puppymills and of course he was totally against them...I ask how much he sold his maltese and yorkies for ...$600...I told him my Kissi came from a very reputable show breeder and he informed me
that all show dogs were inbred and they (show breeders) were just as bad as puppymills...he said that linebreeding is a fancy term for inbreeding. At that point I told him that many reputable breeders would not breed a female smaller than 5 lbs because of the risk to her life and he said "yeah, well where do you think 3.5 lbs dogs come from then? Needless to say it is a good thing my hair had already been cut when this whole discussion started or I may be totally bald tonite!!! This guy is actually talking about opening a "puppy store" in our area!! I love my hairdresser, have known her for a long time but after today I am not sure I can ever go back to that shop...I am just sick!! How can anyone in this day and age be stupid enough to believe a creep like that is legit...
I hope and pray that my hairdresser has dodged the bullet and her little yorkie is healthy but my fear is she is a little time bomb waiting to explode.
Sorry this is so long but this has just not been a good day!
Linda

 

[bellaratamaltese]

oh UGH. How frustrating! I love how bybers/brokers justify themselves - the sad thing is, they might actually believe it! Good for you for taking a stand!

 

[heartmadeforyou]

You were brave. Hopefully you planted some seeds of concern in the minds of those around you. Hard to walk the line between being combative and taking a strong stand.

 

[Miss_Annie]

:aktion033::aktion033: I'm so glad you took a stand against that nasty man! He needs to be put in his place and be told exactly what he is!! :angry:

 

[aprilb]

Ugh! Sounds like a real creep. My first Maltese came from a backyard breeder. He was on the large side and sadly, he was a ticking time bomb. The "breeder", although she was very nice and her dogs well-cared for, she gave no thought to the breeding. Her female should never have been bred. I was ignorant at the time.

 

[Bailey&Me]

Good for you for telling him off! It must have been so frustrating for you. I come across a lot of people singing praises of their breeder...who sound exactly like BYBs or even puppymills to me...it's very frustrating but the reality is that sadly, the majority of people out there are in the dark when it comes to who is a good breeder and who isn't. I'm glad you spoke up and also that you gave great advice to the new Yorkie owner...hope her puppy doesn't have any problems!!

 

[Snowbody]

Linda - I'm so happy you spoke up. The guy is such a greeder and defending the slimy work he does.His mother my a**. I can't believe he came into the hairdresser's. I've been in similar positions trying to educate others about breeding and it's a really tough one, but I think as someone else said if you plant the seeds. I would not be hesitant to go back to get your hair done. I'm sure your beautician heard you (seeds) and might have other questions down the road that she might want to ask you. Unless she really indicated she didn't want you back as a customer I would still use her. You might be saving the little Yorkie's life with your info.

 

[tonicoombs]

Oh Linda, I can't imagine being in your position. I believe I would have felt compelled to do the same thing you did by politely planting seeds for everyone to hear about the dangers of what this breeder is doing. Can you imagine how tiny this little Yorkie's internal organs must be? It makes you wonder if the little guy's system will hold up in the long run. And it's not the puppy's fault. And letting the pup go at 8 weeks? Unbelievable! I wish there were more folks like you who would approach the issue in a polite and tactful manner. Your approach, a non-argumentative one, shows that you're a class act, which I believe draws people's attention more and makes them take you more seriously than if you yelled and screamed at the so-called "breeder". He should be ashamed. If he got defensive, he must know that what he is doing is wrong.

On behalf of myself and my Jasper, thank you!

Toni

 

[Dixie's Mama]

Good for you for remaining calm enough to talk intelligently to that creep Linda. I hope your hairdresser has dodged the bullet too. I'm proud of you saying as much as you did to that guy. I'm sure your words made some around you think about what is right. :two thumbs up:

I haven't come up with a way to get through to people who believe they purchased their dog from a breeder when I know otherwise. It's touchy when they love their dog and believe it's well bred. How do you tell them about BYB without offending them and getting into an argument? They believe what they believe and that's it.

 

[godiva goddess]

Linda, thank you for speaking up! You are helping to educate and spread awareness.

 

[Lacie's Mom]

As they say, "a sucker is born every minute -- want to buy the Brooklyn Bridge?" So many people just see a cute puppy and they're hooked. He is a bad person who is trying to justify the way he makes a living -- off of poor defenseless furbutts.

Linda -- it was great that you stood up to him. I agree that I don't know if I could go back to the hairdresser either. Glad you're not bald!!!

 

[Kissi's Mom]

Thanks for the support...I feel better knowing that you guys feel the same way I do. As for the hairdresser...I have known her for years and she truly has no clue she did anything wrong...she thinks he is a wonderful guy. I would love to have put my hands around this guys neck and choked the life right out of his useless body but the only thing that would have accomplished is to make me feel better..LOL Anyway, hopefully I said enough to make them think. The funny thing was he was ranting about a "puppy store" not too far from our area and saying that they should be shut down because they were a "puppymill"...which they are not...they are brokers who buy from puppymills (scum of the earth). I know this for fact and made sure I corrected his statement and then pointed out that he was the same thing they are "a broker"...that is when he got very defensive.

 

[Starsmom]

You just held up a mirror to him, and he didn't like what he saw...someone just like he had been bad mouthing just a moment before. The truth does hurt at times.

 

[allheart]

Good for you!!!!!

 

[Katkoota]

Way to go for your act

Kat

 

[Delilahs Mommy]

Good for you to giving him a piece of your mind. Here is a very good article I came across explaining the differences between I/B and L/B

INBREEDING VS LINEBREEDING

 

[LizziesMom]

I totally despise puppy mills and those who run them. I did Italian greyhound rescue for a couple of years and saw some things that would totally break your heart. However, there are a couple of reasons why people will continue buying from puppy mills and one is affordability. Some people sell puppy mill pups for thousands, but most BYBs sell their pups for $500 and less. It is very hard to find a responsible breeder who will sell a pup for that and most people can't afford to pay thousands for a pup. Another reason people will always buy mill pups and BYBs dogs is for instant gratification. If you want a pup and you want it now, they will always have them avaliable.

It is horrible, and I don't agree with it at all. Actually, I had to stop doing rescue for a while because it was so depressing, but I do know that it will not stop. People like your hair dresser and others will not go to a reputable breeder even if you educate them on it. One reason is that most can't afford the pups and another is that they don't want to have to wait. Reputable breeders put too much into their puppies to be able to sell them for $500 or less and they don't breed often enough for that instant gratification.

It's very, very, very sad!!