petfilter: how to find reputable dog breeder in chicagoland?
June 22, 2013 11:27 AM Subscribe
Hi hivemind - My wife and I have been living in Chicago for a while now and just got a house (Western burbs if it matters). Now that we have space and a yard, I'd really like to help her find a puppy.
I've always gotten shelter kitties or gotten pets through friends of friends, and so has she in the past but we don't have that network here.
She really wants a puppy not a grown dog (less than a year to also socialize with a cat) so it can be trained and we'd really like to have a healthy pet that will be an active companion for a long time (hiking, frisbee, etc). If anyone has recommendations about shelters that might have puppies or reputable breeders - NOT puppy mills, we'd appreciate it.
If it matters, we're leaning to medium and large dogs. She's a fan of black labs and mastiffs (homeowners insurance frowns on certain breeds unfortunately, and since we have restrictions currently this is important). I'm a cat guy that likes dogs as long as they don't stink and hopefully don't shed like crazy.
We've been to adoption events, looked at shelters and craigslist, and breed-specific rescue sites. It's just very overwhelming at this point, especially since this is a carefully thought out decision made over the last year or so.
The only curveball we're looking at is that she's finishing her doctorate this summer and then looking for a job. So we're trying to figure out if we get a pet now and get it trained before she starts work, or wait till she's working and then figure out how the puppy fits into our new schedule, because either way we're not going to neglect em.
I've always gotten shelter kitties or gotten pets through friends of friends, and so has she in the past but we don't have that network here.
She really wants a puppy not a grown dog (less than a year to also socialize with a cat) so it can be trained and we'd really like to have a healthy pet that will be an active companion for a long time (hiking, frisbee, etc). If anyone has recommendations about shelters that might have puppies or reputable breeders - NOT puppy mills, we'd appreciate it.
If it matters, we're leaning to medium and large dogs. She's a fan of black labs and mastiffs (homeowners insurance frowns on certain breeds unfortunately, and since we have restrictions currently this is important). I'm a cat guy that likes dogs as long as they don't stink and hopefully don't shed like crazy.
We've been to adoption events, looked at shelters and craigslist, and breed-specific rescue sites. It's just very overwhelming at this point, especially since this is a carefully thought out decision made over the last year or so.
The only curveball we're looking at is that she's finishing her doctorate this summer and then looking for a job. So we're trying to figure out if we get a pet now and get it trained before she starts work, or wait till she's working and then figure out how the puppy fits into our new schedule, because either way we're not going to neglect em.
I think if you want a puppy, it is very responsible to look for breeders that are reputable over a pet store, but if you are not married to a particular breed (or a pure bred), please look at shelters for rescues -- I know my local shelter does have puppies. Sometimes a pregnant dog is abandoned, or puppies are as well.
Just a quick search led me to this cutie -- a 4 month old black lab puppy in Chicago for rescue:
http://www.pawschicago.org/adoptions/dogs-available-for-adoption/bill/
I have had 3 dogs in my life -- 2 as children, and one as an adult who I just recently lost. 2 were rescues, and they were the best dogs ever. One was a lab mix, who unfortunately died of cancer at 7. My best friend who I lost last month, was a pure Boston Terrier who gave me 11 amazing years before we had to put him down at 13.
The pure bred puppy my parents got from an extremely reputable breeder was aggressive, and attacked both me and my mother as a child, and unfortunately had to be destroyed.
This is nothing bad to say about breeders, or choosing a pure bred dog, but it isn't a guaranteed of anything other than lineage. When you rescue, you know that you are saving a dog's life and often there are good plans in place to make sure the dog is in the right home, and support for you -- our local shelter helps people get set up with pet insurance, helps with training, and will always take a dog back if necessary.
Good luck -- having a dog is awesome!
posted by hrj at 11:51 AM on June 22, 2013 [5 favorites]
Just a quick search led me to this cutie -- a 4 month old black lab puppy in Chicago for rescue:
http://www.pawschicago.org/adoptions/dogs-available-for-adoption/bill/
I have had 3 dogs in my life -- 2 as children, and one as an adult who I just recently lost. 2 were rescues, and they were the best dogs ever. One was a lab mix, who unfortunately died of cancer at 7. My best friend who I lost last month, was a pure Boston Terrier who gave me 11 amazing years before we had to put him down at 13.
The pure bred puppy my parents got from an extremely reputable breeder was aggressive, and attacked both me and my mother as a child, and unfortunately had to be destroyed.
This is nothing bad to say about breeders, or choosing a pure bred dog, but it isn't a guaranteed of anything other than lineage. When you rescue, you know that you are saving a dog's life and often there are good plans in place to make sure the dog is in the right home, and support for you -- our local shelter helps people get set up with pet insurance, helps with training, and will always take a dog back if necessary.
Good luck -- having a dog is awesome!
posted by hrj at 11:51 AM on June 22, 2013 [5 favorites]
How much money do you have to spend? If labs are an option, you could look for a dog that has been released from an assistance dog program. These labs are bred for temper, and are extensively trained. The dogs that are released are not bad dogs, simply not perfect candidates for a life of service. They may just want to play too much!
That said, since they are so carefully trained, they are expensive. The last time I talked to a puppy trainer, around 6 years ago, it cost around $6000 to get a release dog. The owner, an academic in a situation similar to yours, said it was worth every penny. YMMV.
posted by pickypicky at 12:18 PM on June 22, 2013
That said, since they are so carefully trained, they are expensive. The last time I talked to a puppy trainer, around 6 years ago, it cost around $6000 to get a release dog. The owner, an academic in a situation similar to yours, said it was worth every penny. YMMV.
posted by pickypicky at 12:18 PM on June 22, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks for the tips so far! We're not pure-bred finicky. We actually like friendly mutts and 'found' pets, just haven't had any luck and we're both really strapped for time the past couple of years. The service dog sounds like a great idea, but is out of our price range sadly.
posted by envygreen at 12:25 PM on June 22, 2013
posted by envygreen at 12:25 PM on June 22, 2013
Look for a stray-rescue organization in your area (in St. Louis it's called "Stray Rescue"). You'll have a lot of terrier mixes, but plenty of other mutts, too.
(Hybrid vigor for the win!)
posted by notsnot at 1:14 PM on June 22, 2013
(Hybrid vigor for the win!)
posted by notsnot at 1:14 PM on June 22, 2013
Best answer: biscotti, who I'm lucky enough to be married to, breeds Swedish vallhunds. (Obligatory: Nina, Tish, and Zhora) Her thoughts on what to look for in a breeder are here, and some developing thoughts on choosing breeds and breeders are here.
I think she'd agree that you should think about breeds before breeders. Or, really, that you should think about what you want in a happy canine companion. Do you want a couch potato, or a bouncy dog (that will also need long walks even when it's gross out)? A relatively independent one, or one that craves and needs interaction with its people? Remember that things you can't change by training include exercise needs and behaviors that have been extensively bred for.
The simplest thing is to go to dog shows, meet lots of dogs, and talk to people. Why are they in the breed that they are, what traits does their breed have, etc. Or even talk to people about what you're looking for in a dog -- a breeder of one breed may well suggest looking at some other breeds you hadn't considered or maybe hadn't heard of.
Spotting an ethical breeder isn't hard. The tl;dr version of biscotti's thoughts is that a good breeder is going to make you fill out a horribly intrusive questionnaire. If you seem good enough (most people who contact biscotti about puppies are, to her eye, obviously unfit and don't make it this far), more grilling over the phone or in person. When you get the puppy, an intrusive contract that specifies lots of things that you think should be up to you and that requires that the one, single, solitary thing that will ever happen if you can't keep the dog for whatever reason is that you will return it to the breeder. Gobs of health testing and health guarantees in the contract. Ideally you'd want the parents to have both conformation and performance titles. Ideally the breeding stock will be pets first and live in their home, and the puppies will be raised in the home.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 1:19 PM on June 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
I think she'd agree that you should think about breeds before breeders. Or, really, that you should think about what you want in a happy canine companion. Do you want a couch potato, or a bouncy dog (that will also need long walks even when it's gross out)? A relatively independent one, or one that craves and needs interaction with its people? Remember that things you can't change by training include exercise needs and behaviors that have been extensively bred for.
The simplest thing is to go to dog shows, meet lots of dogs, and talk to people. Why are they in the breed that they are, what traits does their breed have, etc. Or even talk to people about what you're looking for in a dog -- a breeder of one breed may well suggest looking at some other breeds you hadn't considered or maybe hadn't heard of.
Spotting an ethical breeder isn't hard. The tl;dr version of biscotti's thoughts is that a good breeder is going to make you fill out a horribly intrusive questionnaire. If you seem good enough (most people who contact biscotti about puppies are, to her eye, obviously unfit and don't make it this far), more grilling over the phone or in person. When you get the puppy, an intrusive contract that specifies lots of things that you think should be up to you and that requires that the one, single, solitary thing that will ever happen if you can't keep the dog for whatever reason is that you will return it to the breeder. Gobs of health testing and health guarantees in the contract. Ideally you'd want the parents to have both conformation and performance titles. Ideally the breeding stock will be pets first and live in their home, and the puppies will be raised in the home.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 1:19 PM on June 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
We adopted a lab-mix from Wright Way Rescue in the Chicago area.
posted by MrsBell at 1:20 PM on June 22, 2013
posted by MrsBell at 1:20 PM on June 22, 2013
A couple of other notes:
You should expect any purebred dog from an ethical breeder to start somewhere north of $1000. We charge $1500 and our dogs are still a net cost, not net income. Puppies from breeds with small litters might well run $3K+ even from someone who's doing everything right. And of course there are always jackholes who charge a gazillion bucks because the market will bear it.
Rescues are great, and looking at rescued dogs is great. But more or less by definition, you are not going to find ethically bred dogs in rescue. If they had been ethically bred, they would have been returned to the breeder who would have either cared for them themselves or re-placed the dog through their normal process. This does mean that rescue dogs are going to be sort of a random sample of poorly or indifferently bred dogs, typically from parents with little or no health testing.
Also, I forgot: I'd recommend going to both AKC and UKC dog shows to get a better sense of the breeds that are out there. If you think you might want a rarer breed, look into ARBA shows. I'm sure there are all three kinds of shows within shooting distance of Chicagoland.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 1:29 PM on June 22, 2013
You should expect any purebred dog from an ethical breeder to start somewhere north of $1000. We charge $1500 and our dogs are still a net cost, not net income. Puppies from breeds with small litters might well run $3K+ even from someone who's doing everything right. And of course there are always jackholes who charge a gazillion bucks because the market will bear it.
Rescues are great, and looking at rescued dogs is great. But more or less by definition, you are not going to find ethically bred dogs in rescue. If they had been ethically bred, they would have been returned to the breeder who would have either cared for them themselves or re-placed the dog through their normal process. This does mean that rescue dogs are going to be sort of a random sample of poorly or indifferently bred dogs, typically from parents with little or no health testing.
Also, I forgot: I'd recommend going to both AKC and UKC dog shows to get a better sense of the breeds that are out there. If you think you might want a rarer breed, look into ARBA shows. I'm sure there are all three kinds of shows within shooting distance of Chicagoland.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 1:29 PM on June 22, 2013
Best answer: Before you go to a breeder I would highly recommend you go to pawschicago and at least take a look. I've volunteered there (it's a no kill shelter) and it is simply mind blowing.
PS they have new puppies pretty much every day and they let you play with them!
posted by ishrinkmajeans at 2:16 PM on June 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
PS they have new puppies pretty much every day and they let you play with them!
posted by ishrinkmajeans at 2:16 PM on June 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: tons of helpful info here and the wife unit says thanks! I especially appreciate the mix of tips on good breeders and tips on places where we might find a good fit AND rescue. Will check out the links tonight with her!
We've done a million searches and quizzes on breed fits. What's friendly and likes exercise but won't brutalize the couch if we miss a day? What won't eat my cat? What won't make me want to wash my hands every time I pet/play with it? (yes, i'm apparently part cat and as much as I love black labs personality wise i never get over the oily hair that is totally normal for them and omgitstouchingmewashitoffnaow)
posted by envygreen at 3:25 PM on June 22, 2013
We've done a million searches and quizzes on breed fits. What's friendly and likes exercise but won't brutalize the couch if we miss a day? What won't eat my cat? What won't make me want to wash my hands every time I pet/play with it? (yes, i'm apparently part cat and as much as I love black labs personality wise i never get over the oily hair that is totally normal for them and omgitstouchingmewashitoffnaow)
posted by envygreen at 3:25 PM on June 22, 2013
Response by poster: re: Paws and other shelters, do they have lots more animals than they put on their websites? I assume that's the case but wasn't sure.
posted by envygreen at 3:33 PM on June 22, 2013
posted by envygreen at 3:33 PM on June 22, 2013
Shelters almost always have more animals than are on the websites. Most of the no-kill shelters have Facebook pages where they'll announce incoming animals, or you can call and ask about puppies. Good shelters are probably going to keep the youngest animals in foster care for as long as they can, so you might need to make a special appointment to see them.
posted by jaguar at 3:36 PM on June 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by jaguar at 3:36 PM on June 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Don't rule out rescues and don't in your particular circumstance rule out greyhounds. They need an adjustment period to learn to be pets, but they are clean, quiet, funny and loving. They are very much like having big cats. Their coats have little oil, so there's no dog smell and the subsequent washing of hands after petting. They come in all sizes and temperaments.
I have to question the desire to get a puppy -- you and your wife will be on puppy duty (like having a newborn child) for up to a year. Consider carefully whether that's feasible with everything else in play. An adult or young adult dog might be a much better fit.
posted by vers at 3:37 PM on June 22, 2013
I have to question the desire to get a puppy -- you and your wife will be on puppy duty (like having a newborn child) for up to a year. Consider carefully whether that's feasible with everything else in play. An adult or young adult dog might be a much better fit.
posted by vers at 3:37 PM on June 22, 2013
Response by poster: to be clear, i say puppy and mean "young enough to be trained and socialized with other dogs and cats", not omg so cute and barely able to walk. it's just that fully adult dogs tend to be pretty set in their ways. we could do puppy duty for the next year, but if we wait much longer it might be tougher. wouldn't think of getting a true puppy if we couldn't make the time for it.
didn't think about facebook pages for paws and the other shelters, thanks jaguar. have been a little hesitant to go shelter to shelter in person because we're both a bit soft hearted and even just a single adoption event can leave us feeling awful for all the animals that are being fostered but don't have families.
posted by envygreen at 3:50 PM on June 22, 2013
didn't think about facebook pages for paws and the other shelters, thanks jaguar. have been a little hesitant to go shelter to shelter in person because we're both a bit soft hearted and even just a single adoption event can leave us feeling awful for all the animals that are being fostered but don't have families.
posted by envygreen at 3:50 PM on June 22, 2013
Pawschicago has such a high turnover in puppies that they couldn't possibly put them up. One weekend during the spring they adopted out like 60 dogs in two days!
posted by ishrinkmajeans at 3:51 PM on June 22, 2013
posted by ishrinkmajeans at 3:51 PM on June 22, 2013
Response by poster: ROU_Xenophobe - those pics of Nina, Tish, and Zhora are cute, but don't do them justice. Watched a couple of youtube videos and they look like really fun and friendly dogs. Thanks for mentioning the breed as well as all the other helpful info. Thanks everyone else for the wealth of info!
posted by envygreen at 4:01 PM on June 22, 2013
posted by envygreen at 4:01 PM on June 22, 2013
it's just that fully adult dogs tend to be pretty set in their ways.
For anyone still reading this, this part is in no way true. Anyone adopting, whether a puppy or an adult dog, will have to learn some training skills. Dogs learn throughout their lives.
FWIW, my current dogs came home at over 5 and 2 years old. I have never had an easier time teaching dogs good behaviors. They were adult enough to learn.
posted by vers at 4:01 PM on June 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
For anyone still reading this, this part is in no way true. Anyone adopting, whether a puppy or an adult dog, will have to learn some training skills. Dogs learn throughout their lives.
FWIW, my current dogs came home at over 5 and 2 years old. I have never had an easier time teaching dogs good behaviors. They were adult enough to learn.
posted by vers at 4:01 PM on June 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
Yeah, I've volunteered at shelters, and most of the dogs, regardless of their age, were such people-pleasers that they loved learning new things.
posted by jaguar at 4:04 PM on June 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by jaguar at 4:04 PM on June 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: vers - i didn't say that they can't be trained. personal experience for us is that younger dogs are easier to train, which would be helpful in our situation.
posted by envygreen at 4:05 PM on June 22, 2013
posted by envygreen at 4:05 PM on June 22, 2013
Best answer: envygreen: "vers - i didn't say that they can't be trained. personal experience for us is that younger dogs are easier to train, which would be helpful in our situation."
Really, really, really - [some|most] older dogs can be easier to train than [some|most] puppies. It just depends on ... a ton of reasons. Older dogs have a longer attention span, for one. Don't limit yourself!
Usually (and there are many exceptions), the dogs that are available through rescues have been screened for adoptability (which includes their adaptability and eagerness to please, among many other traits that influence how easy they are to train).
I have a ton of contacts in the rescue world (especially in the western suburbs), so feel free to MeMail me if you have questions about any particular one, if you go that route. I'd be happy to tell you what I know, or ask around.
Good luck!
posted by SuperSquirrel at 5:03 PM on June 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Really, really, really - [some|most] older dogs can be easier to train than [some|most] puppies. It just depends on ... a ton of reasons. Older dogs have a longer attention span, for one. Don't limit yourself!
Usually (and there are many exceptions), the dogs that are available through rescues have been screened for adoptability (which includes their adaptability and eagerness to please, among many other traits that influence how easy they are to train).
I have a ton of contacts in the rescue world (especially in the western suburbs), so feel free to MeMail me if you have questions about any particular one, if you go that route. I'd be happy to tell you what I know, or ask around.
Good luck!
posted by SuperSquirrel at 5:03 PM on June 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
There is no reason why an adult dog cannot be trained -- in fact, an adult dog may already have certain basic training - i.e. house broken, sit, come, etc.
What's friendly and likes exercise but won't brutalize the couch if we miss a day?
I'm a little concerned about this statement. Are you sure you are prepared for a dog? My pup was a small, couch potato of a dog, but we still never missed a day of exercise. Not if it rained, not if we were busy, not if we were sick.
I really suggest not predetermining your dog -- go to a shelter, and see who calls out to you. It might not be the pup you would have picked on paper.
posted by hrj at 5:40 PM on June 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
What's friendly and likes exercise but won't brutalize the couch if we miss a day?
I'm a little concerned about this statement. Are you sure you are prepared for a dog? My pup was a small, couch potato of a dog, but we still never missed a day of exercise. Not if it rained, not if we were busy, not if we were sick.
I really suggest not predetermining your dog -- go to a shelter, and see who calls out to you. It might not be the pup you would have picked on paper.
posted by hrj at 5:40 PM on June 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
petfinder.com is amazing. just plug in your info and voila! i got a minipoodle/bichon under 1 year old from them. here are results for a young black lab in chicago. petfinder seems to have an amazing network with rescues, shelters, pet stores, and their site all working together. the gov't could take lessons from these folks!
posted by wildflower at 5:57 PM on June 22, 2013
posted by wildflower at 5:57 PM on June 22, 2013
My family has always had dogs. We've had great luck with breeders- my dads current dog is a 13 yo Springer spaniel who came to him as a puppy. She is great and as he has aged out of a lot of activity, she has got a lot more couch potatoie. So, spaniels. Me and my boyfriend rescued a puggle at age 2. We had a bitch ton easier time training her the basics (and she came House broken so yay). She did come with her own issues, tho.
I guess what I'm saying is that there is no way to guarantee a good experience, but the vast majority of people fall in love with their dogs however they get them.
posted by Blisterlips at 6:15 AM on June 23, 2013
I guess what I'm saying is that there is no way to guarantee a good experience, but the vast majority of people fall in love with their dogs however they get them.
posted by Blisterlips at 6:15 AM on June 23, 2013
Best answer: Not sure exactly where in the western suburbs you are, but you may want to check out the Dog Patch in Naperville. They're an independent pet store (founded in 1972 -- so, the prehistoric era as far as Naperville's concerned) that used to sell pets from breeders (reputable, conscientious breeders, they're careful to say -- and I believe them) but decided a few years ago to discontinue puppy sales and instead act as a conduit for shelter pet adoptions. They published a pretty heartfelt letter about their decision to make this change a couple of years ago, and there was an article in the local paper about them just a couple of days ago. It's a good place run by good people, and well worth your time.
posted by orthicon halo at 1:08 PM on June 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by orthicon halo at 1:08 PM on June 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
Good breeders don't sell to pet stores. Period. And ALL pet stores that sell puppies say they only use "reputable, conscientious" breeders. It's a lie. Ethical breeders are responsible for every puppy they produce for its entire life, and ethical breeders generally speaking choose the home for the puppy, the owner doesn't choose their own puppy (the breeder's spent 8-10 weeks with the puppies, they know them, the prospective owner doesn't), in order to make the best possible match. Almost every national breed club's code of ethics includes a section about NOT selling to pet stores. If a dog is in a pet store (and isn't there as part of a shelter adoption program), it is from a puppy mill or unscrupulous breeder (AKA a lower-volume puppy mill), by definition an ethical breeder's puppies are not sold in pet stores, period. /off soapbox
posted by biscotti at 3:29 PM on June 23, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by biscotti at 3:29 PM on June 23, 2013 [3 favorites]
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posted by jaguar at 11:38 AM on June 22, 2013