>>hi everyone. i have been following this forum for a while and have done ALOT of research and have come to the conclusion that i would like to get a doberman. i live in upstate ny and there doesnt seem to be many places to purchase puppies here. i am also considering a rescue. i would love any advice you guys could give me. weather i should get a male or female, puppy or resued adult, and so on. any good breeders in the rochester ny area that dont charge an arm and a leg for there puppies (just looking for a companion dog not a show dog). thanks for any advice in advance.
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>>Ben
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Breeders of champion puppies place the non-show puppies in good homes and follow them for their whole lives. They do this because they care about all their pups. You'll pay no more than you would in a pet shop for a puppy likely to wind up with really serious problems (Dobes are one of the breeds with an extremely high number of inherited diseases when bred carelessly), and you'll get lifelong support. If you need to save money, adopt a young adult rather than a young puppy. You'll save a lot and quite possibly get an even better dog than by adopting a puppy. The same breeders who produce the show puppies and well-bred pet puppies have these young adults needing homes, too. That's because they take back their dogs for life if they ever need a new home--because of a divorce, death in the family, dog grew out with a conformation defect and won't be shown or bred, etc. Don't rule out going to a top breeder just because you don't want to show. All good breeders put finding good homes for their dogs as number one, over winning shows.
To find the most reputable breeders, check with the national breed club for Dobermans. You'll find contact information for the club along with their website and a rescue dogs contact all on the AKC website, www.akc.org.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series at www.veterinaryforum.com
