3 Reasons to Buy From a Pomsky Breeder Not a Pet Store

Pomsky Breeder Vs. Pet Store 

Don’t buy a pomsky from a pet store.

It’s that simple. We’re asked this question a lot a “pomsky” is for sale at the local pet store for $1,000 should I buy? The answer is always no.

It’s not that we have any type of personal vendetta against pet stores; pet stores serve a valuable purpose, they’re great for dog food, dog toys, etcetera… I buy my dog food and dog toys from a local pet store but it’s NOT where you want to buy your pomsky.

If you’re serious about caring for a happy and healthy pomsky I urge you, work with a reputable breeder. Do not purchase a pomsky from a pet store, you will regret it and here are three reasons to back up my claim.

1) Know what you’re getting (and what you’re not)

You never quite know what you’re getting from a pet store. You don’t know the puppy’s parents meaning you don’t know the size the puppy will grow to and you don’t know the hereditary health conditions that could be passed to the pomsky. Additionally, you don’t know how the puppy was raised meaning you don’t know if the puppy has been socialized, you don’t know the puppies temperament, you don’t know if the puppy has any special needs and lastly, you don’t even know if it’s really a pomsky!

This is the number one reason to purchase your pomsky from a breeder and NOT a pet store. According to a study from the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association “dogs obtained as puppies from pet stores had significantly greater aggression toward human family members, unfamiliar people, and other dogs; greater fear of other dogs and nonsocial stimuli; and greater separation-related problems and house soiling.” This same study concluded they “cannot recommend that puppies be obtained from pet stores.”

None of these problems exist when you purchase from a reputable pomsky breeder because:

1. A breeder knows the pomsky family lineage
2. A breeder knows their puppies
3. A breeder socializes their puppies

Breeder knows the lineage

A pomsky breeder hand selects the dam and sire to breed your pomsky; pomsky breeders ensure that they breed out any health defects and abnormalities to ensure a long-term health breed. As Kanzaidy of SZ Pomskies stated “When you buy from a breeder you get to know what the parents look like, their temperaments, the puppy’s siblings, the living environment, past puppies and much much more. You will know without a doubt the puppy you are buying was raised with the best care possible and is exactly the breed you are looking for.” The pet store has no idea where the puppy came from, the pet store could care less about the parents of the pomskies and definitely does not offer any type of guarantee. As Kanzaidy followed up saying  “With a breeder, you have guaranteed lineage, socialization, health testing, and many more important aspects your puppy needs in the first 8 weeks. Breeders raise their dogs in their home, handle them daily, properly test the parents for genetic abnormalities and assure you’re getting the healthiest puppy possible.” This is an important aspect of purchasing a pomsky that you just don’t get from a pet store.

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Breeder knows the puppy

A pet store does not know their puppies. The puppies are crated and placed in a glass cage for viewing purposes. A breeder knows their puppies; the breeder is there from birth to care for everything from feeding, to socializing and training. A breeder can identify the puppy’s needs and help the puppy; Chree of Mountain Shadow Pomskies says “The puppy could have some special needs that need to be addressed. For example, if a puppy is really shy or scared of a certain noise the breeder would know and can help the family understand the puppy’s special needs.” Chree followed this up stating that, unlike a pet store, a breeder can perfectly match a pomsky with a compatible owner saying “The breeder has spent many many hours with the puppies and knows the parents well. The breeder talks to the family and matches a puppy’s personality, energy level with the owners. This makes more of a custom fit to help with the bonding process, and makes it less likely the puppy will be re-homed.”

A breeder knows their pomskies; a breeder is able to assist in the development of the pomsky from birth and can perfectly match a pomsky with a compatible owner, giving both the pomsky and the owner a happy life.

Breeder socializes

It’s extremely important for a pomsky to be socialized and introduced to new sights, sounds, animals and people. Socialization is a key to the development of a puppy and is vitally important to prepare a pomsky for its new home. Studies by the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association proved that pet store puppies exhibited greater aggression toward humans and other dogs as a result of being raised in a pet store with a lack of socialization.

Rebecca and Ben of Posh Pomsky Toronto are strong proponents of socializing their pomskies from a young age, introducing their pomsky puppies to all sorts of new sights and sounds stating “the puppy has a better life with a breeder because, as breeders, we do this for the love of our dogs and take joy in spending as much time with our dogs as we can. This kind of early positive socialization is key to raising a happy member of your family”

Not only is it important for a pomsky to socialize with other animals and humans but Sharlee of Chinook Pomskies brought up a great point that pomskies need to socialize with their mother as the mother helps to raise and train the pomsky stating an example “When a dog lives in a home, the mother will teach her puppies to potty away from where they sleep and eat. This helps make potty training much easier.” Sharlee also brought up a good point that pet store puppies suffer by being taken away from their mothers too early stating “You are going to see similar issues in terms of social skills as puppies are either by themselves or with their litter mates but Mom is not there to teach them and there is no space to retreat to when they need to. I would have concerns not knowing at what age the puppies were separated from Mom as this can have a negative impact if done too soon.”

2) Know where your pomsky comes from

It’s important to know where your puppy comes from. Unfortunately, pet stores are not regulated and are not required to work with reputable breeders; according to research by the Humane Society, the suppliers of pet store puppies are largely puppy mills, commercial facilities that mass-produce puppies for sale. The Humane Society estimates that there are at least 10,000 puppy mills in the U.S, these puppy mills are inhumane dog breeding facilities that disregard the dog’s health to maximize profit selling the puppies to pet stores. An investigation of Chicago pet stores conducted by the Humane Society found that during a 6 month period over 2,000 puppies from puppy mills were shipped to Chicago-area pet stores and 8 out of 12 pet stores that were investigated violated the state’s pet shop disclosure law. This investigation concluded that “pet stores are not usually truthful about the true sources of their puppies. People who purchase a puppy from a pet store are almost always inadvertently supporting the cruel puppy mill industry.”

Please don’t support puppy mills. With a pomsky breeder you can visit your puppy before you buy, you can inspect the location where your pomsky was raised, you can see firsthand the condition that your pomsky lives in and you can inspect for yourself the quality of care given to raise a happy and healthy pomsky. Sharlee of Chinook Pomskies recommends working with a breeder because unlike a pet store “With a breeder you can see (in-person or with pictures or Skype calls) where your puppy lives, where it was born, where it grew up, and you can ask any question you want and know the answer comes from a knowledge source.”

When asked about pet stores Kanzaidy of SZ Pomskies warned “First, you have no clue where your puppy came from. Most pet store puppies are from puppy mills. The “breeders” ship the puppies off at a very young age across the country to be crated in a glass window for kids to press their faces on. These puppy’s lack social skills, have aggression issues as well as have an array of long-term health issues as the puppies parents were not genetically screened.” Similar to the findings from the Humane Society investigation into Chicago pet stores, Kanzaidy says “Most of the time when you ask the pet store owners where the dog came from it is very hush hush. They do not provide any proof the dog is the breed they claim as well as no proof of where the dog came from.”  A reputable breeder would never allow this. Reputable pomsky breeders are very open and helpful, a pomsky breeder will gladly invite you to visit their location and introduce you to the parents of the pomsky.

It’s important that we do not support puppy mills; puppy mills detrimentally harm a breed as there is no health testing, no genetic testing and there is a general lack of care for the puppies. Rebecca and Ben of Posh Pomsky Toronto urge everyone to stop supporting puppy mills stating that “Supporting this kind of breeding makes for less happy puppies that will continue to be mass produced.” They followed this up saying “As breeders, we are striving to develop this new breed based on a foundation of physical and mental health and happiness.” Pomsky breeders work hard to perfect the pomsky breed, striving to breed out any abnormalities and potential health issues. Puppy mills are detrimental to the progress of this new breed, it is important to know with absolute certainty where your pomsky is from.

3) A breeder is with you for life (not just at the store)

Lastly, one of the most important reasons for working with a breeder, the breeder is with you for life. A pet store is there during the transaction but the second you pay, the relationship ends. A breeder is with you for life, from the second the puppy leaves the breeder and throughout the entire life of your pomsky puppy, the breeder is there to help you.

It’s important to have a good relationship with a pomsky expert. Your breeder has been there before; they’re the most knowledgeable source when it comes to raising a pomsky. Raising a pomsky is no easy task; the pomsky is a new breed with lots of energy. You’re going to need help and you’re going to have lots of questions, the breeder is with you for life to help you along the way.

Chree of Mountain Shadow Pomskies touched on this subject saying “When the family has questions or is in need of some help, the breeder knows the pups and knows what to do.  They help the client walk through the issues instead of giving up on the pup, the breeder has experience which can’t be brought and they have special tricks to helping.” Reputable pomsky breeders are with you along the way, the relationship does not end after they sell the pomsky. A good breeder is happy and willing to help you with any and all questions you have while raising your pomsky. It’s important to form a good relationship with your breeder because you’re going to need them again in the future.

It’s also important to note that pet stores don’t offer any type of health guarantee, breed guarantee or lifetime support guarantee. What if for an unknown reason, your pet suddenly have seizures? This can be unexpected and often frightening. Finding the underlying cause of the seizure and the best dog food for seizures that can alleviate it can be daunting. Sharlee of Chinook Pomskies brought this up stating “Most pet stores don’t offer health guarantees and they are often unregistered dogs at best (puppy mill dogs at worst), there is no way to know what kinds of issues (health or temperament) will arise. Even if you are lucky and get a healthy puppy there are lots of concerns in regards to training pet store puppies.” All reputable pomsky breeders offer a health guarantee and provide proof of DNA testing to prove that your puppy is a pomsky.

Breeders are with you for life. Don’t let a pet store sell to you and walk away, work with a breeder that cares for you and the wellbeing of your pomsky for life.

Final breeder tips

Sharlee of Chinook Pomskies sums it up perfectly when talking about buying from a pet store versus a breeder saying “I personally think when you are bringing in a living breathing puppy to join your family you want to know you are bringing in a puppy that has had the best start in life.”

As a final word to sum it all up, Kanzaidy of SZ Pomskies stated “We all know this is an expensive breed. Don’t buy because it’s convenient. If you do you are going to end up with a dog that is aggressive, not social, has many underlying health issues such as luxating patellas, hip dysplasia, and heart issues. Many pet store puppies do in fact end up having to be put down due to their issues being so severe. Take your time, do your research, and buy from a reputable breeder who is a member of the POA, IPA or PCA.”

Conclusion

Don’t buy a pomsky from a pet store. I stated this in the beginning and I’ll state it again. Find a reputable pomsky breeder; it’s easier than you think. The risk of purchasing a pomsky from a pet store is not worth the risk that your pomsky will be unhealthy, malnourished and chances are not even a pomsky.

Find yourself reputable pomsky breeder. Don’t waste time supporting pet stores and puppy mills if you want a happy and healthy pomsky, buy from a breeder not a pet store.

If you need help finding a reputable pomsky breeder, download our guide of 40+ pomsky breeders around the globe. This is list of the best pomsky breeders around the globe; each breeder has been vetted and approved by a pomsky breed club meaning these are the most reputable pomsky breeders in the world. Use this list to find a pomsky breeder near you.

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