Season’s Greetings from TinyBear Pomeranians

Season’s Greetings from TinyBear Pomeranians

TinyBear Pomeranians is CKC Registered show breeder. We breed only from healthy, conforming and Champion lines. This is our passion!

When we have met our needs, we may have puppies available from time-to-time. All pet puppies are sold with limited CKC Registration. All contracts include a mandatory spay/neuter clause. This is one of the ways we ensure that our puppies do not end up in puppy mills or misused by ‘backyard’ breeders. All puppies are $2000.

If you are interested in one of our babies, please contact us for additional information regarding our interview process. Our puppies only go to Approved homes.

We have two male puppies available at this time. They will be ready to go to their ‘forever’ home at the end of January, 2012.

We are NOT commercial dog breeders.

Referring article:

http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/More+than+dogs+seized+from+kennel+Quebec/5416604/story.html

The article above discusses a recent incident where some 400 - 500 dogs were seized from a commercial breeder in Quebec, Canada.

This is only my opinion.

I do not believe that it is in the best interest of dogs to practice indiscriminate breeding and to house and raise them in barns as if they were cattle. Dogs are companion animals and therefore their requirements differ from animals which are mass produced for consumption. Personally I find these practices less than ethical and ill advised.

Indiscriminate breeding does nothing to protect the standard or health of the animal. Raising dogs in a commercial 'barn' type facility does nothing to provide these animals with the human interaction and socialization which they crave and require to becoming a well disciplined and loyal pet for someone.

I find these large commercial operations to be counterproductive for raising companion animals. I think they should all be abolished.

Please know that TinyBear Pomeranians is a small 'home' breeder of carefully chosen dogs. We breed for Health first and Conformation second. We only keep a handful of dogs and they all live in our home with us. They are treated as members of the family. They are all provided with exceptional medical care, nutrition and human social interaction as any 'child' should be. We take our responsibilities for these dogs extremely seriously and provide them with a loving and safe home environment.

It is my hope that these large commercial breeders, puppy mills and pet stores be stopped from breeding and selling dogs. Dogs have always treated 'man' well. They deserve better.

Please Don't Blame the Breeder

From time to time, I read different articles and blog comments that paint dog breeders and greedy and cruel. As a professional breeder of Pomeranians, I must stand up for myself and those like me. The reason that we breed is not to make a profit. Please, when a Pomeranian only has one pup in a litter (1 to 3 is average) and she needs to have a c-section which can cost about $3000 in an emergency - you aren't making money. If she has a natural birth, you must still account for all of the vet expenses necessary to whelp and raise that dog, feed it, provide it with nutritional supplements and consider the time and effort and real out-of-pocket money involved in training, travelling to shows and paying those fees.  What you are left with is one very expense hobby.  

We do it because we love the breed and what it has to offer. Every breed has its place and offers man something different. My passion just happens to be these little balls of fluff. Breeders do this willingly and lovingly so their breed can survive. To make something clear to everyone, a girl who needed a c-section in my breeding program would never be bred again. I don’t consider that a good trait for the survival of the breed.

The problem with shelters being full of unwanted and unloved pets is not the fault of the breeder. It is the fault of the pet owner, pet stores and backyard breeders and puppy mills. Not just anyone with cash-in-hand can have one of my dogs. You must meet my strict requirements before I will approve you to adopt one of my ‘kids’. For example, you will need vet and other personal references as to your credibility and history as a pet owner. I don’t place Pomeranians with anyone who has small children in the home. It’s not fair to the child because they are naturally curious and want to play. It’s not fair to the dog because small children can be rough, unknowingly, and Pomeranians are delicate. I don’t sell dogs at Christmas or Easter. I meet my prospective Pom owners and do my best to understand their motivation for wanting one of my dogs.

Until we can successfully educate prospective pet owners and legislate the absolute necessity to spay and neuter, we will always have horrible kill shelters and unwanted pets piled-up in cages waiting to be loved. It breaks my heart because every pet deserves a loving home but the breeder is not at fault.

Please take some time to read and share the following links so that you can understand what a breeder does, why puppy mills, pet stores and backyard breeders are so bad and what the true cost is in owning a dog.

http://www.tinybearpoms.com/whydopompuppiescostsomuch.html

http://www.tinybearpoms.com/Truecost.html

http://www.nopuppymillscanada.ca/

Why do pomeranian puppies cost more?

Why are puppy prices so high?

There are many factors which dictate the price of QUALITY purebred dogs.

Reputable breeders who care about the breed are striving to provide quality dogs that are both physically and mentally sound, to protect the breed standard and ensure the health of each individual dog bred. There are many steps involved in the process – many take place even before the puppy is born.

Purpose for the dog show

The purpose of the ‘dog show’ is for breeders to exhibit, recognize and find the best possible specimens for breeding.  A good breeder must have the knowledge of correct canine structure and movement, and a thorough understanding of the breed standard for that particular breed.

But I Only Want Pet Quality

Pet quality puppies from "show lines" are superior to ones who aren't simply because they are bred with the goal in mind of creating the highest quality possible. People who only breed "for pets" have their goals set much lower and their only interest is to make money. They simply just buy any two dogs and put them together without thinking about what will be produced. This can come at a very high price with health and conformation issues that often don’t appear until the puppy has grown and is now a valued and beloved member of your family.

Costs of a Good Breeding Program

For the majority, operating an ethically successful breeding program is an act of love for the breed and a very expensive ‘hobby’. Below is listed some of the requirements and costs necessary in creating and maintaining a breeding program in which to create dogs who are representative of their breed standard and who are healthy and have pleasant temperaments:

	-        Travelling to shows and to meet with other breeders -        join clubs and attend meetings -        education via attending seminars and purchasing related books and periodicals -         COST: $500 - $1000+  per year  depending on how many shows you attend.
	-        Purchase show quality dog to show (the above steps must be done first or it is very difficult to find and recognize a show dog of any worth!!) -         COST: $2500 to $6000 (for an unproven puppy)
	-        Maintain dog (food, vet bills, de-worming, grooming etc.) -        COST: about $1000 per year per dog
	-        Show dog at Championship shows to prove its worthiness and value to the breed. -        COST: on the conservative side, about $2000 (this only includes travel money (gas) and entry fees. Hotel stays and meals etc. are over and above these costs.
	-        Assuming success thus far, purchase another show dog of opposite sex whose pedigree and physical characteristics (genotype and phenotype) will compliment your first one. If not successful, start over anyway! -         COST: add up totals above once if first one worked out, twice if not. -        Instead of buying a male, you can pay a stud fee to another breeder to breed your bitch. Stud fees for a Champion males stud can cost anywhere from $500 to over $1000 depending on the dog. Then you must hope that you girl throws more than one pup (1 to 3 is an average pom litter).
	-        When above has been repeated (and paid out) enough to have acquired and shown two lovely dogs, one male and one female, who complement each other, you can now prepare to breed them by doing the necessary genetic screening tests for that breed. Or you search for an outside stud and pay the fee as mentioned above.
	-        If any dog doesn’t pass all of the tests, then you Start Over.
	-        If no one has any diseases or genetic defects, you may breed them. Now we have ultrasound and for the hopefully pregnant female and an x-ray for first pregnancies in order to determine if the pelvis is wide enough for a natural birth. If not, a c-section will be necessary. -         COST: $250 for ultra sound, $150 for x-ray, $2200+ for c-section
	-        If the female can’t get pregnant then you Start over with a new female, male, or sometimes both.
	-        If you are lucky enough to get a litter of 1 to 3 puppies (average for poms) you will now need to feed them when they stop nursing, give them their shots, de-worm them, register the litter and register each puppy individually. -        COST - $300 per puppy. Raising these little balls of fur is rewarding to us because we get to be there when they are born. We get to feed them and bathe them and train them. We get to take them to the shows. In the end, we get to find them only the best ‘forever’ pet home. As you can see from the list of expenses above, this is not a business, it’s a passion. ‘ONCE A POM OWNER – ALWAYS A POM OWNER’