The Pet Store and The Pug Mill

The shadow of the dreaded Pug Mill crosses many pet shops. Let’s make one thing very clear: all pet stores are not created equal. We offer this advice to create awareness rather than accuse any store of being the dreaded Pug Mill. The fact that most people would think that their best bet to get a healthy pug would be at a pet store indicates that some stores must be doing something right. And perhaps your local pet store is one of them. We hope so.

Just be aware that many pet stores get their animals from what one would refer to as a “mill”. If you could create an assembly line for Pugs this would be it. They tend to breed on a large scale and keep their dogs in cages with little human contact. It is rare that any house training is done. This is a traumatic life for a puppy – especially a Pug. Pugs thrive on human contact and actually tend to do better with humans than other dogs.

There’s no doubt that you’ll be improving life for the dog that you buy out of one of these places but many people think that this is actually your worst choice for getting a Pug. We’re not totally sure about that but we’re fairly certain that there are better places to look your Pug.

If this is your only option, refer to the research section and see how many of the questions your store can answer about your prospective housemate. Certainly do you due diligence on the store. Is it clean? Are there any complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau? Ask a local veterinarian if they are familiar with the store. While you’re at it ask them if they have any recommendations on where to buy your Pug.

Not all Pug Breeders are created equal. Find out what you should look for in a Pug Breeder before you buy!

Avoiding a Pug Mill - what you should know about Pug Breeders