When you buy a puppy at Marion Market, you are buying a pup from a "Backyard Breeder" what's wrong with that you ask? You are paying for a puppy from a person who bought a male and female of the same breed and lets them make babies. No health testing, no temperament testing, no concern about the future of the puppy. When you buy a puppy from a pet store, you are buying from a real "Puppy Mill" one of the horrible places you see getting raided occasionally on the news. The parents live in wire cages, no testing, never being touched by humans... living covered in pee and feces..... used until the place is raided and they are found homes, or until they stop producing when they are simply shot. Missouri leads the country in puppy mills, the Amish are also big puppy millers. Anytime you buy a puppy you want to see where it was raised, meet the parents etc, dogs sold over the Internet and shipped to you, no questions asked, are puppy mill dogs. Pet stores will tell you they buy from lovely breeders... blah blah blah... all lies. Lovely breeders care what happens to their puppies and won't sell them to the first person that shows them the money. Why should you care? You want that puppy. You should care because you are paying top dollar for what could be health and temperament problems, and you are supporting the horrible conditions the parents are subjected to. Any place that produces many small breeds is a puppy mill. The ideal place to buy a puppy is a reputable breeder, they aren't cheap though.
Another thought, depending on your age are you sure you want a dog that could live 15 to 17 more years? Are you in your late 60s or 70s? Think about it.... you are taking on the hassle of your shoes being chewed, housebreaking a puppy etc....... meanwhile there are so many wonderful dogs in rescues and pounds. I found my last three dogs on petfinder.com. Go to the website, put in your zip code and search the breed you want. Even craigslist occasionally has lovely little dogs that a relative is trying to place because their owner has passed away. The Maltese previously posted are adorable, there's also Poodle rescue. Shih-tzu rescue..... etc.... google the breed and the word rescue. The good news about rescues is they will match you with the best dog for you.
Good luck, I'm so glad you are researching before you buy instead of impulse buying and regretting it later.
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