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Published on October 27, 2007

"We love our little Miou-Miou [or Woof-Woof]," they say, "but there've been problems."

One reader's problem is whether his German shepherd is pedigreed. Some people think "pedigreed" and "purebred" are the same, but, in fact, the two terms are different.

"Purebred" means that the dog or cat has been bred from parents, grandparents and/or great-grandparents of the same breed.

"Pedigreed" means that the animal has been registered with some organisation, which has provided papers to certify that the animal is purebred.

A dog or cat that has no papers is not pedigreed. It may, however, be purebred, but you have to take the breeder's word for it. Neither term, by the way, indicates the quality of your dog or cat. A purebred (or even pedigreed) animal may still not be a good example of the breed it represents.

Here are some rules for buying a purebred animal.

First, do your homework. Check the Internet, canvas the bookshops to find out as much as you can about the breed you're interested in. I'm thinking of the people I've met with a well-loved (but not so healthy) St Bernard, for instance.

"We love him," the owners say, "but we never expected him to get so big."

Check out breeders too. Consult pet magazines, talk to people who are experienced with the breed you want and find out as much as you can about the people who are breeding the particular animal you want. You should also find out the prices breeders are charging.

As an aside, please don't ask me. I'm no expert, and as a columnist I cannot recommend any breeder over another.

Second, visit the breeder (visit lots of breeders) to see the conditions in which the animals are kept. If you see rows of cages, each containing a female Persian, if the smell is intolerable and conditions dirty, you know very well that the kittens cannot be completely healthy.

Observe the parents. Ask the breeder about health problems, such as if either parent has had surgery. If you're buying a large dog, such as a golden retriever, a parent who has had hip surgery may be carrying the gene for hip dysplasia.

Third, insist on seeing the animal you intend to buy in its environment. A man bringing you a bunch of puppies in a crate on the back of a motorcycle is not necessarily the most reliable of breeders, and the animals aren't necessarily the healthiest. A kitten or a puppy who was separated too soon from its mother and who has been kept in a cage for all its short life may not make the best house pet.

Fourth, don't buy a puppy or kitten younger than three months old. Good breeders won't even sell you a kid before four months.

There are more points, but if you're paying Bt12,000 to Bt40,000 for a companion, you should really be as careful as you can. Please use your brain before your heart kicks in.

By Laurie rosenthal

The Nation