PetLvr.com - [le Blog]

Au cours des dernières années, j'ai noté que la tendance d'acheter des animaux de compagnie des magasins d'animal de compagnie a graduellement décalé à acheter des animaux de compagnie des sélectionneurs. My experience with the Pet Store differed between staff members and it was evident that they had no idea about the care of Bearded Dragons. The breeder on the other hand, offered me advice on building a vivarium, the best deals on equipment, ways to offset the costs of equipment, basic care and also what to look for in a healthy Bearded Dragon.

· The Stock: Although this isn’t a blanket that covers all breeders, most of them will only sell healthy stock and they will often give discounts if there are bits of tail or fingers missing, if they even sell them (something that is very common in Bearded Dragons). Breeders also have the more uncommon strains such as Orange Hypo Pastel or Snow (white) Bearded Dragons. Generally, you cannot find these in pet stores and when you do, they are higher priced.

· The Price: This is another big point that usually sways buyers. Sometimes, breeders will charge a bit more than a pet store but many times they don’t. My Bearded Dragon, Rayquaza is his name by the way, was $60 from a breeder. The pet store was selling Bearded Dragons for $119 and their stock was lacking compared to the breeders.

· The Service: You would actually think that you get better service from a pet store but in fact, many breeders offer more. For one thing, they understand the animal and its needs. Rayquaza’s breeder delivered him to us, carefully wrapped in towels and placed in a secure carrier. Young Bearded Dragons can quickly go into shock during transport and can die from that shock very easily. Having a knowledgeable breeder bring the Bearded Dragon to me helped alleviate some of the stress of transport, simply because he knew how to move them. Breeders who do not deliver will usually explain exactly how you should transport your new lizard to ensure his best health.

And those are the reasons why I feel that breeders are the way to go when you are purchasing a lizard. Sure pet stores do have some benefits such as available stock, sometimes you do have to wait until a breeder has stock, and many of the stores offer limited guarantees, where only a few breeders offer guarantees. Lastly, pet stores are your one stop shop and you can go in, purchase everything you need, along with the lizard and have your lizard happily basking under his own sun lamp within minutes.

In the end, however; the choice to purchase from a breeder or a pet store is up to the individual. I, personally, have never regretted purchasing Rayquaza from a breeder, even two years after purchasing him and if I ever add another lizard to my home, it will be with a breeder again.