I’ve been reading on many websites, warning people to never buy an Imported Dog.   I have a dog that was originally Imported from Russia. He is a FCI registered English Bulldog named Corky and is the love of our lives.   I cannot imagine not having him. What is the big deal about Imported dogs? Why does everyone say never buy an imported dog?

The BIGBULLDOG: I’m glad that you had a great experience with Corky but unfortunately there are many horror stories that go along with dogs Imported from Russia, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Mexico to name a few. The truth is in many foreign country’s dogs are bred in a sub-standard environment with poor quality food, vaccines, veterinarian care and overall filthy conditions. Many of these breeders are financially destitute and do it to survive. They in turn sell to brokers who sell to other brokers etc......and if the dog is lucky it lands in America and lives in Beverly Hills. But don't fool yourself. There are tons of puppy mills here in USA that surpass the worst of the worst overseas.

However there are also many reputable breeders in these foreign countries. Many of my adult dogs have been Imported. I once attempted to purchase a really nice “"Show Quality" Great Dane. I later realized, this term "Show Quality" was a coined phrase by the AKC (American Kennel Cult) show breeders, to make the average joe believe that their dogs were superior in all aspects, therefore cost more. NOT TRUE. Anyhow, each time that I told the breeder that it would be a pet but that I may possibly breed they gave me the once over dictating to me how unqualified I was and that they would never sell a person like me a dog. I could not believe how nasty I was treated by numerous AKC breeders. All f them were the AKC“show breeders” if you will. (Rent the movie “Best in Show” you’ll get a kick out of it.)   I later learned that the reasons these people sited as their reason for not selling me a dog to breed was not their reasons at all. It simply came down to greed and the desire to control. Since I could not find anyone here in USA to sell me the quality of dog that I was looking for, I was forced to go elsewhere.   Being in the fitness industry and having contacts all over the world from previous years of traveling it was not hard to find a reputable breeder, strangely in Russia. After comparing the quality, we quickly realized that the majority of the European dogs seemed to be of better quality than the American ones. It’s funny how things work out. After seeing the pedigree of my new Dane, I learned that he had relatives in the good old USA.   Coincidently he was out of the same line from the nasty people that vowed that I would never own one of their dogs.