Breeder Info

Breeder Information

What to look for in a responsible breeder

There are many different types of breeders; some of whom maintain poor conditions, breed without care, and fail to back up their puppies with support, while others study the bloodlines of the stud and bitch before they breed, certify their breeding stock for genetic abnormalities, and prove their dogs in the show ring. And there are some in-between these extremes as well.

When looking for a responsible breeder, walk away from those who do not have a clean business nor keep their dogs in a clean house. Walk away from anyone who will not allow you to visit the dogs in their space or anyone whose breeding stock is not healthy, even-tempered, or well-socialized. A bitch that shivers and shakes in fear of strangers will produce puppies that are fearful, and a bitch that is aggressive will pass that trait along as well.

Next on the list should be the number of breeds raised by a breeder. Many breeders keep two breeds and produce two or three litters per year from each. Anyone producing litters from more than two breeds and anyone producing more than a half dozen litters per year should be questioned closely to determine how well-matched the parent dogs are and how well-socialized the puppies are. Puppies take a lot of time and effort; more than six litters per year, especially of large breeds or of breeds with large litters, are difficult to socialize and teach basic manners unless a breeder is home full-time or has a full-time business manager.

Breeders who have many litters of several different breeds may have sloppy management practices that can cause breeding mistakes and be further compounded by paperwork mistakes.

Responsible breeders test males and females for hip dysplacia, eye diseases, brucellosis (a venereal disease), and if indicated, autoimmune and thyroid diseases. They carefully select compatible males and females as parents for the litter, weed out animals of poor structure or temperament, and follow the breed standard in selecting the best show prospects in their business. Most bring the bitch into the house to have her puppies and acclimate the puppies to the sounds and smells of an active family. They spend time with the puppies every day, handling them, checking them for problems, watching them as they grow. They know which puppy is dominant and which submissive. They have the puppies’ inoculated and wormed when appropriate.

Responsible breeders answer buyers' questions, keep puppies they cannot place, allow bitches to recover sufficiently from one breeding before doing another, and take back any puppy that does not work out. They breed dogs because they admire their breed and want to contribute to its betterment. They guarantee their pups free of genetic diseases common in their breed and replace the pup if the disease should crop up. They consider the puppies they produce to be their responsibility for the life of that puppy, so they follow-up frequently to see what's going on.

A breeder who has presentable premises with little or no odour, whose dogs are friendly or relatively so, who is proud of her dogs and enjoys showing them off, is a breeder who deserves a closer look. If she also has a contract that protects the buyer and the dog as well as herself, requires sterilization of all puppies, and has tested breeding stock for the genetic abnormalities affecting the breed, stay and talk.

Advantages of buying from such a breeder are clear. Although there are no hard and fast guarantees, a puppy from a truly responsible breeder is more likely to be physically and emotionally healthy than a puppy from any other source, and a truly responsible breeder will remain interested in that puppy and its family for the animal’s entire life. If the buyer experiences a crisis and cannot keep the puppy, the truly responsible breeder will take it back or help place it in a new home.

Go to page 2 of Breeder Information - Questions to Ask.