"Choosing A Breeder" "A man's soul can be judged by the way that he treats his dog."

• 1.  A good breeder GENERALLY does not advertise in the newspaper.  Often, their pups are sold by word of mouth because of their reputation.  However, SOME responsible breeders may advertise in the newspaper at times, so one must use their judgement when reading the "pet classifieds".

If you are looking in the newspaper, read the ad carefully.  Are the parents titled?  Are the parents screened for health problems?  Is the terminology correct in the ad?  Watch out for "full blood" breeds (every dog should be full of blood), and don't be swayed by "champion lines".  It could be that the pups have a champion 6 generations back in their pedigree, and this justifies the breeder to write "champion lines".  Is the breed name spelled correctly?  Of course, typesetters sometimes make the typo-s.  Remember "papers" do not mean quality.  It only means that both parents of the litter were registered in a kennel registry.

Phrases To Be Cautious Of In Breeder's Ads

A Guide To Classified Ads

Reading Classified Ads

Why not try asking your breed club, training club, vet or groomer for referrals?  It is a start.

• 2.  A good breeder never sells their puppies to brokers or pet stores etc.   Also, beware of the breeder who tries to sell their pups at a dog show.  Sometimes, these are the last of the litter and the breeder hopes to snare an unsuspecting/impulsive person at the show.  Note:   These dogs can still be from a quality breeder or breeding, but just beware.
• 3.  A good breeder asks you as many questions as you ask them, and often more.  Don't be taken aback if the breeder seems to be evaluating YOU.
• 4.  A good breeder stands behind their dogs and puppies for the life-time of the dog, meaning that they will take back any dog or puppy for ANY reason that a buyer can no longer keep it, just like a good rescue does.   A good breeder will refund your money (or replace the puppy or give you a second puppy) in case of a genetic or health fault in the pup as stipulated in a contract.   However, beware of contracts.  Because a breeder offers a contract, it does not mean that he will stand behind it.  Read the wording carefully.  Some breeders know the loopholes such as "crippling hip dysplasia".  If the pup develops hip dysplasia and is not crippled by the age that the contract stipulates, the breeder can escape any responsibility.  Try contacting references who have bought from this breeder.  Investigate the breeder's reputation.
• 5.  A good breeder does not always have puppies on hand and you often have to be put on a waiting list.  Many good breeders do not breed often, and do not breed their bitches on back to back heats.
• 6.  A good breeder requires a spay / neuter contract with proof the dog was altered before you'll get papers if you are not buying the dog for show purposes or they may offer limited registration.
• 7.  A good breeder will test their dogs for eye, hip and any other problem that can be tested for that can affect the breed.    Also, they will provide documentation to prove that the dog(s) have been screened.  Anyone can say that a dog's hips have been OFA'd, but a buyer should ask for backup.
• 8.  A good breeder almost never breeds more than two breeds, and usually only one.   Breeders who have multiple breeds on the property are probably in the business for reasons other than bettering the breed.
• 9.  A good breeder often (but not always) shows their dogs in conformation and/or working trials such as obedience, Schutzhund, herding, hunting or for SAR etc.  Also, remember that function follows form and vice versa.  Dogs titled at "both ends" have often proven their correctness in structure and correctness in temperament and intelligence.
• 10.  A good breeder never allows their puppies  to go before eight weeks (ideal is 9 weeks for most breeds).
• 11.  A good breeder does socialization of all their puppies (meaning the pups are exposed to eight by eight....this is eight different "enviornments" by eight weeks, not just one room of a house, or one pen outside.)
• 12.  A good breeder will let you see the puppies parents (one or both if both are owned by the breeder).   Often, this is a hint to what the pup will grow to look like, and you can also get a feel for the parents' temperament.
• 13. A good breeder breeds only to improve their line or their breed, not for the sole purpose of making money.
• 14.  A good breeder truly loves their dogs, and treats them as pets first, taking the very best care of them that they can.

 More Tips:

If at all possible, visit the kennel and meet both parents. If the stud isn't on the property, find out where and when he can be seen. Interact with the parents, if you don't like what you see, don't buy a puppy. If this is a repeat breeding, ask if you can see older siblings or talk to their owners.

Check for cleanliness, overall good general health of the animals and attention to their safety and welfare. Do the puppies have fresh water? Are they happy and eager to see people? Are their eyes bright and clear? Don't be surprised if they don't smell terrific.

Ask the breeders what they were trying to do when they bred this litter. What strengths in the line were they trying to maintain? What weaknesses were they trying to improve? If the parents have ANY sort of titles, ask to see their paperwork. This does NOT mean their pedigree. If there is a Schutzhund title, ask to see the scorebook. If it's a CD, ask to see the certificate. Ask for their hip ratings, either German hip stamp or OFA rating. LOOK the OFA parents up at the OFA website.

Ask for references and CALL them.

Ask about health guarantees, and registration guarantees. Find out what your obligations are. For instance, some breeders will not meet a hip guarantee on an overweight animal. Some breeders require that a particular brand of food, or diet be used, or certain types of supplements.

Ask about buy back policies. What happens if you decide you can't keep the dog?

Whether you end up buying a puppy from them or not, a breeder should be very happy to answer your questions.

(Copied with permission from the author, Janis Novak.)

Watch out for these Red Flags:

• Breeder does not screen for diseases and offers no health guarantee.

• Kennel is dirty and untidy.

• Several litters are born each year.

• Multiple breeds are bred on site.

• Breeder has no written health records of the litter.

• Puppies or kittens are taken from the mother before 6 weeks of age.

Use This Guide To Obtain A Quality Puppy
From A Responsible Breeder

And be aware that dogs are not "things." They are living creatures who, by no choice of their own, are totally dependent upon us - and are at our mercy - for their very survival, not to mention quality of life. As pack animals, their mental health is dependent upon being with their pack. That may be other animals, or it may be us. It is very cruel to leave a dog alone all day. Dogs need a lot of attention. They need regular, systematic aerobic exercise for at least 20-30 minutes, at least 3-4 times a week, just to be healthy. Few dogs get the exercise they need for good physical and mental health. Lack of exercise is the number one reason, (then lack of training), that dogs become mischievous and burdensome, and are then blamed, then dumped, and too often, killed. ("A tired dog is a good dog.") Having a yard is not sufficient. Dogs do not exercise themselves unless chasing something along the fence line, and that, in and of itself, is a problem. To make good pets, they need training. And most importantly, to be safe pets, they need early socialization. Lack of socialization the first 4-6 months of a dog's life creates shy dogs, which too-often become fear-biters, which, along with those who were simply born with poor temperaments, are responsible for the majority of the 4.7 million dog bites annually. (Sixty percent of victims are children; Half of all kids 12 and under have been bitten by a dog; Every day more than 900 people are hospitalized with dog bites; Every year 25 people are killed by dogs.)

If you can not be a responsible dog owner, please wait until you can be.

And please don't breed out of greed or ego or for any reason other than to improve the breed (i.e., to make the puppies better than their parents). Most purebred dogs, and of course, all mixed-breed dogs, should not be bred. The majority of dogs have some defect (in structure, temperament, health) that should not be perpetuated. Dogs used for breeding should be free of all defects - that's the definition of quality. ("Papers" mean nothing; They are simply, and nothing more than, birth certificates. Plenty of dogs have "papers," but are so poorly bred they actually look like mutts.) And no human should ever breed any dog without veterinary/laboratory testing and pedigree research to be sure that dog is free of (and not a carrier of) genetic defects. FAILURE TO TEST/SEARCH FOR INHERITABLE HEALTH PROBLEMS IS THE NUMBER ONE MARK OF A BACKYARD BREEDER. IT IS ALSO THE MOST DAMAGING TO CANINES, AND THE MOST HEARTBREAKING TO PUPPY-BUYERS, WHO END UP WITH YET ANOTHER GENERATION OF POOR-QUALITY DOGS WHO TOO OFTEN DEVELOP EXPENSIVE, EARLY HEALTH PROBLEMS AND OFTEN DIE PREMATURELY.

We have a severe pet-overpopulation crisis in the US; We slaughter thousands of beautiful, vital, healthy dogs every single day. (Twenty-five percent of shelter dogs are purebred.) Every puppy produced by a backyard breeder and placed in a home takes the place of one killed in a shelter because no one adopted it. And every puppy produced by a backyard breeder can make more puppies, and those puppies can make more puppies and so on. (And of course, backyard breeders, through their encouragement and the dispersal of misinformation, have a knack for turning uneducated buyers into yet more backyard breeders.) There just are not enough homes (not to mention "good" homes) available for all these puppies. No matter how hard one tries, only 30 percent of all dogs (and their pups and their pups and so on) live their entire lives in the home to which they went after weaning. Seventy percent will be given away or abandoned or dumped along the way for one reason or another. (Common excuses are, "We didn't have time for him," "He was too much trouble," "He kept jumping on us," "He bit my child," "We couldn't afford him," "We had to move." None of these were good homes to begin with. The buyers failed to socialize or train, or they lacked time, money or commitment. Again, there just are not enough "good" homes for all the puppies born.) Why not leave breeding dogs to those with the ability and desire and quality animals to do so at a "professional" level?

If everyone bred only dogs with excellent conformation, and stable, correct temperaments, working titles and clean health, we would have top-quality dogs in this country. Get your dog evaluated by judges and trainers. If he meets breed standard, and is healthy, and has the correct temperament and drives, show him, work him, and get him titled. If you feel you have what it takes to be a "professional" breeder, educate yourself, and with enough experience in dogs, maybe you, too, could make a positive contribution to your breed. But if your dog's only credentials are that it is a great pet, then love it, socialize it, train it, exercise it, give it the best in feed, comfort and veterinary care, but for it's own good (including better health - ask your vet!), and for the sake of puppy-buyers, society, and all canines, get it spayed or neutered.

Resist the Greed; Don't Support Backyard Breeders,
and Certainly Don't Become One.

Copyright © 1999 Victoria Rose, PO Box 4816, Auburn, CA 95604
Proud mom of the beautiful Dobermann Calidancer V Teraden, CD, OA, AD, OAC, OGC, NJC, RS-N, GS-N, JS-N, CGC
(As a pup she cost $900. She is trained in obedience, agility, personal protection, wheelchair assistance and tricks
...And she is spayed.)

Document may be reproduced in its entirety (not in sections), as long as the author is credited.

Links of Interest:

Canismajor.com - Finding A Responsible Breeder

So You Are Looking For A Puppy

Finding A Responsible Breeder - Myths and Facts

Dogplay.com - The Responsible Breeder

What Is A Puppymill?

No Puppymills