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Puppy
Buyers Beware! READ
THIS BEFORE YOU BUY A PUPPY! How to tell the
difference between a good breeder and a bad one Remember, every
person that breeds their dog, has a responsibility in bringing animals into
this world that have the best chance of living a long, healthy life. It is against
the law for breeders to knowingly breed animals with health problems. If you
discover that a breeder has lied to you about the health of the parents or
about the way they advertised the puppies for sale, you have every right to
take the matter further. There are
people selling puppies who do not x-ray, keep
pedigree records or are members of any dog club or organisation. These people
are referred to as Backyard Breeders. Their interests revolve around
profiting from you, the puppy buyer. Backyard breeders are not committed to
producing good quality, purebred and healthy puppies. Never buy a
puppy whose parents have not been x-rayed, or from someone who is not a
registered breeder and does not provide legitimate pedigrees with the puppy.
Irresponsible breeding practices damage the breed and also result in poor
quality and unhealthy pups! If you are going
to purchase a life long companion that is going to bring lots of love to your
life, buy from a registered breeder, who takes pride in their dogs and their
breeding program. Are the
puppies and dogs kept in a clean environment, not in the mud, messy papers or
excrement? If they are well looked after and healthy puppies
they should look and smell clean and healthy, with clean coats and bright
eyes. People should not breed if they do not have an adequate set up for
puppies. Are both
parents trained and have good temperaments? Are you able to meet them?
Dogs should not be aggressive or shy. Temperament is partly genetic and
partly environmental (how the dog is raised), so be sure you do not chose a
puppy that may be prone to aggression or shyness. What are the breeders reasons for breeding? Breeders
should never breed just to make more white puppies. They should ONLY breed
for the improvement of the breed, selecting mates based on health/genetics
who are also conformationally (structurally)
compatible and sound. They should be able to explain to you why the parents
compliment each other in this regard. As soon as someone breeds a litter,
they are classified as breeders (regardless if they are registered breeders
or not!). People who say that they are not breeders, but just have puppies
are obviously not doing the right thing and should not be breeding to start
with. The breeder should also know the history of the breed, a bit about
colour genetics and hereditary diseases in the breed. Does the
breeder use different stud dogs in their breeding program, or do they just
have a male and female in the backyard and allowing them to breed whenever
the female is in season? If responsible
breeders care about the breed and its improvement, they will go to great
lengths to travel to a suitable stud dog for the purpose of expanding the
gene pool. Many also import dogs or frozen semen from overseas. There is no
real consideration for the breed if a breeder continuously breeds the same
dogs over and over again for the purpose of selling puppies to the public. Will the
breeder show you the pedigree papers of the puppies (not just the parents)? A good breeder will know what the pedigree of the
pups will look like even before the mating! Many breeders like to do an
extended pedigree of 5 generations or so. If a breeder tells you that papers
will cost you extra, it is a blatant lie! All dogs bred should have a
pedigree and should be x-rayed and accepted for breeding. Papers issued will
say that the dog has been accepted for breeding and/or state Main
Registration. Are the breeders dogs a part of their family and socialised with
kids, other dogs and the general public? If the dogs are well looked after, cherished family members that genuinely
are part of the family, they will be well mannered and sociable. Never accept
a bad temperament from a breeding quality dog! Do the
parents have any showing or working/training qualifications? Many breeders that are really into their breed of choice, will do many activities with their dogs, including
training in different dog sports and showing and will be able to prove it
with titles or championship points. It is a good thing if breeders prove the
breed worth of their dogs by showing and advanced training, instead of being
a pet that doesn’t leave the backyard. Are the
parents x-rayed with good hip and elbow scores? Be sure to
see copies of the results and ask if you can keep a copy of these if you
purchase the puppy. If in doubt, ask advice from a reputable club
or qualified vet such as Monash Vet
and get advice pertaining to the scores before
you buy. In the scores, each hip is graded from 0-53 (with 0 being
perfect and 53 being severely dysplasic). The
Does the breeder
give health guarantees and guarantees against hip and elbow dysplasia? What happens if your puppy is diagnosed with a
serious hereditary disease when it is still young? Are you eligible for a
refund? Most ethical breeders will breed for the health of the breed and
breed with the aim to lower the incidence of hip and elbow dysplasia and may
offer full or partial refunds (depending on the severity of the case). The
mode of inheritance of hip dysplasia is POLYGENETIC (meaning it is caused by
many different genes of the parents). Scientists are not sure which genes or
exactly how many. Factors that can worsen hip and elbow dysplasia are excess
weight, a fast growth rate, a high calorie or supplemented diet. Breeders
should investigate their blood lines before they breed and when choosing a
mate, so the same thing with the mate’s pedigree and ancestors. That
way, they can make an informed decision when breeding and avoid doubling up
on diseases when combining blood lines. How does the
breeder track the health in their lines so they can learn about the health in
their lines to produce healthier dogs? Some breeders require all pups they breed to have hip and xrays done so the owner and breeder has piece of mind
that the dogs hips are sound and they will live a long life without any hip
dysplasia. Breeders should care about the health of their puppies and this is
something that a responsible breeder follows up on. Avoid purchasing a pup
from a breeder who says there are no health problems in their lines at all.
This is not true. Scientific research has proven that every dog is a carrier
of some kind of hereditary problem. The only way to find out and improve
health in dogs, is to survey, track and record these
problems, so we can make wiser breeding decisions. How does the
breeder tell the difference between a pet quality puppy and a breeding
quality puppy? Do they ask you before you purchase about whether you will be desexing your puppy or breeding it in the future? Due to the sad fact that many Australian whites
are ending up in shelters and in the hands of backyard breeders, good
breeders will care about your future plans for your puppy. A good breeder
will not just sell you any puppy you want from a litter. They should reserve
the best ones for breeding homes or sell it on breeders
terms, so they may improve the next generation of dogs. They should also
require pet quality pups be desexed. It’s
pretty pointless if a pet quality puppy is bred when it is not the best
quality from the litter. If they don’t breed the best dogs to improve
the next generation, you have to ask yourself if simply selling puppies for
the public is their main motive for breeding! Breeders who don’t care
where their puppies end up or whether they are bred or not, should not breed!
Pups should be assessed at 6-8 weeks to check their conformation (structure),
temperament and type. A poorly constructed puppy should be sold as a pet,
with the better quality pups being retained in the breeding program. If all
pups are sold as pets, this does nothing for the future of the breed!
Breeders should always breed for the bright future of their chosen breed! Do the
parents have certified purebred pedigree papers? Ask to see
copies of pedigrees. Never trust the word of someone! Some breeders who have
no idea, mistake papers for a vaccination card! Papers should list all three
generations of dogs, the breeder and owner and have registration numbers for
each dog. Dogs that are approved for breeding should have papers issued
stating that the dog has fulfilled breeding requirements. Do the pups
come with information pertaining to worming and vaccination schedules, so you
know when the next set are due? What about a vaccination card and microchip
transfer? You need to know when to vaccinate your puppy (12
and 16 weeks, then a yearly booster), and you will need to transfer the
ownership of the puppy into your name. There’s nothing worse than
having your dog get out and it’s microchip not
in your name, so the breeder is still the legal owner! Your breeder should be
able to give you recommendations and advice on food and how much to feed,
exercise for the pup, worming, heartworm etc. Your vet and obedience club
should be able to guide you through the rest of the process and raising of
your puppy, though your breeder should be able to give you a wealth of advice
and knowledge on these subjects. Is the
breeder willing to keep in contact with you regarding any after-sale queries?
A caring and responsible
breeder will not turn you away as soon as they have your money and you take
the pup. If you have any training, behaviour or general breed enquires, they
should be more than willing to help you. A good breeder will keep in contact
with you throughout the pups life and ask you how
he/she is doing and ask to see photos as they grow. A good breeder likes to
stay in contact with their puppy buyers to check that everything is OK. Do
you get a good overall feel for the breeder when taking to them? Never purchase a puppy because
you feel sorry for it, want to save it or if you feel pressured in any
way by the breeder. A good breeder will be helpful with any questions you
have about their dogs or the breed and will be enthusiastic in doing so. You
should never feel pressured or harassed. Is the breeder friendly and easy to
talk to and deal with? Are they organised with their paperwork and microchip
transfers and vaccination cards? Do they tell you how long it will take until
you receive the papers for your pup in your own name? Do they use puppy sale
contracts because they care where their dogs end up and don’t want to
see them in a pound or shelter? Do they clearly outline what you should do
with your dog if you can no longer keep it? A breeder who genuinely cares
will cover all of this and also ask you lots of questions to figure out if
you will be a responsible pet owner. Getting a pet is a large responsibility,
so a good breeder will want to know that you understand the importance of
such a commitment. This page is for information and educational purposes only and to
educate the public. This information is copyright and is not to be forwarded,
copied, reproduced or published without express permission from the WGSDAV. |
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