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			Choosing a Dog... How To Find a Reputable Breeder by Cris Waller Article Rating = 3.49 (31 votes)

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Category: Animals & Pets : Dogs Anyone who breeds a dog is technically a breeder. But some breeders are much better than others! Let's get one thing out of the way. Lots of people, when hearing about reputable breeders, immediately respond, "But I don't want a fancy show dog! I just want a nice pet!". The truth is, every litter of dogs from a reputable breeder has some great pets, which were raised with as much love and care as the potential winners. And every pet dog deserves to lead a happy, healthy life, not one cut short or filled with pain because of careless breeding. So even if you want "just a pet", a reputable breeder is the best choice. It may take longer to find that great breeder than it would to get a pup from Joe Puppymill in the newspaper, but it's worth it! So how do you know that a breeder is reputable? - They have a good reason for breeding. Money is not a good reason! Reputable breeders lose money. They are breeding to make the breed better. - They have health-tested their dogs for any genetic problems that breed may have. For most breeds, that means clearance from the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) (http://www.offa.org) that the parents do not have hip dysplasia and eye certification from the Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF) that the parents are free of heritable eye defects. Different breeds have different screening requirements- for example poodles should be tested free of the skin condition sebaceous adenitis and Golden Retrievers should be certified free of subaortic valvular stenosis (a heart ailment) by a canine cardiologist. You'll have to do a bit of research on your chosen breed to find out what the recommended tests are. You can start this search by looking up your breed at http://www.akc.org. Don't settle for "my dogs are healthy" without proof! And don't buy the argument that "my dogs are just pets and don't need testing"! You deserve a healthy puppy and your puppy deserves to be healthy! - They are up-front and honest about any potential problems their breed may have - They do something with their dogs- conformation showing, dog sports, or the like- to prove that their dogs are worthy of being bred. Remember that it's careful breeding that makes a Golden Retriever a Golden Retriever, for example! - Their dogs live in the house (at least most of the time) and are not relegated to kennels. - They have only a small breeding program- at most a couple of litters a year, not dozens! Their puppies are raised with lots of individual care and attention. - They know the pedigree of their dogs inside and out. Most of the dogs in the pedigrees are titled in at least one area. - They offer a contract and/or a guarantee against genetic health problems and will also take the puppy back at any time in its life if you can no longer keep it. - They ask you as many questions as you ask them! They want to make sure that all their pups go to good homes. - They line up homes *before* they breed their dogs. You'll probably have to wait for a puppy. Now for some red flags: - Advertising puppies with the primary selling point being that they are "AKC-registered". AKC registration is no sign of quality. It is the canine version of your auto registration. It just means that your pup is supposed to be a purebred whatever. It means nothing about the health of the pup. - Having both parents on site. Usually, the best father for a litter of pups is owned by someone else! Any breeder who has both parents should be questioned as to why their dog was the most suitable father. - Always having puppies. - No titles on the parents, guarantees or health testing, because they are "just breeding pets" So where do you find these great breeders? A good place to start is with the breed club for your breed, which can be found at http://www.akc.org. Attending dog shows is fun and is also a good way to see dogs you like and meet people who know a lot about them. Be patient- good things take time! About the author... Submitted By Cris Waller Description Dog person Web Page http://members.tripod.com/antique_fcr Other Articles in this Category How to Train a Dog: Down by Cris Waller How to Train a Dog: Come by Cris Waller How to Train a Dog: The Basics by Cris Waller How to Train a Dog: Stay by Cris Waller How to Keep Your Dog From Digging In Your OutdoorFlower Pots by Roseanne Smith Choosing a Dog... Where to Find a Dog (and where *not* to!) by crisw How to Train a Dog: Walking Nicely by Cris Waller How to Train a Dog: Sit by Cris Waller How to Train a Dog: Housebreaking by Cris Waller How to Figure Out the Cost of Keeping a Dog for a Year by crisw Choosing a Dog... Picking a Breed by crisw How to Deter Neighborhood Dogs from Using Your Yard as a Bathroom by ckeeta Choosing a Dog... 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