Selecting A Good Responsible Breeder

I see a lot of questions on line and we receive quite a few questions and inquires on breeders.  I think that it is important that people be educated in their decision of who to get a puppy from.   I have put this information together and tried to consolidate it.  Below, I feel, is some good information, puppy buyers of ANY BREED can use during their search for a puppy and a good quality breeder.  Never Ever buy a puppy from a pet store.

Here is a list of questions to consider asking the breeder:

1. Are the puppies' parents health "certified"? This means that certain breeds are often at risk for genetic conditions such as hip problems, heart problems and eye problems. Most of these diseases are inherited, meaning the disease is passed from parent to puppy. Many breeders will have their dogs evaluated and tested for that disease and ultimately "certified" by a veterinary specialist to be disease-free. Know about the breed and if there are any common genetic problems. A breeder will spend a fair amount of money having the hips x-rayed to identify potential for developing Hip Dysplasia the certification is called OFA. This can only be done after a dog reaches the age of 2. Some less than desirable breeders will only offer a one year health guarantee. It is important to discuss this with your breeder. If the dysplasia cannot be identified until the age of 2, how does a 1 year health guarantee help you?

2. What are the sizes of the puppy's parents? Know how big the parents are, to get a good idea of how big your puppy will be. Is that the size dog you want?

3.  When was the last time this female had puppies? How often does the breeder have litters available, how frequently does the breeder breed his females? Now make notes during this conversation, know how old the momma is too. How many females does he have? Are males on site? Normally females are able to breed twice a year. After your questions are answered, math them out. Make sure the breeder is telling the truth. Be aware of breeders that breed back to back litters and the poor females never get a break.

4. Ask to meet the dogs parents. If possible, meet the puppy's parents. Notice if they appear to be in good health and evaluate their overall temperament. Are they shy, aggressive, or well adjusted? If out of state ask if both parents will be on site to see when you meet your breeder or pick your puppy.

5. How have they socialized the pups? Have the pups been around other dogs? Other people? Socialization is critical in puppies 6 – 16 weeks old. Proper socialization consisting of good experiences of a puppy with other puppies and lots of different ages, sizes and types of people will give you the best chance at having a well-adjusted dog. Puppies learn a lot in weeks 6-8, they learn the most about bite pressure and appropriate play manners. Never take a puppy before it is 8 weeks old, even though it may not be drinking moms milk any more, they need that development with mom and litter mates. Some less than desirable breeders take pups away from mom at week 5-6 “because they are eating solid food and don’t need mom any more”. One should steer clear of that breeder.

 6. What vaccines has the puppy had? How many shots has he received and when will the puppy be due for his next puppy shot? Is there a breed specific Vaccine protocol? I list the Vizsla Club of Americas recommended protocol on our web site at the bottom of the puppy page. Have the puppies been dewormed? All puppies are born with worms and routine deworming is recommended.

 7. Have any of the puppies in the litter been sick? If so, what were the signs, the diagnosis and treatment?

8. What visits has the puppies had with the veterinarian? Have they been examined and declared "healthy"? If not, what problems have they had? Have they been on any medications?

9. What is their guarantee? What guarantee does the breeder give with their puppies? If the puppy is found to have a severe illness, what will they do? This is a difficult topic but one that is a lot easier to cover up front rather than later. Good breeders will offer a Life Time Guarantee against Genetic Defects, such as Dysplasia. They also will encourage you to take your puppy to your regular vet ASAP usually within the first week you get him or her. That way you can rest assured your puppy is healthy and free from communicable diseases.   A refund of the price of the puppy, your choice to return it or not, or your choice to get a different puppy. In the event of an issue, your breeder should be there to work it out and support you as well as the puppy they produced.

10. Recommendations? Ask the breeder for a couple references of puppy owners that they have sold within the past year. CALL them. Find out if the breeder was fair, if they were happy with their pups, and how any problems were handled. This is difficult because of course they are going to give you names and numbers of friends who will tell you good things.

11. Breeders contract? Does your breeder require a breeder's contract? If so, what is in it? Is the breeder willing to take back the puppy at any time, if you can't keep it? A good breeder will take the puppy back no questions asked at any age of the pups life. Whether the dog is sick, the owner may be very sick or terminal, loss of job, change in life style, marriage to someone who is allergic, all are reasons that later in a pups life it may be best to go back to the breeder. Good breeders do not want their puppies to put stress on shelters and rescue groups so they take full responsibility for them and take them back and often re-home them or keep them themselves.

12. Limited registration. Some breeders require that you spay or neuter your dog BY or NOT BEFORE a certain age. If you are interested in breeding your dog, they may require you to prove that the pup is an asset to the breed’s genetics by doing some forms of competition with your new pup. By putting AKC and other Tittles on your dog, it shows they are of sound mind and temperament to accomplish the job at hand and physically able to do so as well. This is what your breeder should have done and been doing with the parents of your puppy. It increases the chances of producing the best dogs to breed standard possible and gives marked proof of accomplishments and contribution to the breeds gene pool as a whole. Its another reason you choose a pup from a quality breeder and in many cases pay a bit more money for it. But in the long run it may be a cost savings. A discounted puppy could turn into a very expensive less that 100% healthy dog for the rest of its life racking up vet bill after vet bill for issues that could have been identified in more prudent breeding practices.

13. What is the family history? Ask if the breeder has information about the breed line. For example, ask how long the dogs have lived and what they have died from. Write it down. This may be important for monitoring your pet as he gets older. What are the parents and grandparents like in personality?

14. What is the breeder currently feeding the puppy? Regardless of what they are feeding, it is ideal to continue feeding the same food for the first few days at home to minimize the risk of gastrointestinal disturbances. If you choose to change the diet, do it gradually. Most breeders will send you home with a little food to help you get started and swap over to a new puppy food. Some breeders require a certain quality level of food. Also take not that they feed the pups good food not just puppy chow or something such as that.

15. Does the breeder belong to a breed club? Call the club and see that the breeder is in good standings. Maybe ask the club representative if they would feel comfortable recommending the breeder to a friend of theirs.

16.  Will they help you with questions as the puppy grows? If out of state, do they have a contact in their area you could set them up with for help in training if need be? Get your questions answered and feel very comfortable with your new puppy. Proper and responsible breeding, appropriate health care and correct puppy socialization will make a big difference in how healthy your dog is and what kind of dog your puppy will turn out to be.