rafiki Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 How far would you be willing to drive for a breeder you feel most comfortable with? My breeder is from Ohio and I am in TN. With Rosco, I had him flown to me. With Sadie, my breeder was coming into this area for a Nascar race and I met her in Gatlinburg. :) How many times did you meet in person with the breeder before taking your pet home? None, but we spoke over the phone and e-mailed daily. Did you rely soley on that breeder or where you also on another breeder's waiting list? I relied on her only. I had contacted other breeders before her, but once I chose to go with her, that was it. How long was it between first getting the process rolling and bringing your pet home? It took 3 weeks with Rosco (my male choc and tan cocker), but he was ready to go when I contacted her. Sadie came along as a "waiting for her to be born" kind of gal so it took almost 3 months from the time I wanted her until I brought her home. Did you and your breeder keep in touch after bringing your pet home? I did for almost a year...then communication kind of fizzled out. But she really helped me a lot in that first year. Anything you wish you would have known before about this process? I probably would have done a bit more research before choosing a cocker spaniel! Much less two! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 We bought our puppy from a breeder in Ontario (several hundred miles away). I talked to her on the phone and she emailed a couple of pictures. We picked this puppy because his mom's last litter topped off at 75 lb (Bernese Mountain Dog) and we didn't want one the size of a St Bernard. She put him on a plane in Toronto and we picked him up in Montreal. Apparently, shipping them across the border sends up all sorts of warnings to the Customs Agents that driving him over the border yourself doesn't. They didn't even want to see any paperwork. The puppy was adorable and is still healthy (no hip problems, etc) but the breeder has disappeared off the face of the earth. We were supposed to get some kind of certificate showing his parentage, once we had him neutered, but have been unable to contact the breeder since. Since we're not showing him, it doesn't really matter, but it might be more important to others. It was our first dog, and we've learned a lot. There is always a reason a puppy is the tenth-picked out of 12! In his case, he is very "mouthy" and still needs to be reminded where he is in the pecking order (3 years later.) I suspect a visit early on (when the whole litter was still there) would have shown this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firefly Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 How far would you be willing to drive for a breeder you feel most comfortable with? The breeder we used was about an hour and fifteen minutes, but I would have gone further, maybe up to 2. How many times did you meet in person with the breeder before taking your pet home? I met with her in person once (after a couple of emails/phone calls) while the pups were still young and too little to go. She wanted to meet the whole family, especially the kids, to make sure she could make a good match of puppy to family. Did you rely soley on that breeder or where you also on another breeder's waiting list? Yes. I had researched extensively and she was the one I wanted to get a puppy through. She was reputable and bred specifically for temperament, was relatively close by, and I loved that her puppies were raised in the chaos of a busy kitchen with toddlers running around! How long was it between first getting the process rolling and bringing your pet home? Five L-O-N-G weeks. LOL Did you and your breeder keep in touch after bringing your pet home? Yes she was and still is available for questions, but it's been a long time now since I've had contact. Anything you wish you would have known before about this process? Sorry, nothing specific comes to mind! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elisabeth in IL Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Yes. I had researched extensively and she was the one I wanted to get a puppy through. She was reputable and bred specifically for temperament, was relatively close by, and I loved that her puppies were raised in the chaos of a busy kitchen with toddlers running around! Can I ask...How do you research? I've searched on-line for breeders in the area but how do you know what they breed for and how reliable they are? Do you begin conversations with several breeders at once? Do you go to dog shows? How should I go about researching and deciding who is a reputable breeder? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share Posted March 2, 2009 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vettechmomof2 Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 How far would you be willing to drive for a breeder you feel most comfortable with? Our breeder is in S. Caroline and we are in PA BUT we met another owner in Virginia, so it was about 7 hours one way. How many times did you meet in person with the breeder before taking your pet home?never met in person Did you rely soley on that breeder or where you also on another breeder's waiting list? only 1 breeder and the 2 resuces that i work with How long was it between first getting the process rolling and bringing your pet home? not long for us, 2 ish months Did you and your breeder keep in touch after bringing your pet home? yes and we have to do ofa testing on hips shortly, but pictures and emails frequently. Anything you wish you would have known before about this process? nope. I work with 2 of our breed rescues and help to do relays(transports) and we made it a fun weekend trip with my mom. IT was actually kept a complete surprice from the children they thought we were going for a weekend trip for the fun of it and visiting a small hobby farm. I do not normally recommend keeping things like this secret but my children are always working on lists of needed items and schedules for pets so they already had all of that covered. I had great recommendation from friends so i felt comfortable not meeting our breeder although 1 day we will get there to meet in person. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooooom Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 I suspect a lot of it has to do with what kind of testing the breeder does on the litter. I spoke with someone who charged $2500 per puppy - she had each one xrayed for hip displaysia at a cost of $400/ea. And she also did every other test in the book. She sounded like a wonderful breeder, but we just couldn't afford her. We had to take our chances with someone who didn't do any of that. The AKC paperwork is the minimum for acceptance - they will track genetic traits. Know your breed and what kind of potential health issues exist - then decide what you would be comfortable with for pretesting - you can call your own vet to find out what those tests should cost. If a breeder doesn't do those tests, consider adding the sale price up with what it would cost you to test, as your total cost, and have those tests run immediately upon purchase - dogs should come with contracts that should give you a return period (usually only a few days) with full refund with proof of existing medical conditions. Of course you would still be out the cost of the testing if you do it yourself. Also consider asking a breeder to forward you their adoption contract to look over before you commit. A good breeder should be able to match you with a puppy - but if you are not sure, bring a very dog experienced person with you to meet a litter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deidre in GA Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 we drove 6 hours each way for our puppy. we spoke and emailed with the breeder beforehand. we met an owner and her dog in our area who had direct experience with the breeder. and this breeder hosts a forum board much like this one where owners post including those who are having problems. i include that last point because i think it shows a fair amount of confidence on the breeder's part to host a board that may ocassionally have a negative post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firefly Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Can I ask...How do you research? I've searched on-line for breeders in the area but how do you know what they breed for and how reliable they are? Do you begin conversations with several breeders at once? Do you go to dog shows? How should I go about researching and deciding who is a reputable breeder? I started by asking for a personal recommendation from a friend I knew who had the breed I wanted-- I'd obviously seen her dog and loved both the look and temperament. I contacted her breeder and she gave me a few other names, and I checked out the websites and sent inquiry emails. I think if possible word of mouth is the way to go. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Just as a side-note, AKC or CKC paperwork is no guarantee of health. Puppy mill dogs can & often do come with papers. Flashy websites are not great recommendations either. I think some of the best breeders out there are not on the web at all & sell out their pups by word of mouth..... To get a good idea of who is a good breeder, contact the national and local breed clubs and speak with them. Try to attend some shows. Good breeders should be members & should either be showing in conformation or competing in tracking/agility/hunt/obed etc etc etc. They're out and about. It's the word of mouth of people at these events who will put you in touch with good breeders - even if all you want is a good healthy 'pet' quality dog. I'd be hesitant to go with a breeder whom I couldn't visit ahead of time so for me the cut off would be however far I'd be willing to drive/fly. Note too that many good breeders will refuse to sell to a 'long distance' client unless you come with recommendations (from your local agility or rescue club for example). Good breeders will sell on a spay/neuter contract unless there's an expectation of showing &/or potentially breeding the pup once maturity has been reached. Either way, they should stay in touch to make sure the dog's been altered, or to assess the showing/breeding potential. Also, good breeders want to know about any health probs that crop up in the dog's life as they'll want to know if it's something that will affect their lines. Good breeders should have lots of info on genetics, on their breeding philosophies and on 'what' criteria they're breeding for in their lines and what they're hoping to achieve, what characteristics in their breed they're hoping to preserve, and what problems there are in the lines. Run from any breeder claiming no probs in their lines or breed - they all have them & an honest breeder will discuss them. One way of winnowing out good breeders is to contact the local breed rescue - they can usually tell you who the good breeders are, because THOSE dogs never show up in rescue. They can also tell you who to stay away from, who over breeds and doesn't stand behind their pups..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 Just as a side-note, AKC or CKC paperwork is no guarantee of health. Puppy mill dogs can & often do come with papers. I just wish more people understood this. Ria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Are you looking for a specific breed? If there is a rescue group for the breed you are interested in in your area, you may want to contact them. The people who run such groups are usually passionate about the breed and may know which breeders are good and which aren't reputable. Reputable breeders will have fewer dogs being rescued because there won't be as many behavioral/health problems with the dogs, and they will do a better job of matching their puppies to families who will be keeping them forever. We drove 3 hours to pick up each of our puppies. We brought each of them home at 8 weeks, and probably began talks with the breeders when the dogs were 2-4 weeks old. Our first dog we met for the first time when we picked her up, and the second puppy we met at 3 weeks old and then came back to get her at 8 weeks. The breeders lived in the same city, and the mothers of our dogs were distantly related. We did have some followup questions with our first dog and the breeder was happy to answer them. We haven't been in contact with them since. In my opinion, we didn't go with the best breeders....but the most reputable breeders in our area wanted $2000 per dog and we just couldn't afford it. Our older dog has some behavioral issues...but we got really lucky with our second. She is a sweetheart. Neither dog, however, has any health issues (so far). We should have known when we first met our first puppy that there would be issues - she was very hyperactive/distractable as a puppy, and she still is now. If you breeder is far enough away to make 2 or 3 visits out of the question, maybe he/she would be willing to send you a video of the puppies, so you can get a general idea of their traits before you decide which one you want to bring home. The friskiest, most outgoing puppy will likely be that way as a full-grown dog (I wish I had known this our first time around - I thought all puppies were like this). On the other hand, the runt of the litter may be timid and quieter. It's very hard to make a choice based on a picture. If you trust the breeder, you could tell them what traits you are looking for and hopefully they would be able to match you with the right puppy. But being able to meet your future puppy face to face is by far the better option (and they are so sweet at 3 weeks old :001_wub:). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamagistra Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Just as a side-note, AKC or CKC paperwork is no guarantee of health. Puppy mill dogs can & often do come with papers. Flashy websites are not great recommendations either. I think some of the best breeders out there are not on the web at all & sell out their pups by word of mouth..... To get a good idea of who is a good breeder, contact the national and local breed clubs and speak with them. Try to attend some shows. Good breeders should be members & should either be showing in conformation or competing in tracking/agility/hunt/obed etc etc etc. They're out and about. It's the word of mouth of people at these events who will put you in touch with good breeders - even if all you want is a good healthy 'pet' quality dog. I'd be hesitant to go with a breeder whom I couldn't visit ahead of time so for me the cut off would be however far I'd be willing to drive/fly. Note too that many good breeders will refuse to sell to a 'long distance' client unless you come with recommendations (from your local agility or rescue club for example). Good breeders will sell on a spay/neuter contract unless there's an expectation of showing &/or potentially breeding the pup once maturity has been reached. Either way, they should stay in touch to make sure the dog's been altered, or to assess the showing/breeding potential. Also, good breeders want to know about any health probs that crop up in the dog's life as they'll want to know if it's something that will affect their lines. Good breeders should have lots of info on genetics, on their breeding philosophies and on 'what' criteria they're breeding for in their lines and what they're hoping to achieve, what characteristics in their breed they're hoping to preserve, and what problems there are in the lines. Run from any breeder claiming no probs in their lines or breed - they all have them & an honest breeder will discuss them. One way of winnowing out good breeders is to contact the local breed rescue - they can usually tell you who the good breeders are, because THOSE dogs never show up in rescue. They can also tell you who to stay away from, who over breeds and doesn't stand behind their pups..... :iagree: Hornblower's dog advice is always spot on. ;) I'll simply add that another sign of a good breeder is that they will continue to offer support and take the dog back at any time if it turns out to be a poor fit in a home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Our first dogs were German Shepherds--one a rescue and one 'parking lot' purchase. They both had major health issues in their final years do to poor breeding. We wanted to avoid that so I started researching potential breeders for our next dog as soon as our first two started going downhill. It did not take much research for me to discover that I did NOT want a 'show' dog--the 'improvements (like the lowered/slanted hind legs) have HURT the breed. Also 'show' GSs have an increased chance of hip dysplasia and lots of different cancers. The smaller GSs (like the show ones and many service ones) also tend to be more agressive. We wanted a LOYAL, GENTLE family pet--not a watch dog. We decided that we wanted a German Shepherd from 'old' lines--also refered to as 'classic'. These dogs have a straigh back--and tend to be HUGE. I found a group of breeders that I liked--and then researched them and their 'lines'. Once satisfied I started looking for colorings and markings that I liked. We wanted a black and tan. One of the breeders in the group had an upcomming litter and I was put on the waiting list. Once the litter was born everything was great for 5 weeks--then we got the bad news from the breeder--well bad for us anyways... our puppy was going to be a LONG haired German Shepherd. We live in Texas--NOT a good idea! The next day the breeder called--someone with a puppy from a previous litter was flooded out of their home and that puppy was now available--a short-haired black and tan male. Perfect. We named him Jordi (Of course we spelled his name wrong--should have been Gordi). He arrived by plane (he was from West Virginia) about 2am one week later. He is almost 2 years old now--and is a true gentle giant. He is around 120 pounds and is a lap-dog wanna-be. We lost our first two dogs soon after Jordi came to us. I then started searching for a 'friend' for Jordi. Since our pets tend to have Star Trek names and Jordi's best friend was Data we decided to look into white German Shepherds. The white ones tend to be 'classic' as they were not included in the breeding programs that have created what I consider 'inferior' show/police lines. I found 2 breeders that I liked and researched their lines. Unfortunately it would have been about a years wait...but then I discovered a newish breeder who purchased her breeding dogs from the kennels I liked. Even better--she was only 3 hours away (saved $400 in shipping!!!). Like the first breeder we went through this one also had an extensive interview--for us! We visisted on the phone and by e-mail. Once we were 'accepted' as adopters we got to decided on a waiting list. We ended up with a 'last pick' because we did not want to wait 6 more months. We were fortunate that she tried to match up the puppy's temperment with each placement. So even though we officially had last pick--we got an EXCELLENT pup. He is perfect for us. Jordi is a sweetheart--but Data is going to be a great dog. At 9 months old he is doing great with his training. We hope to train him for search and rescue--he is that good! Mr-calm-cool-and-collected and SMART. When looking at breeders--look for the ones that breed the quality of dog you want--most backyard or family breeders just do it for the money--the ones we used breed for improvement and to sustain quality lines (the results are quality dogs). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 I would recommend visiting the breeder at least once before choosing a dog. You might be amazed at the difference in breeders and the conditions some dogs come from. Many breeders require an in (your) home interview with buyers, too, so expect that request. :001_smile: Oh, and you'll probably have to fill out an application with number and ages of children, fence/no fence, classes, rec from a vet, etc. We requested our buyers to return the dog to us for any reason at any time if they were not able to keep it. You can buy the best dog from the best breeder, but if the training is not consistent, you won't be happy. Do you have classes or a teacher that will be available? Depending on the age of your dc, rescue dogs can be wonderful! Look into a few organizations in your area. Sometimes they can tell you the background of the dog (owners got sick or moved), sometimes they don't know. We adopted a labra-doodle last summer, and although he was obviously abused, he's the *nicest* dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 I forgot to mention too that I'd look for a breeder who does some Early Puppy Education. Puppies which are handled certain ways, exposed to a variety of surfaces/places/people and given some challenges, tend to grow up smart and well adjusted. Have a look at some examples of Early Puppy Education here: http://www.puppyprodigies.com/Early%20Learning%20Program%20Highlights.htm#STRESS%20REDUCTION%20&%20CALMING%20CONDITIONING and if you want to see some cutey snugglebum puppies showing how smart they can be, check out the videos page: http://www.puppyprodigies.com/VideoClips.htm Puppy Prodigies raises pups to be assistance dogs but there's no reason most of these techniques shouldn't be used in regular puppy rearing. That's also why good breeders don't have many litters on the ground - it's a lot of work to raise a puppy really well. Of course you want the 'kitchen raised' ones (as opposed to kennel raised) but that's really just the beginning..... BTW, Puppy Prodigies (like many other assitance dog training centers) occasionally releases pups from their program into pet homes.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 "If you don't have time to train your dog, get a stuffed animal." —Pamela Dennison I love your siggie! :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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