You have decided to choose a puppy or adult dog for
your family. If you are in the city or suburbs you have a fenced
yard. If you do not have a fenced yard (as some people who live in
apartments) you have someone to baby-sit while you are gone. You
have found a Vet you feel comfortable with, and you have spoken to a
groomer or two. If you are at www.dogbreedinfo.com you have
obviously taken the time to research the breed, or breeds, that is right
for you and your family. You have searched the net and read a ton
of information. Now, you need to find a breeder. When you
are interviewing breeders, what should you look for.
Some of you may have already had a bad experience
with a rude breeder. You should never feel uncomfortable
speaking to a breeder, and you should not feel as though you are being
interrogated. The conversation should be give-and-take. You
ask questions, the breeder asks questions, and it should feel
comfortable. The first conversation is just get to know each
other. The breeder is, of course, concerned with where their
babies are being placed. But, a good breeder can tell if you are
the right home without being short or harsh. Our job is to
facilitate a long-lasting relationship, and educate pet owners. We
encourage our families to call or write before and after the birth if
they have any questions or concerns. Some of the questions that we
might ask our customers are, "What state do you live in? Tell
me a little about your home? Do you have children or
grandchildren? Do you have other pets?" Sometimes
during the conversation, I learn that they have never had a dog.
That in turn leads to a discussion of what they envision having a dog in
their lives to be like. These families usually will require more
education, advice, and after care before and after their dog gets
home. The good breeder does not mind sharing their knowledge, and
enjoys guiding these families to ensure that they are happy, and the
puppy has a smooth transition. We want it to be an enjoyable
experience and that should be the case for every family working with the
good breeder.
Other questions you can expect are, "What
sorts of temperament are we looking for?" Each family has a
different temperaments in mind. Some want cuddly, others
rambunctious, some laid-back, some independent, some very
obedient. Each puppy is an individual, and it is important for the
buyer and the breeder to communicate effectively so they can pick the
right puppy together. For instance, we have a policy that people
with babies (ages four and under) and the elderly (who have fragile
skin) have first dibs on the more laid-back pups.
Your breeder should keep you involved throughout
the process. You'll think of questions as you go along, and you
should not be afraid to ask. Even if you think it is a dumb
question, you should feel comfortable enough with your breeder to know
that they will not get annoyed or mad because you do not know
something. I have spoken to many wonderful families who have been
treated horribly by some breeders. It is a sign of arrogance and a
lack of self-esteem, and I certainly hope that if this article does
anything, it lets people know that they do not have to put up with this
sort of treatment. We are after all talking about people who are
looking for pets.
Now, if we move to the area of people wanting
to breed or show; that is a whole new ballgame. Of course, good
breeders have stricter criteria in this area. But, families that
are looking for pets that have done their research, and are trying their
best educate themselves, should not be treated badly just because they
are not as educated in the area of breeding as breeders are. And,
even we don't know it all.
Now, what should you ask? Good
breeders will tell you about their breeding and testing programs, and
they will tell you about how the babies are raised, and when they let
them go to their new homes. But, if they miss something, here is a
list for you.
No. 1-Do you require that my puppy be spayed or
neutered? You want them to say yes and your registration papers
should be marked for limited registration. This simply means that
the puppy can never be bred, and have registered offspring.
No. 2-What is your worming schedule for your
puppies?
No. 3-Do you vaccinate your puppies, and when do
you do it? Also, ask what diseases and viruses at the vaccinate
for. Handling the vaccinations is very important. Ask where
they purchased their vaccines. We always purchase are
vaccinations directly from our vet. Your puppy should receive
distemper, hepatitis, lept o, Parvo, Corona, influenza, and bordetella
vaccinations.
No. 4-When do you wean your puppies? We
prefer to let nature take its course. If a breeder has a set time
for weaning, we suggest that you look elsewhere. I have heard a
lot of excuses for weaning too early. Ask for, five, and six weeks
of age. It is not too hard on them. But, I have heard a lot of
excuses from breeders like, it's hard on the mom, their breasts would
drag to the ground and after age five weeks there is no nutritional
value. A puppy is simply not ready to leave mom and
siblings at 4 to 7 weeks and in most cases not at 8 weeks old either.
If the mother is taking care of medically, nutritionally, and
emotionally it is not hard on them. Mother knows best. She
will wean them when it is time, and the puppies will be healthier and
more emotionally stable. And that is what should be strived for.
No. 5- Along the same lines of emotional stability
and health you want to ask this very important question. When does
my puppy get to come home? Our answer is always that it depends on
Mom and the individual puppy. If a breeder says seven or eight
weeks, find another breeder. An excellent book that we love and
follow in raising our puppies is "The Art of Raising a
Puppy, by Monks of New Skete". When mom weans her babies from nursing, that does
not mean that she emotionally weans them as well. When siblings
start sleeping apart and they prefer being with us rather than Mom and
siblings, then they are ready to go to their new homes. A good age
is between 10 to 14 weeks of age. Do not overlook older pups
either. They are well socialize with their family, but they will
fit right in with your own family very quickly and they will still bond
with you, and your children. Since caring breeders do not sell to
brokers (which in turn sell to pet stores) there are times when we have
puppies that have not been placed, that are between 4 to 9 months
old. This can be a blessing, because you do not have
to go through the "chew on everything and anything stage" as
long, and their attention span is much longer, which means they are able
to be housetrained more quickly and are ready to begin basic obedience.
No. 6-By this time, your prospective breeder will
usually have already told you about the bloodlines and pedigrees they
use, and what testing the do. If they don't, you should ask.
| No. 7-Now that you have decided to adopt the puppy
from a particular breeder, the work of choosing your puppy begins.
You and your breeder will work together to pick the puppy whether it be
through pictures and possibly video along with visiting or on the phone
or speaking on the internet. A good breeder will make sure you are
fully informed and has your best interest, and has the puppies, in mind
and will do everything possible to make a good match. |
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We form close relationships with our customers and
visit often during the adoption process. We have the customer name the puppy and that is what
we call them. When the puppy gets to you, he will feel at home hearing
his name and will feel comfortable with you and will adjust more quickly. After
the customer gets the puppy home, we are always happy to hear from them and if they need help, well,
that is what we are here for.
This is my last point.
Find a breeder that the raises the puppies and adults in a clean, roomy,
home environment. The puppy should not be raised in a cage. After all
he is going to live with the family, not in a cage. A puppy that is used
to a small area means they are used to going to the bathroom anywhere
and that makes them harder to housebreak. We keep them in a large
clean environment and they get it, much more quickly. When you see those
puppies in the pet stores, in the small cages, you see they don't seem
upset about it? What do you think they are used to?!! Most of those
puppies have never felt the grass beneath their feet. Later, these
puppies will begin to show signs of emotional stress, and will more than
likely have some behavioral problems. Just because you do not choose
your puppy from a pet store does not mean that you purchased one from a
breeder that it is not in a similar environment. There are many breeders
out there who keep their adults and puppies in cages or runs. You want
to choose a breeder that is raising a puppy that is being socialize
properly to go into a pet home, your home. You
want a breeder that breeds for the whole dog. Health, temperament,
longevity, conformation, good skin, good eyes, etc.
Your breeder should also offer you some sort of
health and temperament agreement. We have a contract with our customers
on our site. It basically says, that we Guarantee a puppy with a stable
temperament (no chemical imbalance) and good health. There are options
available in case something does go wrong. After all, we are not dealing
with machines, they are living beings, and are fallible, as we are to
health problems and emotional problems. A good breeder is there for the
families they serve. For instance, a puppy has a chemical imbalance that
causes seizures. She's only five years old. If you and your vet are
unable to control this problem with medication, you should be able to
call your breeder, and that breeder should offer you another puppy (when
you're ready). The
breeder should also take note of your experience, for future reference.
If there are problems again in the future they need to readdress their
breeding program. Further genetic testing, and test breedings may
need to be done to find out where the "bad gene" is coming from.
We have a 5 year genetic death and temperament guarantee.
Good luck, follow your instincts and you will find
the puppy that is right for you and your family from a breeder you know
is working for you, and has your best interests, and the puppies, in
mind.
