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Click here to find out why you should by from a responsible breeder even though the initial cost is more.
Click here to find out why the initial cost is more for responsible breeders.
The fact is, breeding is not unlike any profession or trade, there are ethics that need to be followed to ensure equitable transactions. However, breeding dogs unlike most professions/trades lack a credible governance body that certifies a breeder is ethical.
The best way to make sure you have chosen a responsible breeder is to make sure your breeder is a member of the breed club for the specific breed of dog you have chosen. All breed clubs, like the German Shepherd Dog Club of America, have codes of ethics that the breeders have to live by. If they don't live by these ethics their club membership should terminated. The problem is that the public isn't educated enough resulting in poor club enrollment. Most clubs are too underfunded to enforce their rules. The AKC does not regulate breeders. AKC registration does not mean a good healthy dog or that it came from a responsibile breeder they simple ensure that the puppies comes from other registered dogs and the dogs are of the same breed (purebred).
Click here fo a list of breed clubs and their codes of ethics.
Here we list points to remember when choosing a responsible breeder. Just because a breeder is listed as any club member does not mean they are responsible.
- Don't buy a puppy because he's less expensive than another puppy of the same breed. You may be sacrificing quality. A responsible breeder of the German Shepherd Dog will lose money if they sell their dog for under $1000. It is worth spending the extra money to avoid the atrocities unethical breeders cause, wether it be health, behavior, or contractual problems they cause. Remember this will be your companion for the next 10-15 years. Good breeding costs more initially but much less over that period of time and you will enjoy your dog so much more
- Never buy a puppy from a pet store. Too often these puppies come from "puppy mills". If you don't know what a puppy mill is, look up the term "puppy mill" on the internet or call your local animal shelter. The only way to stop puppy mills is to stop buying puppies from pet stores. This does not include those pet stores that have shelter puppies available for adoption.
- Never buy a puppy from a breeder that doesn't certify the hips/elbows of the parents and look for hip certification in the pedigrees 3-4 generations back. These certificationss are abreviated OFA good or excellent (USA), OVC (Ontario), SV normal or fast normal (Germany). Hip/elbow displasia is the most common ailment of dogs and it is a direct result of irresponsible breeders. It is proven most often heriditary and responsible breeding tremendously reduces this risk. Please read T. J. Dunn, Jr. DVM article on Canine Hip Displasia.
- Good pedigrees will contain health abbreviations by the dog's names: Look at the pedigree for the history of health certificates. PedigreeDatabase.com is used by breeders to list a dogs pedigree, it does not contain official pedigrees, however it is closely scrutinized as most people in the industry use it heavily.
- Keep in mind that though a litter is advertised as AKC registered doesn't mean they're quality pups. AKC registered means that the puppy is eligible for registration with the American Kennel Club. For quality, look at pedigrees and health records.
- The breeder should know what their breed was meant to do, general history of the breed, health problems that may affect their breed, and what homes their pups would do best in. Be wary of the breeder that makes their breed out to be perfect. They usually are just interested in money since no breed is perfect for everyone.
- The breeder should ask you questions before they agree to sell you a puppy. Such as: Do you have time to care for a puppy properly? Can you afford feeding/grooming costs? Where will the puppy live (indoors/outdoors)? Why do you want a puppy?
- A health guarantee should be given with every purebred puppy sold. The breeder is responsible for bringing your puppy into the world and therefore should be responsible for it until it no longer graces the earth. Breeders offer varying guarantees so check out what hereditary health problems may affect your breed and be sure your health guarantee covers it to some extent. Don’t expect the guarantee to cover such things as accidents, parasites, nonhereditary diseases, etc. You should also have at least 48 hours after picking the puppy up from the breeder to take your new pup to your vet. If your vet should find a health problem your breeder should allow you to return the puppy and choose another one, wait until the next litter arrives to choose one, or return your money.
- Trust your instincts! If you feel uncomfortable with a breeder, leave. Don't be afraid to tell the breeder you'll just keep looking. A reputable breeder will understand.
- Ask if mother’s been bred every season. A breeder who cares about their dogs will breed every other season. Some breeders will breed back-to-back once. This occurs when the breeder wants puppies in a specific season, if there was a small litter, or the female comes into heat once per year. Of course, there are always “accidents”!
- If you're buying a large breed puppy be sure the health guarantee covers hip dysplasia. Most breeders will give you a puppy from another litter should your puppy be diagnosed with hip dysplasia at two years of age.
- Never buy a puppy from some one who breeds more than two different breeds of dogs. People who breed more than that are usually not able to care properly for the parents or the puppies. It is a key sign they are not ethical.
- When deciding on a breeder, check where the puppies are raised. If the pen is dirty the pups may be difficult to house train.
- Ask your a trusted vet if they know anyone with puppies the breed you’re looking for. A trucsted vet can tell you if the parents are healthy and if the breeder is some one you’d care to buy a puppy from. (If you can find a vet you trust).
- Get references from your breeder of others that own puppies from them. Call these people and ask them to tell you about their experience with their breeder and if they would recommend getting a puppy from the breeder. There’s no better way to find out about how ethical a breeder is and check the quality of their pups than talking to people who have dealt with them in the past. The people you talk to should be the type of people with time room and enough resources to properly care for a puppy. If these people are not, the breeder is most likely unethical.
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