Finding A Dog Breeder
By: Kirsten Hawkins
If youre in the market for a purebred dog, youll need to find a
breeder from which to purchase the animal. This can often be as
easy as opening the classified advertising section of your local
newspaper, but youll want to be sure that the breeder youve chosen
is reputable. There are several ways to help ensure that the
breeder youve found knows his stuff and is reliable, professional,
and trustworthy.
Ask for References
Any good breeder will be able to provide you references of clients
he has worked with in the past. These will be people who have
purchased a puppy or utilized stud services and will be happy to
share their experiences with you. Choosing a breeder that was used
by someone you know is a good choice as well. If your friend or
family member was happy with the service and treatment he or she
received from the breeder, the odds are good that you will be as
well.
Prepare to be Asked Questions
A good breeder will have as many questions for you as you have for
him, perhaps more. Good breeders work to ensure that the dogs they
breed are placed with the correct people. They may ask whether you
have children, what size home or yard you have, and numerous other
questions to help them let you know whether the dog youre seeking
is right for you and your family. A breeder that doesnt ask these
types of questions may be looking just for the money from the sale
of the dog and is probably not the sort of breeder you want to do
business with. A good breeder always has the best interest of both
the dog and the clients in mind.
Guarantees
A good breeder will have had the puppies checked for potential
health risks before ever selling the animal. Some problems,
however, simply are not detectable until later in life. If you
purchase a golden retriever pup, for example, and six months later
discover that it has hip dysplasia (a genetic defect in the animals
hip joints, it is often nearly undetectable until the animal is
several months old), a good breeder will issue a refund to you, no
questions asked. Genetic defects like this are avoided by the use
of selective breeding (hip dysplasia in dogs has between a 25% and
85% chance that it is genetic in origin), but sometimes a pup will
display the disorder even if there is no trace of it in either
parents history.
Other Sources
Aside from looking in the newspaper of on the internet for a dog
breeder, breeders can be found through veterinarians offices, pet
supply stores, and at dog shows. Dog shows are a very good choice
since the breeders that attend these events are often showing one
of their dogs or are there to see the performance of one that they
bred and sold in the past.
Kirsten Hawkins is a dog lover and animal expert from Nashville, TN. Visit www.doghealth411.com/ for more information on dog health, the care of dogs, and dog travel.
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