As a dog trainer I work with all kinds of dogs, both purebreds and mixed breeds. All of them are highly intelligent and all of them are beautiful to me. But every owner has their reasons for getting the type of dog they do – some have sentimental reasons like their family has always owned a certain type of dog, they have a friend who has a dog who they love or maybe they just love the looks of a dog. Whatever the reason, it is always beneficial to do some research before getting any type of dog. For example, if you are thinking about getting a purebred puppy, there are many things to consider in picking a good breeder. A good breeder is invaluable for your puppy to have the best start in life that they possibly can. Good breeding leads to healthy, happy, and consistent breed specific temperaments. Here are a few things to consider and help guide you when looking for a dog breeder.
6 month old Siberian Huskey
A good dog breeder will be willing to show you around where the puppies stay and where their adult breeding dogs stay. The areas should be clean, with plenty of room and well maintained. They should also be willing to let you meet the parents of the litter. You want to see that these dogs are well behaved, clean and not afraid of visitors.
The puppies should be exposed to human socialization, being handled often. A pup handled early on it the appropriate way will have a better chance at growing up without anxiety and while being friendly with people.
There should be a limited number of litters that the mother has had and there should be a limited number of litters available for adoption.
The breeder should be knowledgeable about the breed and forthcoming about breed characteristics as well as any breed specific health risk. If there are hereditary health issues, the breeder should give you certified proof that the parents and grandparents have been tested for those issues and are cleared. The puppies should also be tested and come with a health guarantee.
A good breeder will also be willing to give you references of past clients who have gotten a puppy from them.
A breeder should insist on keeping the puppies until at least 8 weeks of age and also should have been given their first round of vaccines. Staying with the litter until 8 weeks is so vital for the pup’s physical and psychological well being.
A red flag that someone is not a reputable breeder is if they have too many pairs of breeding dogs.
Probably one of the best indicators that someone is breeding for the right reason is their overall enthusiasm for the breed. A lot of times these breeders will have experience in competitions with the breed such as the show arena or obedience competitions. They will be able to tell you just about everything about the breed and happy to do so. Also, they will be available to you even after you have taken the puppy home, in case you have any questions, health concerns, etc.
Reputable breeders often get a bad rap as being too bossy about who their puppies go to but if you are getting a specific breed of pup for the right reasons, you should never be offended that the breeder is selective and asks many questions. They are in the breeding business for the right reason – to secure that the breed characteristics are maintained and that the puppies they are selling are well taken care of.
Some of the questions that a good breeder may ask you; 1) What is your living situation? Do you own a house or do you live in an apartment? Do you have a yard or live in a city? How many people are in your family and they might ask to meet the other family members. 2) What is the reason you want this particular breed? Is this pup going to be just a family pet or will you show the dog? What is your experience with this particular breed? 3) Most reputable breeders will ask that you sign a spay or neuter contract so to help control the pet overpopulation.
So if you are in the search for a puppy and you haven’t truly decided which route to go yet, I encourage you to consider adopting from a rescue instead of a breeder or pet store. Rescues often have puppies if that’s what you’re wanting and there are breed specific rescues out there who can really provide you with the right puppy for you. But if you are really wanting to get a pup from a breeder, I encourage you to do your homework on the breeder you are considering and I hope this article can give you some guidince as to how to do your research.
