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PUPPY SELECTION: A 3-STEP PROCESS
Picking out a puppy is more than going online and looking for puppy advertisements. You need to do your homework first so that you are looking in the right direction to begin with.
When it comes to selecting a puppy, there are three important steps:
- Selecting a breed
- Choosing a breeder (or rescue)
- Picking a puppy
I am going to break down each one of these for you.
STEP 2: CHOOSING A BREEDER
Choosing a breeder (or sourcing your puppy) is an important step when picking out the right breed of dog for yourself. Whether you choose to adopt or shop, there is a lot you need to learn. One must first realize that purebred does not equal well-bred. There are more bad breeders out there than good ones and locating a great breeder can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack! I am going to help you sift through breeders so that you can find one that is responsible, ethical, and producing quality puppies.
Bloodlines
Puppies can inherit behavioral traits like fear and aggression the same way they inherit phenotypes like size, coat, and color. Study bloodlines before picking a breeder and buying a puppy.
When you select a well-bred dog from good bloodlines, you are honestly stacking the deck in your favor.
How do you find a well-bred dog – you start with a reputable breeder!
Reputable Breeders
A reputable breeder focuses on producing sound and stable dogs with good drives, good orthopedics, good health, great temperaments, and strong pedigrees. A reputable breeding program that is worth its time, money, and final product can be hard to find.
Here are ten traits all good breeders have in common:
- Good breeders health test.
Good breeders put their dogs through extensive health testing. This ensures their dogs are genetically sound and are capable of producing healthy puppies with no congenital or predisposed health problems.
Health testing is breed-specific. It can include hip and elbow X-rays, spinal evaluations, cardiac testing, eye exams, DNA panels and more. Even though it is expensive, all reputable breeders do it.
For a complete list of breed health testing requirements, the Orthopedic Foundation of Animals (OFA) created the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) where anyone can go online and browse by breed to find specific health screenings recommended for different breeds.
Getting a clean bill of health from the vet does NOT count as health testing.
2. Good breeders title their dogs.
Titling dogs allows breeders to be able to prove that their dogs possess the character traits, drives, structure, and conformation the breed is intended to have. Some titles include show titles in the ring and/or working titles in dog sports such as agility, barn hunt, dock diving, herding, protection sports, and obedience. Know what your breed of choice is known for and look for breeders titling in that particular arena.
In many breeding programs, males are titled whereas females are not titled or have lesser titles than males. This is acceptable and usually depends on that breeder’s access to training and trials. Claiming that a dog comes from ‘Champion Lines’ does not suffice for titling.
If you are looking for a ‘pet quality’ dog, it is still important to choose a top breeder because you want to get a puppy from a breeding program that checks all the boxes. A well-bred dog is a versatile dog! You do not want faulty genetics.
Keep in mind though that titles do NOT define a dog – genetics does – titles are simply a testament to the effort and investment the breeder has put into the dog, as well as the dog’s abilities.
3. Good breeders breed mature dogs.
Typically, females are bred no sooner than their second heat cycle, and males are bred no sooner than twelve months of age. The majority of breeders wait until their dogs are twenty-four months of age and have passed all health testing requirements before breeding.
Beware of breeders who breed dogs that are less than a year old or more than nine years of age.
4. Good breeders provide pedigrees.
Pedigrees are usually listed on their website, and, when you talk to the breeders, they can tell you about dogs within the pedigrees, what they are known for, the types of dogs they produce, and other interesting details. Good breeders know their dogs’ pedigrees, are well informed, and can properly answer any question you may have.
Breeders can also tell you about their upcoming breedings, why they picked certain pairings, and what they expect each pairing to produce, and when the puppies go home, they are sent home with registration papers based on their pedigrees. A good breeder will also be able to predict the outcome of a litter based on the genetics of the dogs involved.
I am personally a big fan of repeat breedings. A repeat breeding is when a male and female are bred together again because their past litter turned out successfully.
Watch out for breeders who cannot produce pedigrees on their dogs or promise to send paperwork at a later time. This is usually a red flag and means that their dogs are not registered, which means your puppy will not be registered.
5. Good breeders ask and answer questions.
They are just as eager to get to know you as you are them! Good breeders want to make sure you are a good fit for their program and puppies, and the more they learn about you, the better they are able to pick the perfect puppy for you!
Steer clear of breeders who pressure you into placing a deposit or sending a payment without getting to know you first!
6. Good breeders take excellent care of their dogs.
Their dogs have a great quality of life and live in a clean, well-kept environment. Good breeders happily welcome you onto their property and are proud to show you their dogs.
In some cases, breeders have guardian homes for their females where they live with families and only come back for breeding and whelping. I love the concept of guardian homes because it is a win-win for everyone, especially the dog who gets to be a family dog first and a breeding dog second.
7. Good breeders charge a flat-rate for puppies.
They do not charge based on color or size. Some good breeders do vary their price point based on the puppy’s temperament, working abilities, or buyer’s pick order, but, for the most part, their price is the same regardless of which puppy you choose.
8. Good breeders have solid contracts.
Their contract stipulates which puppy is being purchased and comes with a health guarantee, basic care guidelines, breeding rights, and a first right of refusal clause.
Most reputable breeders sell their dogs on a limited registration basis meaning the dog cannot be bred and full registration is not given unless the dog passes future health testing and titling requirements as specified by the breeder in the contract.
First right of refusal means if, for any reason, you are unable to keep the purchased puppy, the breeder has the first right to buyback or acquire that dog from you. This is how reputable breeders try to ensure, to the best of their ability, that their dogs do not end up in shelters.
You will not see a well-bred, purebred dog in the shelter. Why? Because well-bred dogs come from reputable breeders and reputable breeders always take their dogs back.
9. Good breeders sell puppies at seven weeks of age or older.
Good breeders understand the importance of puppies spending time with their mother and littermates. For this reason, reputable breeders do not sell puppies younger than seven weeks of age. In some cases, breeders wait until their puppies are ten to twelve weeks of age before sending them to their new homes. I love this concept and wish more breeders would adopt it.
Allowing a puppy to spend the first three months with its mom and littermates is so valuable!
Beware of breeders who send five or six week old puppies home with buyers. That is way too soon and can have detrimental effects on that puppy’s overall development.
10. Good breeders do not sell littermates to the same household.
They know everything about Littermate Syndrome and will not sell two puppies to the same household at the same time. Good breeders know this can lead to extreme codependency, anxiety, and stunted social growth for the puppies, not to mention the headaches the family will endure trying to raise two puppies at the same time.
I have worked with a lot of clients who thought it would be fun to buy littermates only to find it was a recipe for disaster. I do not recommend it!
Reviewing a Breeder’s Website
Now that you know how to recognize a good breeder, let me give you my cliff notes version of how to quickly review a breeder’s website:
- First, head straight for the males (sires) page. Are the male dogs in the breeding program health tested and titled? If so, look at the females (dams) page next. If not, eliminate the breeder and move on to another breeder.
- On the females page, are the dogs in the breeding program health tested? This is a requirement. Are they titled? Titles are a bonus. If they are health tested, stay on the website and look for pedigrees next. If they are not health tested, eliminate the breeder and move on.
- When looking at pedigrees, do you see health testing and/or titling for dogs three to five generations back within the pedigree? Top breeders only breed from proven, titled, and health tested lines. You should not see huge gaps in the pedigree where information is missing or unlisted. If everything checks out, click on the warm and fuzzy links next. If it appears the dogs are not health tested/titled, move on to another breeder.
- The warm, fuzzy links includes the website’s About page, pictures and videos of the dogs, breeding announcements, reviews, testimonials and social media. Do you like what you see? Any complaints or problems? It is impossible to please everyone, but a good breeder should not have a long list of unhappy buyers.
These are the four key areas I personally look for on a breeder’s website. I would like to say that approximately ninety percent of breeders do not pass all four criteria, making it extremely challenging to find a good breeder. You will probably search through a wide variety of breeders before landing on a good one.
Learning to assess a breeder’s program from a critical and logical point of view, as opposed to an emotional one, will help you determine if they are reputable or not.
Steer clear of puppy mills, profit-mongering pet stores, backyard breeders, and breeders who are producing dogs solely for size and color. You want a great dog, and that means you need to start with a great puppy. A poorly bred dog can end up having expensive and debilitating health problems, unfixable temperament issues, and other defective issues.
Is adopting a poorly bred dog a risk you are willing to take?
Reputable Rescues
I am all for rescuing dogs. I have worked with thousands of rescue dogs in my career with my company having donated more than forty thousand dollars in time and training to rescue groups and non-profits. I love rescue dogs.
But there is a little more risk involved in rescue because you do not have the same information in regards to the dog’s parentage, pedigree, and genetic predispositions for health problems and temperament traits.
If you choose to go the rescue route, make sure you pick a responsible rescue or shelter that is honest and upfront. Where there is money to be made, there will always be fakes and frauds.
Here are seven quick tips on how to spot a good rescue.
- Good rescues keep dogs for a minimum of seven days.
This allows them to get to know the dog both physically and mentally prior to adopting the dog out. They do not offer same-day adoptions because a wait period is very important.
2. Good rescues provide information about the dog’s history.
This includes basic information such as whether the dog came from a shelter or if the dog was an owner-surrender. If the dog was an owner-surrender, they can provide information regarding the conditions of that situation.
3. Good rescues meet with all human and canine family members first.
This is done in-person, unless extenuating circumstances prohibit an in-person meeting.
4. Good rescues provide support after the dog has been adopted.
This includes training advice and trainer referrals and/or medical assistance for issues popping up shortly after the adoption.
5. Good rescues take dogs back no matter what.
If the dog is unadoptable due to behavioral problems, the rescue will attempt to rehabilitate the dog or humanely euthanize it.
6. Good rescues do not always require a fenced-in yard.
They understand that fences alone do not set dogs up for success and can sometimes give owners an excuse to be lazy and not exercise their dog.
7. Good rescues typically do not adopt two dogs to the same household at the same time.
They want each dog to receive the proper amount of time and attention to help the dog’s adoption be a success!
Bottom line
Whether you choose to adopt or shop, do so responsibly. Together, we can help put an end to irresponsible breeding, backyard ‘greeders’, and puppy mills.
Puppy Selection Step 1 [Selecting a Breed]
Puppy Selection Step 3 [Picking a Puppy]
Happy Training!
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