Questions to ask breeder

Hi everyone ~

My hubby & I are going to visit a breeder tomorrow and wondered if you give suggestions on what to ask her/what to look for etc.....

I do have some questions compiled, but would love to hear your advice too!

Thanks in advance

 

Does she have a vet .Has the Puppy been checked by a vet .How old does she let them go. Does she give feed store shots .Does she have a genetic guarentee for at least a yr .How often does she breed her mothers ....There are alot more you should ask ...

 

My vet was so incredibly helpful in providing me with the important questions to ask, things to look for, general overview of how to assess a puppy and its parents, and so on. Although, the Internet also contains a lot of great info. concerning this subject (i.e. things to ask, things to look for, etc). I would go to a major search engine online (such as google) and type in the search box, "Questions to ask a breeder" (without the quotation marks). Your search will result in a multitude of web sites that I believe will be of great assistance to you!

*Just a note: Pay attention to your gut feeling while visiting your potential breeder!!!

Have fun, and ask LOTS of questions!

 

Gut feeling is good ,however no matter what the gut tells you ,if she /he does not have a regular vet ...or has a 48 hour guarentee or breeds her moms to death and in a cage ...Don't go there .
Puppies that are healthy and socialized are playing and happy and come to you ,puppies that have been raised wrong cry and/or back away .Mine all come running to see who is here and are happy ,healthy babies ,so are their parents and that is what you look for.ASK thousands of questions ! ...LOL !

 

questions to ask..

Some of these questions might be a bit overboard for some people but it is better to be safe than sorry!
1 Make sure you have seen the surrouning enviroment of where the puppies are kept.
2 Make sure to see the parent dogs.
3 Ask what food she feeds them
4 Ask for the number of her vet (to ask if she/he is referred)
5 How many dogs does she have and how many does she breed a year
6 Casually go into the conversation of how she started breeding dogs, how long she has been breeding them, and why she breeds them.
7 Discuss the contract (if there isnt one than a red flag should go up)
8 How many shots The puppy has had, what kind, and where from
And here are some websites I looked up. (I havent read all of them so some of the questions might not be needed)

http://www.critterhaven.org/questions.htm

http://www.petpeoplesplace.com/Care/Dogs/003/16.htm

 

:!: There are many things to ask a breeder.
Can I meet the dam & sire? First a good breeder will let you meet the parents, or most likely the dam. Most good breeders use male of other kennels for stud. You will want to evaluate the temperament of the dam. How well adjusted is she, is she fearful, timid, outgoing, friendly. etc. You want to see a happy, friendly well adjusted dam with no issues. Bring children to visit too - a great way to see how the dogs are around kids.

Are both the sire & dam health tested? If so what health tests. If only "vet checks" avoid the breeder. Health testing is more than just a clearance from the local vet. Ask to view the certificates - they should have copies of things like OFA, CERF, BAER, Cardiac, Thyroid (research any problems common to the breed). There are other genetic defects that the lines should be clear of (Von Willebrands disease, entropian etc) Ask about the health history of the bloodlines a good breeder knows the background of their dogs.

Have the sire & dam been shown? Are they both titled Champions? ask the breeder to go over the breed standard with you. Is the breeder involved in performance events or a member of their Breed Club (they should be) as a member they should be following the clubs Code of Ethics read that over!! Are the breeders dogs registered? (they should be) Ask why was this female bred? Ask any & all reasons for breeding. Ask what they feel are the strengths and weaknesses of the line, what they are trying to improve on and what results the breeder hopes to achieve with this mating. Avoid a breeder that experiments with their breedings. How many dogs does the breeder own. How many different breeds. Question the breeder who owns many dogs and has dogs of all breeds. A breeder should be involved with one (sometimes 2 breeds) only. Multiple breeds and litters are red flags for me.

One of the most important questions is how many litters a year does the breeder have? A good, ethical breeder does NOT make a living off breeding and usually only breeds to keep something for their lines (at most 1-2 litters year). Any breeder breeding more than 2 litters every year is a puppy mill, commercial breeder or BYB even if they say they are not. Avoid this breeder! A good breeder lives FOR their dogs not OFF their dogs. Avoid the breeder who always has puppies available or has avail many times year. Question the breeder that has older puppies or older dogs available also. What age do they breed their dogs? Under two years is a big NO. Be leery of the breeder breeding trendy dogs or overpriced dogs. Or who refers to their puppy families as "customers" or "clients". Remember you can purchase a dog from an ethical breeder for usually the same price as one would cost from a puppy mill, commercial breeder or backyard breeder but instead you are dealing with a knowledgeable, respected person with values. Remember that puppy mills & BYBs can be nice people you might even like! Some are just truly ignorant and unknowledgeable or MONEY hungry.

Absolutely be sure the breeder welcomes you to their home, you want to see where the puppies are being raised, and how the breeder interacts with her dogs. A good breeder does not raise dogs in outdoor kennels. You should be able to meet the puppies, and handle them. Evaluate them for temperament. She how they do in your arms. This will give you insight on how well they've been handled by the breeder. You will want a puppy that has had a good start with good food, quality time and handling. A good breeder will keep their puppies until at least 8 weeks. Avoid breeders who let the dogs go earlier than that. If a breeder does not allow you in their home to handle their puppies question this breeder (maybe they are trying to hide something). If they give some excuse like they don't want you to bring in diseases, this may be true BUT a good breeder will make you scrub down and remove shoes (or bleach). A good breeder will ask where you've been previously.

What health/general guarantee does the puppy come with? Read up on this as guarantees vary from breeder to breeder. A good breeder will take the dog back and offer you another dog/refund if a problem occurs. Ask for references and ask for their vets name and phone number.

How does the breeder sell their dogs? If the advertise all over the Internet and or in newspapers be careful. Good breeder do not need to advertise all over the place their puppies are not hard to sell. Remember as the internet is educational to buyers, BYB and puppy millers use it to get smarter with their answers too! A breeder should be asking you just as many questions. Most of all take your time finding a breeder, that breeder should offer lifetime support of the puppy.

Check out the links for more questions to ask:
http://www.phouka.com/puppy/bdr_questions.html
http://users.erols.com/gr8rswis/questio ... eeders.htm
http://www.newcastleboxers.com/breederquestions.shtml
http://www.greaterswiss.com/breeder_questions.htm

Good luck

 

Poo girl I just realized I was a bit late in my reply. So how did it go at the breeders? Did you feel comfortable with them?

 

Hi Jas,

Not a problem, your post was still very helpful! I liked the breeder a lot, but I'm still trying to decide between 2. It's quite a decision and I want to be sure I make the best one possible!

Write now I'm making a list of pros/cons of both and hopefully that will help

Thank you very much for your help!

 

No problem, glad you found someone you feel comfortable with! Best of luck with your decision!

 

So did you make your final decision on the breeder??

 

Good question...

Well, not exactly.. the breeder on top of my list (we'll call her Breeder # 1)is the breeder that MyBabyShihPoo got her pups from ~ I spoke with her on 3/6 and she said she had a litter due any day. I then emailed her on 3/16 to see how things were going and she said she miscalculated the date ~ I emailed her again on 3/29 just to remain in touch and see how the mommy to be was but I haven't had a response...

So, breeder # 2 ~ happy with her and she's going to email me when the pups can be seen (they are still a bit young).

So, I'm kind of in limbo here ~ I would LOVE to go with Breeder # 1, but I don't want to keep being a pest and contacting her and I have NO idea how things are going (if the pups are born yet etc.)....

I am determind to make a decision within the next 2 weeks ~ whether it be to hang out & wait for breeeder #1 or go with Breeder #2. Another consideration is that we would prefer to housebreak the puppy during the summer as opposed to the winter. I'm just driving myself nuts here..

Thank you for asking