***Looking for a Puppy, Breeder, Stud Dog? - Read First***

***PLEASE NOTE: AUSPET DOES NOT ALLOW POSTS ADVERTISING PUPPIES FOR SALE, SAME GOES FOR POSTS ABOUT LOOKING FOR A DOG OR BREEDER.

These posts will be removed. Anyone listed here has not been approved. It is YOUR responsibility to choose wisely, do your research, and support ethical breeding practices. Remember ownership is a long term commitment and you are better off having good relationship with a trusted breeder willing be there for the life of the dog.

Some things you can do to help find a breeder/puppy/stud dog:

* Contact the Regional or National breed club, use a net search (like www.google.com ), type in the breed and this should bring up the Clubs website.
*Review the Clubs CODE OF ETHICS before contacting anyone and then either contact the secretary or view the club's breeder listings. Remember the breeders should belong to their clubs and follow the club's code of ethics.
*Keep in mind that just because someone is listed with a Breed Club does not make them reputable or mean they have been screened/approved, many breeders PAY $$$ to list their kennel.
*One of the main things to look for is a breeder whose priority is health & temperament. These people breed health tested (certified by OFA or other registry - not just "vet checked" ) Parents with sound, stable temperaments. It is also a plus if Breeders show in Conformation and/or participate in performance.
*Ask to see the health clearance certificates - registries will send a copy to the breeders. One registry is the Orthopedic Foundation For Animals (OFA) www.offa.org Type in the kennel name and breed choice and it will list OFA certified dogs - this includes things like Hips, Elbows, Eyes (cerf), Heart, Thyroid, Patella etc. Clicking on the dogs name will bring up what the dog has been certified for and the results (i.e. Hips Excellent, good, fair etc...)
*Attend a dog show or performance trial, this is a good way to begin contact with a breeder/owner and a great way to view different breeds and learn!

Some informative links that may be helpful in finding a reputable breeder or becoming a reputable breeder:

http://www.jackshuler.com/bbvsrb.htm
http://www.iupui.edu/~ihls400/responsible_breeder.html
http://members.tripod.com/antique_fcr/goodbreeder.html
http://members.tripod.com/GWDalmatianCl ... reeder.htm

http://www.21stcenturycares.org/misbreeding.htm
http://www.dog-play.com/breeding.html
http://www.learntobreed.com/

Don't forget about Rescue either. Adopting a dog is a wonderful way to help and animal in need of a great home. There are plenty of all breed rescue groups use a net search (like www.google.com ), type in the breed and this should bring up the Rescue's website. Shelters usually have adoptable dogs online and www.petfinder.com has many dogs of all breeds/mixes from Puppies to Seniors listed from various shelters

PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS TOPIC WITH QUESTIONS BUT USE THE AFOREMENTIONED LINKS AS A GUIDE TO BECOME INFORMED OR FORMULATE QUESTIONS FOR A BREEDER. If anyone has more links about responsible breeding, health links, questions to ask breeders, rescue information feel free to add!

Thanks,
Moderator
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This is from the "Buyer Information" page on my website... I thought it would be informative for anyone looking to add a dog to their home with questions to ask breeders etc...

"Important Information For Buyers



Once you have decided to add a dog to your family you will need to seek out and find a kennel to purchase your dog from. There are a few things to keep in mind when doing this to ensure that you and your family get the best possible dog to fit your lifestyle.

The first thing you need to do before going through the following list with a selected Kennel or two is make a decision about what kind of breeder you want to buy from. There are many breeders with different goals and ideas about breeding and you need to make sure your goals and ideas about the welfare of the dog/breed are similar to that of the breeder you wish to support. Here is a list of some popular things people feel are important rules or guidelines for a good breeder to follow:

1. The breeder should health test all dogs used for breeding BEFORE being bred (those tests will depend upon breed and problems in each breed).

2. The breeder should only breed mature adults over at LEAST a year old (many believe dogs should not be bred until they are two years old at the youngest).

3. The breeder should do temperament testing on the breeding adults in the program and should also do so for the puppies before placing them in their homes.

4. The breeder should screen the homes the puppies go to and should take responsibility for the life they brought into the world and be willing to take a puppy back for any reason (some feel that only health problems should be covered here).

5. The breeder should be candid and should answer your questions readily without hesitation or flowery expletives.

6. The breeder should be willing to educate you on the breed and willing to point you to other breeders or breeds who may have goals that fit you better than their own. i.e. a working kennel may point you toward a different breeder breeding for more of a pet quality dog

--keep in mind the information outlined here is only a compilation of some popular preferences etc...--

Once you've decided what is important to you and what you want to see in a breeder you can then find Kennels that seem to fit with your ideals in animal husbandry etc... This will cut down the possibility that you will be purchasing a puppy from a puppy mill or irresponsible breeder.

1. You need to ask the breeder what his or her goals are in their program.

2. Next, you need to ask what the goals were in the particular breeding your possible puppy may come from and what qualities the parents have that the breeder wanted to pass along.

3. One of the most important things you NEED to look into is what health testing the breeder has done on his/her dogs. It's very difficult when you become attached to a dog and that dog turns out to have health problems that could have been avoided.

4. Make sure the breeder is aware of your family's particular needs and what place your dog will take in your home. This will help the breeder help YOU make the best decision on which pup's personality will fit in the best.

5. Price... Make sure the breeder is neither extremely eager to sell you a pup for ANY price that fits and make sure the breeder you choose is not charging an outrageous amount for his pups because he can. The price should be dictated by the quality of the dog and the quality of the home the dog will be placed in.

6. Lastly... Make sure the breeder is a person you don't mind and even appreciate endorsing.

--these are just ideas to get you started in thinking about what things you may want to look at when purchasing a puppy/dog--"

 

I'd like to add one more thing you should look for in a breeder, if I may.

If you should become unable to care for your pet at anytime during his life, for whatever reason, the breeder should be willing to take the pet back.

As a past breeder, I feel I was responsible for the puppies I brought into the world from birth to death. My contract stipulated they were to come back to me if the owner was unable to keep them, unless I approved of the home they selected to take the puppy/dog. Under no circumstance were they to place the puppy without my prior approval, nor were they to take the puppy/dog to a shelter or rescue.

 

Might I also add that there are many wonderful dogs looking for homes in breed specific rescues. Many dogs are already housebroken and trained, given up because the owner was moving or some such reason. I adopted my two Bassets from a rescue (to which I now belong) and they have been a joy form the day they came to live with me.