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| What is
a breeder?
Anyone whose
dog has puppies can call himself a breeder. There are good breeders,
inexperienced breeders, and scoundrels. If you buy from a breeder who shows his
dogs in the show ring, where they are tested for conformity to the breed
standard, you will know that you are getting a puppy that is “correct!”
However, if you intend to breed dogs, you will find that many
“proper” breeders put breeding restrictions on the papers to prevent
breeding. Ask about this if you intend to breed, and get the breeder to write a
letter saying they will not place breeding restrictions. Others have a contract
that you may only mate your dog to one of their dogs. Some breeders
register the litter, but don’t give the papers to the buyers. If the
registration certificate is something you want, then make sure you have an
agreement in writing with witnesses. One buys a dog
at one’s own risk. Caveat emptor! Buyer Beware!
There is no lawyer who can sue a breeder if there is no agreement in
writing. If the dog does
not need to be perfect to the last detail, then you can try breeders who do not
show their dogs. No one makes a
living from selling dogs. When you phone a breeder, you are not phoning a shop
that sells dogs in the way a shop sells shoes. A breeder may have only one
female that produces one litter every two years. A breeder is an
ordinary person who has many things on his mind. He may not feel like talking
about dogs when you phone, so do phone at a convenient time and be courteous,
even if the breeder is rude (as some are!) Many breeders will only sell their
pups to folk who will show them in the showring. They don’t like the idea of
people buying them for breeding purposes if they are not showring people.
They tend to be rude to people and chase them away.
They have met a lot of people who say they are “desperate” to buy a
puppy, yet those puppies have ended up in the shelter a year later. Many breeders object to
puppies being given as gifts. All abandoned dogs were cute puppies once. They
worry because they don’t know the recipient of the gift. We mustn’t buy a puppy
for a child; a child cannot take responsibility for a dog. It’s best we only
buy dogs for ourselves, then we take responsibility ourselves. It should be a 16
year commitment. We should ask ourselves, “Where will I be 5 years from now?
Or 10 yrs from now? Will I be
emigrating, divorcing, moving to a flat/townhouse/complex? Will my child be more interested in dating than taking the dog for a
walk?” If you got the offer of a
better job overseas, would you jump at it? Then don’t buy a dog! What do you think of the
crime rate? Do you want to move to a more secure complex? Don’t buy a dog!
Many complexes & townhouses ban dogs. Breeders know only too
well that circumstances change and they hesitate to give a
puppy to someone who won’t look after it for life. Breeders can be
like two different people. If they have no pups, they feel that talking about
pups on the phone is a waste of their time. But when they DO have pups, they
smile and are as charming as used car salesmen. They may even lie to get you to
buy a dog. Beware of
agents who take your money on the pretext of getting you a dog. Buy direct from
a breeder! Don’t leave a
message telling the breeder to phone you back.
Be polite! By all means leave your name and number and the nature of the
call, but say you will phone again later. If you find a
breeder that you like, ask if you can put your name on the waiting list if there
are no pups available today. Should you find a pup elsewhere, remember to let
the breeder know! If people put
their names on more than one waiting list, it creates a false demand for dogs.
Breeders will produce more litters only to find that there are no homes for the
pups. Going
to see puppies
Phone the
breeder and say you are thinking of buying his breed, but there are other breeds
you like and are not 100% certain if this is the right breed for you. (This
gives you and excuse to leave without buying if you don’t like the pups) Ask
if you may come and see the puppies. It’s best to go during the day when the
puppies are at their liveliest and you can see their true colours in the
daylight. Arrange to go at a convenient time. Remember you are going to
someone’s HOME – not a convenience store that is open all hours. Let the
breeder know if you are unable to keep the appointment so that they don’t wait
all day. Wear old clothes as puppies’s claws can catch on clothing and they
try out their teeth on shoes and trousers. Don’t go barefoot, as you will be
walking where the dogs have piddled. Don’t take children as they may pick puppies up and
accidentally drop them. The mother
dog may bite the kids in order to protect her young. Ask your
friends not to smoke or drop cigarette ends in the breeder’s garden, as this
is harmful to puppies. Keep the visit
short as the breeder has other things to do, and the puppies need frequent naps
and meals. Take a good
look at the parent dogs. That is what your puppy will look like in a very short
time! If your are having the pup flown from afar, ask for photos of the parents
& fax of parents’ registration certs. If you decide
to buy, you may be asked to put down a deposit. If you hand over cash, ask for a
receipt and make sure it is signed. You can say you will deposit the money in
the bank the next day, which gives you time to think about it further.
You will probably be asked to pay the balance up front before the pup
leaves the breeder. Good breeders
make themselves available to answer questions for the duration of the dog’s
life. They also undertake to take the dog back if you should have a problem. In
years to come, some unforeseen problem may occur, and you will need to contact
the breeder. SO MAKE SURE YOU KEEP THE BREEDER’S CONTACT DETAILS IN A SAFE
PLACE! Every time you phone the breeder, quietly make notes of what the breeder
says – the mobile #, the physical address, email, etc. Many folk part with huge
sums of money & don’t even know the breeder’s full name! Nor do they
know what town the breeder is in. All they have is the number of a mobile, &
phone numbers tend
to change. There is seldom
any guarantee on the health of a pup, but if a health problem occurs which might
be hereditary, you should inform the breeder who needs to know about this. The
breeder must not breed from the same stock again. There is
sometimes a wait of about 2 months to get the papers. Ask if the breeder intends
to post them. If several months go by, give the breeder a tinkle to see what the
delay is. You can only do this if you have kept a note of the ph #! The best way to
get a dog of distinction is to frequent dog shows. Get to know the breeders who
exhibit and ask them questions about the breed. Remember it is not just the
appearance of the dog that counts, but each breed has its own temperament.
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