What is important to you?

Red Chrome

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#21
Being a follower and thirding this.

It is interesting to see everyones lists.

I pick breed first, then lines then find a breeder.
 

Oko

Silence, peasants.
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#23
This list is BC specific and in no particular order soo:

1. Parents have cleared health tests for the breed, as have prior generations if possible
2. Parents work the sheepies/cows/something to a high level
3. Dogs that are bred must have outstanding temperaments and be good with all kinds of people, dogs, and animals
4. There must be a purpose behind every breeding
5. Know not just the sire and dam, but the lines they're breeding.

I'm sure there's more, but that's all I can think of right now.
 

meepitsmeagan

Meagan & The Cattle Dog Crew
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#24
1. Working bred dogs who run on stock regularly.
2. HEALTHY and health tested dogs.
3. Stable temperaments with semi-low chance of being DA. Raised as pets first and kept in a home setting.
4. Breeds a workable, but nicely put together dog.
5. Communication and relationship with puppy buyer. I want a support system and someone who loves and cares about this puppy as much as I do.
 

Elrohwen

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#25
This list is Welsh Springer specific, but it would apply to most dogs I would look at for pet/show/lower level sports. If my needs were different (working, or high level competition) I would have slightly different requirements probably.


-- Prioritizes health and temperament (including full health testing per breed requirements)

-- Dogs live in the home, and puppies are raised there

-- Socializes puppies by exposing them to new stimuli, people, etc.

-- Has dogs that are generally bombproof, take anywhere dogs.

-- Parents are titled in conformation at minimum (any nice Welsh can finish). Big bonus if there are some other sport titles. Hunting is nice, since they are a hunting breed, but I realize most people don't hunt their Welshies anymore. I don't hunt either, so I'm not picky, but I do appreciate breeders who work the dogs in what they were originally bred to do.

-- Communicative. I want someone who will respond to my emails and questions, and who wants to keep in touch at least minimally for the life of the dog. The breeder doesn't have to be my best friend, but I do want some sort of relationship and to feel like she cares about every pup that leaves her house. This goes double for a dog that will be shown and may be bred in the future.
 

mrose_s

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#26
1. Dogs are proven
2. Appropriate health testing
3. Dogs are viewed/tested as objectively as possible
4. Breeder is trying to better themselves and is open to new infomation
5. They have goals with their dogs
 

SizzleDog

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#27
My top five....

1. Health/Temperament - I want a breeder that health tests, as much as they can, even if they have a pretty good idea that their dogs will pass. I want a breeder who produces correct temperaments for the breed.

2. Not a Ribbon Hunter - I don't want a breeder that compromises on structure (or temperament, or anything else) because *incorrect* is what's bringing home the big ribbons at the time. Dont' get me wrong - titles and big wins are awesome - but to me it's only awesome if it's done with a correct dog.

3. Communication - I've come to realize that I need a breeder I can get along with, and is BIG on communication. A breeder should be supportive for his/her puppy buyers.

4. Breed Knowledge and Vision - I want a breeder who knows the breed (and his/her own lines) inside and out. I want a breeder who has goals, and has a plan for reaching those goals.

5. Embraces Versatility - Kind of self explanatory. I want a breeder who can provide me with a dog that can do just about anything. :)

There is more that I'm probably missing, but that's what comes to mind.
 
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#28
For me:

1 - Work the dog in some function. I prefer dogs which are worked in some form of their original field - so gundogs who hunt, herders who herd, etc. I'll also accept dogs who do a different form of "job" (agility, etc.). Basically, I'm looking for some sign that the dogs work hard/rigorously at something, to prove that their conformation holds up to hard wear and tear. I am leery of conformation-only breeders.

2 - Health testing at a solid #2. Ideally, everything that the breed club would advocate they test for. At a bare minimum, for the most of the breeds I lust after, hip scores.

3 - Communicative and friendly. They don't need to have a fancy website or even know how to work email, as long as I can reach them in some capacity and they're open to discussing their methods, what we're both looking for, what their goals are, etc. (This one isn't too hard, lots of dog people will talk your ear off once you get them going about their breed!)

4 - Honesty. I want to know what they think the faults are in their lines, not just glowing recommendations of their dogs. No breeding program is perfect, and I really admire it when they can come out and say "I bred this bitch despite her having [insert fault here], for this reason." To me it indicates thoughtfulness.

5 - Well-socialized, stable dogs. I need to know that, from the lowest drive to the craziest-drive dog they have, they are at least all predictable in temperament and safe. That means different things for different breeds (not all will be all-people-and-dog-friendly-all-the-time even when socialized and trained), but I want to rest assured that I won't be getting a pup with poor nerves.
 

Dogdragoness

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#29
I know we've had similar discussions before (and maybe even the same) but... what does a breeder need to do (or not do) for you to consider him/her responsible?

I know it's never cut and dried, ever. But I'm just curious!

Top five for me:
1) Dogs live in the home
2) Dogs are health tested, at least minimally, according to breed "need"
3) Breeder is knowledgeable about nutrition
4) Sire and dam are "dog social"
5) Puppies are exposed to a very wide variety of "things" with positive associations in mind
1) is the same for me, I prefer a small breeder whose dogs live in their home.
2) health tested for at least the "main offender" diseases
3) the dogs MUST work, I don't care about conformation titles, I would pick a breeder who worked their dogs over one who had a bunch of show titles to their name. Any dog can trot around a ring and look pretty, but it takes a special dog to be able to stand up to a charging bull.
4) Early puppy socialization is also very important to me, so is the litter being brought up IN the breeders home from the start.
5) "Type" of dog is also rather important to me (although if a breeder I am looking at has everything else I would be willing to overlook aesthetics, which is why its on the bottom of my list) but I have always preferred a darker colored dog with a shorter, closer, tighter coat.
 
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#30
Well, for me the number one thing is a breeder will take back any dog they produce, for any reason, at any time. Responsible breeders do not let their dogs clog up the shelter system. You are responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.

There's other stuff I want in my breeder - I want dogs that live in the house, because my dogs live in my house. I want dogs that compete in sports, because my dogs compete in sports. I want dogs that live forever, because my dog should live forever. I like my breeder, I like the dogs they produce, that's good enough for me.
 

Dogdragoness

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#31
1. Working bred dogs who run on stock regularly.
2. HEALTHY and health tested dogs.
3. Stable temperaments with semi-low chance of being DA. Raised as pets first and kept in a home setting.
4. Breeds a workable, but nicely put together dog.
5. Communication and relationship with puppy buyer. I want a support system and someone who loves and cares about this puppy as much as I do.
This.
 

elegy

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#32
- dogs live in the home as pets and family members. i would not buy from someone with kenneled dogs

- knowledgeable about health concerns in their lines beyond the scope of what health testing reveals and transparent about it. i want the OFA/CERF numbers but I also want to know about the other stuff- when I was looking for a BC breeder, those concerns were epilepsy and OCD. when I asked the breeder, she told me specifically what problems had occurred in the lines of these dogs behind them and what problems they've produced in puppies. i want full disclosure. it doesn't mean i won't buy a dog from you. it means that if you assure me there are no health problems in your lines, i won't buy a dog from you because you're either lying, blind, or not paying attention to what you're producing after it leaves your house.

- does stuff with their breeding dogs. specifically the stuff i want to do. i went to a sport breeder because i want to do sport things. i don't care about the conformation ring, but i want somebody who is actively involved in training and trialing their dogs, someone who is investing both the time and the money.

- exposes puppies to lots and lots of things before they go home. that early socialization is so important and something i cannot give, so i have to trust in the breeder for all those puppy introductions to real life stuff.

- breeder will take back the dog at any time for any reason. this was especially important to me when i bought steven because i did not know if i could handle a border collie and wanted reassurance that if i couldn't deal with him, i didn't have to worry what would happen to him.
 

Romy

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#33
In order, kind of:

Honesty: I want a breeder that is honest about the strengths and weaknesses in their line. I am far more likely to go with a breeder that actually tells me about how the maternal grandsire of their puppies bloated/died of osteosarcoma/had a temperament problem vs. one that says their dogs are perfect. No line is 100% free of defects, anyone who claims their's is either doesn't know their line very well or is lying. I'd rather go with a known risk.

Exceptional Temperaments: no spooky dogs, I want confidence oozing out their ears. Low chance of DA (in breeds that DA is not a breed trait)

Health: Available health testing is utilized, and appropriate breeding decisions are made according to the results.

Exceptional Conformation: I don't want a dog that's going to break down doing its job. Straight stifles make me cringe. I've ruled out some breeds completely because I can't find any lines that have decent stifles (a lot of eastern spitz breeds are like this for some reason). It just. . . *shudder*. Same for flat feet, weak pasterns, straight shoulders, etc. My eye just wants to look at something balanced. It makes me feel calm and happy inside. lol.

Part of the Family
: The dogs are part of the family. That doesn't mean they can never have kennel time, because in multi dog households there are often dogs that can't be loose together and I'd rather they had kennels to play in than have to rotate through crates all day.

Working/Performace:
I like there to be working and performance titles, etc. But in the event that the health, temperament, and structure are there I'm willing to take a gamble on a dog from unproven lines. That's what I did with Kaia and it paid off. She killed her first coyote at 7 months, and has gone on to bring down several more along with a crapload of raccoons. :D And she's from hoity patoity show lines too.

Worst case scenario the dog won't do the job I want, at least I'll have a wonderful stable healthy companion for many many years.
 

GingerKid

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#34
My top five....

1. Health/Temperament - I want a breeder that health tests, as much as they can, even if they have a pretty good idea that their dogs will pass. I want a breeder who produces correct temperaments for the breed.

2. Not a Ribbon Hunter - I don't want a breeder that compromises on structure (or temperament, or anything else) because *incorrect* is what's bringing home the big ribbons at the time. Dont' get me wrong - titles and big wins are awesome - but to me it's only awesome if it's done with a correct dog.

3. Communication - I've come to realize that I need a breeder I can get along with, and is BIG on communication. A breeder should be supportive for his/her puppy buyers.

4. Breed Knowledge and Vision - I want a breeder who knows the breed (and his/her own lines) inside and out. I want a breeder who has goals, and has a plan for reaching those goals.

5. Embraces Versatility - Kind of self explanatory. I want a breeder who can provide me with a dog that can do just about anything. :)

There is more that I'm probably missing, but that's what comes to mind.
Much better articulated than I could've said it, but this.
 

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