What is important to you?

SpringerLover

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#1
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
 

Toller_08

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#2
It's hard just to pick five. There are lots of things. But here are the ones that I thought of first for my ideal breeder.

In no particular order...

- Knows their dogs/lines inside and out in every way possible. Temperamentally, health wise, structurally, etc. Health testing would go along with this for the majority of breeds, but I would be more lenient in certain breeds where it's not common practice yet as long as the breeder can tell me about their dogs and experiences health wise.

- Is communicative. This is one I'm really thankful to one of my dogs' breeders for today. I want to stay in touch and be in the know if something unexpected or 'bad' happens. I also just like being able to share pictures and brags with my breeder and know that they're appreciative.

- Doesn't have more dogs than they can properly care for and love. I want to know that my breeder truly knows the dogs that they have when it comes to what it's like to live with them as pets, to what it's like to work with them, what their quirks are, if there are any food sensitivities, etc. I like a breeder whose dogs live in as regular a home/family environment as is possible.

- Exposes their puppies to all sorts of different stimuli. I want a puppy that's been handled from day one, has heard all kinds of noises, seen different things, has walked and played on different surfaces, has had has many positive experiences as possible, has seen that tantrums won't get them anywhere, etc.

- Has dogs that are people and dog social. The dogs need to be able to go places and do things and keep their wits about them and also are accomplished in different venues so I know I'm not buying just a pretty face, but also one that will likely succeed in different activities as well as as my pet.
 
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#3
-Human and dog friendly dogs
-Solid nerved dogs
-Healthy overall
-Happy, satisfied puppy buyers
-The type of dog I want
-No spay/neuter contract
-Trust in the breeder

Everything else I can work around if the breeder is producing the type and kind of dogs I want.
 

HayleyMarie

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#4
-sire and dam are health tested, and hopefully generations back are as well.
-breeder knows their lines inside and out. Knows the pros and cons of their lines and not afraid to tell me what they are and what they are trying to improve
-no alter contract, or at least keep the dog intact until they are fully mature physically.
-Dogs are socialized to different sounds, surfaces, stimuli and people when they are with the breeder.
-A breeder that wants a relationship with. Before and after you get the pup and throughout the pups life.
-When it come to a Boerboel I wanted a pup out of parents who are socially friendly. I didn't want a crazy friendly dog, but it needs to be ok out in public.
 

Maxy24

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#5
I've never gotten from a breeder and probably never will, but if I were looking these are the most important things I'd want to see (in no particular order)

1. Health testing of all dogs they breed, preferably CHIC numbers but I don't know if it would be a requirement

2. Some form of titling or work that says something about their dogs temperaments (TDI, working titles, sport titles)

3. They don't have a huge number of dogs, I want to be sure they interact with all of their dogs, beyond simply feeding and letting out to go to the bathroom, daily. That way they know their dogs well and the dogs are well cared for.

4. Puppies are well socialized to various stimuli from birth and were not raised exclusively outdoors/in a kennel.

5. Breeder is honest and wants a relationship with you, you are now part of their extended family, it's not just a business transaction.
 

Shai

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#6
I'm probably missing something, but here's a stab at it:

-- Honest and forthright with all pertinent information.
-- Knowledgeable about the breed/type and his/her lines, both past and present, and makes breeding decisions to benefit both.
-- Observes, understands, and can accurately describe physical and mental traits in dogs. This ties into assessing workability and matching dogs to the right homes.
-- Appropriate health testing and record keeping
-- Appropriate puppy raising practices to start pups off on the right path from day one. Commits to the dog for life. Genuinely likes his/her dogs and being with them, working with them, while still being able to objectively assess their strengths and weaknesses.

I guess this is more what I want to see in a breeder from whom I am considering getting a dog. As for traits I want to see in the dogs themselves, that is a different (though related) discussion.
 

Laurelin

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#7
Right now I just want dogs from lines that are healthy and with good temperaments that are suited to work. But yes healthy long working dogs is #1 right now. Oh and they'll let me ILP in akc at least. I'll work around anything else.
 

*blackrose

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#8
Top five things I look for:
1.) Type/Conformation - aka, I want the breeder to be breeding towards something in terms of conformation. For me, personally, that typically means a very moderate, well balanced type. Doesn't have to be "show" or "field"...just a well balanced, good looking dog. Even if they wouldn't title in a show ring.

2.) Health - the breeder must be screening for diseases that afflict the breed, and if the dog isn't being screened for a certain issue, they better have a dang good reason for why not. I want to feel 110% confident my dog is going to be healthy.

3.) Temperament - the breeder needs to have dogs with solid nerves, and that needs to be backed up by something other than just their opinion. (Other people, titles, etc.)

4.) Pups off to a good start - this includes socialization, deworming, vaccines, vet checks, clean environment, etc., etc.

5.) A good reputation - satisfied puppy buyers, especially satisfied puppy buyers that have similar wants and goals as you do.

6.) No invasive contract! I don't want to be told what food I must feed, what vaccine I must give, what toys I must use, how I must train, or when I must alter my dog!
 

Fran101

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#9
- Dogs live in the home
- Dogs are health tested
- Dogs have some kind of job (show, working, therapy dogs, sport, etc..)
- Knows lines/breeds for health FIRST AND FOREMOST
- Never breeds dogs with aggressive/less than stellar temperament
- Puts health/temperament before sport/work/show
- Puppy raising done right (exposed to lots of stimuli, socialized, loved on, inside the home etc..)
- Breeder will accept any dog/puppy back AT ANY TIME FOR ANY REASON
- Dogs are loved pets first and foremost and there are a reasonable amount of them in the house (I want my puppy to be from a dog that is a loved house dog that the breeder TRULY KNOWS the temperament of. No kennels)
- Well rounded versatile dog
- Nice breeder (genuinely involved, easy to reach, pleasant to talk to, supportive)
 

AdrianneIsabel

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#10
I want dogs that are currently being worked in the sports I enjoy, I love versatility.

I want a well experienced and educated breeder.

The dogs should have calm, deep grips, strong drives, and enough quick twitch for flash. I prefer a natural retrieve.

Puppies should begin exposure early on and foundations should be entirely positive with drive nurturing play.

The dogs must maintain a less likely chance for DA.

Akc registration and no spay/neuter contract.

I want appropriate structure, X-rays available is a great plus.
 

frostfell

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#11
First and foremost and imo most important, is transparency. A breeder must be honest with me, even if its not the pretty or nice side of things. They need to be willing to discuss things and be open to criticism or really tough questions.
Secondly they need to have high standards for their breeding stock, even if their priorities are not the same as mine, they need to at least HAVE them.
Health testing and titling is negotiable, and doesnt feature on my list, oddly enough.
Everything else will vary by breed and are nitpicky things like must not use XYZ bloodlines, or whatnot.
 

Southpaw

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#12
*Health testing
*Know the puppies and recommend/pick the best fit for me! Because if it's up to me I just pick the cutest one.
*Live in the home, socialized
*No more than one litter on the ground at a time
*Breeding dogs with nice, stable temperaments
*Nice breeder, as a person
*Good word of mouth. There are lots of breeder I see that look good on paper, and then people who are in the breed say NO NO NO. I want people who can say YES, would recommend.

That's what the top of my head has come up with it.
 

Pops2

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#13
1. Honesty- honest about the abilities of the dogs being bred
3. Breed for working ability- only because it increases the chances of getting a solid working dog if that is the primary breeding goal
2.Thorough understanding of breeding concepts- can't do. A very good job of breeding if you don't know how to get to your goal
4. Appropriate health testing- unnecessary testing shows ignorance of the breed & lack of appropriate testing shows ignorance & an inability to do #3
 
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#14
I pick the lines I like first and then the breeder second.

I like dogs who can do what they were bred to do, end of story. To me, herding dogs that can't herd are nothing more then companions. That's why I chose Cardigans over Pems in the first place, that and I don't like a needy-in-your-face kind of dog.

Health testing is important, but the problem with that is that there is no guarentee that just because the parents were health tested the puppies will all be healthy. Certain things you can control and if it is controllable I do expect for the breeder to take into consideration.

For example, while hips are polygenic (meaning many different factors go together to create "good" hips) bad hips breed bad hips down the line. If a dog has an OFA fair, I wouldn't breed to it unless it had tight hips. I don't mind a dog with looser hips if the structures themselves are good. I would also want hips, elbows and spine done as well.

Problems like DM, IVDD, PRA can be bred out, and I would fully expect those tests to be done if it is not known by pedigree the status of the individual being bred.

Autoimmune issues like hemolytic anemia, Addisons disease, Von Willebrand's, Mega Esophagus, Allergies, Thyroid issues, Alopecia, etc should also be taken into consideration. Even if it's a sibling of a dog with those characteristics that you're breeding to, you really need to be careful. Those are other things I would and have researched very carefully.

Midline issues, liver shunts, etc are something else I would want to know about. Again, even if the dog has a sibling who had a hernia that closed or a mild cleft palate that took care of itself or a shark bite etc those are all midline problems and they can be carried down the line quite easily.

If a breeder is honest with me about those things and I KNOW what I'm getting into, then they must also have versatile dogs. I fully expect for them to have their dogs in herding and conformation, and I expect no less of myself. Obedience, agility, Rally-O, Flyball, DiscDog are all great, but I'd rather have a breeder who participates in field trials, herding, or Earth Dog.

I would also expect the breeder to take the dog back at any time if I cannot care for it, and also to provide a two year health guarentee that includes reimbursing me for the cost of the dog should a genetic issue crop up that is expensive to fix.
 

SpringerLover

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#16
I know I've really changed my opinion of what a good breeder does over the years (and I haven't even bought a dog in the last 13.5 years). I used to think that titling was the "be all end all." I certainly don't anymore. I value the dog and breeder more than titles I guess?

I've also developed an unwavering love of tails. I really adore my breed, I really love tails. My breeder selection is severely limited if I go "the breeder route." Although, with this specific breeder's decision to leave tails, other breeders are taking note...! :)

Interesting to read, very interesting!

If I were to add a couple more:
6) I'd want the breeder to have knowledge of every dog produced
7) I want to be able to talk about all the dogs in the household, not just the "active" ones
 

Fran101

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#17
Breeder has a process for matching puppies/homes that makes sense and that takes care/time.

Oh and breeder isn't crazy as a bag of cats because I need to trust the breeder to choose a puppy for me and be honest about evaluating them/their parents.

and crazy breeders have a way of extending their crazy into the lives of people who buy from them..
 
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#18
1. Dogs live in the home, and are treated as companions AND sporting/working dogs.
2. Health testing is done on breeding dogs, to the "standard" of the breed. Preferably health testing is done on their puppies as well, to have an idea of what kind of dogs they're producing.
3. Dogs are bred to standard (temperament, structure, etc.) And the breeder can explain strengths and faults in her dogs.
4. The dogs are versatile, able to do a variety of things, and have the ability to do what they were bred for.
5. Breeder is knowledgeable about nutrition and veterinary care, and is open to alternative or holistic medicine.
 

krissy

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#19
I typically go the adoption route, however when I decided to get Kili these were the things that were really important to me.

1. All dogs AND puppies live in the house. No kennels.

2. Adult dogs are friendly and well tempered.

3. Puppies have been well socialized, vet checked, and started to be introduced to environments that will be a big part of their life with me (i.e. agility equipment, baby wobble boards, etc.)

4. Adult breeding dogs have been health/genetic tested for common problems within the breed.

5. Breeder produces a responsible number of dogs. I don't care if they have more than one litter at a time, but overall I want to know that they aren't churning out more puppies than I feel is reasonable. When I got Kili her breeder had 2 litters a week apart in age, however they were her first litters in over 2 years. That's okay with me. I don't think she expected both females to catch.

I have more but that's what's important to me off the top of my head.
 

Hillside

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#20
I want dogs that are currently being worked in the sports I enjoy, I love versatility.

I want a well experienced and educated breeder.

The dogs should have calm, deep grips, strong drives, and enough quick twitch for flash. I prefer a natural retrieve.

Puppies should begin exposure early on and foundations should be entirely positive with drive nurturing play.

The dogs must maintain a less likely chance for DA.

Akc registration and no spay/neuter contract.

I want appropriate structure, X-rays available is a great plus.
I'm just going to go ahead and this^ this.
 

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