Is this a good breeder?

[Heather170277]

We went to see a brittany breeder yesterday. He has only britts and has been breeding them for 13 years. He has 8 dogs on site now (some adults, some 1.5 years, etc). He guarantees his puppies for any condition it might end up with, replacing the pup for free. All his dogs are Hip certified and have excelleent temperments. I have even gotten word from a professional dog trainer here locally and she raves about his dogs Temperments.


My only concern was that the dogs on in outdoor/indoor runs although he does allow them in his home as well. He is on farm land.

What do you think? Opinions? Is he safe breeder?

Thanks!

 

[dogsarebetter]

yes, i think so.
its not like they are outside forgotten about

 

[Zoom]

Word of mouth, provided that you trust the judgement of the person, is a good indicator. Everything you've said sounds good so far. Does he hunt with them? Can he show something that indicates why these dogs were chosen for breeding?

 

[bubbatd]

I would check into where he whelps his pup and how much time he can spend with a litter .

 

[Herschel]

If I were you, I would ask that he refund your money in case of any health problems (instead of replacing it with a new dog).

Who in the world would want to give their beloved dog back to the breeder in exchange for another dog just because of a health problem?

 

[stevinski]

does he have a website?

does he show his dogs in anything?

 

[Heather170277]

He uses all his adult dogs for hunting. He takes two out each day to hunt with him. Yes he has a website http://www.grandane.com/Thorne/index.html

I most definitely trust the judgement of the trainer who spoke of his dogs. She is very well known in the area and highly respected. He said 50% of his pups are companions and the other 50% are companion/hunting.

He showed us the whelping pen and it had the heat lamp, a little bed area and was nice and warm. One of the things i was really looking for was how the dogs reacted to us (being strangers). He had a few running around to greet us. Of course they were a little timid at first, but they warmed right up to us and were taking treats out of our hands by the end and letting us pat them.

 

[showpug]

Looks good to me. I think it's great he is working his dogs. Trust your gut. What matters most is if he is someone you feel comfortable dealing with.

 

[Heather170277]

He's a very nice man, really loves his dogs, and they love him. You can just tell those types of things.

We weren't sure what to expect becasue we have never been to a kennel/breeder before but by remembering everything I've read online as what a puppy mill would be or unfit conditions, I felt very positive with this breeder. It's great that these type of forums exist fo us less experienced.

 

[Herschel]

Looks great! Still--if I were you, I would ask that he provide a refund in the case of any health defects, rather than a replacement dog.

 

[Baylee Boo]

If he's close to you you could go check it out and meet his dogs. I called a owner of someone who bought a dog from my breeder and asked about the service and so on!

 

[Cole's Mom]

See what the parent club website has. If he is listed there. Ask to talk to others who have his dogs.

Cole's Mom
Would you believe, I've been frosted!

 

[MomOf7]

Im not sure how others feel about prelims on OFA and breeding but this caught my eye on his site..

Our breeding stock is OFA certified or has undergone satisfactory preliminary X-rays

He only has 2 females listed so I went ahead and looked up OFA reports for you.
This report is for Sage
BS-11945F33F-PI HIPS Mar 19 2004 33 FAIR

Fair is a passing grade. The only thing that worries me about this Fair is there are several Fairs as passing grade in her lines. Her father was a fair. Her mother and father were the only ones for 3 generations that had ofa done.
Here is the link http://www.offa.org/display.html?appnum=1062443#animal

Also I didnt see any elbow or eye certifications. The eye certs dont have to be sent in so those may very well be done and he has the copy for his records.

Cheryl does not have a OFA number yet. They may have gotten it done and are awaiting the results.

What are the names of the dogs who are the sire and dam of the litter you are looking at? I can help you do a little research. I also know people who breed spaniels who might know these dogs lines and be able to give more insight. You can also for 8$ get a copy of the parents pedigree for 3 generations. 16 dollars is worth it to me when I am looking at buying a pup.
THey are claiming champion lines I would get both parents pedigrees from AKC at thier store. ALthough some spaniel tests are done under a different agency that is not recognized by AKC so the titles will not show. The owners should be able to provide you with the pedigrees on both parents and titles behind them in this case. I would ask anyways. Save yourself the money of getting it from akc.


Like I said I can help you if you want help. If this isnt the breeder for you for whatever reason I can help you locate one by word of mouth.

THought I might help a little I dont want to burst any bubbles

 

[showpug]

I agree, you should check references by contacting other puppy owners. I always ask for references when researching breeders and they should be happy to supply you with them.

 

[Heather170277]

Momof7,

Thanks for that info! I wanted to do some research but I didn't know where to start. The sire's name is Red and the dam is Daisy.
I really hope the two dogs are going to be ok. There are not any other breeders in Nova Scotia (where I live).

 

[MomOf7]

Momof7,

Thanks for that info! I wanted to do some research but I didn't know where to start. The sire's name is Red and the dam is Daisy.
I really hope the two dogs are going to be ok. There are not any other breeders in Nova Scotia (where I live).

I will see what i can come up with. There might be other ones.???

OFFA.org is a good place to start. You put in the full name of the dog in the search bar and it comes up with clearances for that dog and other dogs in its line that has had clearances. You can view verticle pedigrees as well and look at offspring and siblings.

Are there any hunting clubs there? I think I remember seeing one for nova scotia. I will check into that.

 

[Heather170277]

I was checking out that site, which is great by the way and i was wondering if the date noted is the last time they have record of the hips being done? He says they are done every year.

DAISY

OFA Number Registry Report Date Age Final Conclusion
Jun 15, 2004


I am so nervous now...I'm second guessing this breeder...is all this bad news for us?

 

[MomOf7]

I was checking out that site, which is great by the way and i was wondering if the date noted is the last time they have record of the hips being done? He says they are done every year.

DAISY

OFA Number Registry Report Date Age Final Conclusion
Jun 15, 2004


I am so nervous now...I'm second guessing this breeder...is all this bad news for us?

He may have them x-rayed but not reported. Its not necessary to report every year. Yearly exams are for the owners information although it is a good idea to report every year.
I found this site. I would join and start making calls and asking questions in the forum.
I hope this helps!!
http://www.novascotiahunting.com/default.asp

 

[MomOf7]

Lookie what i found. This kennel should know where to find other breeders or know about the breeder you are looking at getting a pup from.

Ruff Country Kennel
T: (902) 758-3511
Training pointing, flushing & Retrieving breeds of hunting dogs. We have 220 acres of training grounds with training fields, ponds, and wild bird cover with resident populations of grouse and woodcock and pheasant as well as released pheasant. All dogs are trained on live birds. Cost is $500/month taxes boarding & feeding included, bird costs are extra. I will be conducting training sessions for hunters and their bird dogs on Saturdays this would be a half day session, where you would get hands on direct training for you and your hunting companion, cost $50. Breeders of Labrador Retrievers and English Setters. We also board dogs year round we have a heated facility and dogs are exercised frequently, cost $15/day tax included.
Address: R.R. #4, Hwy. 215, Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia, B0N 2H0
County: Hants