Finding a good breeder is a difficult and often daunting task,yes, but my motto is that you probably will not have to do it again for years - so stick to your guns and don't let up until you find a great one!
When looking for a breeder PLEASE ask around, call references, check with their vet to see what testing they do (cutting corners on testing and medical care is an obvious red flag!) Talk for 2 hours and see if they start to sigh on the phone because they are bored of questions. Ask about their dogs and if you can get them to stop gushing in 10 minutes or less hang up. Find out what they are breeding toward, and away from; no dog is perfect, can they tell you the faults in theirs? Great breeders are excessively picky, so they should find fault in the most perfect dog and tell you how they hope to improve them in the next generation.
Ask for several references and call them; all of them. Find out how old the pups are, what their challenges have been, and very importantly if they can still rely on their breeder for good advice quickly and reliably. If everyone you talk to raves about them it's a very good sign.
It's a very sad thing, but there are alot of bad apples in the barrel - you know it because you've heard some stories yourself, but it can be difficult to weed through the pile when someone is being cunning and nice to sell the next pup. Always remember that all (well, most ;) ) puppies are cute, but you want to love the one you pick for a long long time - so as always caveat emptor! Believe it or not breeders get bitten, too, in fact every great breeder I know can share at least one horror story - so don't feel you are showing weakness by being super cautious. My recommendation? Assume the worst and make them prove you otherwise - this is about adding to your family; you can play nice in the dog park.
A final note on the matter: If you have had a bad experience - shout it out!! Reputation goes miles, and a bunch of bad reviews of awful experiences speaks volumes! As a consumer in this crazy world you are a king (or a queen), and your opinion can make a massive difference. Breeders can be trapped by etiquette and slamming another breeder, frankly, does very little good; it makes us look petty, competative and carries little weight. But as the new family you have the true power. Rave about the breeders you love, and please, and broadcast the ones that gave you the willies, or worse, the short end of the stick!! And last but not least - ask who we as breeders have had good experiences with - we buy dogs too, probably more often than you do! I know I have a couple of people I've dealt with that I highly recommend! Ask who we love to work with; If my experience has been fantastic, yours probably will be, too!
Be opinionated and hard to win over, your family and it's new furry baby will thank you for it!!
No comments:
Post a Comment