A CLUB UNITED FOR A BREED APART

See that cute little pup in the picture above? How can you know if the person who bred the litter that this pup came from is a responsible breeder? How can you tell if this breeder cares about his/her dogs, and strives to produce healthy well-rounded puppies?

There is no magical way to become all knowing with regard to breeders. In most cases people fall in love with a puppy and don't ask the breeder important questions about the kennel background and their breeding practices! Unfortunately when this occurs, the new puppy buyer may end up purchasing a puppy with health problems, temperament issues, or have furthered the endeavors of a breeder operating a puppy mill! Puppies are not cookie-cutter creations. No two are exactly alike, and the skill and knowledge of the breeder is what will shape and mold the resulting purebred puppy.

There are two types of pure-breed dog breeders in the world. That's right, two. Responsible breeders who strive to better the breed and learn/do all they can to create dogs that enhance that breed, and irresponsible breeders who indiscriminately breed dogs for money * because puppies are cute * because they have two purebred dogs, and "why not?" * or perhaps they feel that it would be a "good thing for Fifi to have a litter. She's such a nice dog."

While Fifi may very well be a "nice dog," what does this person really know about Fifi? Does Fifi have hip dysplasia? Perhaps Fifi carries a genetic disease she could pass on to her puppies resulting in painful problems for those puppies and huge vet bills for their owners. Please consider carefully from whom you are purchasing a puppy. Acquiring a puppy from a breeder with less then good breeding practices will have impact on the breed at large and future owners of puppies in that breed. By giving your money to an individual with less then sound ethics, you are encouraging this person to continue breeding!

There are things you can do to protect yourself and the breed when searching for a puppy. Along with inspecting the kennels for cleanliness and viewing the parent dogs, there are many important questions you should ask breeders you are considering, and if those breeders are responsible, they will welcome your questions and address them with directness and honesty. The responsible breeder will ask you questions too, and if they don't, or just seem very interested to sell the puppy right now, you might want to walk away.

Information a responsible breeder will be able to provide to you:

A pedigree of at least three generations, and be happy to explain the pedigree to you if you don't understand it. Ask the breeder what titles (if any) the dogs have earned, and the history of the dogs appearing on the pedigree. How big were the dogs? Did they have any genetic problems that could have been passed along you should be aware of? What is the average life-span of the dogs? What are their temperaments like?

Ask the breeder if he/she has the dogs they are breeding evaluated by OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals), OVC, or by the Penn method. A good breeder of White Shepherds should be concerned about the health of their dogs, and will not breed any dogs with faulty joints. A responsible breeder will provide you with the OFA or Penn numbers of the parent dogs.

Ask that the breeder describe the breed standard to you. The breed standard is a guideline of traits considered ideal within the breed. A good breeder will not breed outside this standard. If you have a breeder not able to describe the breed standard to you, and how his/her dogs are within that standard, this is probably not someone from whom you want a pup. A breeder not breeding within the standard is most likely creating puppies that are structurally and temperamentally unacceptable within the breed.

A good breeder will supply you with a contract and go over that contract with you. The contract should contain the rights and responsibilities of the buyer of the puppy, as well as the rights and responsibilities of the breeder selling that puppy. Health guarantees will be outlined within the contract as will registration guidelines. If the breeder calls for a "limited registration" on the contract, don't be alarmed. This is actually a great thing! It means you have found a breeder who is breeding within standard and cares about the breed. A pup sold with a limited registration will be wonderful in health and temperament, but some how is deviating from the standard physically in most cases. Perhaps the pup is a male with only one testicle, or the pup's ear carriage is off. Limited registration means that the breeder recognizes a fault in the dog that would prevent the dog from being used as breeding stock or for show. Unless you are planning to show the dog in conformation, limited registration is not a hindrance to you or the dog. The pup is considered to be registered, but any offspring of the pup cannot be registered. Most breeders who sell "pet quality" limited registration pups will have a clause in the contract calling for the pup to be altered (spayed/neutered) at a certain age.

Request that the breeder provide you with references from satisfied puppy owners and other breeders. Relying on the testimony of the breeder's past customers is not enough . Owners of the breeder's pups may not have a long enough history with the breeder and might not be able to tell you in detail the breeder's track record.

What kinds of clubs and activities does the breeder participate in with their animals? Are they showing in conformation or competing in breed appropriate activities like herding or tracking? These questions will let you know how involved with the breed the breeder is and also clue you in on the performance of his/her dogs. If you are interested in tracking, for instance, it would behoove you to select a breeder whose dogs have proven themselves good trackers. This is not to say that you can't receive a pup from a breeder whose dogs do no tracking that won't turn out to be a marvelous tracker, but the odds on acquiring a pup with a strong tracking instinct from proven parents is greater. The breeder's club involvement can be a sign that this breeder is a respected, accepted, responsible breeder. Having club affiliations is not a guarantee of this, but it definitely helps. Most clubs do not encourage bad breeding practices and will eventually (hopefully) spot a breeder with less then good ethics and eject them from the club. While not all clubs follow this pattern, most in fact do attempt to have within their membership only those with good reputations. A club's reputation after all is only as good as it's memberships.

A USDA license is a red flag that you may have found a breeder who is not responsible, ethical, or interested in the welfare of the breed. The USDA has NO interest whatsoever in the breeder's intent with these animals or the animal's health, temperament, structural soundness, genetic defects, or whether or not the animals fall within the breed standard at all! The United States Department of Agriculture does not regulate or enforce that any breeding or kennel operation produce animals that even remotely represent the characteristics of the breed they claim to be. The USDA is the government agency in charge of licensing for livestock (cattle, sheep, pigs) not domestic companions! Their only concern with regard to a kennel is that there is no infectious disease upon the premises (that's readily recognized), that the crates/cages be of a approved size, and that the breeder pay the government fee and have the appropriate papers filled out. With all these things done, the breeder can and will receive a USDA license. Frankly the only reason a kennel would carry a USDA license is to mass produce puppies. Typically these are the puppies you will see in pet shops. While pet shop puppies may pull at your heart strings, buying these puppies perpetuates the squalid conditions the parent dogs are forced to live and reproduce in, and continues the cycle of puppies with training, health, and temperament problems.

These questions and things to look for can go a long way in ensuring that you have purchased a puppy from a breeder who is loving, caring, and concerned about the breed's welfare. A puppy bred in an environment of caring and cleanliness is a puppy who will make an easier transition into your home and family and be a faithful life-long companion!