poodlefan

Excellent question Poodlefan. I personally I believe there needs to be some sort of ANKC endorsed state implemented Breeder Accreditation program. But at present there is nothing to guide the unsuspecting puppy buyer. Maybe you can assist - if you were a family wanting a lab puppy how would you go about aquiring one? I started a thread about this the other day.. It's here But in light of Bindi Boo's experience buying a CKCS, I'm not sure I've gone far enough. I think we all know of a few breeders that look the goods but really aren't. Just trolling the Lab breeders' listings there seem to be a hell of a lot of breeders who don't seem to do much with their dogs other than breed. There seems to be a hell of a lot of colour breeding happening too. I also know of some absolute horror stories of pups (not Labs) sourced from very high profile exhibitors who failed to deliver on a lot of promises. It's a minefield. If DOLers have trouble sorting the wheat from the chaff, how is a novice puppy buyer going to fare? I will admit to being one of the persons talked about in this thread who's talked about highly exciteable destructive Labs that owner have trouble with -because I've seen them and know the owners. These dogs aren't necessarily ANKC registered or coming from the top echelon of responsible breeders - so how does a person find the right Lab breeder. It really concerns me, particularly in the very popular breeds that attract the more high volume, profit oriented kind of breeder.

Given the popularity of this breed and the number of registered breeders breeding litters from untitled parents, how would breeders and fanciers recommend people go about selecting a quality, ethical, responsible breeder?

Hi Poodlefan - true fox red is a very uncommon coat colour. There are plenty of Labs around that carry a dark yellow coat but true fox red is almost non existent. Below is an interesting link. http://www.littleriverlabs.com/foxred2.htm Thanks Blackdog

I didn't know that. Seems pretty straight forward, though. Most swf's (said as a very general, generalisation) I have met had had tear staining, I just put it down to must 'just happen' It's common. But it's not "normal". That brown colouring you're seeing is bacteria growing in excess moisture on the skin. Definitely get it checked out.

Thank God for that. I hope it brings you some peace of mind.

Don't forget RELAX and HAVE FUN WITH YOUR PUP. They grow up so fast.

At my place, I've been known to initiate the zoomies by pretending to be a scary monster and "chasing" the dogs around the house. This game is played with much glee by my tribe. The main chasee gets chased by the other dogs and we all hide and ambush each other. My "look like a complete idiot" capacity is clearly high.

Staffords can be a very vocal breed. If you'd seen two playing together, you'd probably think they were killing each other sometimes. It definitely sounds like an invitation to play to me.. pups do zoomies because they are fun. My 12 year old poodle still does them occasionally. Why not play with her.. teach her to tug, to retrieve and try a few interactive games. Lindadiosa, you have sounded a couple of times like you are a little scared of this pup or at least are hypervigilant for signs of "dominance" .. am I reading you correctly? How much do you know about Staffords generally - they are very rarely aggressive towards people.

Make sure you feed a very bland diet for a few days Kiesha.. Chicken and rice is good - which is what is in Hills I/D cans.

You can only point out to the public what good breeder practices are and give them checklists to follow. And implore them not to buy the 'right now' pup without looking at a few breeders and asking a lot of questions. The breeder you refer to rang some wrong bells that a novice dog buyer didn't pick up on. Maybe there's a job out there for a professional "puppy facilitator" to vet breeders and advise on breeds.. watch me apply!!

Or a blocked tear duct.. or Distichiasis

Have you had her eyes checked by a vet? Tear staining isn't normal for a dog. There will be a cause.

If you are in NSW BB, call Dogs NSW. You might like to ask the breeder for documentary evidence of the health tests she said have been conducted on Georgea's parents. IF she can't produce them, that's a Fair Trading issue.

Did you see any test results? I'm sorry this has happened to you. This just sux. Breeders like this shouldn't BE registered and sure as hell shouldn't be on here.

Bindi Boo, were Georgea's parents health tested for MVD? Have you taken her to the vet for a full check over?

And some don't crop up for years.. I think there has to be a limit on "returns" and some recognition by owners (not necessarily you WASD) that their husbandry can contribute to their dog's health issues. A genetic disorder like PRA is a different kettle of fish to something like HD.

Giannoula 13 October 2009 2 years ago I bought a pure bred Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from a breeder. When she was 6 months old, she was diagnosed with bilateral patella luxation. It cost me $6000 to have her legs repaired. I contacted the breeder by email to advise her about my puppies genetic condition and perhaps she should stop breeding from one or both the parents. I never received a reply. My vet advised me that the breeder's silence may indicate that she knew that she should not be breeding from the parents but perhaps did not care. My question is - how do I warn the public if they want to buy a puppy bred from the same parents as my puppy? Unfortunately, it's difficult to do so without risking a defamation suit. Gee $6,000 sounds like a huge bill for two patella surgeries and 6 months old very very early to repair them. Knees often tighten as a dog matures so I'd recommend operating after the dog has finished growing unless they are severe. Sorry to hear about this. Was the breeder an ANKC registered one? I'd like to think not but you never know.

Justice people in a breed who've been around for a while know who's who in a particular breed zoo. I can think of at least one prolific poodle breeder who advertises here on DOL and who exports a huge number of pups O/S to dog dealers. A lot of people know which dogs have dodgy temperaments or health issues too. With all the breed specific threads here and so many very experienced breeders, the first thing I'd do if considering a new breed would be to ask for PM'd breeder recommendations and cautions. There are people in the breeds I know that I warn people away from and steer people towards.. and I'm not even a breeder. But any breeder who advertises "puppys usually available" and or who advertises "rare colours" or who seem to have a hell of a lot of litters is probably one to exercise some caution about. Any breeder who didn't mention health testing in a breed with issues would probably get a similarly cautious approach from me. When in doubt I'd advise asking questions.. particularly of experienced people here.

Kiesha, dehydration can be fatal in dogs.. don't muck about .. insist they check her hydration level.

Last time Darcy presented for HGE they also checked him out for a bowel interception. Akay: Yeah, a small number of dogs will get it more than once. Aren't I the lucky one. No, the trigger was never identified in either case. My vet said it could even be an insect bite. All they know is HGE can have a bacterial, viral, parasitic or toxic trigger. And you don't waste time before commencing aggressive treatment.

My poodle Darcy has had HGE twice. It is rapid onset and dogs need to be on a drip ASAP. Get them to check potassium levels too.. low potassium is an HGE indicator.

Take her to where you want her to go and reward her like crazy for doing it there.

I'd be there now. Insist they do a Packed Cell Volume count to check for for dehydration and consider the possiblity of haemolytic anaemia or haemorrhagic gastro. If you can find a better vet, I'd go there. Do not be fobbed off.

A good question for the Toy Poodle thread in Breeds 101. Most breeders I know don't do this but its a fact that boy poodles are sometimes harder to sell than girls. Be sure that the breeder tests for PRA.. if not, tell her to run a mile.

No reason why you can't find a few breeders for them if you are more knowledgeable. There is actually a book called "Your Purebred Puppy" and its damn good. Although American based it has great breed profiles and sections on finding and evaluating breeders. Link to author's website here. The hardest things to convince aspirant puppy buyers are: * that the breed they have their heart set on is not really suitable for them * to wait for the right pup. Fail there and they head straight to the pet shop or the Trading Post.