gtjell Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Hi all. After my last disasterous attempt at what turned out to be a puppy farm (I feel ick), I'm just after some advice please. I've been talking to a breeder who has a litter of puppies that will be on the Main Register of the CCCQ, vaccinated, microchipped etc. We're going out to see the puppies but I want to know what I should look for. Should I be as judgemental as to judge the area the breeder lives in or the house or should I just look at the health of the animals around. People I know bought a dog from a lovely lady who kept her dogs inside and it was hell for them to toilet train the puppy as he was just used to going on the carpet...simple things like that stick in my head. I hope this makes sense. Thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss B Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 I've been talking to a breeder who has a litter of puppies that will be on the Main Register of the CCCQ This sounds alarm bells for me... the whole litter is on Main Register? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Look, just go and use commonsense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtjell Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share Posted June 29, 2011 I should correct myself. She has 2 puppies for sale - both on the main register. Is that bad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 I should correct myself. She has 2 puppies for sale - both on the main register. Is that bad? No, it's not bad, but how many were there in the litter ?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtjell Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share Posted June 29, 2011 Thanks - another question for me to ask Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 I forgot to ask what are you looking for, a show quality or pet ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtjell Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share Posted June 29, 2011 Just a pet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raineth Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 I wouldn't want pups that have only been raised outside. Ask what socialisation they have done. Ask about relevant health tests for the breed and the documentation that goes with them. You should be familiar with this before you go Take good note of what mum is like - is the mum dog the kind of dog you would be happy to own? And overall do the mum and pups look well cared for ofcourse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 People I know bought a dog from a lovely lady who kept her dogs inside and it was hell for them to toilet train the puppy as he was just used to going on the carpet...simple things like that stick in my head. The same can be said for pups that stay outside & can go when they please. It all comes down to training from day 1. What to look for ,some people can live in a dump & be brilliant breeders.some can live in a palace & be woeful breeders BUT hygiene should be there no matter what . The breeder should be able to answer your questions They should be able to show you any required health checks They should be able to explain the breed to you & why the pup will suit you or if the case not suit you (yes a breeder should say no if it isn't the right match) You should be able to meet the mother(not always the father) the bitch should appear healthy & in good condition keeping in mind some breeds & bitches can have alot taken out of them raising a litter If they have other dogs they should ideally all look healthy ,content. BUT the biggest key is you need to be a smart purchaser & educate yourself .You need to have done good ground work on the breed & have some knowledge & be aware of certain Issues & what can be done to avoid it. There is nothing worse than having people around who sit there like numpty's & have no clue what you are talking about or any basic understanding of the breed . Write a list of questions that you feel are important to ask As oakway said use common sense Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Just a pet I would be looking for a healthy sweet smelling bundle of joy. As I said just plain common sense will tell you. I would say it served you well the first time so stick with it. :D If you were looking at a show quality puppy I would have suggested that you take along a person that has some knowledge of the breed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtjell Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share Posted June 29, 2011 Thanks for the heads up. I've done some research on the breed and health issues - it was more the actual going and seeing the pups/breeder that freaks me out. Sad hey. The breeder is listed on DOL - is that to give me any peice of mind at all?? lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlemum Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Thanks for the heads up. I've done some research on the breed and health issues - it was more the actual going and seeing the pups/breeder that freaks me out. Sad hey. The breeder is listed on DOL - is that to give me any peice of mind at all?? lol. Well, at least if the breeder is listed on DOL you know that they ARE registered. However, DOL listing doesn't automatically guarantee that they are ethical etc. Have you spoken to other people who have the same breed, has the breeder given you any references from past puppy buyers? What breed is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtjell Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share Posted June 29, 2011 The breed is a Shih Tzu. I feel like the real novice I am now... No I havent asked for references and I havent spoken to anyone IRL that has the same breed - only online. There are so many people who tell me to go to breeders :-/ of shih tzu x maltese around here but I am so not a fan of the maltese so I am not going there. I want a purebred, nice sociable little dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oskar & Zsa Zsa Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Please don't take my comments as anything but an attempt to assist you in making a great choice for you, your family and whatever lucky puppy comes home to live with you. But, I feel that perhaps you are putting the horse before the cart in an attempt to have a puppy sooner rather than later. If I could share some of my experiences perhaps you may draw from some of them. The first thing was to decide what type of dog I wanted. Temperament, energy, maintanance, affection, intelligence, size etc., let's assume that you have already determined that. My next step was to get to know the dogs of the breed I had decided on. I went to shows, agility and sports events to meet and greet not only the dogs but the owners and breeders also. This was potentially the smartest thing I did, as while meeting and greeting, I met the dog I really wanted the most attributes of for my puppy and through having got to know the breeder, when a litter came up with him and a mum i knew well also,I was given first pick and my decision was made. I may point out, there were some definate disadvantages to the process. I couldn't have a puppy NOW! I had to wait a long time to get the one I wanted. I am normally not a patient person and this was a difficult time for me, but, i wanted my puppy a certain way and in the end, it was the best decision I could have made. Oskar is a brilliant puppy and I couldn't be happier with how he is turning out in all respects. Behaviour, looks and personality which oozes out of him! I hope this makes sense and I understand it may not be the process which works for you, but it certainly delivered me a result which i could only have dreamed of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mini girl Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 I am always happy to meet my puppy owners and they can see the mother - father also if he is my stud dog - also I send photos weekly of the puppies progress - especially to people who have not been able to see their puppy due to distance - I also start to paper train my pups from 3 weeks so when they leave they at least are paper trained - I also give pedigree copies of mum and dad and with our last litter we put them on youtube so interstate buyers could see their puppy - our pups are reared in the home and given a lot of attention from day one - look for a breeder who does it for the love of the breed not just the dollars - who is willing to answer any questions has certificates on any health checks that are available for the breed - and one who asks you some questions -before I let one of my puppies go I like to feel assured they are going to a good home where they will receive all that is needed to give them a good and happy life - I tell them it is a 16 year commitment so do your homework and try and be as sure as possible - I also I include in my paperwork that if for any reason they cannot keep their dog to contact me to help find a new suitable home. I get lots and lots of emails from my puppies and photos that I put on my website - I also try as best as I can to work out the temperament of any pup so as to suit the family or person - puppies also go with a family tree photo page showing photos of mum and dad and the 4 grandparents. Raising a litter of pups for me is a real commitment as I feel it should be to turn out pups that a healthy and well socialised also starting to get used to some grooming and on a good diet. These are just a few things you could try and find out before you buy your new baby. Good luck hope it all goes well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlemum Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 (edited) The suggestions to check out the breed & get references are in no way meant to make you feel bad - I was very lucky when choosing my breed that I had a friend who had a Poodle (albeit a Mini) so I had some idea of what the breed was like and was even luckier to be referred to New Zealand's top breeder of Standard Poodles (and ended up getting 4 dogs from her over the years. I'm sure there's a thread on here for Shih Tzus - go on there & ask advice, if it's anything like the Poodle thread they will welcome you with open arms & give you heaps of good advice. I don't know much about Shih Tzus except that I have seen a few at Obedience Trials & they are great little dogs Edited June 29, 2011 by poodlemum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtjell Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share Posted June 29, 2011 I havent taken offence to anything written here - in fact I welcome all the info with open arms. Thanks for taking the time to respond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancinbcs Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 I would be asking them what their dogs have achieved. Have they shown them successfully, now or in the past? If not why are they breeding and how do they know that their dogs are good enough examples of the breed to be used for breeding? How many litters do they have a year? Most reputable breeders only breed 1-4 litters a year of companion type breeds so if they have say 10 litters, I would be wary. Some can breed that many and do it well but large numbers start to indicate that they value profit over a love of the breed. Most important - If you leave a deposit, get a receipt stating what you paid, exactly what it is for and any terms attached to it. The receipt needs to specify a pure bred Shih Tzu, Main or limit ANKC registered puppy, the final purchase price, date puppy is to be collected and under what, if any terms the deposit is refundable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toy dog Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 i've written a webpage on it to help people. its called "screening your breeder" just as a guideline:- screening breeders bascially sums up what has been posted in here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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