jebee Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 Basicaly, subject. Never had a pure-breed dogs before, but we decided that we will buy a purebreed puppy soon. We really want to be sure that we are buying well breed healthy pup without genetic/temperamental issues. Obviously from reputable breeder. Now how will I tell if breeder is "reputable" or not? So far we contacted breed club(s) and obtained list of breeders from them. Had phone conversations with several breeders. Keep our eyes on dogzonline puppy register. Still not sure... What exactly makes breeder a "good" one? If we to decide between two breeders to buy puppy from what questions should we ask? So breeder must be - Registered with state's breed club? - Registered with ANKC (Dogs NSW, etc)? - Provide puppy with limited register papers? - Both parents and puppies should be medically tested. Some breeders publish pedigrees of their puppies. They look very cool with all those fancy names, but looking at pedigrees of two different litters how it is possible to tell which one is "better"? Please do not feel that I'm implying that some breeders are not exactly "reputable". During phone conversation with several of them they impress me as persons who really care about their dogs and breed overall. I just want to be sure that I've done my homework researching about our future family member. P.S. Still deciding between Vizsla and Boxer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stonecutter Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 Welcome jebee All good questions and I think you've basically got it down - but not all breeders may be registered with the Breed Club and this doesn't always indicate a reputable breeder. I don't know what the politics is like around vizsla and boxer breeders - but some breeders may choose to stay away from a breed club because of it. I'd also be interested in how they match puppies to buyers - what sort of temperaments are the parents? Do they pick a puppy for you? (based on your needs) Breeders I know are very careful about what sort of homes their beloved puppies go to - so they might be looking at you to see if you're a good puppy home as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Basicaly, subject. Never had a pure-breed dogs before, but we decided that we will buy a purebreed puppy soon. We really want to be sure that we are buying well breed healthy pup without genetic/temperamental issues. Obviously from reputable breeder. Now how will I tell if breeder is "reputable" or not? So far we contacted breed club(s) and obtained list of breeders from them. Had phone conversations with several breeders. Keep our eyes on dogzonline puppy register. Still not sure... What exactly makes breeder a "good" one? If we to decide between two breeders to buy puppy from what questions should we ask? So breeder must be - Registered with state's breed club? No, not necessarily, some breeds do not have breed clubs - Registered with ANKC (Dogs NSW, etc)? Yes, the controlling body of your state to be able to exhibit the dog at shows and/or other sanctioned events such as agility, obedience. - Provide puppy with limited register papers? Yes limited or main register. If you wish to show the pup must be on main register. - Both parents and puppies should be medically tested. Only if the breed has markers or tests available for that breed. Some breeds do not have markers or testing available. Some have test but only at a later age not as a puppy. Some breeders publish pedigrees of their puppies. They look very cool with all those fancy names, but looking at pedigrees of two different litters how it is possible to tell which one is "better"? A pedigree is to tell you who the ancesters are, it does not tell which is better. Telling which is best comes with time and a prcticed eye. Please do not feel that I'm implying that some breeders are not exactly "reputable". During phone conversation with several of them they impress me as persons who really care about their dogs and breed overall. I just want to be sure that I've done my homework researching about our future family member. P.S. Still deciding between Vizsla and Boxer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Basicaly, subject. Never had a pure-breed dogs before, but we decided that we will buy a purebreed puppy soon. We really want to be sure that we are buying well breed healthy pup without genetic/temperamental issues. Obviously from reputable breeder. Now how will I tell if breeder is "reputable" or not? So far we contacted breed club(s) and obtained list of breeders from them. Had phone conversations with several breeders. Keep our eyes on dogzonline puppy register. Still not sure... What exactly makes breeder a "good" one? If we to decide between two breeders to buy puppy from what questions should we ask? So breeder must be - Registered with state's breed club? No, not necessarily, some breeds do not have breed clubs - Registered with ANKC (Dogs NSW, etc)? Yes, the controlling body of your state to be able to exhibit the dog at shows and/or other sanctioned events such as agility, obedience. - Provide puppy with limited register papers? Yes limited or main register. If you wish to show the pup must be on main register. - Both parents and puppies should be medically tested. Only if the breed has markers or tests available for that breed. Some breeds do not have markers or testing available. Some have test but only at a later age not as a puppy. Some breeders publish pedigrees of their puppies. They look very cool with all those fancy names, but looking at pedigrees of two different litters how it is possible to tell which one is "better"? A pedigree is to tell you who the ancesters are, it does not tell which is better. Telling which is best comes with time and a prcticed eye. Please do not feel that I'm implying that some breeders are not exactly "reputable". During phone conversation with several of them they impress me as persons who really care about their dogs and breed overall. I just want to be sure that I've done my homework researching about our future family member. P.S. Still deciding between Vizsla and Boxer... My answers were supposed to large and in different colour. Big stuff up, sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixie_meg Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Some breeders publish pedigrees of their puppies. They look very cool with all those fancy names, but looking at pedigrees of two different litters how it is possible to tell which one is "better"? You can't necessarily say one pedigree makes a particular litter 'better' than another. It depends on what you are after. If you are after a healthy pet, you'd be best judging the dogs by viewing the parents to see if their temperaments are good for your family. If you are after a show dog then the pedigrees will give you a place to start researching. I agree that you do want to choose a breeder who you feel comfortable talking to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 I'd also be interested in how they match puppies to buyers - what sort of temperaments are the parents? Do they pick a puppy for you? (based on your needs) Breeders I know are very careful about what sort of homes their beloved puppies go to - so they might be looking at you to see if you're a good puppy home as well Couldn't agree more. The breeder who cares about the future life & welfare of their puppies/dogs, tends to be a person who cares about the welfare of their dogs, in all respects. Health, temperament etc. So a breeder who wants to know lots about how I (as a potential adopter) have cared for my pets & animals, gets a thumbs up from me. And who centres the conversation on the important things in caring for dogs. It's just lovely to find yourself on the same page as an experienced highly respected breeder when it comes down to the basics. I've found that breeders like this talk about their dogs.....using their call names....just like any dog lover tends to talk. It becomes very evident that they know their dogs well....& are close to them. And even tho' they might not use jargon words, like 'socialisation'.....they do it, in how their puppies are made to be close to people from birth and have all the experiences on their level of development. I've also found that breeders like this, have a deep interest in their particular breed & very, very happy to talk about it or point an enquirer to the good information. And when that breeder says, 'Now, if anything should ever go wrong....call me.' They're the magic words. I've got dogs from breeders like these & they've been a joy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra777 Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 (edited) I'd also be interested in how they match puppies to buyers - what sort of temperaments are the parents? Do they pick a puppy for you? (based on your needs) Breeders I know are very careful about what sort of homes their beloved puppies go to - so they might be looking at you to see if you're a good puppy home as well Couldn't agree more. The breeder who cares about the future life & welfare of their puppies/dogs, tends to be a person who cares about the welfare of their dogs, in all respects. Health, temperament etc. So a breeder who wants to know lots about how I (as a potential adopter) have cared for my pets & animals, gets a thumbs up from me. And who centres the conversation on the important things in caring for dogs. It's just lovely to find yourself on the same page as an experienced highly respected breeder when it comes down to the basics. I've found that breeders like this talk about their dogs.....using their call names....just like any dog lover tends to talk. It becomes very evident that they know their dogs well....& are close to them. And even tho' they might not use jargon words, like 'socialisation'.....they do it, in how their puppies are made to be close to people from birth and have all the experiences on their level of development. I've also found that breeders like this, have a deep interest in their particular breed & very, very happy to talk about it or point an enquirer to the good information. And when that breeder says, 'Now, if anything should ever go wrong....call me.' They're the magic words. I've got dogs from breeders like these & they've been a joy. That about sums it up for me too Mita. On the initial call, don't ask leading questions about health if the breeder doesn't mention it they probably don't think it's important or don't know about DNA testing, specialist testing etc (where relevant). Edited October 31, 2011 by Sandra777 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 I'd also be interested in how they match puppies to buyers - what sort of temperaments are the parents? Do they pick a puppy for you? (based on your needs) Breeders I know are very careful about what sort of homes their beloved puppies go to - so they might be looking at you to see if you're a good puppy home as well Couldn't agree more. The breeder who cares about the future life & welfare of their puppies/dogs, tends to be a person who cares about the welfare of their dogs, in all respects. Health, temperament etc. So a breeder who wants to know lots about how I (as a potential adopter) have cared for my pets & animals, gets a thumbs up from me. And who centres the conversation on the important things in caring for dogs. It's just lovely to find yourself on the same page as an experienced highly respected breeder when it comes down to the basics. I've found that breeders like this talk about their dogs.....using their call names....just like any dog lover tends to talk. It becomes very evident that they know their dogs well....& are close to them. And even tho' they might not use jargon words, like 'socialisation'.....they do it, in how their puppies are made to be close to people from birth and have all the experiences on their level of development. I've also found that breeders like this, have a deep interest in their particular breed & very, very happy to talk about it or point an enquirer to the good information. And when that breeder says, 'Now, if anything should ever go wrong....call me.' They're the magic words. I've got dogs from breeders like these & they've been a joy. You can only do your best to see that the buyers go home with the right puppy. In the end I believe no matter how hard you try it's what happens when the pup goes to its new home. The puppy will only be what the purchaser makes it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 You can only do your best to see that the buyers go home with the right puppy. In the end I believe no matter how hard you try it's what happens when the pup goes to its new home. The puppy will only be what the purchaser makes it. You're dead right, oakway. The breeder can only do their best to suss out if a potential adopter will prove to be a good match with a puppy. It's then a case of the puppy-buyer having to build on all the good work already laid down by the breeder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jebee Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 Thank you very much for replies. Another series of (stupid) questions... - Is it common practice to buy puppies interstate? Is it easy to arrange? What is a ballpark price for shipping, say, boxer pup from QLD or VIC to NSW? Assuming that we decided that we would like to buy puppies from particular breeder what are the steps? - Get confirmation that litter is expected. - Put our name on waiting list - Visit breeder and pat/hug their doggies and confirm that future pups' parents are nice and well looked after. Can be difficult if breeder is far away. - Wait for puppies to be born. - Pay deposit - Wait for 8 weeks - Hurray!!! Anything else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebanne Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 some breeders don't have waiting list or take deposits the other thing is you may not know which pup is to be yours until quite late in the process. Depends on what the breeder wants; my last litter everyone had to wait until I had made my choice, I think it was around the 6 - 7 week mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizT Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Jebee...just read through your posts and so good to see to you. You have it pretty much covered and I think you probably have good instincts too. Don't forget to trust them too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 (edited) Thank you very much for replies. Another series of (stupid) questions... - Is it common practice to buy puppies interstate? Is it easy to arrange? What is a ballpark price for shipping, say, boxer pup from QLD or VIC to NSW. Perfectally normal includes New Zealand Q Assuming that we decided that we would like to buy puppies from particular breeder what are the steps? - Get confirmation that litter is expected. - Put our name on waiting list A Speak to the breeder and they will fill in on any requirements Q - Visit breeder and pat/hug their doggies and confirm that future pups' parents are nice and well looked after. Can be difficult if breeder is far away. A Most breeders will not allow you to visit till the puppies are vaccinates although some do. Q - Wait for puppies to be born. A If the pups are not born the breeder will advise usually with photos. Q - Pay deposit A Some breeder do not take a deposit - Wait for 8 weeks - Hurray!!! Anything A The breeder will advise of any requirements. Freight depends on how far the pup flies and size of crate and weight of pup. Edited October 31, 2011 by oakway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaar Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Thank you very much for replies. Another series of (stupid) questions... - Is it common practice to buy puppies interstate? Is it easy to arrange? What is a ballpark price for shipping, say, boxer pup from QLD or VIC to NSW? Assuming that we decided that we would like to buy puppies from particular breeder what are the steps? - Get confirmation that litter is expected. - Put our name on waiting list - Visit breeder and pat/hug their doggies and confirm that future pups' parents are nice and well looked after. Can be difficult if breeder is far away. - Wait for puppies to be born. - Pay deposit - Wait for 8 weeks - Hurray!!! Anything else? Buying pups from interstate happens all the time. I'm in Tasmania so it's common practice here! Mine cost about $200 all up for transport, but that was for a toy breed puppy, obviously a boxer pup will weigh a lot more. My list of what happened went like this: -Call breeder and make first contact. -Wait several months on expected litter. -Get sent photos of said litter once they were born. -Get a phone call that a different older puppy will be arriving on the plane tomorrow -Pay for pup -Annoy breeder with photos every month. Things don't always go as planned, but I was after a show dog so it wasn't a case of just waiting for a pup, it was waiting on the RIGHT pup. The older one happened to turn out better than the pups and she couldn't keep another male on herself at the time, so we agreed to co-own and he was popped on the plane. I chose my breeder from her website initially, there were health scores, the dogs all looked to have fab temperaments and also the most important thing for me was that her dogs were CONSISTANT. I don't just mean in terms of winning, i mean in terms of appearance, I couldn't find a single dog on the site I didn't like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyosha Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Also of note, not all reputable breeders are part of breed clubs (I am, in several states, but know some people aren't). Personal falling outs mean that some people avoid them - but that's not to say they are a bad breeder. In smaller breeds and clubs personalities and interactions can dictate who is prepared to be involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shazzapug Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 I would also be suspect if a breeder wanted a deposit BEFORE the puppy is born...there is absolutely no reason to take any money till the puppies are born. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 I think word of mouth recommendations are the best. Don't rely entirely on the breeder's website and testimonials on that website to make your decision - try to talk to some people who have the breed of dog you like and a dog that is a good well behaved example of that - and ask them where they got their dog and how they felt about the source. I also like the idea of visiting shows to see who has what and talk to them face to face. If there is a dog sport you'd like to try - visit those sports competitions or for any and every breed - visit some obedience competions - talk to the owners of the dogs you like - ideally after they've competed - before is usually a bit too stressful for sensible conversation. http://kb.rspca.org.au/What-is-a-responsible-companion-animal-breeder_327.html Get any promises that are important to you in writing/email. I've read some shocking stories about puppies coming from interstate - and some very happy stories. The risk is what do you do if the puppy is not healthy when it arrives and you find the breeder has lied to you. But if you've got good word of mouth recommendations from people you've met face to face locally - that's a low risk - in my opinion. And I wouldn't want a puppy travelling in high summer by plane either. Can be better to go get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 I would also be suspect if a breeder wanted a deposit BEFORE the puppy is born...there is absolutely no reason to take any money till the puppies are born. I wouldnt consider taking a deposit before I was sure I had live wriggly warm healthy babies but some breeders take deposits before the pups are born simply because they then know who is still going to be there when they call them to say the pups are here. In some breeds and some breeders you can have up to a hundred on a wait list and calling them back to be told they have already purchased a dog or they have changed their mind etc is not only time consuming but also costly. in some breeds they are hard to find homes for too so perhaps the breeder needs confirmation they have homes before they get too far into it. From a buyers perspective at least they know they have a fair chance rather than first come first served after the pups are born. People often offer me deposits before the litter is born and there's not a chance Id take it because having a litter isnt like working to a recipe where you can just punch in how many boys or girls or what colours you get etc. or even that they will live. I get why it would suit some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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