Recognizing A Professional Breeder

With so many breeders claiming different things about their business it may be hard to tell a professional breeder from an unprofessional one. Usually it is cleanliness and knowledge that separates the professionals from the exploiters of both animals and humans.

Avoid breeders who do not have clean kennels or who are keeping the puppies in a filthy environment. If a breeder will not let you visit a litter, then call the humane society. This could be an indication that something terrible is going on behind closed cages – most likely serious health violations.

A truly professional breeder can prove that they have studied the bloodlines of the mother and father dog before breeding and certify there breeding stock for genetic abnormalities. The best breeders tend to be those breed show dogs as well as they have the most interest in keeping the bloodlines pure and free of diseases and hereditary problems.

A warning sign that you are dealing with a profiteer rather than a puppy breeder is if they keep too many breeds or produce too many litters a year. Breeders who have lots of litters of lots of different breeds may have trouble keeping track of their bloodlines. Most responsible breeders keep no more than two breeds at one time in their kennels to keep the bloodlines pure. Any breeder that is producing more than six litters a year or breeds too many dog breed simultaneously is probably exploiting the animals.

Professional breeders do not discard dogs they can’t sell, don’t overwork the reproductive systems of the mothers and refund your money if you are not happy with your breed.

The clear advantage of buying from a professional breeder is that the puppy that you buy will most likely be physically, emotionally and mentally healthier than a puppy acquired from any other source.

Backyard breeders are part time breeders who discovered that they could make money-selling dogs once an older female puppy went into heat. This type of breeder may be responsible or not, depending on many factors.

Amateur breeders may accidentally or on purpose mate their females with an incompatible breed or with a puppy that has a genetic abnormality. Although they mean well and might just be trying to make a little Christmas money on the side, a backyard breeder rarely has the financial resources to spend on having mother dog tested for common diseases and hereditary afflictions.

This is once again, a case of Buyer Beware. If you fall in love with a puppy that is the offspring of a backyard breeder, be prepared to spend some money on quite a few tests before you buy the puppy. This can save you an enormous amount of expense and heartbreak in the future.

An advantage of buying from a friend or neighbor is often a lower price for the puppy or even a free puppy. Usually the neighbor down the street is not trying to make money, but more interested in finding the puppy a good home.

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Choosing the Best of the Litter

If you are going to choose a puppy make sure you do it from a reputable breeder. Puppies are ready to be chosen when they are about four weeks old.

Puppies come with as many different personalities as humans do. And no matter what their breed is any single one has the potential to become an introvert or an extrovert: a grouch or a goofball; an athlete or a couch potato; a jealous neurotic or a clever escape artist.

Dogs like people take some time to get to know. A dog that is from a breed that is known to be a good lap warmer could just as easily turn out to be an enthusiastic ankle biter. Almost any dog is capable of being difficult to train, deaf when it convenient and aggressive with strangers. The key to picking the best pet is to find the one that seems the most socialized. In other words it is the dog that seems to be relating the best to human contact.

Before you buy a dog you should first ask to observe how it acts in its own litter. If it is playing with other dogs then it is a sociable extrovert. If it is huddling by itself in a corner it may be irritable or sick.

A healthy puppy will be one that does not wince at human contact and instead jumps up to lick your hand or check you out. A lack of inquisitiveness can mean the dog is sick or has a lower intelligence.

Before selecting the puppy you should also examine it physically. First figure out or ask whether it is a boy or a girl. A healthy puppy should have a slightly plump rebounded tummy. There should be no fleas or sores on its body or bald patches in its fur. The eyes should be clear with no watery discharge or reddish looking streaks alongside its nose. It’s ears shoulder clean and pink, and the puppy should not be sniffling or sneezing

Never pick up or handle a puppy that is less than three weeks old! It is fragile; needs its mom and you could injure its delicate body with too much manhandling. Let it alone so it does not develop a fear of humans.

During each visit, observe the puppies as a group and take note of the different personalities. Characteristics worth noting include activity level, social interactions, vocalizations and the puppy’s response to a visitor. Puppies that are shy, retiring or snap at you are not good choices for pets.

Beware of a puppy that repeatedly mouths and claws at a visitor’s hands. This puppy might have dominant or aggressive traits that might make it difficult to get along with as it gets older.

There is still much to learn about how we can predict adult behavior from the behavior of a puppy (or a puppy). However, personality traits do appear over the course of days or weeks, even during a single introduction, and can help you decide whether a particular puppy would be a good match for your lifestyle.

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