Long ago people used to read ads in the newspaper or look for signs out that said “pups for sale” to find puppies. If someone was looking for a specific breed, they might go to a dog show to meet exhibitors of the breed they were interested in. Although going to a dog show is still a great way to meet breeders, very few people look at the newspaper or that sign at the end of someone’s driveway. Now people turn to the internet.
Since anyone can create a beautiful website, some people use that gorgeous website to give the appearance that they are a responsible or reputable breeder. Many times that website is a false front to nothing more than a puppy mill or a back-yard-breeder.
Since no one should want to purchase their puppy from a puppy mill, having the knowledge to navigate a breeder’s website to determine if this is a breeder you want to work with is very important. Knowing what a “responsible or reputable” breeder is, is also something a potential buyer needs to know.
Navigating a Breeder’s Website
First off, how many breeds of dogs are they breeding? There isn’t anything wrong with having two different breeds of dogs, a lot of breeders have a love or interest in more than one particular breed. But when you are seeing many breeds and then possibly mixed breed dogs, or “designer dogs”, this is a huge red flag.
If you have made it past the first potential red flag, then the next thing to look at is; does the breeder offer the dog’s full registered name? Or have they made the website “homey” or “cutesy” by only using the call name of the dog? I’ll discuss below why is this important. If there are no registered names, this is a red flag.
Does the breeder do health testing? If they do, do they show the certificates of completed health testing? Or do they provide links to the OFA database so you can see the health testing that has been done? If not, why? A breeder should be more than happy to provide you will all the health testing results. If they don’t have it available for you to view while you are getting to know them, this is a red flag.
Does the breeder have available puppy pictures posted on their website? To me, this is a RED FLAG. A reputable breeder doesn’t need to post cute pictures to entice someone in. A reputable breeder wants an educated buyer who has done their homework about the breed to determine it is the right breed for them. Cute puppy pictures, with perhaps a button to “put a down payment down now,” is a major red flag.
Puppy Pricing
Regardless if the puppy is black, brown, grey, or Landseer, male or female, the price should be the same. It doesn’t take more time to raise a boy vs. a girl, a black vs. a Landseer. You are paying for the breeder’s time. Not only the time they spend with the pups, but the years they have put into the dogs. So if you see different prices for different things, that is a RED FLAG.
Involvement In the Breed
If you are wondering what is meant by the word involvement, involvement with the breed should ALWAYS be more than just producing puppies. It should be more than the breeder’s family just having fun with the dogs. Although seeing a breeder take their dogs into nursing homes or schools or hospitals to visit with people that the dogs can bring joy to is great because it shows the gentle temperament of the dog, that is not involvement with or within the breed.
Involvement means exhibiting your dog in an event that will showcase the structural conformation of the breed, and the working traits of the breed. Involvement, with success, in some area of the breed is critical since not only does this mean that the dog meets the breed standard, but also that the breeder has been out amongst dogs of the breed to know how their dog compares. Look to see does the breeder work to earn conformation titles with their dogs? Have they finished the requirements to earn a Championship title on any of their dogs? Do they work to earn water or carting titles with their dogs? If you don’t see any involvement in the breed beyond making puppies, this is yet another red flag.
For those in the beginning stages of doing your homework about buying a puppy, you might be wondering why these things are important. Let’s start with the number of breeds the breeder works with.
If a breeder has too many breeds, there is no way they can spend the time they need to be spending with each dog to start. But then beyond the physical time requirements needed to properly care for the dogs, it is very unlikely that they would have dedicated the time it takes to learn about each breed to the point that they will be able to be the well of knowledge that a breeder should be.
Then if you toss in the mix breeding of dogs, that alone is a red flag that should make anyone looking for a purebred dog from a reputable breeder run like fire is chasing them.
Why is a registered name important to know while you are searching? If you have the registered name of the dog, you can do quite a few searches on the name. You can search the OFA database to see what health tests have been posted. You can search the name in the Newfoundland German database to look at again health testing, but also learn about the color history, see the pedigree; lineage or family tree, and much, much more. You can search the AKC website to pull up information about the dog’s show records and titles. You can search in the Newfoundland Club of America’s database to learn information about the dog. By having the registered name you are able to verify all the information the breeder has told you. Simply having the registered name is a MUST!
Health Testing on Newfoundlands
Health testing is also a must with any breed. You are investing a good deal of money when you are buying a Newfoundland. You don’t want to set yourself up for heartache or financial expenses by not making sure the breeder has done everything within their power to ensure the pups are healthy. You can’t simply look at the beautiful adult or the cute puppy and know everything is fine.
All Newfs that are bred should be tested for a minimum of four tests that are recommended by the Newfoundland Club of America. Hips and elbows should be x-rayed and evaluated by OFA once the dog has turned 2. The heart should be examined via a canine cardiologist after the dog is 12 months old. Cystinuria testing can be done at any age. But it is important for a breeder to know what the DNA results are on their dog so they know how they can breed.
Why are the ages for these tests important? A dog continues to grow and is considered full-grown structurally by 2 years of age. That is why OFA uses the 2-year mark, the dog’s structure is complete. The heart is a muscle that grows with the dog for the first year of life. It is considered full-grown at 12 months of age. Cystinuria is a DNA test, a simple cheek swab that is sent into a lab, so that can be done at any age.
Does having both parents fully health tested guarantee your puppy will be perfect? No, unfortunately, it doesn’t. To start there is no such thing as a perfect dog. But having said that, these tests are done on the parents to lessen the likelihood that your puppy will have issues. Which is what we all want.
Keep These Things in Mind When Talking with Breeders
Something I say frequently is, don’t let the availability and the price of a puppy outweigh more important things. Don’t be sucked in by the cute puppy pictures. You want to talk to a breeder and develop a relationship with them prior to your pup being born.
Since I have covered the topic of involvement above, to the point you can understand that involvement should be more than simply making puppies, I will be expanding on all the different areas of involvement in the future.
Now you have tools that will help you navigate a website. Once you have used these tools to see if there are red flags or not, the tools will help you to avoid wasting your time with breeders you don’t want to work with.
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