info on breeders in general

[Chadders]

Join our free community today.

Connect with other like-minded dog lovers!

Login or Register

We're looking for a puppy and know what we want in terms of what breed. However I have a few questions about breeders in general. Maybe you are a breeder and can answer the questions. Here goes !!
Many breeders seem to breed when they themselves want a dog. Does this mean they have the pick of the litter and sell off the runt/s? If so how can you tell when looking at them?
Why do breeders insist that you don't breed from a puppy they sell you?
is it so they continue to make money from breeding instead of you, potentially making money?
When speaking to breeders it seems dog eat dog (no pun intended) as if they tell you what you want to hear. Maybe I've grown cynical!
Thanks

 

[JoanneF]

Don't have time to reply in full but there are good reasons - good breeders care very much that any mating is done to improve the breed. So if they show or work, yes they will want first pick. Doesn't mean the others are runts though. For the same reason of improving the breed they will want to be sure someone isn't going to mate a pup later with next door's mutt. And because good breeders remain ultimately responsible for the pups they breed and are prepared to take them back at any point in the future should the new owner not be able to keep the dog.

 

[Buddy1]

Many breeders seem to breed when they themselves want a dog. Does this mean they have the pick of the litter and sell off the runt/s? If so how can you tell when looking at them?

If you are wanting a pedigree dog, you will find that most ‘good’ breeders will breed a litter when they want a puppy (to show, work or just to continue the bloodline), rather than breeding with the main purpose of selling puppies. Obviously, they will take ‘pick’ of the litter, but that does not mean that the rest are ‘runts’.

For example, a ‘good’ show breeder should be producing a litter of quality puppies from parents that have passed their health tests and have excellent temperaments, as well as from dogs which are good examples of the breed. It maybe that one or two of the puppies are closer to the ‘breed standard’ and more suitable for the show ring, but that doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with the other puppies. I would always make it clear to the breeder what you want from the dog and ask them for advice when choosing a puppy from a litter. Many breeders help match the puppies to the owner as, having spent 8 weeks with them, they have a good idea of their developing personalities.

Why do breeders insist that you don't breed from a puppy they sell you?
is it so they continue to make money from breeding instead of you, potentially making money?

Again, I would expect a ‘good’ breeder to put an ‘endorsement’ on their puppies which means that if you breed from them, they cannot be KC registered. An endorsement is there to protect the dog and the breeder’s reputation. A breeder wants to ensure that only suitable dogs are breed from and by someone with either experience of breeding or who has a mentor to guide them. They also want to ensure that their dogs are not going to be used for breeding with the primary purpose of making money.

If it is any help, our dog came from a litter which was breed with the aim of producing a show dog for the breeder. This was made clear to us when we first made contact with the breeder (before the puppies were born). Our dog also came with an endorsement. I haven’t ended up with a show quality dog (too tall), but he was bought purely as a pet. However, I have ended up with a healthy dog with a superb temperament, which is all I could ask for.