Characteristics of a reputable breeder

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So, you’ve chosen to go the pure bred puppy route. mayaChoosing your breeder is as important as choosing your breed and even as important as which puppy you select from a litter. Puppies from irresponsible breeders can suffer from genetic abnormalities and may even arrive at your home with potentially fatal illnesses.

The good news is that it isn’t hard to find out if a breeder is reputable. Here are six things to consider:

  1. A reputable breeder will welcome you into their kennel area and be more than happy for you to see where their puppies are kept. Puppies kept in unsanitary conditions are a health issue waiting to happen. If the litter you are considering is displayed in an outdoor pen, this is probably not where the litter “lives”. Ask for a tour of the entire facility.
  2. A reputable breeder will be happy to introduce you to both parents. This is important as parents with bad temperaments can produce puppies with the same problems. Poor temperament can be caused by lack of socialization, but genetics plays a big part.
  3. Avoid places that have many multiple breeds. It takes a lot of energy, time and staff to run a proper kennel. Most of these establishments raise puppies to sell not for the betterment of the breed. They are in the business of making money.
  4. Research the type dog you are interested in, and check out health issues that are prevalent in the breed. A reputable breeder will discuss this openly with you and will have had the proper tests done on your puppy’s parents. This step determines two things: the knowledge the breeder has about the breed and the quality control processes used to ensure healthy litters.
  5. Find out how long the breeder has been in operation, and ask for references. Anyone that has raised dogs for any amount of time should be able to provide you with a list of satisfied dog owners. Check the references and ask about health and behavioral issues with the purchased animals. (Don’t focus only on the buying experience.) 

To insure the health of your new friend take them into a reputable veterinarian within 3 days for a health checkup.

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