Finding a breeder - REPOST

My amazing Clyde, always in my heart.  

Honestly, how hard can it be?  Hard.  Searching for breeders who I could possibly get a puppy from is waaaaay harder than you might think.  This blog is about searching for a great breeder.  It is not a rescue/breeder debate so please do not send me nasty emails.  I would like to get a puppy; but the more I know, the harder it is.  I am very clear on what I am looking for and sadly there are few breeders out there that come anywhere near the bar level that I have set.  If they do check off many of the boxes; they are located far, far away from us on a map. 

30 years ago I visited a home where they had a litter of brown puppies.  I had been given first choice of males but when I arrived I was told that another family had got there before me and taken one of the boys.  I was very angry; what if they took the one I wanted?  She had promised me one thing and done another.  Live and learn.  I chose my brown boy who turned out to be one of the loves of my life, Clyde.  As much as I adored him he suffered from poor structure over the years.  There had been no health testing done for his parents once so ever, no temperament testing, nothing. 

30 years later I know a lot more about what to look for.  I have a huge check list and the first thing on the top of the list is tails.

Must: **

1.  have full undocked tail
2.  have fully health tested sire and dam
3.  live and be raised in home with family
4.  be socialized in the rule of 7s
5.  be a breeder who breeds only dogs with amazing temperaments
6.  does temperament testing
7.  knows the litter and matches puppy to new family

These are the 7 musts.  Anything more of course is better.  But if a breeder does all this then they have reached the bar level that I set for me. A few things can be modified but not dropped completely.  This of course is just me and after years and years of research is what I look for in a breeder. 

Admittedly, I could go out today and find a puppy. There might be one just an hour or so away from me.  It sure would be easy right?  But I cannot blindly give money to someone who does not care enough to do all these things.   My breed is one that is not so common; add to that all of these items on the list and it gets harder and harder to find the needle. 

I have found breeders who do 5 or 6 from my list.  After talking to them I realize that they do not stand strong on the other things that they claim to do from the list.  Some things on the list have a wide range of levels as far as others are concerned.  Again, I have a high bar set for these as well. 

If you are a breeder, why not do it all?  Why not do your best for the puppies you are putting out into the world.  It is easy to spot the ones who are just doing it for money.  Yes, even breeders who do not consider themselves to be puppy mills, often do it for the money.  One big clue that someone is breeding for profits is multiple litters on the ground at one time.  I've been on several sites that list litter after litter, born only days apart.  

I have also talked to breeders who tell me that they do no socializing.  When I dig, and I do; they tell me that their puppies only get out of their whelping box at 8 weeks of age and only into another pen outside.  So much is lost if puppies are not introduced to new things, smells, sights, feels and experiences.  There is a huge difference in puppies who are stimulated and not.

By having a list, you can weed out the ones who cut corners, save a buck, save time and do it for the money.  They simply don't care. 

I will find the needle, but it is not going to be easy.  It is not always easy to do what is right; but that's what I'm doing. 


** This list is not because I want perfection; such a thing does not exist in the animal or human world.  I want to support those breeders who are doing it right.  Those who have the utmost care and concern for their dogs and the puppies that they breed. 

Mud slinging

                                                                           For the love of dogs.

This morning I want to talk about mud slinging in regards to purchasing a puppy from a breeder.  A good friend and I were talking about this the other day; she told me that a neighbor of hers was mad because she bought her puppy and didn't rescue.  Just yesterday I read literally hundreds of comments on a blog; that were mud slinging back and forth because of a rescue/buy from a breeder debate.  Reading through all of the comments; you could feel the hatred, the anger, and for what?  I thought to myself "why not just put all that energy into the real problem?"  The puppy millers.

Some rescue people throw a giant blanket over breeders; scooping them all into one giant evil pile.  It is sad when people do this because there are monumental differences between an ethical breeder and a miller.  I have been told by an anti breeder, rescuer crusader that I do not deserve to have a dog because I want a particular breed.  When the woman blurted this out at me; I knew she had no idea who I was, what I do or how I love all dogs.  I didn't get into it with her; I could have but chose to be civil. 

I'm frankly sick of all this sh*t.  So much anger and pointing fingers.  There are good breeders who care about producing a litter now and again.  They choose carefully, test all breeding dogs, take the utmost of care in whelping and raising the puppies and scrutinize where those puppies end up.  There are also a lot of very bad breeders; and they do not have to have huge breeding facilities to be grouped in the miller pile.  People who breed puppies to make money are bad breeders.  They cut corners, they don't test because that cuts into the bottom line.  They feed low grade food to save a buck and they produce many litters to maximize the financial intake. 

Yes, rescuing is wonderful and I think if someone wants to rescue then they should.  Saving a life and offering a dog a good home and family is amazing.  But rescuing is not for everyone and if someone chooses to purchase a puppy from a wonderfully ethical breeder; to care for that puppy for their life then what is wrong with that?  I commend anyone who does their research, finds a great breeder and takes care of their dog for their life.  Good on you. 

Those who stand up on a pillar and spew anger for all breeders is wrong.  The shelters and rescues are filled with dogs from millers; whether they are a person who had one litter just because they thought it would be fun or a huge breeding facility.  They don't care where their puppies end up and will sell to whoever has money.  They often push the idea of two puppies instead of one.  Selling puppies to them is like selling anything else, tires, t-shirts, shoes, whatever.  Whoever has the money gets a puppy.  Impulse purchases are something that millers rely on and it is often these impulses that are at the highest risk of being shelter bound.  People don't think before they buy.  People want the newest up and coming when they buy something.  Millers will not take a dog back if something goes wrong.  These are the breeders who are filling the shelters and rescues.  The ones who lie about dogs to people who don't know.  Just like the designer dog, that have been advertised for its miraculous qualities.  People buy into it, buy a puppy and soon realize that it is a dog like any other.  They didn't want a dog they wanted a super dog.  Sad. 

Sharing information and letting people know where they should and should not get a dog is all that can be done.  Just like good and bad breeders; there are also good and bad rescues.  I know of one breeder who claims to be a rescue; she has a crazy amount of rare puppies but still claims to be a rescue.  You must research your rescue as well; not all rescues are rescuing for the good of the dogs.  Greed is the core to the problem of and shelters filling up; like anything else, greed is almost always at the core.    I know good breeders who have gone bad due to greed.  When I visit a website who has multiple litters listed; then I know that greed is the driving force. 

As far as I am concerned, there are VERY FEW good, ethical breeders out there.  If everyone only went to ethical breeders then there would be very few dog in shelters and rescues.  But sadly there are a lot of bad breeders who are filling up the shelters and rescues.  Rescue a dog, save a life.  If you decide to purchase go to a breeder who does all the health testing, temperament testing, placing of puppies after temperament test in appropriate home and has one or two litters a year. 

Those of you who do rescue; I applaud your choice to save a life.  But do not look down or mud sling at those who choose to get a puppy from an ethical breeder.  Mud slinging is counter productive and brings out the worst in us.  When humans have one way of thinking and cannot venture out to think in a bigger picture it is very handicapping.  To be close minded is a fault as far as I'm concerned.  Like I said in a previous blog, there is more to life than black and white.  If we all focus on the love of dogs; perhaps someday all the horrid people breeding for money will be non existent.  Its a nice thought. 

If you know someone who is considering a pet store or mill to purchase their puppy, educate them gently.  Screaming, name calling, pointing fingers, being rude or ranting and raving does nothing but shut people down.  Many humans go on the attack when others have a difference of opinion; it is sad and typically from those with closed minds.