This
How To Choose a Reputable Dog Breeder
Do not buy a puppy under 10 weeks of age. Most breeders will not let their puppies go before 10 to 12 weeks. A puppy is most vulnerable to diseases such as Distemper and Parvo between 6 to 9 weeks of age when their maternal antibodies begin to break down.
Do not purchase any puppy that has not had proper shots and has not been wormed. A puppy at 8 weeks of age should have had at the very least one modified live Parvo shot and a Distemper Measles shot for minimum protection against these viruses. They should also have had 2 wormings prior to these shots so that a worm infestation will not interfere with the shots. Most puppies that die from Parvo are wormy . Parvo is the biggest killer of young puppies and one of the easiest to spread. A "born in the USA" virus it was spread world wide within a year. Most good breeders give Parvo shots every 2 to 3 from 6 weeks to 20 weeks to help close the window of opportunity for it to infect their puppies. Maternal antibodies can interfere with the shots and can last up to 16 weeks making the vaccine less effective, but allowing the virus to invade the system when the antibodies are breaking down. Other shots given by breeders usually starting at 8 to10 weeks are Distemper - measles, and DHPP. The shot information should be listed on your bill of sale along with the name of the Veterinarian. If the shots are given by the breeder ask to see either the bill of sale for the vaccine or the vaccines. This is not an unusual request as this is the only proof of shots you will have. If they do not have a bill of sale for the shots or vaccines they probably have not given them shots.
A breeder should give you a written health guarantee for one year against major genetic or congenital diseases and 15 days from the date of sale against existing problems your Veterinarian might find or incubating viruses.
Check with your Veterinarian about genetic problems associated with the breed you are interested in. Ask if your breeder will stand behind their puppies for these diseases. Incidentally if your breeder doesn’t know about genetic diseases in their breed go elsewhere.
If you are more knowledgeable about dogs than the breeder don’t buy from them.
You should be able to see at least one parent. The newest scam in California are dog brokers or dealers. and smuggled (Please read the BBB and Customs alerts on my home page) They come from out of state and set up business in private homes and apartments. If you ask about the parents they will say " Uncle Bob from S. Dakota" or "my sister Sue from Kansas " happened to be passing through and asked me to sell her puppies. I once tracked one dealer that had five breeds advertised all from different states with the same story . He had two different addresses and five phone numbers in six months. People selling puppies that they did not breed (especially from out of state or country ) must have a legal kennel or pet shop. Never meet a breeder someplace other than his home. You want to see where those puppies were raised. No breeder that cares about their puppies will cart them all over the place and expose them to possible viruses just to make a buck. For all you know that puppy could have been stolen.
Never buy from a breeder with two prices , one with papers and one without. Papers only cost $25.00 plus $2.00 per puppy for an entire litter, so why the difference in price? Buy only AKC or UKC registered purebreds. If they don’t have papers they may have been suspended by their registry for such things as bad record keeping, inhumane living conditions, impure breeding, or cruelty convictions. Unless spaying or neutering is required prior to registration the breeder should provide you with your registration application. It should be properly signed and transferred to you. If there was a prior owner proper supplemental transfer application should be provided and signed by those previous owners. If no papers are available at the time the breeder should provide you with the registered AKC OR UKC name of both parents, name of breeder of litter, sex of your puppy , color and date of birth. This is the only hope of getting registration papers if the breeder doesn’t provide them after purchase. There are only two major all breed dog registries in the United States, the American Kennel Club ( AKC) established in 1884 and the United Kennel Club ,(UKC) established in 1898.. There have been a few new all breed registries pop up in the last 10 years, but in my opinion I would only buy from AKC and UKC breeders.
I do not recommend co-ownership’s. Some breeders do this but don’t forget you are not the full owner and if the breeder wants that dog back he may be able to get him. Also if your breeder should be suspended by their registry so is your dog. I also would avoid breeders terms. The breeder will sell the puppy for cash and some puppies. This forces you to breed your dog. The breeder will usually pay the first stud fee but you are responsible for any additional costs of raising the litter and in some cases additional stud fees if the breeder didn’t get the required number of puppies in your litter. I know one man that bred his female 3 times and still owed the breeder one puppy plus an additional one for the next breeding. It is a great deal for the breeder for a constant source of puppies. One breeder had over 300 puppies coming back on puppy back deals. Show contracts can be O.K. as long as you are aware that once the contract is signed you must finish that dog in the show ring. The cost can be quite high and your dog will spend time away from home to be on the show circuit . Spay neuter contracts where papers are provided after proof of altering and in some cases financial penalties if the dog is not altered within a certain period time are perfectly appropriate . Good breeders will sell with limited registrations, non-breeding contracts and or neuter contracts and won’t encourage breeding .
A reputable breeder will be able to show you letters and pictures from satisfied clients. Their puppies will be , clean., properly vaccinated and they will not try to push their puppies on you just to get rid of them. They will provide a written health guarantee ( 15 days against viruses and 1 year against congenital or hereditary defects) , shot record ,registration papers or the information stated above if not back from UKC or AKC, a bill of sale, and at least one week supply of food . They also will be there for you after you buy and will always take back the puppy in the future if you are unable to keep it rather then have it turned into the pound. Remember buying from a reputable breeder is a privilege not a done deal..
And this about puppy scams which snare people looking for puppies
BORDER PUPPIES
Are becoming the majority of puppies being sold in California . At one time they were being smuggled in form Mexico In 2005 about 10,000 per year. Now thanks in part to breeder restriction laws and mandatory spay and neutering that number has jumped to 280,000 in 06. They are now coming in through countries such as Chili, Indonesia, Mexico , Korea and Russia. Unlike the USA some other countries don't have age restrictions and puppies are coming in as young as three weeks of age . Many die before being sold as young as 4 and 5 weeks of age. Customs requires that the people bringing in puppies from these countries quarantine them until they reach 4 months of age and have their rabies shot before being sold. Surprise to no one including customs the puppies are not being quarantined but sold ASAP. Most are Maltese, Yorkshire Terriers, Pomeranians and Shih Tzu. Many at 4 weeks of age they are being sold as T cups
Boarder puppies are not necessarily cheap. Some sell as high as $2000. They are sold primarily through the internet and low cost ads . such as the recycler, penny saver. The easiest way to determine if it is a boarder pup is no parent. Don't be fooled by photos of the "parents". They are sold through mainly private parties. Occasionally they will be sold through pet shops and kennels. Pet shops must disclose where they were born. It must be on their cages and you may ask for documentation. If they call themselves kennels their license will be posted along with a sellers permit and business permit. If not they are operating an illegal kennel. The laws are not important to this type of puppy seller they just move and set up business in a new location. They use throwaway cells and very rarely leave a paper trail . Many puppies die prior to or shortly after being sold other may have ongoing heath concerns. The biggest concern is rabies. In the USA the main carriers of rabies are bats, and skunks. The domesticated dog and cat are not considered a problem. In the countries mentioned, dogs are major carriers of rabies The incubation period for rabies can be very short (3 weeks ) or very long (1 yr ) A rabies shot given to a puppy carrying the virus that has yet to incubate will not stop the virus. The County of Los Angeles has a border puppy task force. They sent out a form for Veterinarians to report possible border puppies. I have links to the letter and more information below. The first is called Breed Wars the second the Veterinarian form
States crack down on puppy mills - DVM
http://admin.publichealth.lacounty.g...iesPubHlth.pdf
LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
Reply With Quote
). We are hoping to find a home that was suprised with a litter. Or maybe a litter at an animal shelter. Is this a bad idea? If you think we could do this, what questions should we ask the people there? What should we look for when we visit them? I know you are not a yorkie breeder, but any advice would be great!
Originally Posted by mhorbs
