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written by Carol Kufner
The views expressed on this page are my own.
No names of individuals or kennels will be mentioned.
I feel this is an important topic and one that should
be discussed.
Well, you've decided to purchase a puppy. Now where do
we buy our new family addition? We do NOT, nor WILL we
ever, condone buying puppies from Pet Shops. The origin
of these puppies is always questionable and far too
many Puppy Mills supply these Pet Shops with
unfortunate puppies who have had a horrendous start in
life. Many are ill and will not live a full healthy
life. Besides, for every puppy mill puppy that is
purchased from a Pet Store, there are literally
thousands of unfortunate, ill-bred Dobermans that will
take their place. It goes without saying, that the
horrendous, disgusting, conditions that the adult dogs
are subjected to in order to keep producing puppies is
far beyond horrid. There are many articles written on
puppy mills and a prospective puppy buyer would do
well to educate himself on "What is a Puppy Mill"
before taking one step into pet stores.
So now, it boils down to "which breeder (s)"?. How on
earth will you know who is good....and who is
bad....?? This is what this page is all about. I hope
it serves as a guideline to help you make the right
choice.
First the original phone call: A lot can be gathered
from that first phone call if you only pay close
attention. We've all made jokes, or heard of them,
about the "used car salesman" approach. "Have I got a
deal for you?" He/she tells you of the perfect puppy
that they have for you that is just so adorable and it
only costs xxxx amount of dollars. "Come see the puppy
and you can take it home to-day".
Now what is wrong with this breeder's pitch???
Did they ask you why you chose a Doberman? They should
have.
Many buyers don't know the breeder characteristics.
Did they ask you if your yard is enclosed? They
should have. Many dogs escape from yards and are seriously
hurt or killed.
Did they ask you if your dog will be inside/outside or
strictly outside? They should have. No good breeder worth a
pinch of salt wants one of their dogs or any dogs for
that matter, left outside. A Doberman left to
its own devices will soon find itself in trouble, physically and definitely mentally. This is a pack
animal. A family pet SHOULD BE part of the family. You
certainly wouldn't leave your Mom, Dad, sisters,
brothers, children etc. outside all day and night. If
the breeder doesn't care what you will do with your
puppy/dog, then they don't care either. Walk away. If
this is your intention by the way, DON'T BUY A DOG
period. This is NO life for a dog, especially a
Doberman.
Did they ask if you will be doing some sort of
training with your dog? They should have. An untrained dog
is a nightmare waiting to happen. A family pet deserves and should have basic obedience. If you put
nothing in to a dog you'll get nothing out of it and a good breeder
should care about these things. If not....walk away!!!
Did they ask if you've had a dog before? They should
have.
New puppy owners need a lot of guidance and even the
simplest thing to an experienced doggie owner may be
overlooked by a novice. A good breeder will make sure
you know what owning a dog is all about. The good and
the bad. Many well meaning prospective dog owners have
no idea of the commitment it takes to raise a dog
properly.
Did they ask where will the dog be kept when you are
at work? They should have. If not, walk away. It is unfair
to keep a puppy/dog locked up in a crate all day long.
A good breeder will ask if someone can come in during the
day and let the puppy/dog outside to go potty and
stretch its legs. They will insist that you take the
time to teach the puppy house rules so he/she can be
lose in a confined area of the house and eventually in
the house.
Did they ask if you have other pets? They should have. Some
people collect pets like stamps. The more you have,
the less individual attention you can give. A good
breeder should want to know this.
Did they ask if you have children? They should have. Some
people will buy pets as play toys for their small
children. This is a living creature not a toy. A good
breeder should give you all the pros and cons of
having a small puppy around very small children. It is
hard work raising a puppy and small children at the
same time. A good breeder will advise you of this and
sound you out to see if you are up to the task.
There are many other questions that SHOULD BE asked
and I'll add more as I go along. Some may be asked
when you go to see the puppy. BUT, the breeders
interest or lack of interest in you and what you will
do with this puppy is a HUGE WARNING SIGN. If he/she
doesn't ask questions, even during the initial phone
call, to me this means he/she wants your money first
and foremost. This is NOT what a good breeder is or
should be about.
ALL puppies are cute. Many breeders will keep the
original phone call brief because they know once you
get to their kennel and see those ADORABLE puppies,
you are HOOKED. No one can resist a cute little puppy. They know that love at first sight will cause
you to forget to ask other questions. You're just in a
hurry to get home with your new puppy. DON'T FALL FOR
THIS. Ask and be asked questions galore BEFORE you
see that cute little puppy.
LESSON #2: What should you ask the breeder and look
for?
1. Are the sire and dam on the property? Not always
possible but see what you can see and ask about the
ones you don't see.
2. Are the parents health tested? Yes??? Then show me some
paperwork to prove it. Have the following
tests been run on all breeding animals -- bitches and
dogs prior to breeding:
- Cardiomyopathy -
to include a Holter monitor EKG and an ultrasound
or sonogram done by a veterinary cardiologist.
Cardio tests should be conducted annually or 3
months before a planned breeding. This type of testing should be done in
Dobermans as it is better than nothing and you can
know that at the time of the breeding or the time of
the test whether the heart tested normal; that there
were no heart murmurs or abnormally skipping heart
beats.
- Von Willebrands
disease via DNA test (vWD)
- a blood clotting disorder
- X-rays for hip and
elbow dysplasia, certified by
OFA
at or after the age of 2 years
- Annual blood
panels for thyroid, kidneys, and liver
- Annual eye exam
done by a veterinary ophthalmologist (CERF
exam)
3. Ask for the breeder's veterinarian and permission
to call that vet and ask questions regarding the
health of the breeder's stock. Some breeders will tell
you their dogs have never been ill and are free from
any genetic problems. Some tell the truth. Some do
not. The vets won't lie. If the breeder won't give you
permission to call their vet, be suspicious. Be very
suspicious.
4. Read a book or internet site on what to look for in
a healthy puppy. The list is long but print it out and
when you go see the puppy, take that list with you and
check it off very carefully.
5. Take a good hard look at the environment the adult
dogs and puppies are raised in. This can tell you a
lot. Is the breeder eager to show off his adults and
pups and where they sleep/play/groom, etc. They should
be proud of how they care for their dogs. If they
hesitate, if the place is dirty, if adults or pups are
dirty and unthrifty, walk away and don't look back. Do
bear in mind that dogs play in dirt and grass and
water and can get a little grungy looking at times.
This is different than the dog with overly long
nails, runny eyes, dirty ears etc.
6. My favourite here...Will the breeder let the dogs
out to meet you. Many will not.
I would be asking why not??? Bear in mind the dogs can
be rather rambunctious when let out but
they should NOT be hostile/spooky/aggressive, etc.
Always remember that a little part of all the
ancestors of the puppy is in that puppy. If the
parents/grandparents are on the premises, then meet
them too. If the breeder won't
let any out (unless he/she has a legitimate reason)
or the dogs seem hostile, remember,
part of them is in the cute puppy in front of you.
7. I suggest you print out a copy of the Doberman Standard
found at
AKC and on most breeder websites. Take that with you
when you go look at the dogs. Each person interprets
the standard a little differently, I know, but it does
give you an overview of what a good Doberman should look
like.
8. Another favourite of mine. DO NOT get tangled up in
the which country breeds better dogs scenario. Go see
for yourself. There are many breeders who have working lines
of impeccable character and I truly applaud
their dedication to the breed. These dedicated people
are a far cry from those who breed German or German
U.S. combos strictly as a means of selling dogs. In
other words, if the market cries out for German this
year, they breed German, next year maybe Latvian or
whatever. This is NOT dedication. This is merely
sales. Another example would be dilutes are in
this year, let's all breed for dilution. If you want a good working dog, and there
should be no other, go to the people who have devoted
their lives to the working dog. Not just to-day
because it is the 'IN' dog, but because this is what
they truly love. A heck of a big difference here.
9. Ask the breeder about ears, teeth and everything
you can think of related to the dog. They should be
more than willing to answer your questions. Basically,
what you are doing here is finding out what the
breeder does and does not know and whether he/she is
willing to share that information. A good breeder
encourages your questions. Questions mean you want
answers. If they can't be bothered or brush your
questions off, find another breeder. This one just
wants your money.
10.Ask how long they have been breeding. This isn't to
say that someone fairly new is not knowledgeable by
the way. Some have been breeding for years and should
know a heck of a lot more than they do. Again, test
their knowledge. Go to their home well informed. Read,
research and print out whatever you can. Then go and check
it out. Always
a good plan.
11.Ask about guarantees, written or verbal. If there
is none, be careful.
12.What they feed, when they feed, how much they feed
and why do they feed the food they do. Many a dog has
had health problems due to poor quality diet.
Sterility, bad hips/elbows, etc. have resulted from
poor quality diets and breeders trying to "cut costs".
Strange thing is, the cost of the puppy remains high but the
quality of what often goes into them is poor. Hmmmmm...make you wonder?
13.Ask the breeder for references from other buyers.
14.Ask how many times a year they have litters. Some
are like non-stop assembly lines.
15.Ask if there have been other prior health problems
associated with pups from the sire/dam or
grandparents of your future puppy. Some will tell you.
Some won't. Again, get permission to call their vet
and ask away. A better chance of getting the truth
here.
16.Ask what temperaments were like on the litter as a
whole. Just because one puppy remains unsold, by the
way, doesn't mean that it is a defective puppy. This is
perhaps just the one that was not quite as appealing
to the people who were ahead of you for whatever
reason. Don't discount this puppy because he is the
only one left. He may be the puppy you have been
looking for. People mistakenly think they have to have
multiple pups in front of them but let's face it, there is always a first and always a last to go.
17.Ask about vaccinations. Vaccinations have been tied
in to a great many immune system problems. Many
breeders and/or vets are "needle happy". To pups who
may have a predisposition to immune problems this
over barrage of vaccines could cause them future immune
disorders. Know what has been put into this puppy
first. Type as well as manufacturer. It could save you
and the puppy future heartache. Some buyers prefer to
take their puppy "vaccine free" so they can regulate
the type/frequency/manufacturer of the shots. Read
articles on vaccines.
My last thought for you is this -- have breeders ever been dishonest with
or about other
breeders??? YOU BETCHA. Not all have, but there are enough to really tick one
off.
A PHD once wrote "If all breeders would honestly
share their canine health experiences for the
betterment of ALL, there would be very little or NO
inherited diseases". He followed this up with "BUT,
human nature being what it is, the information will be
used to "put down" a particular breeder in order to
bolster their own egos.
How sad when ones ego takes
priority over the health and well being of the breed
itself.
To some, it is all about egos, ribbons, trophies and
glory at any cost !!!
It is difficult to
remove an outstanding looking and outwardly sound dog
from a breeding program because it carries and passes
genetic defects. For the breeder who constantly wins
with this dog and is on ego overload, it is something
they most often will not do.
What about the puppies
that result from these genetically inferior animals
and who suffer or die as a result? What about the puppy owners who
suffer along with their puppy? Ask those owners if they care
that the Sire or Dam won another ribbon while they
were burying their little puppy.
This type of breeder
(and I shudder to say the word where these kinds are
concerned) MUST get their priorities straight and put
their massive egos to sleep. If not, the Doberman will go
the way of the DODO bird (as in extinct) and the only
place you'll be able to see one is in an old text
book!!
"What can we do about BAD BREEDERS?? We can refuse to
buy from them and never breed to their dogs; that much
is
pretty obvious. If the dogs are known to be
genetically inferior, do not bring them or their
offspring into your bloodlines or your home. Never
ever refer anyone to them. Inform the local
vets of the breeder's shady breeding practices. Trust
me, no vet
wants to be associated with these type of people.
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