Choosing an Excellent Dog Breeder

Choosing an Excellent Dog Breeder
There are many people breeding dogs today, and along with this, money-hungry puppy mills have emerged. New awareness of these puppy mills have been brought to our attention through the Dog Whisperer and Oprah Winfrey television shows and while this has been fantastic information to bring a stop to this unscrupulous practice, not all people breeding dogs today are puppy mills. With careful selection and screening, you can find top-quality dog breeders who are breeding for excellence, health and temperament.
Some of the best breeders I have seen and worked with are the Labradoodle and Goldendoodle Breeders, who have emerged in the past decade. Many are committed to excellence in the breeds, having extensive health screening done on their parent dogs, and providing the best of environments for their puppies to grow up in. They have formed organizations such as the Premium Breeders group, Owner recommended Goldendoodle group, and the Labradoodle Association of America, providing accountability and guidance in breeding for superiority. These Labradoodle and Goldendoodle Breeders share their experiences and information on a variety of Breeder Forums, as well as hosting public gatherings called “Doodle Romps”, so you can learn more about these wonderful dogs.

Some of the questions you should ask in selecting a Dog Breeder committed to excellence are:

- Are they using exceptional breeding stock with great temperaments, and are they having genetic testing done for problems common to the breed (hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, eyes, cardiac, and thyroid)? Do they make these test results available for you, if you request them?

- Do they provide a sales contract which offers a 2-3 year health guarantee against hip dysplasia and other genetic diseases common to their breed? (anything less has little or no value). Do they stand behind their contract?

- Are they keeping good, reliable records and making them available to you of both the bitch and the sire, if you request them?

- Will they give you references, including a Veterinarian, so you can confirm their credibility as a Breeder?

- Are they open, honest and willing in their communication with you, and knowledgeable about their breed?

- Do they offer lifetime support and training tips?

- Are they willing to make an appointment for you to visit their breeding home or facility?

- Do they screen their buyers, to make sure they’re ready to make the commitment of owning a dog?

- Are they making sure their puppies are spayed or neutered, to ensure there will not be unplanned and unwanted litters produced?

- Are they vaccinating and worming the puppies prior to them going to their forever homes?

- Are they able to properly socialize the puppies they are raising? A breeder who has too many puppies at one time cannot adequately provide the socialization a puppy needs.

- Are they able to lovingly place all of their puppies in wonderful family homes? A good breeder will never take their puppies to Pet Stores, Pet Distributors or the Humane Society.

Finding a breeder, who breeds with integrity, can be a challenge, however if you invest the time and energy into your search, the rewards you receive in your new family dog will be well worth the investment.