I'm extensively researching for a new doberman pup, but i was wondering about your opinions about buying a pet double factored vWb pup? Do you think it's safe to buy a pup with factors on dam and sire's side of genetics? Von Willebrand's Disease is an inherited bleeding disorder for those who don't know. It's only one of the many genetic diseases in dobes, but it's probably one of the more serious issues.

It's only going to be a pet, not breeder, so i'm not worried about genetics for it's offspring; it wont have any. But simply as a pet. Should a double factor breeding be taking place, What does that say about a breeder, and Does this pup have a good quality of life ahead of him?

Thanks in advance! I've also contacted a few reputable breeders about the matter, but i'm hoping to get as much info and opinion to make an educated decision.

[Yogi]

any reputable breeder will not double up on this disease. In fact they will not breed at all as the chances of inheriting the disease is too strong. I raise Miniature Pinschers who can also carry the disease though extremely rare I also have a German Pinscher and this is an issue in this breed as well. They can make great pets but never should be bred.
Too my knowledge those dogs that carry the disease so long do not suffer any major injury usually live a long life. Blood clotting is the issue and as noted there is a simple test for this but a reputable breeder will not breed a dog with vWB.
"von Wilebrands Disease (vWD) is a bleeding disorder, clinically similar to Hemophilia in humans. If a dog is cut or even bruised, it may "bleed out" (internally in the case of severe bruising). Your vet may perform a clotting factor test prior to surgery, and a long clotting time could be an indication of vWD, but to truly test the dog for vWD one must perform a specialized test under strict blood collection protocols. The test is not expensive, but must be performed correctly and by a qualified laboratory. vWD is a heritable disorder, and you should insure that the breeding stock you are using, or the parents of your puppy, are free of this disorder. It is a simple and inexpensive test that needs to be performed once in a dogs lifetime, so there is no reason for a breeder not to perform it. The test result will return a numerical value for the vWD factor and an explanation describing acceptable levels. Levels can indicate if a dog is completely clear, borderline, a carrier, or affected. Because carriers and borderline animals may never show any clinical signs, it is important that this test be performed".

Thanks a lot Yogi. Several breeders have emailed back with the same response. Your information has been greatly appreciated!