Finding a GOOD breeder.
You have probably been thinking about adding a dog to your family for some time, maybe waiting for the right moment and now the time has come. It’s a big decision, not one to take lightly as hopefully your dog will be part of the family for many years. Take your time, don’t be swayed by clever sales talk or go for impulse buying because you’ve seen a cute fluffy pup. Firstly, do your research on the breed and be realistic of your expectations. i.e. if you want a dog with a 100% off lead recall you may want to reconsider this breed, if you’re out at work 8 hours a day please don’t buy a puppy and leave at it home alone expecting he/she to be content, it won’t be - it will be lonely and most likely end up with behavioural issues. Your puppy needs a substantial time commitment if he/she is to grow into a mentally sound, happy dog. Time spent choosing the right breeder will never be better spent, you will end up with a pup that’s had the best possible start in life, been reared as part of the family and has been bred of sound mind and body. Choosing the wrong breeder can be a very costly mistake, you may end up with a dog of bad temperament and/or with a host of health issues. Here are a few guidelines; I hope you find them helpful. Good luck and enjoy your new shiba!
GOOD SIGNS IN A BREEDER
1. Member of the Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme &/or Members of Breed Clubs – these breeders are bound by a Code of Ethics, and will be conducting health checks for their specific breed. For the shiba the required health check is glaucoma screening. Ask the breeder to show you the eye test certificates of your pup.
2. Insists on meeting you and your family BEFORE agreeing to sell you a dog, and are proud to show you all their dogs and spend time answering your questions with honest answers. There are pros and cons with every breed, no breed is perfect for everyone and shibas are definitely not for everyone. Don’t be sold a dog that’s not right for YOUR circumstances.
3. Asks lots of questions about your lifestyle and circumstances, they may ask for references , photos of your garden etc. May even want to do a ‘home visit’ to see where the pup will live. Don’t be put off by this…these are signs of someone who cares where their pups go.
4. Good breeders give contracts with their dogs and will insist you read and approve this BEFORE agreeing to sell to you. Clauses should include a ‘return to breeder if the dog ever needs rehoming’
5. Provides paperwork and advice with their pups – K.C. documents, pedigree, contract, worming/vaccination/feeding advice etc. Kennel Club Accredited Breeders are bound by the schemes policies and have to provide all this and more.
6. Places endorsements on the pup’s K.C. documents – this means the K.C. will not register any offspring from your dog without the breeders consent. Written Agreements relating to the circumstances the endorsements will be removed (if at all) should be completed at time of sale, with both parties in agreement.
7. Puppies should always be reared in a house with adequate socialisation and human contact.
8. All the breeders dogs look healthy and the environment is clean.
9. Microchips and insures their pups before they go to new homes.
10. Never lets a pup leave its mother and litter mates before 7-8 weeks old.
11. Vaccinates or recommends 1st vaccinations between 9 -10 weeks, followed by a second vaccination 2 weeks later.
12. Provides lifelong advice and rescue back up for the dogs they breed.
13. Can provide references from previous puppy purchasers.
NOT GOOD SIGNS IN A BREEDER
1) Anyone who asks you to send money upfront before they ever met you. These are usually scammers and the chances are there are no pups for sale, send money to these people and there’s a very good chance you’ll never see neither a puppy or your money.
2) Anyone who offers to send your pup via a courier without ever meeting you – again a sign of a scammer or puppy farmer.
3) Makes excuses why you can’t go visit the pups and/or doesn’t have the mother available for you to see.
4) Is a third party dealer. Buying in and selling dogs from outside sources, often from abroad.
5) Offers no paperwork with the dog, sells without contracts or endorsements in place etc. Note : Some breeders will sell on a ‘neuter contract’ and only supply K.C. paper work once proof of neutering has been given. This is acceptable, providing your agreement is in writing and that the breeder can show you that they pups are indeed K.C. registered.
6) Offers NO health checks and gives excuses why they feel they don’t need to participate in the British Veterinary Associations health screening programmes.
7) Anyone who has several litters for sale at any one time and/or has several different breeds for sale.
8) Is excessively negative about the Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme, The Kennel Club puppy registration scheme, the need for health screening or ‘bad mouths’ other breeders.
9) Poor hygiene conditions, pups not socialised, pups out in sheds/kennels etc.
10) Asks very few questions about you and where their pup is going.
11) Breeds ‘designer cross breeds’ i.e. cocker poos, labradoodles, etc.
12) Breeder’s own dogs not in good condition and/or of poor temperament.
13) Puppy price unrealistically cheap – further investigation will usually reveal a scam; there are no pups just a request to send money to a bank account with a promise of pup delivered to your home. If it sounds too good to be true – it usually is!
14) Pups registered with any other registry other than the Kennel Club…i.e. Dog lovers register; this is the home of the puppy farmers. Give these breeders a very wide berth.
I hope this outline has given the reader some positive pointers towards finding the perfect pup. Finding the right breeder for you may take a while and you may have to wait for the pup, but with luck this person will become a friend for life, they will look forward to regular news updates about your dog, they will share the ups and downs of dog ownership with you and as they were there at the beginning of your dog’s life they will be there to support you at the end too.
Good breeders support their dogs for life; accept nothing less !
You have probably been thinking about adding a dog to your family for some time, maybe waiting for the right moment and now the time has come. It’s a big decision, not one to take lightly as hopefully your dog will be part of the family for many years. Take your time, don’t be swayed by clever sales talk or go for impulse buying because you’ve seen a cute fluffy pup. Firstly, do your research on the breed and be realistic of your expectations. i.e. if you want a dog with a 100% off lead recall you may want to reconsider this breed, if you’re out at work 8 hours a day please don’t buy a puppy and leave at it home alone expecting he/she to be content, it won’t be - it will be lonely and most likely end up with behavioural issues. Your puppy needs a substantial time commitment if he/she is to grow into a mentally sound, happy dog. Time spent choosing the right breeder will never be better spent, you will end up with a pup that’s had the best possible start in life, been reared as part of the family and has been bred of sound mind and body. Choosing the wrong breeder can be a very costly mistake, you may end up with a dog of bad temperament and/or with a host of health issues. Here are a few guidelines; I hope you find them helpful. Good luck and enjoy your new shiba!
GOOD SIGNS IN A BREEDER
1. Member of the Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme &/or Members of Breed Clubs – these breeders are bound by a Code of Ethics, and will be conducting health checks for their specific breed. For the shiba the required health check is glaucoma screening. Ask the breeder to show you the eye test certificates of your pup.
2. Insists on meeting you and your family BEFORE agreeing to sell you a dog, and are proud to show you all their dogs and spend time answering your questions with honest answers. There are pros and cons with every breed, no breed is perfect for everyone and shibas are definitely not for everyone. Don’t be sold a dog that’s not right for YOUR circumstances.
3. Asks lots of questions about your lifestyle and circumstances, they may ask for references , photos of your garden etc. May even want to do a ‘home visit’ to see where the pup will live. Don’t be put off by this…these are signs of someone who cares where their pups go.
4. Good breeders give contracts with their dogs and will insist you read and approve this BEFORE agreeing to sell to you. Clauses should include a ‘return to breeder if the dog ever needs rehoming’
5. Provides paperwork and advice with their pups – K.C. documents, pedigree, contract, worming/vaccination/feeding advice etc. Kennel Club Accredited Breeders are bound by the schemes policies and have to provide all this and more.
6. Places endorsements on the pup’s K.C. documents – this means the K.C. will not register any offspring from your dog without the breeders consent. Written Agreements relating to the circumstances the endorsements will be removed (if at all) should be completed at time of sale, with both parties in agreement.
7. Puppies should always be reared in a house with adequate socialisation and human contact.
8. All the breeders dogs look healthy and the environment is clean.
9. Microchips and insures their pups before they go to new homes.
10. Never lets a pup leave its mother and litter mates before 7-8 weeks old.
11. Vaccinates or recommends 1st vaccinations between 9 -10 weeks, followed by a second vaccination 2 weeks later.
12. Provides lifelong advice and rescue back up for the dogs they breed.
13. Can provide references from previous puppy purchasers.
NOT GOOD SIGNS IN A BREEDER
1) Anyone who asks you to send money upfront before they ever met you. These are usually scammers and the chances are there are no pups for sale, send money to these people and there’s a very good chance you’ll never see neither a puppy or your money.
2) Anyone who offers to send your pup via a courier without ever meeting you – again a sign of a scammer or puppy farmer.
3) Makes excuses why you can’t go visit the pups and/or doesn’t have the mother available for you to see.
4) Is a third party dealer. Buying in and selling dogs from outside sources, often from abroad.
5) Offers no paperwork with the dog, sells without contracts or endorsements in place etc. Note : Some breeders will sell on a ‘neuter contract’ and only supply K.C. paper work once proof of neutering has been given. This is acceptable, providing your agreement is in writing and that the breeder can show you that they pups are indeed K.C. registered.
6) Offers NO health checks and gives excuses why they feel they don’t need to participate in the British Veterinary Associations health screening programmes.
7) Anyone who has several litters for sale at any one time and/or has several different breeds for sale.
8) Is excessively negative about the Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme, The Kennel Club puppy registration scheme, the need for health screening or ‘bad mouths’ other breeders.
9) Poor hygiene conditions, pups not socialised, pups out in sheds/kennels etc.
10) Asks very few questions about you and where their pup is going.
11) Breeds ‘designer cross breeds’ i.e. cocker poos, labradoodles, etc.
12) Breeder’s own dogs not in good condition and/or of poor temperament.
13) Puppy price unrealistically cheap – further investigation will usually reveal a scam; there are no pups just a request to send money to a bank account with a promise of pup delivered to your home. If it sounds too good to be true – it usually is!
14) Pups registered with any other registry other than the Kennel Club…i.e. Dog lovers register; this is the home of the puppy farmers. Give these breeders a very wide berth.
I hope this outline has given the reader some positive pointers towards finding the perfect pup. Finding the right breeder for you may take a while and you may have to wait for the pup, but with luck this person will become a friend for life, they will look forward to regular news updates about your dog, they will share the ups and downs of dog ownership with you and as they were there at the beginning of your dog’s life they will be there to support you at the end too.
Good breeders support their dogs for life; accept nothing less !