If you want to take your spaniel shooting for example, you need to go to a breeder of working spaniels. Otherwise your dog is unlikely to have the qualities that you need. If you are choosing a dog from a working breed, you’ll need to decide which ‘strain’ of dog you want.Īnd if you want to exhibit your dog in the show ring, you’ll need to go to a breeder that specialises in this. Everyone has to start somewhere, and with the right help and support, it is possible to raise a healthy, happy litter of puppies on the very first attempt.īut if you are new to dog ownership, an experienced breeder is likely to be a better source of help and support for you personally.īear in mind that someone raising a litter of puppies from their family pet may not be able or willing to supply the aftercare and back-up that you will get from a person for whom breeding is a serious hobby and who has a reputation to consider. Experienced breedersĪn experienced breeder is not only a good way to find a well cared for puppy, but should also be a great source of support to new puppy owners.Ĭontrary to popular opinion, a good, responsible breeder does not have to be vastly experienced. A puppy farmer keeps female dogs whose sole purpose in life is to make more dogs. That is down to the motive of the breeder and the treatment of her breeding female dogs.Ī person that breeds from a female dog who lives as a family pet or has a good life as a well cared for working dog, is not a puppy farmer because they make a few pounds from their puppies. The size of the enterprise or the degree of squalor is not what defines a puppy farm. Some puppy farmers may be farming on a small scale, and some may have immaculate premises. It goes without saying that you should avoid the last category, otherwise known as puppy farmers.

Breeders that are breeding dogs commercially.

Breeders that have a pet dog and want to have puppies from her.

Breeders that enjoy competing with their dogs in a sport or activity.

Breeders that enjoy exhibiting their dogs at dog shows.

You need to ask yourself what those motives might be.ĭog breeders tend to fall into one of four categories Every dog breeder has their own motives for going to the trouble of having a litter. Knowledge and commitmentĮvery good breeder needs the knowledge to make sure her female dog is well cared for before during and after pregnancy and that the puppies are raised with the best possible outcome in mind. You can find the basic required health tests for each breed on the Kennel Club website, but it is well worth researching the breed you like in some depth so that you are aware of all the tests available. Yet most pedigree breeds of dog have at least one inherited disease that breeding stock need to be tested for, before they are mated.Įvery good breeder will carry out these minimum tests recommended by the Kennel Club and more. And this means he needs a breeder who cares about getting rid of exaggerated conformation in her breed. One he can run, in, breathe in, swim in and sleep comfortably in. Your puppy deserves a great body, one that will serve him well for the next dozen or more years. That such breeders exist, is down to the widespread problem of breed blindness with has permeated large parts of the dog breeding community in certain breeds. This is due to a phenomenon known as breed blindness, where the breeder may not be able to recognise or accept the disability that has been bred into her own dogs. You may find breeders with a fantastic reputation who are producing puppies doomed to a life time of discomfort. Giving your puppy a great bodyĪnother problem with some breeds is poor conformation.

Your breeder needs to be someone that recognises and acknowledges any problems in her breed, in terms of both conformation and disease, who is willing to breed responsibly and has the genetic knowledge to do so.

And may increase the risk of inherited disease in your dog. Unfortunately, inbreeding also helps to fix undesirable traits too. It is tempting for breeders to use popular sires, and/or related dogs on their female dogs, because a pedigree with lots of champions in will often impress puppy buyers.Īnd because such choices help to fix desirable qualities in their puppies, such as working ability or the kind of looks that appeal to show judges. Many pedigree dog breeds have a worryingly small gene pool. It is quite a tall order Giving your puppy good genes

Mini boxer mix