General Pet is your source for advice and information for a happy and healthy pet.
Author: Moses Wright Article source: http://www.articlealley.com/. Used with author's permission.
You should consider a visit to a reputable breeder, should you decide to raise a purebred dog. You can opt to buy pedigree pups at pet shops or kennels, however, a breeder tends to have pups with good lineage and certificates.
Finding the right breeder depends on the breed that you select. Professional breeders do not breed their dogs frequently. Breeders will only do so when a pair of dogs is found to be healthy and have temperaments that will insure the birth of similarly healthy offspring. Breeders will also breed their dogs only when a sufficient number of homes have been evaluated and deemed appropriate for the new puppies.
As there are no hard and fast rules on how a standard breeder should behave and operate their business, you should seek advices and talk to as many breeders as you possibly can to make a better informed decision. There are many types of dog breeder in the market. Having more information about the breeders will help you to understand and have a better idea of what you are getting.
The ideal breeder should have the pair of dogs tested for every possible disease as well as have all the information regarding the pair's ancestors and health records on file. Should a breeder find no problem in the history of the pair, you must still confirm the details to be sure. One way is to ask for the contacts of owners who have bought offspring in the past to check if there were any problems. This should not be difficult as responsible breeders always maintain a close relationship with their customers.
Reputable breeders have certain requirements that you must have before qualifying as a potential dog owner. These are usually in the form of written contracts with a spay or neuter requirement. This set a limit to the breeding registration on the specific breed. This is done both for the protection of the breeder as well as acting a control for possible overpopulation.
The person who wants his dogs must have a secured backyard and be prepared to attend certain classes such a puppy kindergarten. This is for you to be familiar with the challenges you will face when you bring the puppy home. This is very important especially for new dog owners.
Reputable breeders tend to enforce more stringent selling policies than that of your local pet shop. They are always anxious and do everything within their power to ensure that their puppies have good homes. Breeders who have integrity are different from those who are not. The extra requirements is not to delay the process of handing the dog over, but to ensure that owners are aware of the added responsibilities that as a dog owner. Needless to say, irresponsible breeders are mostly not concerned about the health or welfare of the dogs and are just in it to turn a quick profit.
One of the most critical factors in identifying a good breeder aside from the health and food given to the pets is to check on the condition of the mother after birth and the way the puppies are being taken care of. The best way to do this would be to visit the breeder from time to time to monitor the condition of the puppies.
Another good quality of a responsible breeder is the voluntary assistance provided to the new owners of the puppies. Should the placement of the puppy be less than satisfactory with the new owner, the breeder will ask that the owner return the puppy and the breeder will source for suitable homes for the pup, as the puppy's life is of utmost concern to the breeder.
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Moses Wright is a dog lover and owner of Dog Obedience Training site. He loves to help dog owners with their dog problems and do so by consolidating his years of dog ownership experience into a free book filled with simple yet powerful dog training tips: Free Dog Problems Book
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