Breeder Do's
-Breeders should have a contract in place
stipulating things like:
“puppy must be returned to me should anything
happen where you cannot keep it, or you do not want it anymore”
breeding stipulations (if any)
spay/neutered contract, the kennel name be kept,
etc.
-a breeder should ask a lot of questions about
who you and your family are, what you enjoy doing,
if you have other pets, if you own your own home, if you
have other dogs, what you do for a living, vet refrences (if you have a vet)
-a breeder will show you all health tests of mom
and copies of dads (if they don’t own dad)
and explain to you what they mean.
-a breeder will not hide their dogs living
conditions and will show you were they are kept as well as let you meet and
interact with them. (considering there are no young puppies on the premisses, if
there is, do not feel worried if they don’t invite you over, as they will be
protecting their new puppies from parvo or other illnesses that could
potentially be carried in)
-a breeder will update you on your new puppies
health status and growth status, a breeder will not ignore you or leave you in
the dark about how the litter is doing.
-a breeder will go over the registration papers
with you, they will either help you to fill them out, or will fill them out
themselves while getting the info from you.
-a breeder should have a health guarantee
guarding against any genetic defects.
-Breeders should have a contract in place
stipulating things like:
“puppy must be returned to me should anything
happen where you cannot keep it, or you do not want it anymore”
breeding stipulations (if any)
spay/neutered contract, the kennel name be kept,
etc.
-a breeder should ask a lot of questions about
who you and your family are, what you enjoy doing,
if you have other pets, if you own your own home, if you
have other dogs, what you do for a living, vet refrences (if you have a vet)
-a breeder will show you all health tests of mom
and copies of dads (if they don’t own dad)
and explain to you what they mean.
-a breeder will not hide their dogs living
conditions and will show you were they are kept as well as let you meet and
interact with them. (considering there are no young puppies on the premisses, if
there is, do not feel worried if they don’t invite you over, as they will be
protecting their new puppies from parvo or other illnesses that could
potentially be carried in)
-a breeder will update you on your new puppies
health status and growth status, a breeder will not ignore you or leave you in
the dark about how the litter is doing.
-a breeder will go over the registration papers
with you, they will either help you to fill them out, or will fill them out
themselves while getting the info from you.
-a breeder should have a health guarantee
guarding against any genetic defects.
Breeder Dont's
-A breeder who does not have health tests done
before each breeding (or atleast once per year)
(a color dopplar heart scan, a kidney
ultrasound, PKD test and a Baer hearing test)
-A breeders dogs should have some sort of titles
in conformation, agility, obedience,etc or atleast come from dogs who have
titles.
-they should not hide the dogs living conditions,
if the dogs are kept in kennels, they should be clean, with heating for the cold
months and air conditioning for the hot ones. HOWEVER, Bull Terriers do not make good outside dogs, and MUST be getting proper excersice and stimulation from the owners/breeders-I personally would not ever buy from someone who keeps their Bullies outside in a kennel 24/7
but that is just my preference.
-they should have no problems letting you meet
mom (or dad if he is on the premisis)
-the dogs should be clean, healthy looking with
no open wounds,eye or nasal discharge,and friendly. they should also not have any
irritated skin or bald patches,also check the ears and nails are they dirty or
overgrown?
-mom and/dad shouldnt be kept outside year
round without the proper shelter.
-puppies should be friendly and outgoing and not be dirty
have poor fur, tear stains, long nails, cropped ears, bald spots, scabs from itching, lumps or bumps
broken teeth, open wounds, etc
puppies should also not be fearful of you or fearful of being held.
also, the puppies should be familiar of the house-if you go to pick up
a puppy and it seems un sure about the breeders household-that's a sure sign
that puppy has not been raised in the house.
even if the breeder says
"oh, he is not used to hard floors"
WHY is he not used to hard floors? if he was born their why didn't the breeder put him
on those hard floors before now?
-a breeder should not talk about the puppies
being “rare”
of course, sometimes you can get "unusual" colors such as Liver, or Solids, or Unusual markings
but not "rare"
You should educate your self on colors and markings of the Bull Terrier in our page
"The Breed Standard"
-if they expect you to buy a puppy right away,
tell you the puppies are “marked down” or “are a good price” or try pushing you
to buy a pup or adult from them.
-if they tell you the puppies can begin to leave
at 6 weeks old. a GOOD breeder will NEVER EVER allow a puppy to go before 8 weeks of age-and many of the best breeders do not allow puppies to go until 10 or 12. A puppy can and will bond with you just as easily at 12 weeks old as he could at 6 weeks-DONT BE FOOLED! Many back yard breeders trying to get puppies out to make money will say things to tug your heart strings such as
"The mom is a bad mom and has been aggressive towards the puppies"
then why would YOU want a puppy from an aggressive mom? you wouldn't-don't buy.
"The mom hasn't been feeding them properly"
Then it is the breeders job to do that-not yours.
"The mother has died"
It doesn't matter-all good breeders understand that, the sooner a puppy goes to his or her new home-the more likely that puppy will have of ending up at the shelter with serious behavior issues.
While it may not seem like a big deal-leaving a puppy with its mother as well as its siblings the first 8 weeks ensures that puppy learns valuable life lessons on bite inhibition, self control, and social skills towards humans and other dogs.
A puppies motor skills and mental skills between ages 4-6 weeks are incredible. at 4 weeks they are pretty much little blobs just learning to interact-by 6 weeks they are playing and wrestling.
so, for weeks 6-8 a puppy learns more interaction skills with mom that he or she was physically in capable of doing at 6 weeks.
just as a 10 week old puppy has learned more about bite inhibition and socially interacting then an 8 week old puppy is mentally capable of.
a 6 week old puppy, while capable of eating puppy chow-is incapable of testing boundries with mom and litter mates to the full extent.
That would be like assuming a 2 year old is capable of reading and writing simply because they are weaned and are eating solid foods.
Many dogs Do suffer behavior issues who are taken from there mothers too soon, things such as
Poor Bite inhibition- meaning, they bite harder and play rougher with you and other pets.
Trouble with self control- Ever try feeding a puppy who has no self control and doesn't listen to you and continuously jumps up to grab food out of your hands? now imagine that puppy doing this well into adulthood because he has trouble with self control.
Early dog aggression- not always because that new puppy becomes aggressive-but because he cannot grasp doggy langue and has trouble reading other dogs body cues. A puppy who causes fights because he doesn't understand what it means when another dog growls a warning at him or her, causing him to get bitten or attacked and then causing him or her to become shy, nervous of other dogs getting to close.
Not being able to play nicly with other dogs because she or he doesn't understand boundrys that other dogs are setting so play remains safe.
While it is possible to raise a happy, healthy puppy yourself from 6 weeks old-its much more difficult for you and the puppy-so why not spend your money on a puppy who is going to be calmer, easier and a better mannered member of society?
-If they have a website that features a "Paypal" option or to be able to "Add to Cart" option for buying a puppy right on the spot.
good breeders want to know WHO is buying their puppies, not "who is able to make payment first"
-A breeder who does not have health tests done
before each breeding (or atleast once per year)
(a color dopplar heart scan, a kidney
ultrasound, PKD test and a Baer hearing test)
-A breeders dogs should have some sort of titles
in conformation, agility, obedience,etc or atleast come from dogs who have
titles.
-they should not hide the dogs living conditions,
if the dogs are kept in kennels, they should be clean, with heating for the cold
months and air conditioning for the hot ones. HOWEVER, Bull Terriers do not make good outside dogs, and MUST be getting proper excersice and stimulation from the owners/breeders-I personally would not ever buy from someone who keeps their Bullies outside in a kennel 24/7
but that is just my preference.
-they should have no problems letting you meet
mom (or dad if he is on the premisis)
-the dogs should be clean, healthy looking with
no open wounds,eye or nasal discharge,and friendly. they should also not have any
irritated skin or bald patches,also check the ears and nails are they dirty or
overgrown?
-mom and/dad shouldnt be kept outside year
round without the proper shelter.
-puppies should be friendly and outgoing and not be dirty
have poor fur, tear stains, long nails, cropped ears, bald spots, scabs from itching, lumps or bumps
broken teeth, open wounds, etc
puppies should also not be fearful of you or fearful of being held.
also, the puppies should be familiar of the house-if you go to pick up
a puppy and it seems un sure about the breeders household-that's a sure sign
that puppy has not been raised in the house.
even if the breeder says
"oh, he is not used to hard floors"
WHY is he not used to hard floors? if he was born their why didn't the breeder put him
on those hard floors before now?
-a breeder should not talk about the puppies
being “rare”
of course, sometimes you can get "unusual" colors such as Liver, or Solids, or Unusual markings
but not "rare"
You should educate your self on colors and markings of the Bull Terrier in our page
"The Breed Standard"
-if they expect you to buy a puppy right away,
tell you the puppies are “marked down” or “are a good price” or try pushing you
to buy a pup or adult from them.
-if they tell you the puppies can begin to leave
at 6 weeks old. a GOOD breeder will NEVER EVER allow a puppy to go before 8 weeks of age-and many of the best breeders do not allow puppies to go until 10 or 12. A puppy can and will bond with you just as easily at 12 weeks old as he could at 6 weeks-DONT BE FOOLED! Many back yard breeders trying to get puppies out to make money will say things to tug your heart strings such as
"The mom is a bad mom and has been aggressive towards the puppies"
then why would YOU want a puppy from an aggressive mom? you wouldn't-don't buy.
"The mom hasn't been feeding them properly"
Then it is the breeders job to do that-not yours.
"The mother has died"
It doesn't matter-all good breeders understand that, the sooner a puppy goes to his or her new home-the more likely that puppy will have of ending up at the shelter with serious behavior issues.
While it may not seem like a big deal-leaving a puppy with its mother as well as its siblings the first 8 weeks ensures that puppy learns valuable life lessons on bite inhibition, self control, and social skills towards humans and other dogs.
A puppies motor skills and mental skills between ages 4-6 weeks are incredible. at 4 weeks they are pretty much little blobs just learning to interact-by 6 weeks they are playing and wrestling.
so, for weeks 6-8 a puppy learns more interaction skills with mom that he or she was physically in capable of doing at 6 weeks.
just as a 10 week old puppy has learned more about bite inhibition and socially interacting then an 8 week old puppy is mentally capable of.
a 6 week old puppy, while capable of eating puppy chow-is incapable of testing boundries with mom and litter mates to the full extent.
That would be like assuming a 2 year old is capable of reading and writing simply because they are weaned and are eating solid foods.
Many dogs Do suffer behavior issues who are taken from there mothers too soon, things such as
Poor Bite inhibition- meaning, they bite harder and play rougher with you and other pets.
Trouble with self control- Ever try feeding a puppy who has no self control and doesn't listen to you and continuously jumps up to grab food out of your hands? now imagine that puppy doing this well into adulthood because he has trouble with self control.
Early dog aggression- not always because that new puppy becomes aggressive-but because he cannot grasp doggy langue and has trouble reading other dogs body cues. A puppy who causes fights because he doesn't understand what it means when another dog growls a warning at him or her, causing him to get bitten or attacked and then causing him or her to become shy, nervous of other dogs getting to close.
Not being able to play nicly with other dogs because she or he doesn't understand boundrys that other dogs are setting so play remains safe.
While it is possible to raise a happy, healthy puppy yourself from 6 weeks old-its much more difficult for you and the puppy-so why not spend your money on a puppy who is going to be calmer, easier and a better mannered member of society?
-If they have a website that features a "Paypal" option or to be able to "Add to Cart" option for buying a puppy right on the spot.
good breeders want to know WHO is buying their puppies, not "who is able to make payment first"
BYB "Back Yard Breeder"
Back yard breeders (BYB) and good breeders, are not as well understood by most, and they should be.
when buying a puppy from a GOOD breeder- You are getting MORE then just a new puppy.
You are getting a support system, someone who can
direct you to the best foods, best vets, best trainers and best advice
possible. If you need someone to take your dog for a few
weeks, days or even years, a good breeder is their for the life of there puppies. Your getting the BEST possible chances of having a HEALTHY Bull Terrier , a stable tempered Bull Terrier that you can trust. A good breeder does more then simply choose 2 pretty looking dogs to put together. They make sure to evaluate the backgrounds of the
lines they will be using or breeding to, they evaluate the looks as well as
temperaments. It can take a good breeder several years of
researching before choosing the correct stud or bitch to use to produce a
litter. Any breeder who doesn’t put that much devotion
into their breeding plans and their lines-are simply BYBs who should not be
bought from.
Many people think of the term “Back yard breeder” and assumes it means “puppy mill” or “abuse” which is not always the case.
That breeder who owns 2 spoilt rotten pets and decides to breed them because
“everyone loves them” is a BYB and is doing nothing to contribute to the breed-but instead hurting it. That breeder who “has to have a puppy from our
female before she dies” is not doing the Bull Terrier world a favor-she may want
one single pup for herself-but what about the rest of the puppies? Don’t they
deserve just as much love from the person who helped create them? Just because the breeder is kind, honest and well
meaning-does not make them good, if they don’t do health testing, don’t breed
from the best of the best-they are still BYBs. Do not be fooled by breeders who say things
like:
“Raised in our home with love”
all breeders (and puppy millers) will say this-if
they cant prove it by showing you, don’t expect it to be true.
“socialized with our kids and other pets”
this a good breeder does not make-don’t be
fooled! though good breeders will tell you this, and will mean it, but don't think a breeder is good just because they socialize.
“I breed to better the breed”
ANYONE who breeds will say this as the default
answer-when what they really mean is
" I breed to make money and to better my own lines
for my own profit”
ask them specifically WHAT they are doing to
better the breed, a GOOD breeder will say things like:
“I’m working to breed out heart issues, skin
allergies, temperament instabilities, neurological disorders, to create a line
with good “type”
then, ask for the proof-if that is truly what
they are breeding for, they will have proof, either in health tests or
titles. How can a breeder breed for a better heart
without doing heart tests? How can a breeder breed for better temperament without
temperament testing (canine good citizen award, therapy dog titles and training
etc)
Quite simply-they cant!
BUT-don't be fooled when a breeder starts rattling off famous kennels in their pedigree-its not the pedigree that matters.
Your not buying a pedigree, your buying a puppy, a new member of your family, a new friend for your children a new baby for yourself.
you want one that is going to be healthy (so you don't have to deal with paying thousands in medical costs within the first few years due to genetic defects or heart ache of a dead puppy)
with stable temperament (so you don't have to deal with the worry or lawsuits of owning a human aggressive dog who bites people or is unsocial or having o think about having them put to sleep due to how dangerous they are)
Don't be afraid to be picky when it comes to what's important to you and your family!
Health and temperament should ALWAYS come before a nice looking puppy or a nice looking pedigree.
when buying a puppy from a GOOD breeder- You are getting MORE then just a new puppy.
You are getting a support system, someone who can
direct you to the best foods, best vets, best trainers and best advice
possible. If you need someone to take your dog for a few
weeks, days or even years, a good breeder is their for the life of there puppies. Your getting the BEST possible chances of having a HEALTHY Bull Terrier , a stable tempered Bull Terrier that you can trust. A good breeder does more then simply choose 2 pretty looking dogs to put together. They make sure to evaluate the backgrounds of the
lines they will be using or breeding to, they evaluate the looks as well as
temperaments. It can take a good breeder several years of
researching before choosing the correct stud or bitch to use to produce a
litter. Any breeder who doesn’t put that much devotion
into their breeding plans and their lines-are simply BYBs who should not be
bought from.
Many people think of the term “Back yard breeder” and assumes it means “puppy mill” or “abuse” which is not always the case.
That breeder who owns 2 spoilt rotten pets and decides to breed them because
“everyone loves them” is a BYB and is doing nothing to contribute to the breed-but instead hurting it. That breeder who “has to have a puppy from our
female before she dies” is not doing the Bull Terrier world a favor-she may want
one single pup for herself-but what about the rest of the puppies? Don’t they
deserve just as much love from the person who helped create them? Just because the breeder is kind, honest and well
meaning-does not make them good, if they don’t do health testing, don’t breed
from the best of the best-they are still BYBs. Do not be fooled by breeders who say things
like:
“Raised in our home with love”
all breeders (and puppy millers) will say this-if
they cant prove it by showing you, don’t expect it to be true.
“socialized with our kids and other pets”
this a good breeder does not make-don’t be
fooled! though good breeders will tell you this, and will mean it, but don't think a breeder is good just because they socialize.
“I breed to better the breed”
ANYONE who breeds will say this as the default
answer-when what they really mean is
" I breed to make money and to better my own lines
for my own profit”
ask them specifically WHAT they are doing to
better the breed, a GOOD breeder will say things like:
“I’m working to breed out heart issues, skin
allergies, temperament instabilities, neurological disorders, to create a line
with good “type”
then, ask for the proof-if that is truly what
they are breeding for, they will have proof, either in health tests or
titles. How can a breeder breed for a better heart
without doing heart tests? How can a breeder breed for better temperament without
temperament testing (canine good citizen award, therapy dog titles and training
etc)
Quite simply-they cant!
BUT-don't be fooled when a breeder starts rattling off famous kennels in their pedigree-its not the pedigree that matters.
Your not buying a pedigree, your buying a puppy, a new member of your family, a new friend for your children a new baby for yourself.
you want one that is going to be healthy (so you don't have to deal with paying thousands in medical costs within the first few years due to genetic defects or heart ache of a dead puppy)
with stable temperament (so you don't have to deal with the worry or lawsuits of owning a human aggressive dog who bites people or is unsocial or having o think about having them put to sleep due to how dangerous they are)
Don't be afraid to be picky when it comes to what's important to you and your family!
Health and temperament should ALWAYS come before a nice looking puppy or a nice looking pedigree.
Please understand that-their are a lot of breeders who appear to be good, with CH stud dogs and a well known name to their kennel. But humans are still human. meaning don't be deceived by the CH dogs in the pedigree-healthy dogs are more important to your family then a CH in the background.
a good temperament is more important then a CH. because you wont be training,walking or playing with the pedigree.
While this should be the criteria in what makes a breeder a good breeder, use common sense, and don't be afraid to ask for proof of paperwork and health tests, don't be afraid to ask questions about what is important to YOU and your FAMILY!
Finding a good breeder is like finding a needle in a haystack, a lot of digging and a lot of disapointments until you find the right one.
a good temperament is more important then a CH. because you wont be training,walking or playing with the pedigree.
While this should be the criteria in what makes a breeder a good breeder, use common sense, and don't be afraid to ask for proof of paperwork and health tests, don't be afraid to ask questions about what is important to YOU and your FAMILY!
Finding a good breeder is like finding a needle in a haystack, a lot of digging and a lot of disapointments until you find the right one.