How do I find the perfect puppy?

Choosing a Great Breeder

A good friend, who is an excellent dog owner and very dog savvy, asked for my opinion on a breeder their friend was looking at the other day. I wasn't personally familiar with this breeder, so I did a bit of checking on titles, showing, and health testing and suggested this may not be the right breeder for their friend.

It occurred to me that someone NOT involved in the show/breeding world might not know what information to look for or where they can go to access that information. "Backyard Breeders" (BYB), the catch-all phrase we use to describe disreputable breeders, are often VERY good at presenting a good front. They have reasonable answers to questions, they know how to market themselves, they SOUND like they are doing the right things - so how can you tell?

Like so many things, a good or bad breeder isn't as simple as doing this or not doing that. And what one person would describe as good may not be acceptable for another. There are, however, several things you can look for (and independently verify) to give you the best chance of your perfect puppy.

Health Testing

Every prospective sire and dam (dad and mom) should be health tested. 

Buyer Beware! Marketing-savvy BYB have begun to claim health testing once they have completed an Embark DNA panel. Although this type of DNA testing can give you valuable information, breeding decisions should not be made without complete health testing.

MUST HAVE: Complete Health Testing

What is complete? Almost every breed has a recommended list of tests. Anyone can access these on the OFA.org website and then search by breed. Once the breeder has completed and submitted the required tests, their dog will be assigned a CHIC (Canine Health Information Centre) number. You can view these numbers online and verify the testing.

Why does this matter?

-It is public

-It is verifiable

-It demonstrates that the breeder has completed the minimum testing recommended by their breed club

NICE TO HAVE: Additional Testing

Breed clubs put a lot of time and effort into developing recommended testing for their breed. The recommendations are based on their best information about the health conditions their breed is at risk to develop. As science moves on, we may learn about new diseases that could impact our breed, or there may be further testing developed that wasn't available before.

For example, in my breed (Dalmatians), to get our CHIC number, we need to test hips (PennHip or OFA), hearing (BAER), and thyroid (special lab) OR eyes (ophthalmologist). I like to see breeders doing both thyroid AND eyes (really, why not, both are non-invasive and readily available). I also like seeing breeders doing an echocardiogram, there are cardiac issues in the breed, and we can't better understand OR avoid them without more testing and info.

BUYER BEWARE: Completing the testing does NOT mean that the dog has "passed."

A CHIC number confirms testing has been done; please go online yourself to verify the results!

Rare and unusual colours and coat types

BUYER BEWARE: Rare is not better!

In your search for your new best friend, you may stumble on to breeders who are offering unique/unusual/rare colours. This could be a serious red flag! Why? Breeders focusing on something like a rare colour result in breeding choices based on creating that colour (or coat or gene or whatever). With a "rare" or uncommon colour they have now DRAMATICALLY reduced the size of the gene pool. 

Laser focus on one attribute or gene like colour means a breeder isn't (can't be!) focused on all the other important things. When your gene pool is SUPER small (because only a few examples of the breed have the attribute the breeder is looking on) you just * can't* also factor in health testing, great temperments, overall conformation, etc. 

There are simply not enough dogs carrying this uncommon trait to allow a breeder to be choosy. They have to use what is out there, whether it is a good match with their dog or not.

Conformationally Sound/Breeding for Show

I regularly see people looking for a nice family pet and specifying they don't need a "show dog." Although you may never intend to show your dog, working with a "show breeder" may still be your best bet for a healthy and sound dog.

Breeders breeding for show are breeding to fit the written breed standard for their breed. In addition to hallmark colours and look, this standard includes specific information on rear angulation, topline, etc. What does all this mean? A dog that is properly built is "sound". Dogs that have, for example, poor rear angulation (meaning their hind legs are maybe super straight or perhaps over-stretched at the other end of the spectrum) are at a higher risk for injuries. 

Although your next pet might not be a Westminster hopeful, you absolutely want to ensure that they are sound and able to move comfortably and stay active for their whole life. Proper, healthy conformation means your dog can run, jump, and play, staying active and healthy. 

"Show breeders" are committed to preserving breed standards and improving on their dogs by making careful breeding decisions. The best-matched breeding pairs can produce a litter that *may* have a few show prospects. The rest of the pups will be perfectly suited to be wonderful, healthy, sound pets. A mismarked colour or a blue eye may keep your pup from the show ring and make them perfect for your family.

Although show breeders are hoping to find their next superstar in their litter, they are MORE focused on breeding great examples of the breed (including proper temperament) that will make excellent companions.

MUST HAVE: Champion Titles

Look for a breeder who is working with Champion stock when planning pairings. Achieving a CH title means that dog has been evaluated by different professional judges and found to conform to the standard. 

Note: Not all breeds are eligible to be shown with a kennel club. There are absolutely instances where a Championship is either not attainable or not important, but for the majority of breeds - it’s worth looking for.

BUYER BEWARE: Breeders saying they "don't need to show for pets" or "find the show ring too political," etc.

These are often excuses used by breeders who either do not have conformationally correct dogs OR temperaments that can withstand showing. Choose a breeder who is dedicated enough to the breed to want to participate and preserve their beloved breed.

NICE TO HAVE: Winning dogs

The downside of a Champion title is nearly any dog can *eventually* achieve this if their owner is willing to invest enough time and money. Assuming their dog does not have a major fault, they will probably get there eventually (and sometimes, even if there IS a significant fault!). 

Want to see how a dog did in a show? You can look up show records on Canuckdogs.com. Search for a dog's registered name, and you will see the shows they attended and what placements they were awarded. If you are seeing a Champion dog, but it took 22 shows to get that title, that may not be a great representation of the breed. No dog will win all the time, but you should see dogs win and finish their title within a reasonable amount of shows. 

Note - of course there can be extenuating circumstances, but again, as a general rule, achieving a Championship should be doable in a reasonable time frame.

NICE TO HAVE? Group Placements

A group placement means that the dog was deemed best of their breed that day and competed against the best of each breed in their respective group. Placing in group (particularly multiple placements) can give you a good indication that this is a quality dog.

BUYER BEWARE: Does that win really matter?

An impressive win is much less impressive if the show was tiny. Or if there were no other entries from that breed. I regularly see people post "Fluffer won BEST OF BREED" from a show where I happen to know that Fluffer was the *only* one of that breed entered. Verify those wins!

MUST HAVE: Independent Confirmation of Sound Temperament

Look for some independent evaluation of temperament. Perhaps this is as simple as a temperament test. A dog with a Canine Good Citizen title has navigated a course of people, handling, exposure to other dogs, and some startling noises. Although perhaps not a guarantee of a great temperament, a far sight better than nothing! Too many dogs with poor temperaments are being bred.

Performance titles can be significant indicators of temperament. A trick title or rally title done virtually doesn't tell you much, but even a basic obedience title (CD) shows that the dog was able to function in a ring under some pressure, be touched by the judge, and hold a stay beside other dogs. This is a good indication that they have a sound temperament.

NICE TO HAVE: High-level titles

Seeing dogs perform in a variety of sports and/or achieve high-level titles gives you a good indication that they are biddable and trainable, can work under some pressure and distraction, are likely manageable around people and other animals, and (most importantly!) that this breeder is spending a ton of time with their dogs!

BUYER BEWARE: Virtual or fun titles

You can do many fun things with your dog, including virtual titles and titles for tricks and stunts. I love seeing anyone do anything with their dog! All training is great :). However, seeing a breeder with many trick titles or virtual rally titles does not give me an idea of their dogs' temperaments.

MUST HAVE: Chance to meet at least the Dam

Many breeders will use an outside stud, meaning a stud not owned by or living with them. Not being able to meet both parents is NOT a red flag. One parent might live across the country! You should certainly be able to meet the dam/mother, and hopefully some other relatives, too.

Please note, many breeders may NOT invite you to their homes without having a relationship with you. This is also not (necessarily) a red flag. I always meet people in a public location first. Once we have established a relationship and rapport, I then invite people to the farm. I will not have strangers come to the farm for my safety and the safety of my dogs.

Instead of a personal visit, ask for videos and photos. Perhaps you can facetime/skype as the breeder walks through their home. You should be able to see the conditions in which their dogs and puppies are being kept.

MUST HAVE: Early puppy development plan

There are some great commercial programs, like Avidog and Puppy Culture, that can help guide breeders through the critical stages of early development. Experienced breeders may not be using a specific program but are still instilling the same foundations through their years of experience.

Ask your prospective breeder how they will be working to create the best foundation for your perfect puppy.

There are many other potential red flags that we will address in another post - but these are the bare bones of finding a great breeder.