Post by TrueBulldog on Jul 26, 2004 17:09:00 GMT -5
These are the things to look at when determining a good kennel and fair price.
Talk with them, find out how reputable they are through others. Once you decide on a couple, start talking with them and see if they are what you really want. Visit them if possible, go to shows if possible and see their dogs and what the breeders reputation is there. It is really important to look around and not jump on the first kennel you find.
Ask the breeder questions, good breeders don't mind questions, most prefer to be asked questions. Ask them if they are good with kids? Have a good temperament? A correct temperament for the breed? Ask the goals of their breeding program and what the goal of this breeding is? What type of guarantee they have? What health test they have? What health problems have they dealt with? Do they temperament test? Do they know the correct temperament of their breed? Ask to see the pedigree on both parents. Ask why they have bred these two individuals. What the bloodline is known for-pros and cons. Will the litter be evaluate for conformation? What about temperament? What are the ancestors of the litter like? What about the siblings of the parents? What titles have your dogs earned? Why did you choose this dog for your breeding program? Do you have a contract? Ask to read and view the contract. Ask about replacement or taking back/buying back the pup. If their is an age limit or restrictions involved in this.
Backyard breeders determine price in different ways, how much money they are trying to bring in, how quickly they want to sell pups or what the other dogs in the paper go for. Pups from a good breeder are determined by several factors and a standard. Show and breeding quality will cost more, while pet quality is usually a little cheaper. If you are looking for show quality and possible breeding you will need to do tons more research and find a mentor, this will probably be the person you’ll be getting a dog from or maybe some one down the road to better help you with the show dog you’ve purchased. A good breeder will keep in contact and help answer any questions as much as possible, a mentor will help you in making the best decision with your dog and learning how to do things on your own and at your own discretion. Expect to pay more for this quality usually $700 to $1000. The price depends on the parents. What have the parents produced in previous litters? Dogs proven to produce will typically be more then a first time breeding or dogs that produce average. What have the parents done are they pointed, CH or GR CH. Are they CH ACE, A/A, GR CH A/A, ect. The more they have accomplished and the better they can produce may cost you a little more. How is their pedigree is it good, proven dogs and nice producers? Is it okay not too many dogs reached CH (for one reason or another), scatter bred consisting of many different lines without knowing the true outcome of the offspring or prediction of their possible state. Is it exceptional? The best of the best with every dog (or close to it) titled? Are their many proven producers? Bloodline is another factor, especially crosses. A pure bloodline may cost more then most, a proven and exceptional cross may cost the same. A well known bloodline and very good in which the parents have proven to be the quality of the bloodline may cost more, because the pups have a high expectancy to turn out great. So we have bloodline of the parents, good, great, best. And how the dog is bred, scatter bred, line bred, inbred, proven cross, new cross, ect. A pet quality dog from a good breeder will in most cases be $500-600 in some cases more.
One thing to watch out for are the “One time wonders” or those who play off “fame” or one or two good dogs they had. These are the breeders that produced a very good dog, the dog becomes famous and a bloodline is established. The line runs well for awhile, but since the breeder has done work with one dog he sits back and simply breeds to sell pups at very high prices. Then making the line more and more popular where quality of that line suffers and so does the grade of the line and you get sub quality dogs and problems in the line. The new buyers do as the breeder has done raking in the cash and thinking they are breeding some thing special, some go cheaper and cheaper with the price and others continue to keep the price at a high climb and putting a false tag of Quality on their dogs because they are from a “good line” and the price makes you believe you really are getting a good dog. Then there are many who have CH bloodlines this seems to everyone these days. Backyard breeders considering having 2-3 Champions in a 4 or 5 generation pedigree CH Bloodlines, even when they have no clue what the bloodline is or the fact that 2 dogs is hardly anything. Others really DO have CH bloodlines and this goes back to the bad breeders getting good lines because of all the peddle going on. Also being aware of those who will sell you “exactly” what you want. Meaning the breeder knows what you are looking for and will tell you that’s exactly what their dog is. Research is very important here EXP. Buyer: “I’d really like to get a pup that I could show, I’m really interested in dog shows and decided the next pup I got would be registered so I could show it” Breeder: “My female is very beautiful and the dad is perfect, the pups will be/are good looking pups and would make perfect show dogs. I just don’t show because I don’t have the time” or “I don’t show mine because I just want them as pets, but they would be perfect for it” Some of these people use these lines to make sure they get a sale, others are very kennel blind and honestly believe they are telling the truth. The same thing goes for weight pull or even a pet. It doesn’t take much to be a pet, but a bad temperament can really be horrible thing to deal with and the health problems! Having a new pup you’ve already bonded with die because of a genetic disease or an older dog you’ve become very attached to run up extremely high vet bills to save its life or find out all that was in vain only to have the dog die. A lot of backyard breeders have dogs with papers, so remember don’t use this as a way to decide if the breeder is a good one. Some one having ADBA papers can still have the same quality of an unregistered dogs and watch out with those who say “papers” and sell litters registered with sham registries at higher prices because of their “papers”. Instead of getting the $150 they ask the $400-500 and with pet stores its ridiculous $1000-2000 for pups with no real background and registered under an unrecognized sham registry.
All in all your best bet is to research and be patient. Don’t spend best of the best show quality price on the pet quality or very poor quality. Learn the difference between good breeders-lots of knowledge, truthful, can show ribbons and titles, know their breed inside and out, know their dogs and their lines, knows their dogs good traits and faults too VS the backyard breeder-little-no knowledge, dishonest purposefully hiding the truth-too unaware and ignorant to know, making untruthful claims of their dogs show ability, conformation or temperament, believes their dogs are perfect, don’t know their dogs bloodlines (if they aren’t scatter bred) or know them because they are some form of recognized line but the breeders dogs are not of the same quality, others simply believe they have CH Bloodlines, speak only of how perfect their pet is, emphasize on their excellent temperament, disposition or looks.
Talk with them, find out how reputable they are through others. Once you decide on a couple, start talking with them and see if they are what you really want. Visit them if possible, go to shows if possible and see their dogs and what the breeders reputation is there. It is really important to look around and not jump on the first kennel you find.
Ask the breeder questions, good breeders don't mind questions, most prefer to be asked questions. Ask them if they are good with kids? Have a good temperament? A correct temperament for the breed? Ask the goals of their breeding program and what the goal of this breeding is? What type of guarantee they have? What health test they have? What health problems have they dealt with? Do they temperament test? Do they know the correct temperament of their breed? Ask to see the pedigree on both parents. Ask why they have bred these two individuals. What the bloodline is known for-pros and cons. Will the litter be evaluate for conformation? What about temperament? What are the ancestors of the litter like? What about the siblings of the parents? What titles have your dogs earned? Why did you choose this dog for your breeding program? Do you have a contract? Ask to read and view the contract. Ask about replacement or taking back/buying back the pup. If their is an age limit or restrictions involved in this.
Backyard breeders determine price in different ways, how much money they are trying to bring in, how quickly they want to sell pups or what the other dogs in the paper go for. Pups from a good breeder are determined by several factors and a standard. Show and breeding quality will cost more, while pet quality is usually a little cheaper. If you are looking for show quality and possible breeding you will need to do tons more research and find a mentor, this will probably be the person you’ll be getting a dog from or maybe some one down the road to better help you with the show dog you’ve purchased. A good breeder will keep in contact and help answer any questions as much as possible, a mentor will help you in making the best decision with your dog and learning how to do things on your own and at your own discretion. Expect to pay more for this quality usually $700 to $1000. The price depends on the parents. What have the parents produced in previous litters? Dogs proven to produce will typically be more then a first time breeding or dogs that produce average. What have the parents done are they pointed, CH or GR CH. Are they CH ACE, A/A, GR CH A/A, ect. The more they have accomplished and the better they can produce may cost you a little more. How is their pedigree is it good, proven dogs and nice producers? Is it okay not too many dogs reached CH (for one reason or another), scatter bred consisting of many different lines without knowing the true outcome of the offspring or prediction of their possible state. Is it exceptional? The best of the best with every dog (or close to it) titled? Are their many proven producers? Bloodline is another factor, especially crosses. A pure bloodline may cost more then most, a proven and exceptional cross may cost the same. A well known bloodline and very good in which the parents have proven to be the quality of the bloodline may cost more, because the pups have a high expectancy to turn out great. So we have bloodline of the parents, good, great, best. And how the dog is bred, scatter bred, line bred, inbred, proven cross, new cross, ect. A pet quality dog from a good breeder will in most cases be $500-600 in some cases more.
One thing to watch out for are the “One time wonders” or those who play off “fame” or one or two good dogs they had. These are the breeders that produced a very good dog, the dog becomes famous and a bloodline is established. The line runs well for awhile, but since the breeder has done work with one dog he sits back and simply breeds to sell pups at very high prices. Then making the line more and more popular where quality of that line suffers and so does the grade of the line and you get sub quality dogs and problems in the line. The new buyers do as the breeder has done raking in the cash and thinking they are breeding some thing special, some go cheaper and cheaper with the price and others continue to keep the price at a high climb and putting a false tag of Quality on their dogs because they are from a “good line” and the price makes you believe you really are getting a good dog. Then there are many who have CH bloodlines this seems to everyone these days. Backyard breeders considering having 2-3 Champions in a 4 or 5 generation pedigree CH Bloodlines, even when they have no clue what the bloodline is or the fact that 2 dogs is hardly anything. Others really DO have CH bloodlines and this goes back to the bad breeders getting good lines because of all the peddle going on. Also being aware of those who will sell you “exactly” what you want. Meaning the breeder knows what you are looking for and will tell you that’s exactly what their dog is. Research is very important here EXP. Buyer: “I’d really like to get a pup that I could show, I’m really interested in dog shows and decided the next pup I got would be registered so I could show it” Breeder: “My female is very beautiful and the dad is perfect, the pups will be/are good looking pups and would make perfect show dogs. I just don’t show because I don’t have the time” or “I don’t show mine because I just want them as pets, but they would be perfect for it” Some of these people use these lines to make sure they get a sale, others are very kennel blind and honestly believe they are telling the truth. The same thing goes for weight pull or even a pet. It doesn’t take much to be a pet, but a bad temperament can really be horrible thing to deal with and the health problems! Having a new pup you’ve already bonded with die because of a genetic disease or an older dog you’ve become very attached to run up extremely high vet bills to save its life or find out all that was in vain only to have the dog die. A lot of backyard breeders have dogs with papers, so remember don’t use this as a way to decide if the breeder is a good one. Some one having ADBA papers can still have the same quality of an unregistered dogs and watch out with those who say “papers” and sell litters registered with sham registries at higher prices because of their “papers”. Instead of getting the $150 they ask the $400-500 and with pet stores its ridiculous $1000-2000 for pups with no real background and registered under an unrecognized sham registry.
All in all your best bet is to research and be patient. Don’t spend best of the best show quality price on the pet quality or very poor quality. Learn the difference between good breeders-lots of knowledge, truthful, can show ribbons and titles, know their breed inside and out, know their dogs and their lines, knows their dogs good traits and faults too VS the backyard breeder-little-no knowledge, dishonest purposefully hiding the truth-too unaware and ignorant to know, making untruthful claims of their dogs show ability, conformation or temperament, believes their dogs are perfect, don’t know their dogs bloodlines (if they aren’t scatter bred) or know them because they are some form of recognized line but the breeders dogs are not of the same quality, others simply believe they have CH Bloodlines, speak only of how perfect their pet is, emphasize on their excellent temperament, disposition or looks.
