good dog breeder vs poor?

First and foremost - correct type, conformation and temperament. I don't care if the dog has a health guarantee for life - I don't care if the breeder titles the parents in Schtzhund but I absolutely avoid conformation show breeders of GSD and Doberman as a matter of principle which eliminates 75% of the above noted problems.

In my breed (GSD and Doberman) there is a wide spectrum of breeders who claim to breed good dogs.

The second and only other criterion I look for is: the state of cleanliness, how the puppies are raised, and what DNA health screening was done on the parents.

Since MOST genetic problems in my breed occur well past 2 years (the average span of a health guarantee) and with few exceptions there is no DNA test for them- I really don't put that much stock in testing and could really care less if I get a health guarantee or not. However, there are 3 DNA tests for Dobermans that the breeder should have proof of (vWF, Canine Color Dilution Alopecia and one form of Cardio).

What makes a poor breeder: Well, if you breed Frog dog GSD's - even if you sell them with gold plated teeth - they are just crap. And nothing you do impresses me. You are in my view - the pond scum of GSD breeders.

Dobermans - Show Dobermans make my skin crawl. These weak minded, wimpy, poorly structured, dogs are not Dobermans and I have no use for them.

Equal to that in terms of my revulsion is you are a psychopath who breeds only for competitions with no regard for the health or welfare of your dogs. Your dogs are not kept in clean conditions, you leave them on a chain to rot outdoors, and you dump your brood bitches after they stop producing.

I really don't care if you paper the dog or not, I'm not impressed with fancy websites, I don't care how many letters come after the dogs name - I prefer to buy from people who sell their dogs for work (Police, SAR, etc) and work their dogs for the purpose they were bred and take good care of the dogs they own.

One breeder of GSD that I hold in high regard spays any female that has allergies or ANY form of health problem. She does re-home her brood bitches when they reach a certain age but they go to good homes and live out their lives in families that love them.

1.) Health testing and keeping the pups until at LEAST 8 weeks. There's a ton of other things, but I'll leave it at 2, lol

2.) Selling the pups prior to 8 weeks old, using dogs that are under at least 2 years of age to breed. Again, there's a ton more, but I'll quit :P

3.) Health/medical screenings are pretty much the same. I prefer that a breeder do both genetic health testing specific to that dog (i.e. Rottie breeders should do eyes, hips, elbows, heart, etc...) and temperament testing, although temperament testing isn't a necessity when I think of purchasing a dog.

4.) As far as titles go, I'm not entirely picky. With most breeds, I prefer working lines to show lines since most working lines tend to be more to the true standard of the breed, and are generally bred for function before form. So, if I had to pick one, I'd have to say performance titles over conformation titles. Both are good, but I would still have to say performance titles over conformation.

Sure.

While there are many things that make someone a good breeder, the two litmus tests are that they not only breed to make a better dog for the jobs available, but that they insist that any dogs that don't stay with their new owners go back to the breeder - no matter what, for life.

A bad breeder doesn't mind if they are breeding dogs from stock that has obvious problems - especially temperament - but will either pick and choose which ones to take back, or - the worst- pull up the drawbridge once the buyer is over it, and not take their dogs back.

There really isn't one thing that I use to identify. This is my list.

1. Let you see and touch the parents. You want to see the condition the parents are in, and their temperament.

2. Proof of health testing. If they can't prove it, run away!

3. Knowledge of the breed. If that breeder can't tell you the history of the breed by heart, hey shouldn't be breeding.

4. How many different breeds they have. If thry breed more than 2 breeds, they aren't good breeders.

5. Do they have you buy on a spay/neuter contract. If they sell everyone single on of their puppies with breeding rights, then they are not a good breeder.

BAD BREEDERS:

1. Don't let you see the parents.

2. Ask to meet somewhere oher than their house for a puppy.

3. Won't give you a health guarntee.

4. Don't have proof of health testing.

5. Won't give any proof of pedigree.

Those are my basics.

Good breeders only breed to better the breed. They never have more then one litter a year per dog, and have waiting lists for the puppies before they breed the dog so they know they will be going to a good home. they also do health testings on their dogs before they breed them to make sure they aren't going to pass on genetic health problems to the puppies.

Bad breeders just breed for money. They will inbreed dogs, not take them to the vet, sell them much to young.. all to make a little more money. They don't do health testings.

I knew a family who would get as many dogs as they could have, stick them in cages and breed them when they were a year old.. twice a year. They would do shots at their house and not take them to the vet. When the puppies wouldn't sell for as much, they would sell all of their dogs or take them to the shelter and get a different breed of dog and do the same thing..

Bad breeders: don't allow you to meet mom and dad and play with them. Pups are not in a nursery. They give you little to no information on the parent's past. You get no papers proving the parents have the correct tests done. It goes on and on. Pretty much if they give you a dog and never speak to you again, they shouldn't be breeding.

Good breeder: Mom and dad have national titles in conformation and some sort of dog sport. Mother and father have hip, eye, blood, And other tests done. You recieve papers of the parent's tests as well as a spay and nueter contract. They will give you ANY information on ANYTHING about the parents or themselves without hesitation and prefer you to do so.

Good breeder: When they get the dog examined medically, to make sure it is a healthy dog.

Bad breeder: When they let the puppies go home too young (before 8-9 weeks) and also when they inbreed the dogs.

Good breeder: Someone who proves that their dog/dogs are worthy of breeding by obtaining titles, and having all genetic heath testing clearances done. (my short version of a long answer)

Bad breeder: Anyone who breeds mutts on purpose, anyone who doesn't prove their dog worthy of breeding or do any genetic health testing, any breeder of purebred dogs that thinks that just the fact their dogs are AKC registered makes them something of value and worthy to be bred, people who not properly Vet their puppies, people who don't screen their potential buyers carefully, people who breed for *rare* colors that are a fault in the breed, people who breed for a size that doesn't fit the breed standard. (also a short list, to be honest)

Good Breeder....Stays in your dogs life forever. You celebrate all the good times and the bad.

Bad Breeder... Make you promises he doesn't keep,Never calls to ask about the dog... Pups are not kept in good conditions. Yep, you buy em cause you care.