 Barked: Fri Nov 16, '07 2:20pm PST |
 | |  | | Pugsley, Daisy is telling you the truth.
The new responsible breeder has a mentor, normally the breeder of her foundation bitch. They plan the breeding together, and the more experienced breeder is the one with the waiting list.
Now, a waiting list doesn't necessarily mean that when the litter's born, every pup already has a home. There might be "extra" pups--I know of a case where a German Shepherd bitch, who'd had five pups in her first litter, had eleven in the second litter. Yes, the breeder had lined up more screened buyers than he expected pups--but not six extra! He had several pups whose homes had to be found after birth. Or suppose someone among those screened buyers wants a male and all the pups are female. Or it's a Chinese Crested litter--someone wants Hairless and the litter is all Puffs, or vice versa.
So having a pup or two available isn't automatically a red flag. The entire litter being available is. (Yes, sometimes even a very responsible breeder will have an "oops" litter, but even then, they can get the word out, contact people who were waiting for a pup from a different breeding--people who are looking for strictly a pet won't mind if it's not an ideal breeding, as long as it's a healthy breeding.) And posted prices is a red flag. Being able to place a deposit online is a red flag.
But responsible breeders will normally have a waiting list one or two homes longer than the number of puppies they expect, because they won't breed until they are reasonably confident of homes for all the puppies.
And, yes, that contract requiring that the dog be fed raw? I'd walk away, without hesitation, from any puppy contract that was overly specific about what the puppy should be fed, even if I generally agreed with the choice. Why? Two reasons. 1. Every dog is an individual; what works for one won't necessarily be the best choice for another, even in the same litter. 2.There's a fine line between being concerned about and taking responsibility for the puppies you breed, and being overly controlling. Requirements about showing/competing a show-quality puppy sold with breeding rights is one thing and not overly controlling the way it might look to someone unfamiliar with the showing and breeding world. Requiring certain health checks is the breeder's way of keeping track of the results of their own breeding program--especially when there are not DNA tests for certain hereditary problems, periodic health checks on the dogs through their lives are the only way to determine if the line that looks clear of those problems, really is clear. Banning certain training methods can be a part of making sure the pups are safe and well, especially in breeds where the obvious competition activities have traditionally been associated with very coercive training methods.
But requiring a specific diet with no wiggle room for independent judgment is claiming the right to run someone else's household, and I wouldn't want to be in a long-term relationship with that person. Likewise requiring certain training methods; that's very different from banning certain coercive methods.
So one thing to look for in a breeder is--Are you comfortable with having a long-term relationship with this person? Different people will freak at different kinds of requirements; are you comfortable with the mindset of the breeder you're dealing with, or will you feel, in two or three years, that every move you make with your pet is being second-guessed?
Ah, I'm going on too long, and probably rambling incoherently by now. Is it a bad sign that I agree with everything Daisy has said in her last few posts? Daisy, is that worrying you?  |  |  | |  |
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