| Learn how to interview dog breeders to separate the superior from the clueless. |
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Teach Your Dog
100 English Words
by Michele Welton
My unique Vocabulary and Respect Training Program makes your dog the smartest, most well-behaved companion you've ever had. The A+ course in good manners and happy obedience. Increases your dog's intelligence. Teaches him to listen to you, to pay attention to you, and to do whatever you ask him to do. 330 pages. more info |
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11 Things You Must Do RIGHT To Keep Your Dog Healthy and Happy
by Michele Welton
Raise your dog the RIGHT way, feed him the RIGHT food, give him the RIGHT vaccinations, avoid health problems and unnecessary veterinary expenses, and help him live a longer, happier, and more comfortable life. 346 pages. more info |
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Good Dog Breeders,
Bad Dog Breeders
| Purebred puppies are not churned out of a mold. The puppies from one breeder are NOT the same as those from another breeder -- even of the same breed. The knowledge and skill of the breeder -- first, when he selected the parents, and second, when he raised the puppies to the age where you get to see them -- has a tremendous bearing on how your puppy turns out. |
| Every puppy has a breeder |
Some people will insist that they got their puppy from a "private seller" rather than a "breeder."
They honestly believe that if they got their puppy from someone who had one litter and placed an ad in the newspaper...
they're not buying from a breeder.
Or they believe that if they got their puppy from a neighbor who says, "Our Molly recently had pups. Would you like one?"...
they're not buying from a breeder.
They're wrong.
A breeder is any person
who owns a female dog
who has a litter.
- Even if that person simply owned two pets who were bred together and the puppies advertised in the newspaper.
- Even if the breeding was accidental.
- Even if the father was a mutt down the street, so the puppies aren't even purebred.
If they own the female,
they are the BREEDER
of that litter.
| So unless a puppy is actually born on the street to a homeless female who truly has no owner, that puppy (whether purebred or mixed breed) has a breeder.
In other words, SOMEBODY is the breeder of every puppy you're considering acquiring. |
| Was the breeder responsible -- or irresponsible? |
There are only TWO types of breeders:
responsible and knowledgeable
OR irresponsible and unknowledgeable
| What do responsible, knowledgeable breeders look like? |
 Responsible, knowledgeable breeders breed dogs together only when BOTH dogs have been medically tested for genetic health problems. Which health problems varies from breed to breed. A responsible, knowledgeable breeder knows which tests are required for his breed.
- Responsible, knowledgeable breeders breed dogs together only when BOTH dogs have excellent temperaments, i.e. not nervous, timid, shy, hyperactive, or aggressive.
- Responsible, knowledgeable breeders understand genetics -- so they don't breed closely-related dogs. The same name should NOT appear on both sides of the pedigree.
To learn why not, read:
Purebred Dogs vs.
Mixed Breed Dogs
- Responsible, knowledgeable breeders sell their own puppies, right from their own home. They NEVER place a puppy in a pet shop or give it to a "broker" to sell "on consignment."
 Responsible, knowledgeable breeders do things with their dogs other than just breeding them. They are involved in canine activities such as obedience, agility, rescue, dog clubs, and so on. (Bernese artwork by Dino Candelaria of Blackcoral Bernese.)
- Responsible, knowledgeable breeders can give other responsible, knowledgeable breeders as references. (NOT just a list of "satisfied" puppy buyers, who probably know much less than YOU do about what makes a breeder good or bad.)
| Please think seriously about this, because your decision to buy from a particular person will affect future dogs and their owners. Whoever you buy from will most likely breed again -- because you have rewarded him with money. Don't encourage irresponsible or unknowledgeable people to keep doing what they're doing. Buy only from someone who has done all the right things. Someone who deserves to be rewarded and encouraged. |
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Copyright © 2000-2008 by Michele Welton. All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced without the permission of the author. |
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