Evaluating Your Chosen Dog Breeder
Being a dog breeder is a big responsibility. It starts with setting a breeding strategy and ends with raising puppies and evaluating the results. If more right than wrong is done, your puppy gets a good start in life. As a puppy buyer, you should choose a breeder with care to ensure your puppy gets a good start.
Characteristics of serious breeders
Breeding insecure, stressed, fearful dogs or individuals who have shown aggression isn’t a good strategy. Professional breeders prioritize good mental traits as highly as a healthy exterior. Most breeders know what the puppy's first life phase should include and what should be avoided, but unfortunately, not all do. As a buyer, you should use your consumer power and make an active choice. Be critical and ask lots of questions. A good breeder won't think you're fussy, just thorough. Those with nothing to hide are usually generous with information and welcome visits when the puppies are old enough.
Safe breeding environments
Review whether the breeding environment seems safe from the perspective of infection prevention and injury risk. Are there any hazards around the puppy pen that could harm the puppies? Is the puppy pen clean and well-maintained? Please read the article "Visit the breeder" for more information.
Assess the mood of the breeder
Also, feel the atmosphere. Does the place feel energetic and stressful, or calm and harmonious? How does the breeder interact with the puppies? Do they handle the puppies with care and gentleness, or are they carelessly tossed around? How do the puppies seem to react to the breeder's presence? Your observations can provide valuable information about your puppy's early life. Treating the puppies with consideration is vital for their emotional well-being.
How children affect puppy development
Are there children in the home? Maybe neighbors or grandchildren who come to visit? If so, ask to see them interacting with the puppies. Puppies that children lift and cuddle with at their expense or play around with at an early age can become stressed around children as they get older. It's a problem you want to avoid regardless of whether you have children.
The impact of other dogs on puppy rearing
How do the breeder's other dogs look, act, and feel? Are older dogs allowed to roam free with the puppies, or are they kept separate? It’s good if calm, secure older dogs hang out and socialize with the puppies now and again. But they also need their rest. No puppy should be subjected to other dogs with poor social skills or used as a toy by an eager adolescent dog.
Important to observe when feeding puppies
Ask to see the puppies being fed. If there is eager whining and racing to the bowl, you want to check whether any of the puppies seem underfed. Does everyone get enough food? Are there conflicts around food? If so, there is a risk that your puppy is learning resource guarding at an alarmingly early age. Puppies should be fed in a long tray or one bowl per puppy instead of a round bowl the puppies barely fit around. They may also need to be divided into smaller groups to reduce excitement and competition when nursing their mom if the litter is large. An educated breeder knows the risks of inadequate food supply. Make sure yours has this in mind.
Distribution of resources among puppies
Also, check whether all puppies have access to water, a place to lie down, and toys without fighting with their siblings. If something is in short supply early on, a dog may need to guard when older.
How puppies are prepared for life outside
You also want to know if and how your puppy is prepared for life outside the breeder's home. Will the car ride home be the puppy's first car ride? Have the little ones been environmentally trained or mainly stayed in the breeder's home? Has your puppy met friendly people? If the breeder answers yes to all questions, ask follow-up questions to ensure that all this didn’t happen at the final veterinary inspection and only then. Your puppy must be exposed to the world before it is time to move away from home.
The procedure for picking up the puppy
Ask what the routine is when picking up your puppy. Ensure your puppy is adequately weaned off the dog mom before you come to get your new little friend. It's also good if your puppy has experienced being away from their littermates and dog mom for short periods before leaving home. When the day comes, it is best if your breeder gets your puppy from the dog's mom before you arrive. You don’t want to be the bad guys doing this. You and your puppy should also have time to bond before you leave. A peaceful handover that takes time is better than an abrupt one. You can ask if you can bring home a blanket (or leave one on your first visit). The blanket will smell of the siblings and the dog's mom. It can help your puppy settle down in your home. ㅤ
Your role after bringing the puppy home
If the breeder does a good job, your puppy will have an excellent foundation to start life. However, there are no guarantees, only better or worse breeding conditions. Without continuing the job, you cannot sit back and expect to bring home a confident and secure dog. Once home, it is your turn to take over and continue the vital work your breeder has laid the foundation for. Your puppy will need continued environmental training, socialization, fear-free handling, home-alone training, and other things that help your puppy feel confident and adapt to life as a pet. Having a puppy is hard work. It is demanding and takes time and commitment. So make sure to give you and your puppy the best chance at success. It starts with being critical when choosing your breeder.
Written by: Caroline Alupo
Caroline Alupo is Petli's co-founder. She has a master's degree in ethology and is also a trained dog trainer and dog psychologist. She has 19 years of experience as a professional dog trainer. Read more about Caroline here.
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