|
About
the Sire & Dam:
Ask these questions about both
the sire and dam unless specified.
●
Name, titles & pedigrees
●
DNA, AKC, OFA (hip, elbow) and CERF (eye) registration
numbers
(also research their sires and dams)
●
Other health test results
Minimally Brucellosis & Thyroid (T3,T4,TSH,TRH,TgAA)
and possibly also Von Willebrands, Neospora.
●
Date of Birth
●
Titles earned
You may also want to ask either how long the title took to
earn or how many tries - a dog that earned its Championship
in a few shows is likely a better conformation specimen than
one who took 4 years/many shows to earn it. Likewise with
performance events.
What is
the dog's conformation strengths and weaknesses (to the Vizsla
Standard)?
What are
this dog’s other major strengths?
Weaknesses?
What are the strengths of the progeny? What bad traits
have shown up?
Reputable
breeders will share the negative and positive because they
want you to be fully aware of what may be produced so you
can make the best decision if this litter is a good fit for
you. They
are so
focused on and committed to improving their breeding stock that they readily
divulge the strengths and weaknesses of the offspring
they've produced.
How have
hunting instincts been demonstrated?
Breeders
who find it important to maintain a strong hunting instinct
in Vizslas will have
demonstrated their dog's hunting abilities.
How
often is this dog around adults?
Children? Other
dogs?
If
a dog has not been around other dogs and people much, their
temperament may be fine around their owners but not be
predictable overall.
Has this
dog ever bitten a human? Other dogs? If
so, please explain.
Find
out the circumstances behind any infractions. In
general, avoid dogs with biting histories.
Has this
dog shown any signs of the following:
●
Food/toy/treat
aggressiveness
● Being
excessively territorial
● Not
good with children
●
Destructive
chewing
● Excessive
barking
● Severe separation
anxiety
● Submissive
urination
● Unprovoked aggression towards people or
dogs?
● Any other physical or mental
or behavioral problem?
Unfortunately
there are stud dog owners who may not fully divulge the
above information to the owners of the brood bitch, and vice
versa. Breeders also may not fully divulge this
information to puppy buyers. But you still should ask
the questions and document their answers in case at a future
point in time your dog demonstrates any of these behaviors
and you learn from another source that the stud dog or brood
bitch's owner did not divulge the full truth.
Has this
dog ever had generalized demodectic mange?
A
dog who has had a generalized (all over the body) case of
demodectic mange likely has a defective immune system and
should not be used for breeding since development of the
immune system is genetic.
Are
there any known health (hips, eyes, thyroid, diseases, etc.) or
temperament (biting, shyness, aggression, dominance, rage, etc.)
problems in the dog? Ancestors (2 generations)?
Siblings? Offspring?
Reputable breeders
will have thoroughly researched both lines and will be
willing to share the positive and negative traits of the
sire and dam and relatives. Many diseases like
hypothyroidism are serious and hereditary and should not be
propagated.
Who has
this dog been bred to previously?
How many times?
Dogs
accomplished in one venue are frequently approached for stud
services or for puppies. Owners should be
discriminating on who they breed to, especially if the dogs
are young (under 3 years old) and unproven. Good dogs
do not necessarily produce good puppies.
Has the
sire or dam thrown a fault that has appeared in more than
one litter sired/whelped by different mates? More than
one puppy in a single litter?
An occasional
fault is not uncommon. If a fault appears in multiple
litters by different mates or in multiple puppies in a
single litter, it is very likely the dog is a
carrier of that trait and if serious, should be removed from
the breeding program.
Has the
stud dog owner turned away any bitches? If so, how
many and why?
Stud dog owners
should be particular about to whom they breed their male and
not breed to faulty females. A stud dog owner who wants to
make money or have their male on the VCA Top Producer list
will breed indiscriminately.
About
the Breeding
What traits do you seek
or avoid in a mate for this Vizsla?
Why was
this mate chosen?
How will
this breeding contribute to the betterment of the breed or
your breeding stock?
A good breeding
pair are those whose strengths offset the other's
weaknesses. Reputable breeders will be able to clearly
articulate these traits in both sire and dam.
About
the Breeder
What are the names
and descriptions of Vizslas you actively use in your
breeding program?
A good breeder will share detailed
descriptions of temperament, health and talents and share
the positives and negatives. Since most dogs are not worthy
breeding candidates, there should be a very limited number
of Vizslas.
Have you
spayed or neutered any of your dogs? Why or why not?
A small percentage
of Vizslas are breedable and a reputable breeder recognizes
when to breed and when to spay/neuter. Breeders
wanting to make money will breed any Vizsla regardless of
the merits of that dog.
To what
dog-related clubs do you belong?
How are you active in each?
Reputable breeders
are ACTIVE members of local breed clubs. It is a way
to give back to the breed by volunteering their time to work
at events, mentor new members, share their knowledge and
experience, etc.
How do
you support Breed Rescue?
At the very least,
breeders should take back any dog they've bred at any age
for any reason. Period. Breeders who also donate
their time or money to Breed Rescue supports Vizslas who
come from irresponsible breeders who do not take back the
dogs they've produced.
What
other breeds do you use in your Breeding Program?
Beware of breeders
with many breeds - is likely a puppy mill.
How many
litters do you whelp/sire per year? Which dogs?
Reputable breeders
have few litters - two or less per year. Their stud
dog is used to approved bitches only - those who are
excellent specimens of the breed.
How many
accidental breedings have you had?
Repeated
accidental breedings could be a cover for a breeder needing
money to support expensive show/trial costs of their other
dogs. Do you want to pay to be the recipient of an
inbred puppy (e.g. brother to sister, mother to son, father
to daughter)?
What is
your Breeding Philosophy?
Reputable breeders
have definite breeding goals which they will readily share.
Of all
your breedings (stud or dam), how many puppies have you kept
for yourself and how many have you purchased from other
breeder(s)?
If a breeder is
propagating its dogs, shouldn't they believe enough in the
breeding to evaluate the litter and keep the best puppy (if
their is one) and improve the quality of their lines?
Beware of 2 red flags: 1) Breeders that keep 1
or more puppies out of EVERY breeding - displaying a lack of
discerning what is their best progeny and a tendency to
"collect" dogs to meet their own needs. 2)
Breeders that breed their female or use their stud to sire
litters, but do not EVER keep a puppy out of those breedings
but rather purchase a puppy from other lines/breeders -
evidence that they want the stud & puppy fees and feel
their dogs are good enough for OTHER people but not good
enough for themselves.
What are
your health guarantees?
Ensure you can
have the puppy immediately checked by a vet and returned if
deemed unhealthy. Other guarantees may include
hereditary defects (hips, elbows, epilepsy). Since
temperament is strongly influenced by the puppy's
environment, this cannot usually be guaranteed. In
other words, a breeder may have spent much time socializing
the puppy and sold a puppy with a sound temperament only for
the puppy's new guardians to mistreat or neglect it in which
case the breeder cannot be blamed.
How do
you socialize and raise the puppies? Where will the
puppies be kept?
There are
important stages puppies go through and there are certain
situations and sounds that should and should not be done at
certain times in order to ensure puppies develop
well-adjusted personalities (not fearful, know how to behave
around people and other dogs, etc.) Puppies need to be
raised around and handled by humans, exposed to sounds and
terrains and obstacles in order to develop into
well-adjusted adults. Ensure your breeder is familiar
with what needs to be done and when so you don't have to
work through problems later.
How do
you evaluate and place puppies?
At a minimum the
litter should be Temperament Tested by a person unfamiliar
with the litter. The breeder may also perform the
"Vigor for Life" and Structure tests.
Breeders will also carefully evaluate the puppies as they
develop and take notes in order to develop an accurate
profile of each puppy to best match them with their new
guardians.
Do you
perform the Temperament Test? Structure Test? “Vigor for Life” test?
If
no, why not?
Avoid breeders who
do not seem to think litter evaluation is important.
What do
you seek and avoid in puppy buyers?
Reputable breeders
will screen puppy buyers. The more rigorous the
screening, the more the breeder cares about to whom the
puppies will be placed.
How do
you evaluate puppy buyers?
Puppy buyers
should expect the following from reputable breeders:
written application, phone or in-person interviews
(depending on geographical considerations), site visits of
the puppy's new home, reference check, etc.
What
are your minimum requirements for buyers? (e.g.
must show, must train, etc.)
If you
require buyers to show/compete, why?
Is it for the benefit of the dog?
Your kennel name?
If it is more
important to the breeder that you earn titles than whether
the puppy will go to a good home, s/he may have selfish
motivations (e.g. their sire/dam make the VCA Top Producer
list). Keep in mind that it takes a lot of time an
money to train and compete to titles so be careful as to
what you commit. For example, not all puppies with
Champion parents will be show quality and if you commit to
showing the puppy, you could spend $2000 or more and never
achieve the title. On the other hand, titles are the
visible signs of a quality breeding program so breeders may
have good reasons for giving priority to puppy buyers who
will commit to training and competing but it should not be
at the expense of the puppy's welfare.
Are
you attempting to become a VCA Top Producer?
If yes, the stud
dog owner may indiscriminately breed their male because the
more puppies that are produced, the more chances are that
some will earn titles. Breeders should breed to
improve the breed or their breeding stock, not make breeding
lists and registries. Since bitches have limited
opportunities for breeding, this is less of a concern.
How do
you support the puppy and buyer after the sale?
What
documentation do you provide to puppy buyers?
You should be able
to call a breeder for any advice (care, training, nutrition)
for the entire life of the puppy. Upon purchase, you
should be given copies of registration papers, vaccination
records and better yet, copies of the sire and dam's
certificates such as OFA, AKC, CERF, DNA, etc. Some
breeders give money for each title earned.
What
food & supplements do you feed your dogs and why?
What
food & supplements do you recommend puppy buyers feed
their dogs and why?
Canine nutrition
has many aspects and breeders should be well informed of
options and be willing to share what they use and what they
recommend. Breeds may have special needs and they
should be knowledgeable about any recommended supplements
for Vizslas.
If a
health or temperament problem becomes known to you in the
sire, dam, littermates or any close relatives, will you
notify me?
Puppy buyers
should be notified if any health concern arises in their
ancestors or any close relative.
What
other breeders and/or sires or dams would you recommend or
not recommend and why?
Reputable breeders
admire other breeders who share their same goals of
bettering the breed or their breeding stock.
"Breed the best to the best and hope for the
best". In pursuit of this goal they likely share
information about pedigrees and health histories of dogs
being bred. They will readily share the names of
quality sires, dams and other reputable breeders and caution
against anyone whose activities seem contrary to the welfare
of the breed.
What
magazines, clubs, catalogs do you recommend puppy buyers
consider after getting a puppy?
There is a wealth of canine
publications, suppliers, and clubs which puppy buyers can
join. Benefits include keeping updated on health
issues, meeting people which you can network with, finding
the best prices on all the many things you'll need.
Concerned breeders will be familiar with your many options
and will have recommendations for you. What
is your practice regarding limited registration?
Spay-Neuter Contracts? Co-ownership?
Limited
registration prevents any puppies bred from that sire/dam
from being registered by the AKC. They cannot be
shown unless the restriction is lifted. Breeders may
do this to repel unscrupulous puppy buyers who want to buy a
Vizsla strictly for breeding regardless of conformation to
the standard, pedigree and health history. Sometimes a
breeder can see a puppy has a conformation fault or
temperament problem and should not be bred and will sell it
on limited registration &/or Spay/Neuter Contract to prevent this trait from being
propagated. A Spay-Neuter Contract requires
that the dog be spayed or neutered by a certain age and the
AKC Registration Papers are withheld until proof of
spay/neuter is provided. Co-ownership allows a breeder to show the
puppy in the "Bred by Exhibitor" class at dog
shows which they can only do if they co-own the puppy.
They also may be interested in breeding the puppy in the
future if the puppy turns out to be a quality Vizsla and
therefore want to be informed of future plans which a
co-ownership facilitates.
Have
you ever donated a puppy to a raffle? Sold at
auction? Sold to a pet store? Killed a puppy
intentionally? Anything other than place a puppy with
new owners?
Some breeders who
cannot place a puppy or have a puppy returned will sell it to a pet store or donate
it to an auction or raffle to get the write-off rather than
keeping it until they can find a good home.
Please
supply me with the following references: previous
puppy buyers, other breeders who bred to your dogs or you to
theirs, any others you would like to share.
There
are many breeders who paint a beautiful picture of their
dogs and breedings to "wow" the unsuspecting puppy
buyer but who are well-known within the Vizsla world to have
questionable and/or disreputable breeding practices. Just
because a breeder has Vizslas who excel in one or more areas
does NOT mean they are reputable breeders. The information provided by the breeder can be incomplete,
exaggerated, misleading and sometimes false. The best
source of information is to talk to other breeders at dog
shows/obedience trials, hunt tests, field trials, agility
trials, etc. Don't ask a general question such as
"What do you think about breeder X" but rather
more specific questions such as "Would you buy a puppy
from breeder X" or "Would you breed your dog to
breeder X's dogs", "What are breeder X's breeding
practices like", etc. This is the only method I
can think of to get an objective opinion and to reveal
unethical breeders.
|
