Would you buy from these breeders??

[yoko]

Originally Posted by Emily

In my experience, reputable breeders poop rainbows and unicorns. LOL.

ETA: That is to say, they're much romanticized. Frankly, I don't have enough info from the ad. They certainly seem like they care about their dogs. I'd be concerned about appropriate health clearances.

There's a really interesting blog on Ruffly Speaking about why breeders SHOULD advertise, and why the idea that advertising puppies is dirty and disreputable hurts breeders instead of helping them.

For me I don't have an issue with a breeder having a site that they keep updated with stuff they do with their dogs, their dogs, health testing, and just any news that pertains to their dogs and puppies.

But after being online and buying stuff for so long when people don't have their own website for something like this, that is so time consuming and where record keeping is incredibly important for the seller and the buyer, and resort to using 'catch all' websites in my mind they go from a reputable breeder/seller to a Jo Schmo who just needs to unload 'product'.

Also I realize I am not perfect when it comes to spelling and grammar and I really don't care.

But when I see this:

We are members of the Kennel club assured breeder scheme and have been breeding for several years, we take pride in how we keep our whippets and they are a much loved family pets
17 Weeks old Beautifull healthy playfull puppies, nice forward going and full of mischief
Born and raised in a family home with children cats and dogs, fully wormed, Micro chipped, KC registered, 4 weeks free insurance plus puppy food pack, the puppies are in excelent condition with nice shinny coats, bright eyes, very alert,
Both parents her for you to see
Mum is a Brindel working whippet and dad is a Black working whippet, Any questions please get in touch

being posted by someone who should be coming across as someone who knows what they are doing and takes the homing of these puppies seriously I don't know if it's a joke or if I stumbled onto a Craigslist oops liter.

ETA: I don't have a problem getting a rescue dog or a dog off Craigslist. But if this person really wants to go through a breeder I'd hope they'd want to go through a good reputable breeder and not someone who can't bother to use commas or spellcheck.

It's like food places. I don't eat at places that spell country like 'Kountry' because in the back of my mind I don't know if they wanted the name to be like that or if they legitimately can't spell.

For this was it a typo? Or does this person really not know what the color is? I guess it goes back to would you buy a puppy from someone who couldn't spell their breed's name correctly?

[milos_mommy]

Instead of just skimming through ads trying to find one that looks good, I'd make a list of criteria you except from a good breeder.

Health testing, IMO, is the most important thing. I'm not sure what health testing is recommended for whippets, someone more familiar with the breed can pipe in on that, or you can look up what the breed club recommends.

Titling...I don't necessarily care about titles in conformation or lure coursing, but you want to know the dogs are capable of doing something well...are they therapy dogs? trained in obedience? etc.

Then I'd look into things such as how often the breeder has litter, if they are willing to take the puppy back if there is a problem or anything happens to you, are the puppies raised inside or outside...things that are of personal preference.

Your best bet to find a breeder is to ask someone with the breed (visit a dog show or trial), join a breed forum, contact the breed club. I don't agree any breeder that advertises is a "bad" breeder, but you need to sort through a lot of ads to be sure you'll get a healthy dog

[MafiaPrincess]

More health testing than most generally do.. As whippets aren't my breed.. I was unaware until Bounce died they have similar cardiac issues to dobes. Unlike dobes, many don't do cardiac testing.

What should be done..
CERF, Echocardiogram by a board certified cardiologist, BAER

Apparently nice to see..
Thyroid, Myostatin Deficiency Test, Hips

[Aleron]

Originally Posted by yoko

But after being online and buying stuff for so long when people don't have their own website for something like this, that is so time consuming and where record keeping is incredibly important for the seller and the buyer, and resort to using 'catch all' websites in my mind they go from a reputable breeder/seller to a Jo Schmo who just needs to unload 'product'.

Yes that is clearly the case with these breeders:

http://www.puppyfind.com/view_listin...2526page%253D1

http://www.puppyfind.com/view_listin...26page%25253D2

[yoko]

Originally Posted by Aleron

Yes that is clearly the case with these breeders:

http://www.puppyfind.com/view_listin...2526page%253D1

http://www.puppyfind.com/view_listin...26page%25253D2

Obviously it's not. There are links to actual websites for their breeding program.

ETA: Was on a cell phone so adding a little now that I have a real keyboard.

The two you posted are WORLDS different than the first one where they couldn't even type the coat color correctly.

The first one talks about how the puppies act like puppies, they've been wormed, micro chipped, and registered. It has typos and horrid punctuation. At the top it screams "ONLY TWO LEFT!"

Compare it to the two you posted. They have their own websites, they talk about health testing, they talk about health guarantees, vet visits, accomplishments.

Honestly those are so different all they do is show off how bad of an ad the first one was and reinforce that there are better choices out there.

[Aleron]

Originally Posted by yoko

Obviously it's not. There are links to actual websites for their breeding program.

I don't think one has to have a website to be a good breeder. Actually I can think of many long time, respected breeders who don't.

[AdrianneIsabel]

Neither of my breeders have websites. I didn't care then and don't care now, there is something nice about buying from someone who's not a large scale breeder.

[yoko]

Originally Posted by Aleron

I don't think one has to have a website to be a good breeder. Actually I can think of many long time, respected breeders who don't.

Sorry added more since I was just on my cell earlier.

I'm not saying you have to have a website to be a good breeder. But I am saying that looking at the original post where the page the ad was on had more about avoiding scams and trying to tell you to buy pet insurance than it did about the puppies available makes me personally sees that as a GIANT red flag.

Having sites aside the fact that the first ad basically described what should be done for any puppy *minus registering it* it doesn't stand out as a great breeder like the other two do. The other two could be total crap but just taking what we've been given I'd go to one of those way before the first.

[MafiaPrincess]

I find decent breeders with no sites - Smudge's breeder doesn't have one.. Usually wouldn't post on a catch all sell my puppies now type site either.

[Beanie]

I see what people are saying. It's not an exceedingly professional post and there are definitely parts of it that read like what you would find on craigslist or in the newspaper.
OTOH I agree that there's not really enough information in there to say it screams BYB or anything. In fact it says both parents are "working" whippets which makes me think there's possibly something more to it than just people who bred their pet whippets.

I would not likely contact said breeder based on the quality and content of their post, but that doesn't make them a necessarily bad breeder.

Neither Auggie's breeder nor Payton/Pepper's breeder have a website. I don't believe even the breeders of Payton's sire (and his sire is a well known enough sire that when I say his name I've had people go "Oh yeah!") have a website...


All that said, I agree with Milo's Mommy's post as far as making a list of what you are looking for in a good breeder, and Maf's post about health testing is quite important.