How important are the 'extras'?

[Oko]

Hey all, hopefully this is the right forum for such a thread.

How important is it to you that that breeders do things that are not necessarily bare-bones requirements to an ethical breeder?

On the one hand I feel like if I'm getting an 8 week old puppy, there's still a lot of time to shape and mold the bugger, 'perfect puppy raising' for it's first few weeks aside. I'm not talking about minimal stuff like having socialization at all, keeping the puppies safe and warm, vet care etc, I'm talking about what I consider 'extras' (obviously, everyone has a different idea of 'extras' and the 'minimum').

Such as, what do you think of someone who doesn't do early neurological stimulation? Or for instance, beginning crate training/obedience training/house training. Or socializing them a lot with people, introducing them to handling/grooming, and having lots of toys in their puppy pen? Or if they don't raise their puppies in the house, even? (these are not all examples of the breeders I am looking at, just fyi).

If it's a breeding/lines you really like and are overall happy and comfortable with the breeder's ability to produce great puppies and like them, would you let some things that you wish were going to take place not happen?

Thanks for the input in advance, looking forward to the responses!

[AdrianneIsabel]

It's a nice bonus, worth the money, but not a deal breaker for me.

[release the hounds]

If I like the breeding, I can take care of everything else when I get them at 8 weeks

[~WelshStump~]

That's a hard one, I wouldn't go for a breeder who is too extreme against the grain per say (sterile kennel, no outside world, minimal handling), but when I was looking at Beauceron breeders it wound up being a lot of "beggars can't be choosers", maybe I didn't end up with the MOST socialized/stimulated puppy ever, but I still got a healthy, happy, loved, raised under foot, puppy anyway. Honestly for me as long as the puppy is well handled daily it shouldn't matter. I will note, training stacking was a bit of a challenge though, but I couldn't say how much of that was "just not being use to such manipulation" and "super submissive excitable puppy", she was a pee-er.

[Lyzelle]

Well, in Sibes, most breeders from the States don't even meet the bare-bones. So. There's not a lot to say there.

Canadian/European breeders are generally better, and since we are stuck in a world of Us vs. Them with this breed, I'd take what I could. Health testing is considered such a HUGE bonus, I might not worry so much if the breeder was snippy or the dog hadn't had as much stimulation as I wanted. I'd take what I could get and work with it.

[Fran101]

If I don't see extras..I don't go to that breeder. ENS, early socialization/training, toys, raising inside the home etc.. are pretty big deals to me, they aren't even extras lol they were on my top 10 list of "NEEDS" in my breeder search.

Then again, I am hopelessly stubborn. I want what I want and if I'm going the breeder route I am looking for at least 85% perfection. Maybe things would be different if I liked a breed that was more rare I would be less stubborn, but as it is, I want it all and ice cream too! lol

Of course, WHAT that breeder is producing is more important than the extras.. and the proof is in the pudding.
But first and foremost I found breeders that were producing dogs/puppies that I liked from lines that combined show/obedience/versatility the way I wanted them to..
And how I narrowed them down to a long list..was the paper work (health guarantees, health testing, titles etc..)
and how I narrowed to a short list was the extras.. (ENS, early socialization, training, natural rearing, dogs/puppies not inside the home was a deal breaker, dogs they produced that are therapy dogs, agility, obedience stars etc..etc.) as well as of course comparing the sire/dam of closest liter and other dogs.

And how I finally chose the final one was the extra extras lol (good breeder communication, personality I meshed well with, takes lots of pictures, and just that other fun stuff and gut feelings)

I love extras and i'd be hard pressed to give them up.

[*blackrose]

As long as SOMETHING is being done and the puppies aren't being kept in a barn with no outside contact whatsoever (*cough* Chloe *cough*) I'm happy. I'm thrilled if extra steps are taken, but I'm also of the opinion that if the pups are stable enough, a few weeks of just "basic" socialization isn't going to hurt them. I mean, shoot, Chloe's early puppyhood sucked, and besides some severe genetic flaws that, she is definitely not an unsocialized, cracked up dog. Unstable and anxious, yes, unsocialized, no. :P

Although already started on crate training and introducing to gun shots is a big bonus in my book, among other things.

[PWCorgi]

Well I hadn't planned on getting my next dog from a breeder, so this isn't something I had given a whole lot of thought to what I would consider "enough" extras to make me comfortable.

All I can say is that I am amazed at how much "extras" are being done for my puppy. I knew that Ado was a fantastic breeder who produced stellar dogs, but I never realized just how much she puts into these puppies until the litter was born. It makes me feel much more relaxed and confident about this puppy, knowing that she is being exposed to so much, and that she is being raised in a way that will set her up for success as she gets older. It's awesome

[skittledoo]

I prefer extras when it comes to breeders.

That said, I would be less picky about the extras with a rarer breed provided that breeder has a history of producing stellar dogs that meet what I'm looking for with great temperaments.

I'm more picky about the extras with more common breeds because there are more breeders to choose from.

I think at some point we may end up with a rhodie.... Wayyyy down the road. We have been trying to find a good match for Josh's future dog and he really really likes what we have read about the rhodesians. Now he just needs to go to a lure coursing event with me to actually meet some.

[crazedACD]

I haven't done the breeder thing but I think I might choose a breeder that will keep the puppies until they are 10 weeks, and preferably start crate training. It's a lot easier to get the puppy adjusted if they are already used to it when they come to a brand new place.