How did you find the Perfect breeder??

HayleyMarie

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#1
What steps did you take? How were you able to knock breeders off your list? What key things were you looking looking at in a breeder that you would not compermise on?

The reason I am asking these questions is because I am having a hard time looking at a breeder and saying nay or yay. There are so many freaking breeders!!! It makes my head spin. And I'm new to this whole breeder thing. And I would be lieing if I said I had no idea what I was doing.
 

Fran101

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#2
I started with the breed club

Circled my part of the country and which states I'd be ok with shipping from. (It would be tough to get a dog from Cali all the way to Florida for example)
and then went down the list.

Look at the list of things needed for a breeder to be part of the club, some are stricter than others and being on the list doesn't always mean the breeder is "good".
For example, some clubs say you can only have x litters per year, you must health test against this, etc.. which is great IMO

Then I went down the list from my state to others alphabetically and wrote down the sites I liked (just general obvious liked, they health test, dogs are my type physically etc..)

Then I went to the specific breed forum and did some digging and found the breeders people there tend to recommend/talk about. very helpful.

I always told myself NUMBER ONE. DO NOT look at the puppy page first. that is a TRAP!
Start with the sires/dams pages.

1. Look for the health testing you want
2. Look at the breeder bio, does it seem like they are breeding for the kind of dog you want? Does the breeder seem nice?
3. Look at the parents, are they nice dogs? did the breeder take time to describe temperament? variety of pictures? health testing?
4. Are the parents proven in some way? (show, agility, sport, working, therapy dog work)
Then of course, sniff around the rest of the website. Check out the puppies they have on the ground, the applications, things they require, pictures of passed puppies/dogs bred by them.

For example, breeders were taken off my LONG list for...
1. requiring fenced backyards. 2. breeding too many litters .3. raising dogs in kennels outside 4. outrageous prices 5. not shipping 6. cold, empty websites (no pictures of dogs at home having fun, no testimonials from owners, etc...)

Then use the magic of the INTERNET!!
GOOGLE " *name of breeder* *breed* forum*
chances are, you will find discussions or hate/praise for that breeder.
Google the breeders kennel name, google their name.. Do whatever you have to do lol

By then, I had my SHORT LIST.
and then with that, I started to compare them to each other and start emailing.
..Introduce yourself, ask questions, submit an application.

Is the breeder willing to talk with and work with you knowing you don't want a puppy RIGHT NOW?
Are they kind? helpful? open? knowledgeable?

And that was the REAL test for me. I would never go to a breeder that treated it like a sale, was rude, took forever to respond (or didn't respond), or wasn't nice.
I think the breeder/owner relationship is more than just a sale, so I tried to find somebody who was personable, kind, honest and that I got along with generally.

And with that, I found my breeder.

She was on my short list, but not one of the top contenders so I thought.
But we got to emailing, spoke on the phone and things just..fit! She was happy to talk about her dogs, ask me plenty of questions, etc..

finding a breeder who kept in touch with owners after the puppies leave was very important to me. So it was really her personal nature that pushed her to the top.
The facebook page for puppy updates/questions, her email/cell phone always quick to respond, and just, being a nice person!
 

stardogs

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#3
I met Aeri's breeder on an ACD forum oddly enough, started emailing with her, found out we shared a lot of similar stances on things, researched her lines, and voila! LOL
 

Gypsydals

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#4
For me, I started looking on the internet(it is such a wonderful tool), looking at the dogs and finding a type I liked. It took me a while to find a body type I liked. I researched dogs in the pedigree. Kept a list of the older ones that I liked and watched for type in what they where producing.
I also made a list of health issues in the breed and broke it down to what I could live with and what I can't live with. For me and my breed, I absolutely can not and will not ever again live with a dog that has seizures. Bry talking to some breeders I have a list of dogs that are know seizure producers. I stay right away from those dogs. I don't care if they have the type I'm looking for.
The other thing is temperament, I know what I want in a dal. I ask about what sorts of temperaments they have produced. What I am looking for is a breeder who is honest about what they have produced. Even if it is a couple of generations removed.
I want a breeder I can talk to, take any problems I might have with the dog to and get help.

Things I won't compromise on or give up.
Is type, I prefer the slightly leggier looking dogs(like Ivan). Dogs that aren't so blocky they look like labs or pits (nothing against either of those breeds) BUT not what I'm looking for in a dal.
Health is another. Like I said before, I can not and will not have another seizure dog. There are dals out there that tend to consistently produce that. I stay way from them.
A breeder who basically gets their check and thats the last I hear from them. I don't necessarily want a breeder who is up my butt. But I do what a breeder who can remember the dog and I 6 months after I have bought the dog. I want a breeder to talk to me like I do have a brain and not talk down to me.


I would say the first one is always the hardest, but for me because I know exactly what I want it seems to be harder. LOl
 

elegy

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#5
I found Steve's breeder initially through Leslie McDevitt. I did some looking to see where her dog Easy came from. Steve's breeder's foundation dog is from the same people.

I was looking for performance dogs first and foremost. I wanted health testing. I wanted a contract I'd be comfortable entering into (a number of breeders I looked at wanted the owner to do a ton of health testing- I'm down with OFAing hips/elbows on my own dime, but I'm not up to yearly CERF exams on a dog who isn't going to be bred). I wanted someone who would talk honestly to me about their breeding program, especially about health issues in their lines.

I think, in large part, I got lucky.

I know that she doesn't meet the standards of a lot of Border Collie people. Steve's parents have worked stock but don't do so regularly. She doesn't breed working dogs, and even the dogs she does breed for stockwork are for casual stockwork and occasional trialing. But I wanted a sport dog and she made me a pretty nice one. And she's been a huge source of support and information and has become a friend, which I didn't expect, but which is pretty nice.
 

Moth

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#6
I used breed clubs and the local kennel club.

We went to shows and talked to people.

I met with both Laura (Watson's breeder) and Cheryl (Menchi's breeder) and got to meet their dogs weeks before bringing home a puppy.

I read their puppy contracts...

Meeting them is what in both cases decided me that yes I would have one of their dogs. It was important to me to see how they are with their dogs and that I liked talking to them.
 

Shai

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#7
Backwards -- met a breeder I really liked as a person and became friends. Respected her breeding practices as well but didn't really think too much about that side of things. A year later out of the blue she mentioned I should really look into FCRs as they were would perfect for me, and she doesn't consider FCRs to be a good fit for many people...the combo of high energy/drive and goofiness tends to make people batty apparently...at the time FCRs were just these black dogs that were in her pictures lol. Another year later after having met a few in person and talking to a lot of people I was hooked but thinking I was still a year or two out from a puppy...til said breeder called and said her mentor had a pup on the ground who was looking like she'd be perfect for me, a real all-arounder with a lot of drive. A few weeks later...Mira.
 

HayleyMarie

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#8
Thanks guys you have been very helpful!

Why does this have to be do bloody hard, thankfully I know what Type I like and have found some breeders that I just drool over their dogs and I for sure know what I dont like.
 

kady05

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#9
I met Aeri's breeder on an ACD forum oddly enough, started emailing with her, found out we shared a lot of similar stances on things, researched her lines, and voila! LOL
That's basically what happened to me with Sako's breeder. I wasn't even looking for another dog! She posted the litter pictures on the Pit Bull forum I'm very active on and I jokingly told her to send him to me for Christmas (he was one of her potential keepers, so he really wasn't available).. she PM'd me, we started talking, a month later I was on my way to pick him up! Easiest experience ever LOL.
 

AdrianneIsabel

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#10
I met Aeri's breeder on an ACD forum oddly enough, started emailing with her, found out we shared a lot of similar stances on things, researched her lines, and voila! LOL
I always forget she breeds ACDs too!

We found both of our malinois breeders on Workingdogforum.com. Subsequently started researching them and found out Sloan's breeder is partners with the breeder of Evee, our old flyball teammates dog and the malinois that started us looking into the breed. Sloan was Denis' choice and the price/breeding goals matched his desires at the time. Backup I bought off pedigree and mom and dad. Both of them were hold backs from the litter that the breeders decided for one reason or another to sell later.
 
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#11
With my breed being so all over the board still as far as appearance I looked for breeders that had dogs I like the look of but fit the standard. I joined forums that were specific to that breed and asked about the breeders I had narrowed down to and asked for PMs on experiences or warnings, etc. (as the corso world can be a bit difficult to navigate ;) )and then I started to research the dogs I like, looked at puppies they threw, females they had be breed to, what those puppies have achieved, if health testing was done on the puppies how the results for the ones done have turned out. I like to see the health testing but with a newly recovered breed I don't rule out a puppy that's parents aren't perfect in everything, if there was a valid reason for the breeding and that I am told up front so I can make that decision for myself.

I eliminated any breeder that was more concerned with getting my $$ then anything else. Ones that priced according to colour were gone too. I don't like breeders that have too many litters in one year, or appear to flood the market with their dogs or even have too many dogs at their house as I wonder how they are able to give individual attention to each one. I want to see breeder support after they sell the puppy and I want to see a good contract that lays out what I can expect from the breeder and what I as the owner am expected to do. I like a breeder that doesn't have to have me put down a deposit or anything in order to talk to me or answer my questions about the breed, that gets back to me in a decent amount of time ( I know that some have busy lives too :) ) Ones that if close enough don't mind me coming to see the parents and then if they are showing letting me know where so I can get out to see the dogs in a different setting.

Those are just a few things I can think of when I was looking for my corso breeder. If I remember more I will add to the list :)
 

Zoom

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#12
I was procrastinating on a paper or homework or something back in college and was just randomly researching Aussie breeders and happened to stumble across this little one that wasn't too far away from me. Started looking deeper, doing more research, learning more about what was "good" in a breeder besides adorable puppies and yeah. 10+ years later and I still think they're the creme de la creme; Chaz has only reinforced that opinion.

So basically, I got stupid lucky.
 
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#13
I joined a Koolie forum and asked a bunch of questions and my breeder emailed me to help and I ended up in love with his dogs, him (He said Goodday Mate at the end of the conversations. How awesome is that?), his philosophy, no spay and neuter contract, worked his dogs, high standard for temperament, an established line and loved the look of his dogs.

Talked to a lot of people with his dogs and no one had a bad to say and the rest is history.
 

AllieMackie

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#16
I was originally researching sport BC breeders, then decided a working-bred BC was more along the lines of what I wanted. Did some researching, discovered that Ontario is chock full of excellent working BC triallers/breeders. I originally contacted Amanda Milliken, who to this day has been a great resource and keeps in touch. She didn't have any litters planned for the upcoming year, but pointed out Mary Thompson, who had a litter of pups on the way that looked to be a larger than expected litter. I looked up her credentials and her practices and agreed with all of it. Contacted her in late September, Finn was born November 22.

I didn't meet her (or Finn) until pick-up day, but we stayed overnight and drank wine and stayed up late chatting. She's simply wonderful. We're always in contact.
 

Beanie

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#17
I got lucky.
I had asked for a referral from the vet office my sister used and they gave me the name of a lady. I called her multiple times and left a message and she never called me back. My dad decided to ask his friend, who was dating a woman who showed and raced whippets, if they knew any sheltie breeders.
Ta-da! So I called her and she talked to me for I think over an hour that first phone call... she did health testing, she showed, she had sheep and did herding, she did agility, she had a health guarantee... we went out to her house the next week and I think we spent like three hours there, LOL. We met all her dogs, we talked about a billion things. I met Auggie's dad and loved him. I met Auggie's brother and became obsessed. We put down a deposit.

I was one of the last people on her waiting list but a lot of other people weren't ready for a puppy, so I ended up getting a little boy. I think it was about a month later the litter was on the ground and little Aug came home ten weeks later.

In retrospect it's really good that the first lady never called me back. I wasn't as picky then, I just wanted a sheltie from somebody who did health testing and at least showed in confirmation. It's funny how much my expectations for a breeder have changed since REALLY getting into the breed and having gotten a dog from somebody who believes shelties should still have the attitude they used to, somebody who has sheep in her backyard and uses her dogs on 'em... I wouldn't give that other lady a second glance nowadays.

So when I say I got lucky, I mean I got very, very lucky... if that first breeder had returned my phone call, honestly, my whole life would be vastly different now. (For one thing, I would probably have a lot more money, LOL. Stupid agility hobby.)
 

Fran101

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#18
Oh and the current breeder pick for future pup was found because a member of this forum has 2 of her dogs lol
 

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