i am new to this and i am buying a westie pup and want some advice on what questions i should ask breeders regarding quality. i have recently read some terrible stories regarding incorrect breeding which has effected the tempament of the dog. also is it very important for the dog to be kc reg, if so will this guarentee that the dog is of good pedigree.

If you Register with us you will be able to answer any questions that people might need to ask you , before they give you any pointers

:)

Melody

KC reg is not a gurantee of quality, but not being KC registered certqainly for me would mean poor quality, or reasons that the litter can't be registered.

I would advise contacting the Breed clubs, as usually members of their breed club will have a serious interest in their breed. Breed clubs also usually know about the breeders to be avoided.

Hello brainless, sorry but I have to disagree with you, my dog is not KC reg but he is a pedigree and he is great quality! You may think that I am just another dog owner who thinks their own dog is show quality or whatever, but some breeders I feel do get it right and create fantastic dogs with KC reg or not. I have had no problems wih him what so ever and he is a healthy fit dog. I must admit though I would not buy another dog with no documents because at the time I was not interested in showing but some people do change their minds, I do think that pedigree recognised breeds should all be bred with KC reg papers and everyone who wants a pup should consider whether they may want to show in the future.

You are misunderstanding Rooky. Anyone who is breeding for the betterment of the breed and trying to produce quality for this reason would KC register. A non KC reg pup may ACCIDENTALLY turn out to be a good example, by dint of good ancestors that have got into the wrong hands. Those who breed without KC reg are doing so because they either have infringed the rules and can't, or don't care about whether the pups are good quality, they are just a commodity.

A breeder interested in the good of the breed breeds each litter with the hope that if any go on t0o be br3ed from they will make a positive impact on the breed, for this to happen they need to be part of the registered gene pool.

Also how do you know how your unregistered dog compares in quality to the standard? Unless you are an extremely knowledgeable breed judge then how could you judge? Even the very experienced breeder likes to compare their efforts with those of their peers, as it is easy to go to far in a direction unless you take a step back and dispassionately evalute the quality against the best of others.

I do entirely agree with you about the not knowing if you might not want to get more deeply involved with a breed when you get the firts pup. That is why often pet owners start to show and go on to do well, but without KC reg they don't have the option.

Hi if you e mail me privately just click on my name, I can pass on some phone nos of reputable breeders in your area

Hi Guest Irene beat me to it. Be very careful, take your time. The dog will be with you for a long time.

If you find a few breeders contact others for references. There are a few westie people on the board someone may have heard of them.

Believe me there are some breeders you would think butter would not melt in their mouth but are up to every trick in and out of the book.

Be careful with the lists of breeders also , not just on here in the search but any internet or club lists. Whilst the majority are very good there are a few not so good sneaked their way in or on with their dark glasses. You find the price is the same from a very good to a very bad so a bit of homework and time is all that is needed.

Regards
Pamela

preidie@yahoo.com

Know this is off topic, but Pam I hope you had a good holiday, and your dad is getting better. ---Irene

Off topic to LOL,

I did Irene thanks a good rest, I was constantly looking for things to do as stayed with my brother. My dad is on the recovery won't be home for a couple of months yet but he is still going and being more positive thankfully. Take care Pam