Hi,

I seem to remember reading a post sometime ago which had a list showing the main points of a good breeder, and one showing the main points of a BYB / puppy farmer. Does anyone have a copy of the list they could PM / email to me, as we are going to do a 'what to look for when buying a puppy' class at our training club, and I thought that list would come in very handy.

Thanks if anyone can help.

Claire :-)

Is this the one?

http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Fair/1901/chart.html

http://www.dogplay.com/Articles/GuestArticles/breedercomparison.htm

This one is a bit more detailed but American so the "spay/neuter contract" part won't be relevant..

http://www.shilohshepherds.com/puppyBreeders/breederArticle.htm

I find the dogplay.com list really conflicting and confusing....
I know of good reputable breeders that do repeat matings.. does that make the a byb?  Or have I misunderstood the list?

The only thing I would say is not all good breeders breed indoors.
Try breeding sheepdogs indoors they are really unhappy indoors period. Mine spends most of the time up the garden or laying on a cold stone floor, he gets hot!! Jake's breeder has them all outside and his dogs are beautiful ISDS dogs, definately not an indoor "pet".
I take on board comments with indoors, my spaniel was in the untility room with the family and with a "run" just outside the door with Mum, cat and other dog. All beautifully kept and socialised with a youngish family, even all named by daughter who was upset to see them go!! And i followed what they said on the KC website, as I had no idea where to go for a pup.

> I find the dogplay.com list really conflicting and confusing....

same here, infact I am a bit offended by it!! - it says a BYB "Does not reject high-risk buyers: (renters, young people, those with poor track records, low income, other pets, dogs kept outdoors)".
I would not class myself as a 'high-risk' buyer, even though I have 'other pets' & live in a rented house, if a breeder turned me away because of that I would be rather niffed off - a dog does not need a pet-free home that is owned/mortgaged, it needs somebody who understands what they are taking on, can provide the relevent socialisation, training, diet, exercise and stable environment etc....  GRRRRRR :(

Also, I keep my dogs indoors, but there are some breeds that do well outside and if the owner wants keeps them outside (with shelter etc..) what is the big deal?

This is the thing with any list trying to define good and bad breeders or for that matter good and bad owners they generalise too much.

I think the fact that they are American is also misleading in other countries,the renting issue for example,there are alot more restrictions placed on rented properties in the states and even peoples own homes have more restrictions when it comes to dogs.There are also alot more outside dogs that spend their days chained up in the front garden at risk from allsorts of dangers...

http://www.dogsdeservebetter.com/home.html

I've yet to find any articles or lists like it particular to British breeders though.

Thanks for the links - they'll be a great base for us to talk around with the people that turn up on the night. We can take out some of the more 'Americanised' points but as a general guide it's just what I'm looking for - thanks :-)

> The only thing I would say is not all good breeders breed indoors.
>

I think most people would expect baby pups to be indoors, had mine in kitchen as night at 5 1/2 weeks and they were not happy as they are enjoying the extra space and freedom they get in the dog run and Kennel outside the back door, being restricted to a puppy pen in the kitchen so I could clean up and also get their photos was not a raging success!