I am about to embark on the search for a pup so could you please tell me what i should be looking for in the sire and dam's pedigree ?
I believe that champions are written in red , but how many would you be expecting to see on either side ?
Thanks in advance .

It may be just me but I do not think the number of champions is of much importance, health tests are the most important but you really need to know the different lines and dogs in a breed to really get information from the pedigree. You need to know what you are looking at in terms of flesh and blood - the only thing you could check it that there is not continual close breeding but even if there is the only way to assess it is to ask why.

Ah yes - I remember too being so impressed by those champions in red.  But knowing the pedigree is one thing and possibly knowing the dogs in it too.

What are you looking for - a pet, do you intend to show?

Good health tests a must and also feel comfortable with the breeder.

I would speak to the breed club as they generally have guidelines for members to follow and will may also have a puppy list. 

I agree with the others, but I also think that you need to go and look at the dogs in the flesh. Going to a show, or better still, several shows, prior to getting a pup, will help you decide which 'type' you like, and which breeder you feel is the one you can get on with the best. You will then know that you wil have the experience of the breeder behind you in years to come.

Dopn't worry about the red, doesn't guarantee you anything. Health tests on pups, relatives etc, temperaments are much more important. Lots of visiting shows, asking questions, contacting breed clubs is the way to go.
Good luck.

Have to agree, my bitch with the most red in her pedigree is not my best bitch.

I would be researching the actual ancestors themselves if I am really interested in learning about the breed.  Otherwise the pattern of health test results would be of prime interest, and that the breeders and the related dogs were of a certain quality and had achieved well in their chosen fields, so not necessarily champions.

It usually fills you with more confidence in the breeders ability to select good dogs if the champions are not all on the tail male side but a fair few on the dams side too.

This would show the bitch wasn't just a rather indifferent one taken to champion dog, or the current in dog, but some more thought had gone into the breeding.

As a breeder I would be very happy for Someone to ask why I had chosen to put my bitch to a particular dog and what I hoped to achieve from that pairing.

If the pairing shows close relatives, ask why, and is this done, if the pedigree shows no commonality what was the reasoning?

Ask alot of questions and the breeder should have no problem answering them and they in turn should be asking alot back. I have e-mailed alot of breeders and yes some have been very helpful and answered some not all of my questions- where others have answered all with no problems. I have gotten a lot of great help from a certain somebody on here to help me narrow down a good breeder and I am very pleased with the breeder I have recently e-mailed and with much thanks to her :-) . Sadly I won't be able to meet my breeder (unless I am able to fly out there but have my doubts) so I put alot of trust in the near future with just e-mails and the phone come the time I am planning on buying a puppy. I am not planning on one for about 2-3yrs but like the idea I have someone I can keep in touch with meanwhile and just keep doing my research.

Best of luck :-)

There are also some excellent on-line breed databases available for some breeds. Not only is it fascinating to look up the names on a pedigree, but there are often photos, health results and more information going back a great many generations. This is particularly important in breeds that are prone to non-testable issues such as epilepsy.

What you may see on a 5-gen pedigree is that none of the dogs appear to be related, but may have common ancestors further back. In some cases that can add considerably to the inbreeding quotient. You can also look up the tests, health details and so forth of the most common ancestor/s appearing the most numerous times behind the pedigree and get an idea of what may be passed down through his/her inclusion.

And newcomers to a breed can learn a great deal about its background and development over the years, and how certain strains or lines have diverged, by spending some time looking through these archives.

> Health tests on pups, relatives etc, temperaments are much more important

That is my opinion too . Thanks for your replies .

It's also not just about the pedigrees and how much red is on them, as someone else said it's about health (find out what testing is required for the breed you're looking for) and about how they're raised, and the breeders themselves.   Someone can breed a litter with lots of red in it, but that doesn't mean they've been raised well or socialised well.

Ask lots of questions, and make sure they ask lots of questions of you.  If a breeder doesn't have as many questions for me as I have for them then I would run a mile.  I've been on both sides of it as a buyer and as a breeder.  I'm not saying that you need to have an official interview.  Often in the course of an hour long chat all the things both people want to know are answered.  But make sure it's not just about the money. 

Some breeders (who breed nice dogs) are quite happy to take the money and run, leaving you with little or no support afterward.  So one question to ask is what kind of support they will provide after you take the pup home.  I'm on the end of the phone for any of my puppy owners 24/7.  I hope they never need to call me at odd hours in the middle of the night, but if they need to then I'm there. 

I have a contract that I ask everyone to sign, but well before they get the pup I have emailed a copy to them for them to read and see if there's anything in it that they're not comfortable with (ie endorsements), and I'm willing to talk about it.

So just some examples of things to ask

Best of luck in your search.  I hope you find what you're looking for :)