Breeders
What Do You Look For
| Grace before she found her home with us. |
| Allie and her sister Kira. |
This is the most crucial step of owning a dog.
RRCUS has a list of breeders that follow their code of ethics
which can be found at www.rrcus.org. Looking on the RRCUS
site for a list of breeders is a quick way to find a
breeder. I used to support RRCUS until I saw personally that
they really don't resolve any issues. The most they do is take
away a breeders ability to be a member and thus they can not
advertise on the RRCUS website. This is sad as it seemed to
be a great source. That is not to say there are not many
GREAT breeders on that site, just that there is no guarantee if
you use it.
Be sure that you make a surprise visit to your potential breeder.
This will give you an idea of how well your puppy is being cared
for. Personal references are tricky. It's good to call them
because you never know what they might say, but as a rule,
people don't give out numbers if they know the person doesn't
like them. Call other breeders and see what they say but keep
in mind that they are competing for your business.
Most important is the health guarantee and the puppy contract.
Get both on any puppy you purchase, including a pet quality.
This will ensure that you are protected. Also, NEVER sign a
contract when a person says, "we don't enforce that one." If
they don't enforce it then it shouldn't be on there. That just
means they are creating loop holes so they can get the dog
back if they decide to do so later. Don't be afraid to walk away if
you get a bad feeling.
My experience in this area is that I grew up on a ranch and our
family owned a dog Kennel (though not Ridgebacks). I
personally spent two years researching the Ridgeback breed
before making my first purchase. I bought our first dog from a
RRCUS member and it didn't provide me protection from
dishonesty.
Good Luck.
The Form I sent out:
________________________________________________
Kennel Name
Contact Name
Address
Phone
E-Mail
Start by telling them a bit about yourself and what you are
looking for.
AKC Registration Number of parents: (you can look them up)
Can I have pictures of the parents?
What Contracts are Required/Offered (please send a copy):
(this should include info about co-ownership, alterations,
health, etc)
What Health Guarantees do you offer:
What Shots are Already Given:
Is the puppy microchipped?
Do you require a deposit, if so how much?
What is the price of the puppies:
What type of customer service do you offer: (help with training,
etc)
Do you require a purchase application and can you send me a
copy:
Do you allow home visits to your home: (Visit their home
because this is the only way you will see the puppies in their
own environment. You will see their normal behavior and what
environment they are used to, whether quiet or loud. This
gives a better idea of how they will fit into your lifestyle.)
Any Hip Dysplasia in the litter or the parents:
How do you socialize new puppies? (This will also give you an
idea if the dog will fit into your lifestyle and home.)
Would you like to add anything to aid my decision:
Note the quality of their answers. If they are vague then they
are probably hiding something and this holds true if they just
outright ignore some questions.
OFA is important but with the registration numbers you can
look this up yourself at www.OFFA.org and don't need to rely on
what someone tells you might be true.
Pedigree is important because you want to know the health
history of your dog. You can check the pedigree on
http://www.wendelboe.com/pedigree.html and you can get
the parents registration numbers here to look them up on
OFFA.
RRCUS has a list of breeders that follow their code of ethics
which can be found at www.rrcus.org. Looking on the RRCUS
site for a list of breeders is a quick way to find a
breeder. I used to support RRCUS until I saw personally that
they really don't resolve any issues. The most they do is take
away a breeders ability to be a member and thus they can not
advertise on the RRCUS website. This is sad as it seemed to
be a great source. That is not to say there are not many
GREAT breeders on that site, just that there is no guarantee if
you use it.
Be sure that you make a surprise visit to your potential breeder.
This will give you an idea of how well your puppy is being cared
for. Personal references are tricky. It's good to call them
because you never know what they might say, but as a rule,
people don't give out numbers if they know the person doesn't
like them. Call other breeders and see what they say but keep
in mind that they are competing for your business.
Most important is the health guarantee and the puppy contract.
Get both on any puppy you purchase, including a pet quality.
This will ensure that you are protected. Also, NEVER sign a
contract when a person says, "we don't enforce that one." If
they don't enforce it then it shouldn't be on there. That just
means they are creating loop holes so they can get the dog
back if they decide to do so later. Don't be afraid to walk away if
you get a bad feeling.
My experience in this area is that I grew up on a ranch and our
family owned a dog Kennel (though not Ridgebacks). I
personally spent two years researching the Ridgeback breed
before making my first purchase. I bought our first dog from a
RRCUS member and it didn't provide me protection from
dishonesty.
Good Luck.
The Form I sent out:
________________________________________________
Kennel Name
Contact Name
Address
Phone
Start by telling them a bit about yourself and what you are
looking for.
AKC Registration Number of parents: (you can look them up)
Can I have pictures of the parents?
What Contracts are Required/Offered (please send a copy):
(this should include info about co-ownership, alterations,
health, etc)
What Health Guarantees do you offer:
What Shots are Already Given:
Is the puppy microchipped?
Do you require a deposit, if so how much?
What is the price of the puppies:
What type of customer service do you offer: (help with training,
etc)
Do you require a purchase application and can you send me a
copy:
Do you allow home visits to your home: (Visit their home
because this is the only way you will see the puppies in their
own environment. You will see their normal behavior and what
environment they are used to, whether quiet or loud. This
gives a better idea of how they will fit into your lifestyle.)
Any Hip Dysplasia in the litter or the parents:
How do you socialize new puppies? (This will also give you an
idea if the dog will fit into your lifestyle and home.)
Would you like to add anything to aid my decision:
Note the quality of their answers. If they are vague then they
are probably hiding something and this holds true if they just
outright ignore some questions.
OFA is important but with the registration numbers you can
look this up yourself at www.OFFA.org and don't need to rely on
what someone tells you might be true.
Pedigree is important because you want to know the health
history of your dog. You can check the pedigree on
http://www.wendelboe.com/pedigree.html and you can get
the parents registration numbers here to look them up on
OFFA.
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