Some Things To Look For When Choosing A Breeder

Are you thinking of purchasing a Bouvier and don’t know where to begin amongst all the kennels.  You figure that you’ll call around and buy from the one that has pups ready to go.  Please think again.

Responsible breeders don’t have puppies “ready to go” all year long.  (Puppy mills do.)  They may have two to three litters a year, from matings that are planned ahead of time.  Prospective families are met and reservations are taken.  A deposit is left for the pup, showing that the family is committing to provide a home.  The breeder can proceed with the mating knowing that homes are waiting for the pups.

What to Look For:

1. The Dogs Play a Big Part of the Breeder’s Life.
When you visit the kennel, it is clear that dogs are in residence and that the setup is appropriate for raising them.  There is space for them to run and play safely outdoors freely off lead.  The dogs have real kennels to live in with an outdoor area to move about in, as well as an indoor area out of the wind, rain and cold in which to sleep and rest.  The dogs are not housed in crates and cages, nor are they chained to a dog house.  The place is clean.  Dogs have not been forced to defecate in their kennels, and the yard has been cleaned of stools.  They have clean bedding and ample clean water to drink.  They are well cared for.  A Bouvier has a coat which requires regular grooming.  There should not be dangling mats hanging from his coat or stool stuck around his anus.  The coat should not have gotten so desperately matted that the dog had to be shaved.  Quite simply the dogs should look like they belong and are not an afterthought.  Good breeders keep a setup of which they can be proud, and that pride extends to their animals.  Look around and trust your nose!

Example:  So many Bouvier people tell of getting their dog from filthy, feces-laden set ups, where they couldn’t wait to leave.  Initially they felt that they had saved the dog by buying it.  Pity drove the sale.  Then there were problems, big problems, and there was no one to turn to.  The traumatized animal that came out of this operation was not easy to live with.  Unfortunately, buying dogs from these shoddy operations keeps the situation going.  If no one bought their animals on principal, these negligent people would go out of business.  If you feel that the animals are badly treated make it your business to call the SPCA, and lobby for stiffer penalties for those who neglect and abuse. 

2. This Is A Bona Fide Breeder
The breeder really is a breeder with experience, not an accidental breeder.  They’ve had Bouviers for a while, understand the breed and its potential issues, both behavioral and healthwise. There is someone to turn to for advice and guidance.  You can see the dog family and put your hands on the dogs without fear.  There are registration papers for each pup, without fail.  Registered dogs don’t cost more.  The registration process is fairly straightforward.  Pet shops cannot sell  ‘purebred’ dogs because breeders cannot sell to pet shops.  Puppy mills can and do sell to pet shops. 

Example:  One woman we spoke to had answered an add for Bouvier pups in the newspaper.  She arrived at the address, a low-rental townhouse in downtown Toronto, where she was asked to visit with the Bouviers on the front doorstep and not invited inside.  The  ‘supposed breeder’ wanted an exorbitant $1000 deposit for a pup that was  not yet conceived.  Smartly the visitor concluded that this was a fly-by-night operation and left with her money still in her pocket.

3.  The Good Breeders Primary Responsibility Is To The Dog
The breeders responsibility is finding a quality home with loving, caring people for their dog.  Making a sale is not the goal.  Undecided, half-hearted, careless people do not make happy dogs.  Expect to answer lots of questions, maybe even give references.  You may be asked to look again at how you do things, and be prompted to try different ways.  We can all learn from each other and an open receptive mind may permit seeing a whole new approach to an old situation.  A happy dog makes for a satisfied owner. 

Example:  We had a family visit our home to see the dogs.  The Mom and child were on the floor of the kitchen giggling and playing with the dogs and pups, and asking pertinent questions.  The father stood there impassively with his arms crossed on

 his chest.  His questions all pertained to damage the pup might do and costs that might ensue.  He never touched one of our friendly dogs and demonstrated real dislike if one got too close to him.  Yet to please his family he got out his wallet to buy a pup.  We explained that although his wife would genuinely love and care for the pup, and his son would be in heaven, he would resent the animal in his life and it would come to be a bone of contention.  We invited them to come back in a future time if the father ever felt that he would like a dog in his life also.  

4.  The Good Breeder Will Require Your Commitment To Train and Socialize The Dog.
Good dogs, like good kids, don’t happen by themselves.  Planning, energy, time, involvement, physical displacement and lots of love and patience make a well-behaved, well-socialized dog.  The long-term payback is well worth the original investment.

Example:  Nobleair’s Daisy Duke, although only a few months old, has been involved in training with her guardian Ambika, and is on her way to becoming a service dog!  We are so proud of both of them.

5.  A Good Breeder Will Want Follow Up, Stories, Photos and Visits.
No self-respecting breeder can work in a void.  When people take their pup/dog and run, it is, quite frankly, heartbreaking for us.  We worry.  A card, photos, or phone calls are sweet rewards for us.  Seeing a vigorous, outgoing, well-behaved dog in person is icing on the cake.

Example:  This is an extract of a note from Murielle, guardian of Nobleair’s Calypso Marley.  A whole bunch of great photos accompanied the e-mail, and a couple can be found in the puppy section of our site.

Marley’s very first exposure to different animals was with our ducks and chickens.  Over her first week home she started rounding up the flock into two different groups.  Chickens and ducks were not allowed to mix and the chickens were only allowed on the east side of the property.  Even though it was fun to watch and neat to see such an ability to accomplish a task, I had to break that habit as it was not what I wanted from her.  It was too stressful for the birds. 

Marley has now been in contact with many different animals and knows what behavior is expected.  Just like Moon, she can be trusted to beat her instincts and behave properly.  Don’t catch the dove, move gently around cats, don’t eat the ferret, don’t run around the horses, be nice to the baby deer, don’t bite back the Jack Russel hanging on your beard….Marley’s behavior is great…..       

I constantly ask her to perform different tasks for me, from bringing me objects, jumping over obstacles, to simply accompanying me from here to there or giving me a hug.  On new commands she keeps second guessing my orders, but as she learns more it also gets easier and easier to teach her more.  Marley is challenging but also promising.

                                                                    Murielle, September 2007

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