Breeder Evaluation Checklist

Poodle Breeder Evaluation Checklist

Buying a puppy is different from the experience of buying anything else. A puppy is a long-term investment, a loved companion and hopefully will be with you for 10-12 years or more. Picking the right breeder will mean support, behavioral counseling, and training advice throughout the life of your canine companion.

A responsible breeders’ main interest will always be that of the breed and the individual puppies. It should never be about any profit. A responsible breeder has done all the research, knows the breed inside and out. The responsible breeder will have done all genetic testing for their breed and is breeding only with the goal to improve the breed.

A Responsible Breeder Will:

• Be knowledgeable about the hereditary problems that occur in their breed and has the appropriate tests done prior to breeding in order to decrease the likelihood of their occurrence in their puppies.
• Question the buyers ability to care for the dog
• Have a written contract; uses spay/neuter contracts and/or limited registration to prevent the casual breeding of their puppies
• Offers guarantees in the event of health issues
• Expect you to ask a lot of questions.
• Be honest with you about both the best and worst parts of their breed.
• Determine if their breed is right for you, and may steer you in another direction if they think their breed is *not* right for you.
• Provide you with pedigrees, genetic test results.
• Show you the dam and (if possible) the sire.
• Are not motivated by profit.
• Are motivated by the love of their breed.
• Breed to improve the gene pool of their breed.
• Wants to keep tabs on you and your dog for the dog's life.
• Have spent a number of years studying and learning about their breed
• Is active in one or more breed clubs or similar groups and thus is in regular contact with other people in the breed
• Knows their breeding stock inside and out for several generations back
• Has an "eye for a dog" and has developed a detailed picture of the type of dog they're breeding toward
• Almost always compete in some in some sort of activity with their dogs (conformation, working activities, obedience etc.) so as to have a realistic idea of how their dogs compare to others of the same the breed
• Considers temperament important
• Is knowledgeable about the mating and whelping of dogs in general, so as to minimize the chances of injury or death to the breeding dogs
• Is extremely concerned with the quality of the homes that their puppies are destined for, to the point of not performing a breeding if they don't feel good homes will be available for the puppy
• Never has more dogs of their own than they are properly able to care for
• Is willing and able to educate and build a relationship with their puppy buyers
• Is ALWAYS willing to take back a dog of their breeding if a puppy buyer cannot keep it for any reason