This article contains generalizations about warning signals that should
alert you to be cautious; look a little closer; dig a little deeper.
Please note that just because a breeder does or has done some of the
things brought up in this article, it does not necessarily mean that they
are bad breeders. Much of the following can be applied to buying a puppy
or selecting a stud dog.
The first mistake people commonly make is rushing into things and dealing
with the first breeder they find who can provide them with what they are
looking for, be it a puppy or a stud dog. Keep in mind that
owning/breeding is a BIG commitment of money, time, effort and emotion.
TAKE YOUR TIME!! Impulse buying/breeding can end in disaster! Many of the
bad breeders know that having puppies readily available is to their
selling advantage.
Your first step is to contact many breeders and see as many dogs as you
can. As in anything in life, those people who are honest and upright in
their dealings, and produce quality, will be well-respected by their
peers. And, of course, the opposite is true of those people who rip others
off and/or produce poor quality. Take note of who is spoken well of, and
breeders other breeders will refer you to. Also inquire as to what clubs
they belong to. Call those clubs as well as the National and Regional
breed clubs and ask if there have been any suspensions and/or complaints.
Familiarize yourself with problems in the breed and discuss them with your
Veterinarian. The problems most commonly seen in Mastiffs are hip and elbow dysplasia, and eye and thyroid problems. All these things should be
checked, eyes once a year, and the breeder should be willing and able to
provide you with copies of the certification (exam sheet in the case of
eyes). DO NOT TAKE THE BREEDERS WORD FOR IT! There are those that will
outright lie to you and others that will minimize or even dismiss problems
altogether.
Remember, there is no such thing as the perfect dog and no one has perfect
lines. The breeder should be willing to discuss the problems in their dogs
and what they're doing to eliminate them. If a breeder is telling you they
have no problems, and their dogs are the best — be careful!
Don't be offended if the breeder asks for references, or asks as many
questions of you as you ask of them. If they don't care about the type of
home their puppies are going to; or the type of bitch their stud dog is
going to be bred to; they likely don't care about the quality they are
producing. Be suspicious if they aren't interested in keeping anything out
of their dog's breeding — why not?
You should get a written contract with guarantees, and be allowed to go
over it before making a commitment. Some of the wording can be very tricky
and/or unclear. Your concerns should be addressed and written down to your
satisfaction. Some common rip-offs seen when buying puppies are:
"If the puppy ends up with crippling or life-threatening hereditary
problems, return the dog and you'll receive a full refund or replacement
puppy."
Many hereditary problems don't manifest themselves until the dog is a year
or more old. Are you going to return the family pet in order to qualify
for a refund? If you don't return the dog, you don't qualify for the
refund, and many breeders count on that. On the other hand, what if the
replacement pup is from a repeat breeding? Do you want to take a chance?
Do you have a say in whether you get a pup or money?
Designate a final authority to verify medical problems. As with human
medicine, you can get as many 'experts' on one side of an issue as on the
other. Living in Ontario, Canada, I have designated the Ontario Veterinary
College as the final authority to settle any possible disputes.
If the possibility of showing and/or breeding is in your plans be very
careful of limited and non-breeding contracts. While these precautions do
denote a conscientious breeder, make sure your contract is very clear as to
the conditions that must be met in order to have the agreement taken off.
Sometimes these are used as 'pay-backs' or weapons when breeder and buyer
have a falling out.
Look around at the dogs the breeder has. Any older dogs? If their first
priority is to make money and not the love of the breed, they tend to
'dispose' of the older dogs past their usefulness as producers. And if
their first priority IS making money, run, don't walk away!
Also, are there discrepancies between how they want you to treat the dogs
and how they treat their own? I.e., do they insist that the dogs be kept
in the house and treated as part of the family, and yet, they keep their
own dogs kenneled?
Try to see both the sire and dam. If they won't allow you to, be
suspicious! If you have any concerns about the temperament of the sire,
dam, or pups — don't buy! These dogs are too big and can do too much
damage to take a chance on poor temperament.
And if you don't particularly like the breeder, then don't do business
with them. Things won't get any better if there is a problem in the
future!
Finally, two notes: paying top dollar does not ensure getting the best
dog; and, enter into co-ownerships with EXTREME caution. These are where
most complaints come from. Keep in mind the old adage, "if it sounds too
good to be true, it probably is!" Also, remember, a con artist's biggest
assets are that they are personable and smooth talkers.
About the Author: Mrs. Bev Molloy of Banda (Perm.Reg'd) English Mastiffs and Banda (Perm.Reg'd) Cavalier King Charles Spaniels is a breeder of English Mastiffs and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. She has been involved with Mastiffs for over 28 years; is a Draft Dog Judge; a Canine Good Neighbour Evaluator; the Ontario Director and founding member of the Canadian Mastiff Club; is involved with rescue for Mastiffs; teaches Rally Obedience with Life's Ruff Obedience in Markham, Ontario; has a Certificate of Achievement Level I and II from the Toronto Association of Veterinary Assistance; and a Certificate of Achievement in Livestock Medicine from the Province of Ontario, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
