People e-mail and call me daily wanting to know if I would recommend a breeder near them. I will only recommend a breeder if I
know that they do health testing and things that I feel are important.
Here is my opinion on what a person should ask a breeder before getting a puppy. These are my opinions so take them as that.
Because it is 2010 we have the genetic testing and other health tests available and it is my opinion that these tests should be used.
Non of the Border Collie breed clubs make a breeder test before they breed, although I wish they would. If I was looking to buy a
new dog I would use the questions below to find a dog for myself. I would never buy a puppy based on the fact that it was cute and
for sale. :-) You are going to have to live with this puppy for 13-17 years! That is a long time to have to live with something so why
would you rush into it?
Below are the questions I would ask before I bought a puppy. Before calling me to ask my opinion on a breeder this is what I would
ask. These are not all the questions but this will get the ball rolling and you can add more questions to fit your needs for a Border
Collie.
1. Are the parents OFA'd or PennHip'd?
Any answer other than YES is a wrong answer. All breeding dogs should be hip scored prior
to breeding. There is no reason to breed a dog who can't pass hip testing. Any dog bred
should be PennHip's or OFA/ OFA prelimed.
2. Are the parents DNA'd for genetic diseases? CEA,CH,CL and TNS.
Here your answer should be that the parents are free of genetic diseases based on DNA
testing. Either the prospective parents should have been DNA'd or they should be clear
by parentage themselves. Lets say Parent Genotype 1 is the dad and Parent genotype 2 is the mom. If the dad is a
normal and the mom is a normal all puppies would be normal. If the dad is a normal and the mom is a carrier half would
be normal and half would be carriers. If the dad is a normal and the mom is affected all puppies would be carriers. See
more examples below.
Confused? Look at the chart below
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NORMAL
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ALL= NORMAL
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1/2 NORMAL
1/2 CARRIERS
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ALL= CARRIERS
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CARRIER
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1/2 NORMAL
1/2 CARRIERS
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1/4 NORMAL
1/2 CARRIERS
1/4 AFFECTED
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1/2 CARRIERS
1/2 AFFECTED
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Affected
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ALL CARRIERS
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1/2 CARRIERS
1/2 AFFECTED
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ALL AFFECTED
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Parent Genotype 1
Parent Genotype 2
The table shows the desirable breedings (blue-shaded boxes) which have at least one parent that
is Normal for the disease. All other breedings are at risk of producing pups affected with the
genetic disease. ( This goes for CEA,CH,CL and TNS which are the only DNA tests we have at
this time for Border Collies)
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So to sum the DNA part up. If at least one parent is DNA Normal for the disease none of the puppies will be affected.
What does Carrier mean? A carrier is a dog who is carrying the GENE to produce a disease but is NOT affected
with the disease and will never develop the disease. Knowing the status of a dog lets breeders know what to breed
in order NOT to produce a disease.
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3. How old are the parents.
Use you own judgement but know most people here in the USA do not breed a female until
she is at least 2 years old. It is best to wait until your female has been OFA'd and had a
little time to mature. Males do sometimes get bred before 2 years old but they should have
a preliminary OFA done or been PennHip scored.
Also know a female who is "old" is at a higher risk of health complications from breeding.
4. How many litters has the mother produced.
Use your judgement but remember a female only comes into heat 2 times a year usually.
There are exceptions but know if a female is bred repeatedly bred it bad for the female so a
good breeder will not breed a female every heat cycle.
5. Can you tell me about the temperaments of both parents?
Judgement call here. Think about what you like in a dog but also remember a pup can be a product of his/her
environment so not everything is set in stone. Some breeders will tell you a puppy's temperament is mostly genetic
but yet those same breeders will do ENS, desensitize puppies etc which makes me wonder if temperament were
totally genetic why would they need to do all of that? Leads you to believe temperaments is not just genetic it is also
environmental too. :-)
6. Do you have the parents on site? May I see them?
A lot of breeders will use a stud they do not own so it may be harder to see the stud. If
you are going to want to see the mom try to do so before she is bred or at least a few weeks
before her pups are born or at least 4 weeks after the pups are born. (A lot of breeders do
not allow people around a nursing mom until the pups are strong and have a nice
immunity to disease)
7. Where are the puppies raised?
In and out of the home will insure the pups are socialized and ready for family life. Kennel,
barns etc are not what I would suggest for people wanting a "family" pet.
8. What do you guarantee and or contract?
Most breeders offer a 1 year health guarantee against genetic diseases. Breeders often use contracts to make
sure a buyer knows what is expected of them and what is expected of the
breeder.
9. Do you take your pups back if we are no longer able to keep him/her?
The answer should always be YES. If the answer is No find a new breeder!
10. Can you provide references?
Most breeders will provide a few references but try to respect the privacy of puppy buyers.
11. How long have you been in the breed and what do you love about the breed.
Judgement call but.. if you ever ask me don't expect a short answer. GRIN
12. What are the bloodlines and why do you like them enough to breed.
If the breeder can't answer that .. move on
13. Will the breeder be able to help out via phone, e-mail or in person if you have any
questions about training or behavior problems?
A good breeder will be willing to help.
14. Does the breeder temperament test the puppies and if so what type of test is used.
Most use Volhard some modify the test. (I modify and have added to the test to show a
little more than the basics.)
15. Will my pup have limited or full registration?
Limited means the pup can participate in all AKC events other than Conformation. Your
dog would not be able to register pups out of him/her either and should be altered.
Full your dog can participate in all AKC events.
Most breeders will only offer Limited papers to ensure the lines are bred properly and
the puppy buyer doesn't breed the dog.
Common questions to ask a breeder.
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