If you bought your dog from a breeder ...?

Question

Do you stay in contact with the breeder? Keep them up to date on health problems or temperament problems?

When you have a question about your dog, do you feel that you can go back to your breeder for help?? IF NOT, why NOT??

IF NOT, why did you choose that breeder, if you didn't feel comfortable enough with them to be able to ask them questions about a dog that they should know better anyone else??

Ok, I am going to add to this.. If you are a breeder, do you stay in contact w/ puppy buyers, do you encourage them to come to you for help? If not.. why not? Do you try to be the type of breeder that people would feel comfortable contacting and asking for help??

Luvmyjacks - I am asking the question because I am curious.. If people have bought from a breeder ( and many mention purebreds when they ask ) how come they are asking such simple questions here, when they paid a breeder for a puppy, and they should feel comfortable asking them instead of strangers. I would rather my puppy buyers call / write me ask ask about nipping puppy, or food or housetraining issues, ear taping etc, than to have them feel that they must ask strangers for help. I am just curious as to why people don't seem to ask their breeders for help..

koehlerdogtraining : I basically want to know why, if people bought their dog from a breeder.. Are they here on YA asking questions that should be asked of their breeder instead of asking someone that might or might not even have any idea of the answer.. Would you ask your mechanic why your shoes don't fit?? NO.. So why are people on YA asking strangers questions, that would be better answered by their breeder..
What is that sore on my dog's leg?
Should I bath my dog each week?
What should I be feeding my dog?
How much should I feed my dog?
How do I get my puppy to stop biting me?
How do I housetrain my puppy?
How often do I get my puppy vaccinated?
What medications can I / shouldnt' I give my dog?
All these and MANY more are things your breeder can easily answer for you.. Why are people not asking their breeder? What makes them afraid / unwilling to go back and ask the very one that knows the answer?

Answer 1

*1st; Shoot yeah you keep in touch! I have kept in touch with Winchester's "grandma" ever since we bought him. He has had his picture on their website now three different times, from when he still lived with her, to living with us in Tahoe, and now a new piture of him in our bedroom doing his "grandpa pose". We have not had very many things go wrong with him, and havn't had too many questions about him, but because we have kept in contact with our baby's grandma, we will be receiving help in either financial support in buying our second puppy from her, but/and also help in finding the perfect mach for Winchester's *****, once it is time to expand our family (hopefully in the next few months).
*2nd We have gone back to her for several things... the recent food poisening from bad dog food -we asked what food she is switching to, she ownes and has owned more dog's than I have, she knows better, don't you think-
We asked her about his temperment; arguing (yes, he's a BIG mouth), potty training/ marking, digging, chewing... all the things you can think of.
HOWEVER, you guys have more than likely seen a question of two posted from me about my dog... the reason; I like to have more than one persons opinion. Granted, you are asking Y! Answers to help solve a problem, and should definetly take ANY & EVERY thing with two granes of salt, there still are some poeple on here that conferm what you are already thinking or, in this case, conferm the advice your breeder gave you.
Don't you think there might not be a reputable breeder that gets on here just for sh!ts and giggle's. I'm almost positive that my puppy's breeder has aswerd one of my questions; she called me not even a full day later to "check up", LOL.

My opinion on this is; Ask your breeder 1st, or don't be dumb enough to buy a pure bred dog from a breeder! There are pound puppy's that need our help to!

Answer 2

The last dog i bought from a breeder is my 213lb Bull Arab. Its a working breed under developement in Australia, pig hunting, so its not considered a pure breed, but the breeders i purchased him from are very closely related to the original breeders so are trying to document as much as they can about things that are cropping up in the dogs. When we purchased him, we signed a contract stating we would stay in contact with the breeders and take the dog for yearly health checks and send the results to the breeders, so they could keep an eye on the health of the line, even tho we didnt buy for breeding purposes. And they will take him back if anything comes up that is incurable that we dont wish to deal with ourselves. They are also available for information and advice regarding preventing behavioural problems, because they are a large working breed, therefore can have issues, and they also offer regular dietary advice, also due to the fact they are such a large dog, prone to joint and bone issues. This is the only dog i have bought from a breeder since i left my parents home, and i feel very comfortable keeping in contact with them, and i may purchase another dog from them in the future.

Answer 3

good question and points.
of my 2 akc dogs I'd have no problem going to the breeder to ask questions. The fox terrier I co-own with the breeder so not a problem there. My sheltie I got because I knew of the breeder where I was working at the time...and he approached me about the pup.

And with the border collies I hope people would come to me if they ever get a pup from me.

The only thing I can think of is people are embarassed by not knowing simple things. Many of the issues can generate answers searching online rather than asking here.

Good points!

Answer 4

We had heard very good things about the breeder we bought our Goldens from, even after the fact. We felt very comfortable with them before we actually decided to purchased our pups from them. They were able to answer all our questions and felt it was an excellent choice.

I had bought my pup 5 months before my Mom bought hers. When we brought home the second one both dogs were infected with what the vet called ear mites (I later found out it was something else when they were not going away after many treatments and I sought the advice of a second vet). We had called the breeder to inform them of this and that it could be something to watch out for in their own dogs. They did not seem all that concerned as they did not return our calls.

After that incident we have not spoken with them since and they have not tried to contact us. This is our own personal conclusion but we seriously feel they are more in it for the money than the welfare of their animals. I highly trusted them when they recommended Purina and had offered a bag to start with until I found out about Purina and the pet food recalls. I learned that breeders will have contracts with some manufacturers and that Purina is actually garbage food. It also became suspicious to us just how many animals they have both inside and outside. It more looked like a puppy mill but unfortunetly, we learned those things too late.

Our boys are perfect though and I will never regret having them. If I could have the same boys but pay a more deserving breeder I would.

Answer 5

EXACTLY! ....but must state "reputable breeder".

The $ you pay for a dog from a breeder entitles the buyer to the wealth of info that breeder has.

When I bred (and showed) dogs, puppy buyers had to sit an extra hour to receive the extra paperwork (not including registration papers) and pamphlets and my "how to" speeches. I also would clip puppy's toenails in front of them so they could see how easy it was. I actually told them to call me any time with questions. I would get Xmas cards, and short notes about most of the pups I had sold.

But, the problem is, obviously as one can tell reading through this forum, there are so many people who just "have and sell" puppies, and can offer no information. They are NOT breeders.

Answer 6

I kind of stay in contact with my breeder. I'm thinking about going back and getting another puppy for my grandparents because my grandma wants a pomeranian and fell in love with the two puppies I got.

But I think people are just lazy and dont want to contact the breeder, or just dont have anything to tell them.

I asked many questions about the pups and was at the breeders house about 4 hours before I got my puppies. The breeders were also very friendly and eager to answer any questions. They were so happy somebody was buying their puppies. I was originally going to buy just one, but I loved the personalities on two of them and couldnt choose so I just bought both.

Answer 7

I used to keep in touch with the breeder. I sent her several pics and let her know how we were getting along when I first adopted her, but there was never a reply, so I stopped. Seemed like she didn't care one way or the other how the puppy was doing.

If I were a breeder, I certainly would want to know and appreciate photos and updates.

I'd like to add that I know that she still lives in the same place, so it's not because she moved, so I don't understand what her reasoning is behind having no contact.

Answer 8

Yes! I adore my dog's breeder and really value her knowledge and experience. She is my very first "go to" for any dog-related issue.

I met her (and later got my dog from her in February of 2004) and we have since exchanged over 2,500 email messages. Not all of the messages are about the dogs--in the last few years, she has turned into a valued friend and mentor.

She always offers very good advice, but she doesn't freak out if I don't follow her advice to the letter either. She understands that everyone is different when it comes to raising dogs. We do agree when it comes to ethics however, which is important.

We meet usually annually at dog shows for a "family reunion" since we live 1,150 miles apart. (Note: I interviewed with several breeders--questions both ways--and selected her as she met my exceedingly high requirements*, even though she was by far the greatest distance away. And, I drove to her house to pick up my pup--I don't do the fly the pup thing unless I could fit the pup under my seat and it was a very quick trip.)

*I have a very tough test that breeders have to pass before I buy a dog from them.

Answer 9

I wish more people would use me as a resource.

I do tell them I am available. Many of my puppy people do take advantage of it (I'm dealing with one right now). Over the years I've taken back 3 dogs that the original owners were not able to keep. I've advised on nutrition, training, behavior, health issues etc.

But sometimes I hear about things after the fact. Like a dog having orthopedic surgery for "problems" when in fact they it was normal for a basset puppy.

I've got 30 years experience working with dogs, both professionally and as a hobby. If I don't know the answer, I probably know where to find it. And I'm a free resource. I love to hear from my puppy people, even if there's a problem.

Puppy people, call your breeders. If they're any good they'll be happy to hear from you.

Answer 10

I was a breeder and still would be except for a nasty divorce and I had to give up my kennel. I still keep in touch with all my "puppy people". I just recently heard from 2 of them, one has a puppy from one of my earliest litters. I stopped breeding over 3 yrs ago. Many still send me emails and pictures and even want me to let them know that if I ever start breeding again they want a puppy from me.

That was part of my contract. Both parties can keep in contact with the other about what everyone (people and dogs) are doing. I still get Xmas card and emails all the time.

Answer 11

Good reliable breeders are always interested in the dogs they have breed. The breeder that I got my dog from is great about answering questions and knows the status of every dog she has bred.

People who call themselves breeders that do not follow up on their dogs are not breeding responsibly. Since they do not know the status of the dogs they have bred, they have no idea what they are breeding.

A good responsible breeder also screens clients prior to placing a dog with them. They want to ensure both the dog and the new family will be compatible and happy for the life of the dog.

Those who breed for money, and just want to sell puppies can do damage to a breed by breeding dogs that have problems and not ensuring a family is a match for a dog. Many of these animals end up at the pound.