Vet's Letters of Reference?

Question

My boyfriend is in the process of buying a puppy, and has good lines on three breeders near us. We have been to two of the three kennels in person and talked to the breeders and met there dogs already. These two are asking that applicants send in veterinarian references as well as personal references. What should he be asking the vet to include and what do breeders want to know in order for them to see you are good dog owners (I don't want to leave anything out)? All of these breeders have waiting lists and only planned breedings, not pregnant dogs or puppies so we have the time to make sure we get this right :) What do breeders want to hear from potential owners in these letter, and is there a format to follow? We are looking at American Bulldog breeders if it makes any difference.

Neither of us have ever bought a dog from a breeder before, so any suggestions of things we need in our vet letter or any other tips on things we don't want to miss including in his personal reference

Yes we both have had dogs, but we haven't been at our vets that long, so maybe get one from my bf's old vet too?

Answer 1

What a breeder is looking for from your vet is are you a responsible dog owner...do you see that your dogs get yearly exams, do you have them regularly tested for worms...do you do heartworm/lyme testing if applicable in your area...do you stay current with vaccinations....are your dogs kept healthy and at a good weight neither to fat or thin.

The same goes for personal references..do you supervise your pets...do you properly train & socialize....do you take personal interest in your pets or are they just thrown outside and forgotten about...are you in anyway abusive to your animals....etc. in other words the breeder wants to make sure you are going ot be good and responsible owners and taht any puppy they sell to you will receive proper care, training, attention & love.

Answer 2

They want to see that you have had dealing with a vet, and that you are known to stay up to date on vaccinations, practice preventative health care, and that you don't show up with a dog that has been hurt or is very sick, and then refuse to have the dog treated.. Or want to make sure that you haven't dropped a dog off there and never picked it up due to the size of the bill, put a dog to sleep for a stupid reason.. They want to know that you are a responsible pet owner and will provide proper vet care if necessary.

Answer 3

I work for an animal rescue group and we also ask for a vet and 2 personal references. The reason we ask for these is to see how well the potential adoptors are with current pets, if they have them, or with past pets. The vet reference is to see how the potential adoptors were in keeping the previous or current pet up to date on annual visits, shots, and flea and tick control. The personal references help us learn more about the individuals in how they interact with animals. We go more with the vet reference then the personal. We always figure you wouldn't give the name of a person who would give you a bad reference but the vet is mor impartional. I hope this helped.

Answer 4

have u ever had a dog? if so they what to know how often u took the dog to the vet to see how well u have taken care of Ur dogs in the past. just because Ur buying a dog don't mean Ur going to be the best person for the dog r even take care of the dog right .not saying u wont it just that's how they c it.

Answer 5

They want to see that you have an established relationship with a veterinarian, a history of keeping vaccines updated and taking care of your dog(s), and possibly want to make sure your vet is one who will honor any spay/neuter and return clauses of the purchase contract. (Many veterinarians, sad to say, are openly contemptuous of adoption and purchase contracts.) If in doubt ask the breeder what points, if any, they specifically want covered.

Answer 6

You should settle for the vet costs, and perhaps the cost of purchase for the dog. The rest is a bit of a reach