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Finding a reputable breeder & the AKC!

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  3985.1
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  foxymom2  Member Icon
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  Oct-20 3:29 pm

Recently we had a lively conversation going in response to a post below. The issue of finding a "reputable" breeder and using the AKC came up - I have commented & defended the AKC on that post - again I don't agree with everything they do. But I think it is important that people realize what they are and what they can & cannot do. Basically- they are a Pure-bred dog- "stud-dog registry" their main purpose is to register pure-breed dogs and oversee Breed Dog Clubs & dog shows- that is it. They do NOT maintain a list of breeders nor can they police breeders. As a breeder I am required by the AKC to maintain a record of every litter I have and who I sell the puppies too - the AKC can make a call to my house and demand to see my records. They CAN review a litter application and if it appears that a breeder is a "mill" they can go out and inspect such kennel and if it is a mill and the dogs are being mis-treated they can report the kennel to local authoriities & revoke future registration rights. They are limited in what they can do as they are not a Legislative body and they don't have the authority to arrest someone! They do support research for the improvement of the the pure-bred dogs and they fight anti-dog legislation - that allows all of us to be able to own a dog! So don't knock the AKC w/o knowing what their powers are- it is very restricted.

In locating a reputable breeder - as another poster commented below: doing your homework is important. Again- going to the AKC SITE- and selecting the tab to locate a National or local club that represents the breed you are interested in is a start. From here - if you select a National Club( for example in Fox Terriers we have Wire & Smooth coats- you can go to the American Fox Terrier Club (www.aftc.org) we have a "breeder contact" person and she can direct you to breeders within the AFTC - all members/breeders must adhere to a strict code of ethics in breeding & selling Fox Terriers. Most all clubs have a similar restriction- so by contacting a member of an AKC-member club you can be fairly certain they are "reputable"  If you were to research the site - you'd find my club- the Lake Effect Fox Terrier Club of WNY - I am acutally the breeder contact for my club. 

After you have found a breeder in your area - or close to it - you should contact that person either by phone or e-mail and start asking questions- visit the kennel if you can- ask to see not only puppies - but adults that the breeder has. Reputable breeders love to brag about their dogs and show them off! We will send you pictures- direct you to our own web sites ( here is mine: http://home.rr.com/foxhaus02 )

If you can- visit a dog show - see an obedience trial. Most breeders & handlers at a show will be happy to talk to you about their bred & their dogs ( I have business cards made up that I do hand out upon request) Watch the dogs in the breed ring - despite what you may think - show dogs are NOT sissy, high strung, neurotic dogs! If they were - you couldn't show them! Show dogs are the most calm even-temparmented dogs around - they have to be! See what dogs need a lot of grooming- ask about what kind of tools are needed and how often grooming is required. ASK QUESTIONS! and be prepared to have questions asked of you! Some breeders have contracts, some do not, all of us however do want a good home for our dogs and we are fussy as to who gets our dogs.

While it is true- that Puppy mills can register a litter- the requirement is only that both parents are pure-bred and have an AKC # - and yes- the AKC does register these dogs- it is NOT the AKC that keeps these folks going is is unsuspecting BUYERS that buy puppies from these back-yards or mills if people did not buy from these folks- they'd go out of business on thier own. It is still up to YOU doing the searching to be careful

As a breeder - I can direct you to another breeder if I don't  have a dog. I don't sell puppies younger than 8wks old and I want the dog back if for any reason if it does not work out. I will be here to answer any question you have and try to work out any problem you have. I do not ship puppies or dogs- you must come to me if you want one of mine.

Yes I do show my dogs and I am proud of their awards! It shows that my stock has been evaluated and found worthy.

Again -the AKC is NOT perfect. Finding a reputable breeder can be hard- but it is well worth it in the end!

Kathy
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Finding a reputable breeder & the AKC!

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  3985.2 in response to 3985.1
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  sisfox
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  foxymom2  Member Icon
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  Oct-21 12:55 pm

All really good advice, with the caveat that not all breeds are registered with the AKC.

Also, another example that jumps to mind is the Jack Russel Terrier. Jacks are not recognised by the AKC, but they designed a new category; the Parson Russel, which is. NOT the same dog, but similar. About as similar as the APBT and the Staffordshire terrier.

Bottom line - it's the buyer's responsiblility to know what they are getting in to.

Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.



Edited 10/21/2009 4:31 pm ET by sisfox
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Finding a reputable breeder & the AKC!

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  3985.3 in response to 3985.2
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  sisfox
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  Oct-22 8:13 am

Exactly!
Kathy
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Finding a reputable breeder & the AKC!

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  foxymom2  Member Icon
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  Nov-18 8:50 pm

There is NO such thing as a reputable breeder.  There is no excuse for purchasing a deliberately bred animal and feeding the greed.  PETA says it perfectly so I wll quote. (Below) Please THINK.  When people are judged based on physical characteristics, color and size they are racists.  When dogs are judged in the same way it's called the AKC. 

There are millions of dogs in the shelter who will DIE becuase people buy and breed more rather than adopting.  I dare you to volunteer at a shelter and look into those eyes before a perfectly loving animal is killed and still go shopping for a dog like you do a purse. 

From PETA:

Most people know to avoid puppy mills and "backyard" breeders. But many kind individuals fall prey to the picket-fence appeal of so-called "responsible" breeders and fail to recognize that no matter how kindly a breeder treats his or her animals, as long as dogs and cats are dying in animal shelters and pounds because of a lack of homes, no breeding can be considered "responsible."

 

There is no excuse for breeding or for supporting breeders. If you love animals and are ready to care for a cat or a dog for the rest of the animal's life, please adopt from your local animal shelter, where there are dogs and cats galore—tails wagging and hearts filled with hope, looking out through the cage bars, just waiting to find someone to love. Shelters receive new animals every day, so if you don't find the perfect companion to match your lifestyle on your first visit, keep checking back. When you find your new best friend, you'll be glad that you chose to save a life—and made a new best friend as well.

 

 

Producing animals for sale is a greedy and callous business in a world where there is a critical and chronic shortage of good homes for dogs, cats, and other animals, and the only "responsible breeders" are ones who, upon learning about their contribution to the overpopulation crisis, spay or neuter their animals, and get out of the business altogether.

 

Those who breed millions of dogs and cats each year for profit are contributing to the companion animal overpopulation crisis. Every newborn puppy or kitten means one home fewer for a dog or cat desperately waiting in a shelter or roaming the streets.

 

Producing more animals—either to make money or to obtain a certain "look" or characteristic—is also harmful to the animals who are produced by breeding. Dogs and cats don't care whether their physical appearance conforms to a judge's standards, yet they are the ones who suffer the consequences of humans' manipulation. Inbreeding causes painful and life-threatening genetic defects in "purebred" dogs and cats, including crippling hip dysplasia, blindness, deafness, heart defects, skin problems, and epilepsy. Distorting animals for specific physical features also causes severe health problems. The short, pushed-up noses of bulldogs and pugs, for example, can make exercise and even normal breathing difficult for these animals. Dachshunds' long spinal columns often cause back problems, including disk disease.

 

All breeders fuel the companion animal overpopulation crisis, and every time someone purchases a puppy or a kitten instead of adopting from an animal shelter, homeless animals lose their chance of finding a home—and will be euthanized. Many breeders don't require every puppy or kitten to be spayed or neutered prior to purchase, so the animals they sell can soon have litters of their own, creating even more animals to fill homes that could have gone to shelter animals—or who will end up in animal shelters or so-called "no-kill" animal warehouses themselves. Simply put, for every puppy or kitten who is deliberately produced by any breeder, a shelter animal dies.

 

Dog Mom To 3 Cat Mom to 9. Until there are none, Adopt One!! Spay & Neuter Saves Lives - Please have your pet spayed or neutered. Thank you!
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Finding a reputable breeder & the AKC!

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  3985.5 in response to 3985.4
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  foxymom2  Member Icon
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  Nov-19 11:54 am

Well that is your opinion.

I don't agree with ANYTHING Peta says or does.

Kathy
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