Database/website/etc. for finding dog breeders?

Parent Cafe
1

<p>So I’m interested in getting a dog in the next year or two but don’t know where to start on trying to find good and legitimate breeders. Yes, I know everyone is going to tell me to go to the local shelter and adopt, but I’m interested in a specific breed and have allergies, so getting a mixed dog isn’t the best option for me.</p>

<p>Specifically, I’m looking at English and French Bulldogs since they are good apartment dogs and I’m not allergic to them (double win!), if that changes anyone’s advice. I’d like to do a lot of research to make sure I’m comfortable with a breeder, and I know that takes time–but I don’t know where to start! Help!</p>

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<p>Here is a good starting point: </p>

<p>[All</a> AKC-Recognized Breeds Puppies for Sale - AKC Breeders - Puppy Tips](<a href=“http://www.akc.org/classified/search/landing_breed.cfm]All”>AKC Puppies For Sale)</p>

<p>My daughter wants a French bulldog in the next year or two as well. Make sure you do your research!</p>

3

<p>Other good local resources can be a groomer and vet. I realize you likely don’t have either one since you don’t yet have a dog, but ask your local friends with dogs who they use, and then talk with those people. Since they are basically vying for your future business, they will likely be glad to spend time answering any questions you might have.</p>

4

<p>If you are interested in a specific breed, go through the AKC website to find the national breed club. For golden retrievers, as an example, it would be the GRCA (Golden Retriever Club of America). On the national breed club site, you will find the regional clubs listed, as well as real information about the breed, including what to look for in a GOOD and RESPONSIBLE breeder. You will also find listings of breed specialty shows. I would suggest that you go to some, observe the dogs, and talk to the breeders and owners there (not when they are about to go into the ring :slight_smile: ). You will find out a lot. Good breeders are not going to be pumping our a ton of litters per year, so it would help you get on their list if they know you. Any breeder who sells you a dog should do so with a contract. The contract should include several important things, notably a spay/neuter clause (unless the dog is a true show prospect that they are selling you as such) and the requirement that if at ANY time in the dog’s life you cannot keep it you must return it to them for rehoming. (In reality, if you were able to arrange a suitable home for the dog, they would likely accept that, but they do not want their puppies ending up in shelters.) Most responsible breeders also microchip or tattoo all puppies. Other vital things: breeding stock should be breed-worthy. That means that they have conformation and working or obedience titles in most cases. It also means that they have health clearances. Which clearances are needed are breed-specific. (You’ll get that info from the breed club websites.)</p>

<p>Things that are very bad signs:</p>

<p>They say puppies and parents are “vet checked.” (This is meaningless. Breeders state the clearances.)
They say “both parents on premises.” (Responsible breeders don’t buy two random dogs whose only qualification for breeding is intact genitalia and breed them for money, they carefully select sires who may live across the country.)
They say “we are just trying to breed nice pets.” (Most show litters contain plenty of nice pets. But that is not the standard they are aiming at.)</p>

<p>With all due respect, I wouldn’t take a groomer’s advice on breeders. Most vets don’t know much about specific breeds either, they may know of a few locals.</p>

<p>And good for you for wanting to do real research and get to know breeders! If more people took that approach to becoming a dog owner, shelters would not be killing nice dogs in the millions each year.</p>

5

<p>Just so you know, there are a lot of purebred dogs for adoption. In fact, there are rescue societies dedicated to pretty much every bread. My coworker is very active in an English Bulldog rescue one. </p>

<p>Also, I just figured I would mention it, and you may already know this, but English Bulldogs have major health issues due to how the breed was bred to get the look. Just be prepared for that, if you get one. Make sure you have plenty of money set aside for medical care. That would be true for any dog or animal (personally, I wouldn’t be able to afford to have a dog without dog insurance), but it would be especially true with an English Bulldog.</p>

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<p>We were referred to our first breeder by our vet, and it worked out well for us but its probably not something I would do again. We may ask just to see if he has any leads we can research further, but i wouldnt be taking his word for it. We are currently searching (high and low) for Dalmatian breeders and are trying to go through the breed club.</p>

7

<p>Also, if you find a breeder you like they may have their own internal network to refer you to if they don’t currently have puppies or plans for a litter. That is where a breed club can prove very useful.</p>

8

<p>As acollegestudent mentioned, I would suggest getting pet insurance no matter what breed, shelter or breeder, you decide on. When you research insurance, be sure to buy one that covers hereditary conditions, like hip dysplasia. Some of them do not. If you get a policy that covers only the big problems, it won’t be too expensive and you’ll know that you’re covered in case of a really big expense. Good luck! There’s nothing better than a dog.</p>

9

<p>I agree that being very aware of your breeds special health concerns and requirements is critical before adopting a dog.
For instance, we just adopted a young(1yr) boxer/beagle mix from the local shelter where he had been relinquished after his young family underestimated the work involved re training & exercise.
I’ve raised a lab from a puppy before, so I was aware of the work involved albeit I had two young children at the time & wasn’t able to train her to the extent that I have been able to train this guy already.
[Things</a> to Consider Before You Adopt a Dog - Petfinder](<a href=“http://www.petfinder.com/pet-adoption/dog-adoption/before-dog-adoption/]Things”>Things to Consider Before You Adopt a Dog | Petfinder)</p>

<p>There are several breeds that are considered hypoallergenic & or have hair rather than fur.</p>

10

<p>Very good point re rescue groups. They are usually run by responsible breeders, cleaning up other people’s messes. Here’s the French Bulldog site:</p>

<p>[French</a> Bulldog Rescue Network :: Home](<a href=“http://www.frenchbulldogrescue.org/]French”>http://www.frenchbulldogrescue.org/)</p>

<p>I have to say that I have the same reservations about the health of any breed with a flat face, as delightful as they might be otherwise.</p>

<p>Regarding pet insurance, you have to look it over carefully to see if it is worth it. In many cases, you would be much better off “self-insuring”; that is, putting aside the premiums annually in case something happens. But you have to have the discipline to do that.</p>

11

<p>Yes, we are going to get pet ins.
Even though if we had put $42 away every month for the 16 years that we had our lab we would have broke even with the surgery & care costs in her last 1 & 1/2, but Im sure that acct would have been raided many times over.
Also not any guarantee that the big bill will come at the end of their life.</p>

12

<p>^^^Exactly. Vet costs are huge. When I was in high school, my dog got cancer. Back then, there were no sophisticated ways to treat, but even so, just for a year of treatment (no surgery, no chemotherapy) (and my parents shopped around for the medicine to save money), my parents ended up spending somewhere close to $10,000, with the costs going up to somewhere around $300 a week towards the end of his life. And again, these were not any really advanced treatments (nothing like that was available).</p>

<p>I adopted my dog from a volunteer rescuer, and she told me a story about a couple that fostered one of her dogs. They took the dog up on a roof (I live in NYC, so I guess it’s not that unusual), and the dog jumped off. They rushed him to the vet, and the cost was $20,000. This story has a happy ending, as the doggy pulled through fine, and the couple adopted him (and paid the vet bill). Now, you may not take your dog up on a roof, but any sort of a fall or hit by a car accident could result in similar bills.</p>

<p>I know my area is a lot more expensive for vet bills, but from everything that I’ve heard/read, a dog developing an issue that costs $10,000-20,000 over time is not that unusual (and if we are talking about English bulldogs, they have more health issues than most breeds). Even insurance that is very expensive is a good deal, in my opinion, unless you have the means to save that kind of money (and remember, an issue may come up a month after you get the dog, so you don’t even have the time to save).</p>

<p>I can tell you from personal experience, I only wish I could have insurance for my other pets. I have a guinea pig that developed as of yet undiagnosed, very serious condition. I had savings for my pets’ vet bills, but even that has not been enough. The costs are in the thousands and growing. I will absolutely always give her the medical care she requires, but, boy, do I wish they had decent insurance for exotics. If insurance is available for your pet, get it.</p>

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<p>You should check out Lentil’s Facebook page, soccergurl, if you haven’t already. Adorable pup that was saved by rescue (not something I am pushing). Neat story.</p>

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<p>Just say no to bulldogs or any flat-faced breed. They don’t breathe well, their teeth don’t align properly, and they have health issues that are the result of intentional breeding. And they’re fashionable, which is worse.</p>

<p>The AKC (akc.org) website gives the national breed club for all the AKC registered breeds (not all breeds are AKC breeds). You can sometimes get breeder listings from the national breed club. </p>

<p>IMHO, you should spend some serious time researching dogs and any and all breeds you might be interested in. Go to dog shows and talk to the breeders who are showing there; they should be able to tell you about the particular health issues of your chosen breeds. Talk to veterinary behaviorists or consultant animal behavior specialists (a matter of who’s credentialing them) about the kinds of things you should be looking for in terms of temperament. Read books about dog training.</p>

<p>Many many dogs are given up to rescue organizations for rehoming every year. Most of those are because of poor fit between the dog and the people. Allergies in a supposedly non-allergenic breed. Highly active dog sold to a slow-walking retiree (I know of several of these cases). Herding dog sold to someone with small children (a corgi is a really bad choice in this case). Dog that needs daily brushing sold to someone with carpal tunnel syndrome. And more.</p>

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<p>NO! to above in post #14. Loved our Shih Tzu- he was pet, not show, quality and a marvelous companion. Personality trumps many issues. Every breed/mutt has its pros and cons. I do agree with getting the dog who best fits. Do not dismiss popular breeds except to be wary of the sources out there. We accepted a super dog with flaws- just as we have our super qualities with flaws. You have to decide what is important to you. Do consider typical size for a breed and avoid extra small versions-“teacup” dogs. Actually some of the so called “designer” breeds do make sense- getting the best traits (not froufrou ones). Being fashionable is not a reason to choose or dismiss any breed.</p>

<p>We are currently in Florida and several neighbors have the little dogs, would love to have them for us. We are at a stage in life we do not want the responsibilities of a dog or I would get another Shih Tzu. Even people spend most of the hot weather indoors so breathing, heat tolerance is not an issue. I wouldn’t want to have a dog needing a lot of exercise here in the heat.</p>

<p>I would not spend the money on pet insurance. As physicians H and I considered what we were willing to do in the future when we got our puppy. Cancer treatment was definitely out- the huge costs for so little extra (or quality) time. We also have similar cost/benefit issues with possible medical care for humans. One consideration we had- what would have happened if the dog were in the wild instead of our home, ie the natural state. Some of the disorders of age we accepted, just as we do for elderly humans.</p>

<p>Check out books from your public library. No breed is perfect. I could go on for hours but will quit here.</p>

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<p>I can’t resist a dog discussion. :)</p>

<p>One of the nice things about getting a dog through a breed rescue is that they do very thorough health checks and disclose any health issues their vets find. Their goal is to find a forever home for the dog, so they want you to know about special needs up front.</p>

<p>I have a good friend who is heavily involved with [url=&lt;a href=“http://www.frenchbulldogrescue.org/]FBRN[/url”&gt;http://www.frenchbulldogrescue.org/]FBRN[/url</a>]. It’s a wonderful organization.</p>

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<p>We went to a breed-specific show )“specialty”) to find breeders for a breed we were interested in. Just wait until AFTER people have been in the show ring to talk to them (they are a little tense before). :slight_smile: I met people that day that are still my friends 25 years later, even though I don’t own that breed any more. And I did meet the breeder that day we got our puppy from. But I do think the breed-specific rescue idea is a very, very good one, too. Going to a show, seeing a lot of dogs of the breed you think you want, and talking to people about the breed is a really good way to figure out for sure if it is what you want.</p>

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<p>“One consideration we had- what would have happened if the dog were in the wild instead of our home, ie the natural state.”</p>

<p>^^^I couldn’t disagree more with this statement. It’s no more reasonable to say that than to say well, what would happen to a human in the wild? Pet dogs are so far removed from the wild, that it’s abolutely NOT their natural state. Plus, everything from their food to how humans have bred in genetic issues into them make the wild comparison completely meaningless. When a dog (or any pet) comes into a family, they rely on that family in times of sickness, which they obviously wouldn’t do in the wild.</p>

<p>My personal policy is very simple. Any and all medical costs in the best interest of the animal have to be covered by me if I decide to bring in an animal. In other words, the only deciding factor for a procedure is the costs and benefits to the animal, not to my wallet. In my personal opinion, that’s the cost and responsibility of bringing a pet into the house.</p>

19

<p>We had pugs for 27 years. The first one lived 16 years or so, the last 2 for 18 & 19 years (we adopted these two at 4 & 6 years). Few health problems, but an eye issue on one meant daily eye drops for a few years and hip issues from age 14 or so with another. </p>

<p>It isn’t recommended that flat-faced breeds go on airplanes, which is a deal-breaker for some people. </p>

<p>Some designer breeds are probably ok, but puggles have the worst of both breeds and are often abandoned/sent to shelters. (I think they’re a crime against nature.)
From a conversation with a friend this past weekend, talk to the breeder about guarantees - will they take the dog back if there are issues (aggression, primarily). Will the breeder require certain things done to ears or tails? If pet quality, will the dog come spayed/neutered (with our first pug, this was a requirement).</p>

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<p>I agree with you acollegestudent. And even young “healthy” dogs can wind up with problems. My mom’s Schnauzer has had two knee replacements. (!) She didn’t have insurance, and she spent about 15K fixing her knees. This dog is her companion, and only around five, so she really had no choice. Had she had an insurance such as mine, she would have only paid 20%, which is still a lot of money, but not enough to deplete one’s retirement. Some people just don’t like the possibility of paying for something they might not use. I get it, but from my experience the protection doesn’t cost that much extra in the end.
My most recent insurance claim was for the removal of a tumor on my 11 year old Lab. It looked like a possible mast cell, but fortunately was not. Dogs get all kinds of things in their lives that you can’t predict. I was happy not to have to foot the entire
$700 bill. That one claim paid for my premiums for this and next year.</p>