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Choosing A Breeder
As the Leonberger becomes increasingly popular, more
and more people are joining the ranks of breeders of these majestic
dogs. Unfortunately, not all breeders are created equal. Sadly, there
are some who are driven solely by the desire to make money.
These individuals cut important corners in their breeding programs,
which usually results in dogs with potentially serious health and/or
behavioural issues.
Photo by Cyd Erich
By following these guidelines you will
be in a better position to make an informed decision and will be able
to protect yourself from unscrupulous breeders.
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Be sure
to take time to make yourself familiar with what the breed should
look and act like. And don’t buy a puppy because he’s less expensive
than others. You may be sacrificing quality. As the old saying goes
- you get what you pay for. It may be worth spending that
extra few hundred dollars now rather than paying thousands later
when health or behaviour problems arise.
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Whenever possible, try to meet the breeder and pay a visit to the
kennel you are considering buying your puppy from. First impressions
and instincts are very important. Are the facilities where the dogs
are kept clean? Are the dogs clean? Do they look active and healthy? Do they have clean water bowls present? Are the dogs kept in a pen?
If so, are the pens clean and of adequate size to allow the dogs to
move about comfortably? Do the dogs have an exercise area where they
can run and play? Is adequate shelter from the rain, cold and hot
weather provided for the dogs?
If
there are puppies, they should be in a separate area and be clean
and healthy looking, not too fat, not too thin, with clear eyes and
noses.
If the
answer is “no” to any of these initial questions, you should
seriously consider looking elsewhere for your puppy.
Note:
Don’t be concerned if the breeder you visit tells you not to visit
other kennels that day, or to bring a change of footwear and
clothing to reduce the risk of transmitting something from one
kennel to the other that may put the dogs at risk.
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Ask to
see the parents of the puppy. Often times the sire is not owned by
the same person as the bitch, so the sire may not be on the premises
when you come to visit. However, you should always see the mother at
the least, and the breeder should provide photographs which give a
realistic representation of the size and overall structure of the
missing parent. The puppy buyer should be able to approach and pet
the parent(s) without them showing any sign of aggression. Any
breeder who doesn’t want the buyer to come to his kennel, or wants
to meet the buyer somewhere to give him a puppy is a breeder to
avoid.
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Ask to
see other offspring from the same parents, if any are on the
premises. Seeing the dogs of previous litters will give you a
good picture of what your puppy will become.
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Never
buy a puppy from someone who breeds more than two or three different
breeds of dogs. People who breed more than that are usually out for
the money and don’t care about the quality of their puppies.
Show breeders are usually the best source of good, purebred
Leonbergers.
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The
breeder should be familiar with the general history of the breed and
what health problems are inherent in their lines and, more
importantly, what they are doing to eliminate them. Since there is
no such thing as a perfect dog (all lines have some type of
problems, some more than others) acknowledgement of problems and
honest efforts to rectify them is the sign of a good breeder.
Be very wary of the breeder that puts down everyone else’s dogs
while insisting their dogs are perfect.
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A good
breeder is very interested in potential puppy buyers and will ask
many questions about lifestyle, home and family, or have a
questionnaire for potential buyers to fill out. This helps them
match up the best dog to its new home. In fact, some breeders
may also want to come out and do, or arrange for, a home check prior
to selling a puppy.
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The
breeder should assess the potential puppy buyer’s knowledge of the
breed and proceed to further educate them on all aspects, including
temperament and health problems in the breed, so beware of breeders
who are not forthcoming about potential genetic illnesses and health
issues inherent with the breed.
Questions to ask about the Breeding Program
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Ask how
often the mother is being bred. A breeder who cares about their dogs
will breed every other season. Some breeders will breed back-to-back
once. This occurs when the breeder wants puppies in a specific
season, if there was a small litter immediately prior to the
breeding, or if the female comes into heat once per year. All
puppies should be ‘expected’ and well planned. If they’re not,
it’s a lucky dip as to whether you’re going to get a good puppy or a
nightmare.
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A good
breeder should be able to tell you about the dogs in your puppy’s
pedigree. Have them explain the often cryptic letters and titles
awarded, and get a good feel that they know the lines they are
breeding from. At the very least, they should be able to provide you
with a four-generation pedigree and be able to tell you about the
dogs. You might see the same dogs listed a few times on the
pedigree, and the breeder should be able to point out any
line-breeding and in-breeding and explain the benefits and dangers
of both.
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Ask the
breeder what genetic testing they have done on their breeding dogs. You should be provided with all health clearances for the dogs used
for breeding, together with their countries of origin. In addition
to seeing the health clearances on the adults, you should ask what
they test for as far as clearances are concerned. Proof of these
tests should be provided to all prospective puppy buyers. Responsible Leonberger breeders test their breeding dogs for Hip and
Elbow Dysplasia, eyes, heart, and Hypothyroidism as a minimum.
In addition they test for Von Willibrands disease
(this is a disease that affects the blood’s ability to clot, similar
to the human equivalent of Hemophilia).
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Ask the
breeder what vaccines and vet care the puppies receive prior to
going to their new homes. Puppies should have a fecal check at 6-8
weeks and, if necessary, should be on a regular worming program
recommended by the vet. Puppies should have received their first set
of vaccines at 6-8 weeks.
Note: There are some breeders who prefer a
more holistic or natural approach to rearing. They may not vaccinate
at all. They may use homeopathic nosodes, or they may use nosodes in
conjunction with a moderate vaccination schedule. Frequently they
feed raw, whole food instead of kibble. If a breeder uses any
of these approaches, ask them to explain their approach, and to
recommend reading material to further investigate their methods.
Natural rearing should NOT be an excuse to avoid vaccinating. Most
people who use this approach have done extensive research prior to
implementing it. If the breeder seems unable to provide a
logical explanation for his beliefs, then perhaps he is not truly
practicing “natural rearing” and should be avoided.
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Ask the
breeder how long they have been involved with the breed and how long
have they been breeding Leonbergers. If this is their first litter,
are they under the guidance of someone more experienced? If so, who?
Is that person available to talk to?
If they
have been breeding Leonbergers for some time, ask what they have
produced, and what titles they have on the dogs they’ve bred. A good
breeder will show pedigrees that contain such abbreviations as the
following by the dogs’ names: Ch. (Show Champion),
CD
(Obedience-Companion Dog), UD (Obedience-Utility Dog),
CGN (Canine
Good Neighbour). This is important to know as these titles suggest
that the dogs, by whose name they appear, ‘measure up’ in terms of
conformity to breed standard and temperament, although it is equally
important that the puppy buyer be familiar with the breed standard,
since not all dogs with these titles are created equal. There
are numerous other titles as well that dogs can hold, so be sure to
ask which titles mean what.
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Ask the
breeder to tell you about the breed standard using one of their
dogs. The breeder should be familiar enough with the standard to
cite most of it without using a reference. If they use their dog to
demonstrate, see if they point out how their dog does or does not
meet the standard. Be aware that all dogs have faults and the
breeder who refuses to acknowledge their dog’s faults is a breeder
to avoid.
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Ask the
breeder why they have bred this litter. There should be some goal or
purpose other than just having puppies. Best answers: To correct a
fault in their line to bring their dogs closer to the breed
standard, whether it is a physical fault or to improve temperament.
The breeder should point out the good and bad aspects of the sire
and dam, and explain how they are trying to improve upon what they
have.
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Ask the
breeder if they are a member of a Leonberger Breed Club and/or the
CKC. Most clubs have a Code of Ethics that all members agree to and
sign when they become members. Although this does not
guarantee anything, it is a step in the right direction.
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Ask the
breeder if they have ever been suspended from the
CKC or any
Leonberger Breed Club(s). If the answer is “yes”, find out why.
If the explanation doesn’t seem plausible it should raise a
cautionary flag.
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If the
puppies have already been born, observe how they are handled and
allowed to interact with people. Do the puppies seem happy to be
around people or do they shy away? What you are looking for here is
an indication of what kind of socialization the puppies have had. The first eight weeks are critical to behavioral development of your
Leonberger puppy. For this reason, it is important that your puppy
be exposed to people, other dogs, new situations, normal household
sounds and activities in order to learn. A puppy raised
without this important social interaction can be shy, fearful,
aggressive, or have other problems as they get older.
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Ask the
breeder for references from previous puppy buyers. Any breeder
reluctant to do so may have something to hide. They may ask to
contact the previous puppy buyers first for permission to give out
their numbers and/or have the owner call the puppy buyer. Either way
is fine. Call these people and ask them to tell you about their
experience with their breeder and ask if the breeder has been
responsive to their calls and assisted them in a timely manner when
they needed help. Ask how the puppies/dogs are currently doing
and if they have any health problems.
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Ask the
breeder at what age they are allowing the puppies to leave to go to
their new homes. Responsible breeders would never let their puppies
leave to go to their new homes until they are at least 8-9 weeks
of age, sometimes older. Studies conducted have proved that
removing the puppy from its siblings and mother prior to this age
can result in behavioral and health issues as the dog matures, so
avoid anyone sending tiny puppies home.
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What
ages are the dam and sire of the litter? Responsible Leonberger
breeders will not breed their bitches or allow their stud dogs to be
used in a breeding program before the age of two. The reasons
for this are that the dogs are not fully developed physically or
mentally.
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Ask to
see a pedigree. You should be provided with a 3 generation
pedigree for your puppy, and the breeder should know what is behind
their own dogs on both the sire and dam’s side. For example, do they
know if there are any health issues in the preceding generations?
Are there any thyroid problems? Are there any heart problems? Are
there any cataracts? Are there any elbow and/or hip problems, etc.?
All of
these questions must be addressed by the breeder
BEFORE you commit to
giving a deposit for a puppy. This cannot be stressed enough.
If the breeder seems annoyed by these questions, or doesn’t have the
answers and information readily available, you should consider dealing
with another breeder who will provide this information readily.
Finally, NEVER buy your Leonberger
puppy from a pet store since you have no way of knowing the puppy’s
genetic history and whether or not it was socialized and raised in an
environment that’s conducive to good mental and physical health.
[more
information in FAQ section]
The Contract
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If a
deposit is requested to secure your consideration for a puppy, you
should ask the breeder what their policy is with respect to your
deposit in the event no puppies are available (this has been known to
happen with false pregnancies, still births, etc.). Some
breeders will insist on keeping the deposit until another litter is
available, but an ethical breeder should be prepared to offer a full
refund in the event you do not wish to wait.
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You
need to ask the breeder what guarantee they have in place in the event
your puppy develops a serious genetic illness within the first two
years of life. All puppies should come with health and soundness
guarantees against conditions such as crippling hip/elbow dysplasia,
knee problems, blindness, heart defects, etc. Most of these diseases
will have manifested themselves by then, and if any of these occur,
the breeder should offer a replacement puppy or a full refund.
Don’t expect the guarantee to cover such things as accidents,
parasites, non hereditary diseases, etc.
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Unless
specifically buying a puppy with the intention of showing and/or
breeding, most breeders sell their puppies under what is known as a
‘non breeding contract’, which stipulates that the owner is prohibited
from using the dog in a breeding program and must provide proof of
spay/neuter when the puppy is old enough for the surgery. If you
change your mind and the dog proves to be a good specimen of the
breed and a decision is reached in agreement with the breeder to use
the dog in a breeding program because it is felt the dog will help
improve upon the breed, find out what the breeder will be prepared
to do to lift the non breeding restrictions before you agree to buy
the dog.
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If you
are contemplating buying a puppy with the intention of showing or
using the dog in a breeding program, the breeder should provide some
guarantee as to clearances and quality if the dog doesn’t turn out
to be a good dog according to the Leonberger standard (note: it is
important to note that this is based according to the Leonberger
standard, NOT the breeder’s standard!) So find out what recourse the
breeder is prepared to give you in the event the dog doesn’t measure
up.
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If you
are planning to show and/or breed the dog, the contract should
indicate that the dog must be given all the testing clearances prior
to breeding and not be bred before the age of two.
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The
contract should require that the dog be given regular veterinary care,
be fed premium food and have proper shelter provided, together with
obedience training at a recognized training facility. There
should be some safeguard in place for the breeder in the event these
conditions are not met by the puppy buyer.
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There
should be a stipulation in the contract that the buyer have the puppy
independently checked by a veterinarian within 48-96 hours of
purchase. If it is found to have health problems the puppy,
accompanied by the vet report, should be returned and the buyer
receive a full refund.
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There
should be a blank area to be filled in with any special agreements
or arrangements agreed upon by the breeder and puppy buyer.
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The
breeder should supply information such as diet, vaccination and
worming records, as well as pedigree papers for four generations
(minimum).
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The
contract should stipulate that if, for whatever reason, the puppy
owner can no longer keep the dog, it can and should be returned to
the breeder at any age instead of being taken to an animal shelter
or humane society.
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You
should be provided with registration papers for your new puppy. This
is the law. Whether you have been given the puppy as a gift or have
paid for it, federal legislation states that you must be provided with
proper papers on all purebred dogs within six months of purchasing the
puppy. In addition to this, all purebred puppies should be
either micro-chipped or tattooed before they leave the breeder.
All
breeders’ contracts will have variations on the above. For this
reason consider these as general guidelines only. Moreover, just
like breeders should be upfront and honest with their puppy buyers,
puppy buyers should be upfront and honest with breeders by providing
as much information as possible about their intentions for the dog,
especially if they think they may have future aspirations for their
Leonberger to be anything other than a family pet.
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