PLEDGE OF A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER: A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER IS DEDICATED TO THE BREED. RECOGNIZING AND ADHERING TO BREED STANDARDS, ALWAYS LEARNING, AND STRIVING TO MAINTAIN AND PRESERVE A GIVEN BREED FOR THE ENJOYMENT OF FUTURE GENERATIONS. A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER CAREFULLY WEIGHS EACH MATING WITH AN EYE FOR WHAT IS BEST FOR THE BREED IN TERMS OF THE APPEARANCE, TEMPERAMENT AND HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS. A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER NEVER BREEDS JUST TO SELL PUPPIES FOR MONEY, INSTEAD A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER LOOKS UPON EACH PUPPY AS AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE. ALL POTENTIAL PUPPY OWNERS ARE THOROUGHLY SCREENED TO DETERMINE SUITABILITY, RESPONSIBILITY, AND CAPABILITY. A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER IS ALWAYS THERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, GIVE ADVICE AND OFFER GUIDANCE TO NEW PUPPY OWNERS AND WILL REMAIN A READY SOURCE OF ASSISTANCE THROUGHOUT THE ANIMALS LIFETIME. A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER IS THERE THROUGH THE JOYS OF LIFE AND THE HEARTACHE OF DEATH. RESPONSIBLE BREEDERS HAVE LONG RANGE PLANS AND LEAVE A LASTING LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS OF DOG LOVERS TO ENJOY ~~~ D & B Brennan ~~~
QUESTIONS TO ASK OF ANY BREEDER YOU ARE INTERVIEWING:
1) "Vet References" - If they do not have a vet who will stand up for them RUN!
2) "Owner References" - Try to get references going back several years, therefore several generations. Genetic defects can jump a generation.
3) "How old are the dogs they are breeding" - too old and too young can cause genetic problems - just like in people
4) "How long have they been breeding This breed of dog" - do they even know what they are doing to keep breed standards for personality, looks and health
5) "How many dogs do they own that they breed, and are you license and zoned for breeding" - if they own more than 4 dogs in Colorado, they are required by law to meet zoning requirements for kennel license. And if they breed more than 4 litters a year, they must be licensed with the State and collect sales tax. Most states have similar laws and zoning requirements.
6) "What guarantees do you provide me in writing" - make sure everything they promise you is in writing
7) "Do you take back my dog if I can no longer care for him" - even if they won't buy back your pet, a caring breeder would want their dog back for them to place into another home, rather than find it ending up in a shelter somewhere
8) "Do you have any relatives of these puppies on site that I can meet" Whether a parent, grandparent, sibling or cousin, meeting relatives of your puppy will give you an idea of the type of puppy you will end up with. Hyper dogs produce hyper dogs, nipping dogs produce nippy dogs, social dogs produce social dogs, etc.
9) "Can I call you with questions after I adopt" - A good breeder will be there for you through the entire process. They want the placement to work for both puppy and owner and will be happy to help you through any rough spots on the way
10) "What immunizations and worming do you provide on the puppy" - Puppies should be properly wormed monthly and should start their vaccines around 6 weeks of age, with shots spread out every 2-4 weeks dependent on what immunizations they give. Fuzzypups! give 2 Parvo vaccines as well as a combo on all our puppies prior to placement. Parvo is the #1 killer in puppies, and by using Neopar we have avoided this killer disease.
11) "At what age do you let your puppies leave" - to place a puppy before it is ready to leave its mother and/or siblings is a unfair to him and to his new human family. Most breeders of small breed dogs will not let their puppies go before 10 weeks and some wait 12 - 14 dependent on it's size and maturity. An 8 week old puppy is usually not ready to go to a new home yet. And anything less than 8 weeks is illegal in Colorado, and should be illegal everywhere.
12) "May I have a copy of the puppies pedigree prior to adoption" - in-breeding will show up on a petigree. The best way to guarantee that this has not happened in your puppy is to read his pedigree - preferably 3-5 generations back.
COMMON QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q: There are puppies listed for much less than yours, and for much more. Why the ride range of prices?
A: First of all, don't be fooled. It takes money to legally raise healthy, social dogs. And it takes expensive quality dogs to raise quality dogs. Many who sell their puppies for a low price are not legal. Additionally, many let their puppy go very young, before they are properly weaned so they don't have to supply puppy food, and even worse, without proper worming and immunization. Many do not even have proper housing for their dogs. Parents, and babies alike live in sub-standard conditions, cutting down on the expense of raising them, allowing breeders to cut-rate their puppies. Most breeders willing to let puppies go cheaply, have no investment even in the parents they breed. They do not invest in quality dogs to breed, do no genetic background checks and have no clue about the quality of dog they are breeding. They will buy cheap and/or older dogs to breed, and many even breed these dogs from first heat cycle to last, until they are no longer able to produce, and then they just become expendable. Most of these breeders do not vet their parents: i.e.: immunizations, proper dental care, proper medical care during pregnancy and whelping. These sub-quality breeders do not have the same investment expense, or the expense of raising a puppy a quality breeder will.
Quality breeders do extensive background checks on genetics of the dogs they breed, and purchase only good quality breeding dogs, they have a substantial investment in this regard as a breeding dog should be show quality, which means an investment of thousands of dollars. The potential parents are then tested on an ongoing basis to avoid bad genetics, given proper care (including socialization), food and housing, and are only used for breeding for a short period of time. Just to meet current standards for Federal, State, City and County regulations, is an investment, which is ongoing with annual changes, and renewed fees.
Puppies from show lines, those with the potential of being show dogs, and breeders letting their dogs go for breeding purposes, are placing superb dogs, not just pet quality, but puppies meeting perfect breed standards. Therefore, whether you breed or show them expect to pay a substantially higher price for these dogs. Show quality dogs are usually a minimum of 100% higher than a pet quality puppy, (i.e.: $750 puppy will now be $1500+) and can run thousands of dollars.
Always keep in mind the old saying, "you get what you pay for." If you are saving a couple hundred dollars up front, it may costs you thousands in vet or training bills later on. And a breeder who is selling you a $300 dog probably paid $150 for the breeding parents - because they don't care.
Q: What is meant by the term: Show Breeder?
A: A show breeder looks to raise a dog that can compete and win in a registered dog show. A Show breeder is concerned first with looks, second with personality and third with health. Some show breeders are concerned with genetics based not on the health of the dog they are breeding, but based on whether past dogs have won dogs shows, and consequently have in-breeding practices which cause genetic health defects. Some show breeders do not place "pet" puppies. Or only place reject dogs as pets (i.e.: bad bite, missing pigment, etc). If you are not wanting to show a dog, this can be a big drawback with dealing with a show breeder, as the quality you are getting from a show breeder may be less than what you could get from a pet breeder.
Q: Do you show your dogs?
A: For years, Sherry was very active in the show ring with our Shih Tzu, and she has finished champions to show the results. The pedigree on our Shih Tzu is very impressive, with champion lines 7 generations deep! However, we found that the restrictive lifestyle our show dogs had to live were not fair to them. They were not allowed the same freedoms of our other dogs, as their coats needed to be protected from damage. A show dog must be kept perfect, and that is not accomplished by letting them dig in the garden or wrestle in the mud. Therefore, we chose to leave the ring allowing all our dogs equal play and social time. Our breeding dogs are show-quality, and meet all breed standards, additionally they are genetically tested and proven to be healthy, and therefore our puppies are not only beautiful, but healthy. Add to this the fact that they are social and smart, and you get what we feel is a perfect pet.
Q: What is meant by the terms: " Hobby Breeder, Back-yard breeder and a Puppy Mill breeder" ?
A: A Hobby breeder is someone who has a full time profession other than raising dogs, and breeds on the side as a hobby. In general, they do not keep enough dogs to need to undergo legal zoning to raise puppies, but, hopefully, will treat their hobby seriously by researching genetics to raise quality, healthy dogs, and maintain a good worming and immunization schedule. However, like any hobby, the dogs are second in their lives, not first. A hobby breeder has a job and family that will be first priority in their lives.
A Back--Yard breeder, is someone who has a pet, that they do not know any genetic background of, who they have bred to another pet to get puppies. Don't be fooled, just knowing your dog is "registered" does not give you any genetic background. A registered dog can still carry unhealthy genetics, which they can pass on to their puppies. Many back-yard breeders are people who breed to raise a little extra cash, or to give their family the experience of having a litter of puppies. In general, they have no clue what they are producing genetically, and may or may not use a vet for proper immunization and worming on their own dogs and puppies. They may have no malice in their actions, but they also have no knowledge in what they are doing, and therefore can be dangerous to the breeding parent as well as to potential puppy owners.
A Puppy-mill, is a place where many dogs are raised, usually in stacking crate kennels, to produce puppies. The parents are usually unsocial, and used solely for the purpose of producing puppies, and parent dogs as well as puppy seldom if ever get open space to play and exercise. A puppy-mill, will breed a mom dog from her first heat cycle, until her last, which could be as old as 10 or 12 years, and then, euthanasia the dog since it has no value any longer. Puppy mill breeders, are generally the ones who sell to pets stores, and they do not care about the genetics of their dogs, and many times let puppies leave moms as early as 6 weeks of age, before proper weaning, immunization and worming. Not all puppy mills are the filthy, run-down compounds you hear about, many are clean facilities. However, this does not make them any better than their counterparts as their breeding practices are the same, they want to just crank out puppies, and do not care about the adults or puppies for any reason other than income producing product.
Q: What type of breeder are you?
A: None of the above! We consider ourselves professional breeders. Raising dogs is our profession, and as such we take it very serious. We are educated in our profession of dog care, and are continually updating that knowledge. We are also very conscientious about genetics. We do not inbreed our dogs, introducing new genetics with each generation by adding an un-related quality male. Our dogs have large indoor and outdoor open play areas, and are bred at a safe age. We do not begin breeding our mom's until they are 2 years old, and then they are retired and placed in pet homes at the age of 5. As a professional, we know our dogs have distinct personalities, and we know what each is, and therefore can tell you what personality your puppy will have distinctive from another group of puppies. Our choice of breeding dogs is based on knowledge of their genetics - which make up health, looks and personality, all of which are important to you for your puppy. Further, as a professional, we are very concerned with each individual puppy. From the moment they are born, they are given individual care and nurturing. Additionally we adhere to a very strict health, worming and immunization routine for puppies as well as parent dogs, including dental care. We have local vets that are very familiar with us, as we see them on a regular basis. To us, all our dogs are pets, we do not use the term "bitch and stud" which are common terms in the dog industry. All our parents are "mom's and dad's" each a distinctive individual with his/her own quirks and needs.
Q: What do you do with your dogs when they quit breeding?
A: Around the age of 5 we place our Mommy dogs in pet homes to spend the rest of their days loving a new family. As our dogs get plenty of socialization while they are living with us, this is easily done. And if we have a mom who produced large litters, or is not able to produce a litter safely, we retire them immediately, rather than put their life at risk. The health of our dogs is our main concern, not how many litters of puppies they can produce. Our "Daddy" dogs usually live out their lives with us. Older breeding males are hard to place in pet homes as they have the tendency to mark territory, and most people would not find them proper house guests.
Q: When I come visit, will I be able to see both parents?
A: Puppies are placed from the Bichon Frise Get Away. In most cases, we will have the mom on premise, as well as grandma. At the Bichon Frise Get Away we board pets for people and we also house rescue dogs, Therefore, we do not bring dad's in, as an un-neutered dog will watch over his "woman", which can cause problems. However, if you prefer, you can certainly visit Sherry, and she will gladly introduce you to both mom, dad and puppies.
Q: Why is your breeding done at one place and the placement done elsewhere? Does this mean you are a broker?
A: NO! We are not a broker. Brokers sell dogs for many different kennel owners. We are partners with dual ownership of the dogs and we do business as one entity. Sherry's expertise is in genetics, and in breeding and whelping. Pam is better at finding just the right home for the puppies and adults when retired, handles all the internet stuff, and is the "queen of paperwork". By allowing each partner to thrive where their strengths lie, our customers benefit, and we are not overwhelmed trying to do more than humanly possible for one person.
Q: Why do you neuter your male puppies before they are placed?
A: The main reason, is to eliminate the "marking monster" everyone does not want to own. Secondary - it is easy to do the surgery at a young age, and a neutered male has a lower risk of testicle & prostate cancer. Most males that are neutered at such a young age will squat like a little girl dog when they void. We do not spay girls as it is a more intrusive surgery which needs to be done at 6 months of age.
Q: As a consumer, what questions should I be asking of the people I am researching?
A: Ask the breeder if they know their genetics (not pedigree) but health genetics, and if so, how far back. Find out how long they have been breeding this particular breed of dog to insure they know the health history far enough back to know if there are any genetic health issues in their lines. Make sure they know enough about the breed to breed to standards set out by AKC (get yourself a breed book and ask about size, bite, coat, etc). Determine if you are dealing with a professional breeder, hobby breeder, show breeder or puppy mill. When in doubt, a make an apt. to visit the breeder, or if this is not possible, ask for photos of the facility. Ask about health guarantees, are they willing to stand behind their puppy should something come up. Find out how old the breeding mom is, and how many litters she has had. Although AKC recognizes litter registration on a mom as old as 10 years old, the practice of breeding an older dog is very dangerous. The older the mom, the more probability of genetic defects in the offspring, just like the risk for a 35 year old woman having a baby, an 8 year old dog having puppies is very dangerous for mom and puppies. The same would be true of a mom only 6 months old, comparing to a 13 year old giving birth. Lastly...
Get vet and owner references. The vet is important! If they do not have a vet willing to recommend them, RUN!!!
Call the owners of dogs previously placed. Owners will be honest, Did they have a good experience with the breeder? Did the breeder seem knowledgably and helpful. Was the breeder supportive for any problems or questions after the puppy was placed? How do they like their pet now that it is an adult? Have there been any health or behavior problems?. Ask the vet, have they seen the breeding parents? And does the breeder maintain proper care, including dental care (if the breeder is using older dogs), for the breeding parent. Has the vet seen the breeding facility? Is it clean and have ample places for the dogs to run and play or are they kept in cages?
See if they are legal at what they are doing. All states require health certificates on puppies imported from another states. i.e.; If you are in Colorado and your puppy came from Nebraska, make sure the puppy had a health certificate from the Nebraska vet, before it was transported across state lines! This is also true of puppies that are in a pet store. Also, all states, counties and cities have licensing and zoning regulations. Are you dealing with a legal kennel? Or an illegal kennel. Don't let them fool you by saying they don't need licensing. In 99.9% of the cases, even a hobby breeder, producing 4 puppies or more a year, needs a license.
Q: Do you do genetic testing for knees, hips and eyes?
A: There is no actual testing available for knees, however we do check all puppies before they leave our facility, and of course parents knees must be perfect for us to consider using them for breeding. Although there is a test for hips, they are not always conclusive, and in general, small dogs do not develop hip problems. Genetics of the parents are important in this regard, and we have never had any problems with any of our lines with hip problems. For eyes, we have our parents undergo an eye cerf with a dog optometrist and they must pass this testing before we will use them for breeding.
Q: What is the difference between your registration with APR and other registration with AKC, UKC, or other registration companies? And exactly what is a registration?
A: The term Registered pet, strictly means that the litter is in a book somewhere that a pedigree of dogs is maintained. AKC, the American Kennel Club, are the most known registration company as they hold the large dogs shows shown on television each year. APR, American Pet Registration also hold dog shows, but are less known. A registration of a pet will allow you to put your puppies name in the book of registration. However, it does not signify health guarantees in any way. It strictly lists the name of both the dame and sire of your puppy, which could even be a brother and sister. No registration company keeps tabs on inbreeding practices of the breeders they register for, nor do the registration forms list the dates of birth of the breeding parents. DNA testing required by AKC just signifies that you are getting the parents of the puppy listed on the registration form. You, the consumer, can check for inbreeding by obtaining a copy of a pedigree, which will show the line (parents, grandparents, great-grandparents) your puppy comes from. As we place pet puppies with spay/neuter agreements we are not concerned with releasing breeding rights or registration of our puppies. However, we want our owners to have a pedigree so they can see for themselves our breeding line. We easily provide this through our registration of puppies with APR.
HEALTH QUESTIONS:
Q: Why do some dogs and puppies have runny eye, and can it be avoided?
A: Runny eye can be caused from many different sources. It can be genetic, it can be from too many minerals in the water, it can be caused from dog food, and it can be caused by allergies and dust, or even from teething. We have found that a "Gimborn" product called "Eye Clear" works in many cases of runny eye, and have heard that "Angel Eyes" added to a diet is also helpful. Using IVD Duck and Potato as a dog food, which is available by prescription from most vet offices, will clear up runny eye due to diet. Use of bottled distilled water will help where the cause is too much iron in the water. A puppy who has runny eye due to teething, will outgrow the problem once his adult teeth are in.
Q: What causes hot spots and allergies in dogs?
A: Dogs, like people can have allergies, and it can be difficult to determine cause. Even when allergist do testing, many dogs continue to have allergies. We have found that diet is a major contributing factor in allergies. We have also found that use of Eagle Holistic products as opposed to other pet foods helps dogs avoid allergies. And use of IVD for dogs having allergy attacks will help them clear up. For allergies, always consult your vet, but the following we have found to work in most cases we have been involved in with :
1) Switch to a quality dog food such as Eagle or IVD. Unfortunately we have had bad luck with IAMs products. We have also found relief for allergy rescue dogs with a Salmon diet by Pro-Plan.
2) Use an antihistamine such as Tavist 1 or Benadryl. A 20 pound dog can have a 25 mg tab up to 2 x day for short term control of itching due to environment.
3) Use of a medicated shampoo called MED Shampoo by a company called Hot Shot, has had remarkable relief for dogs even with severe allergies. Their toll-free number is: (800) 735-5251.
4) Avoid snacks and foods with corn or wheat in them.
5) Add an oil supplement called V-gel caps to their food each day. And/or add salmon to their diet. (we use the canned stuff from Sam's Club and even use the oil).
6) When your pet comes in from out of doors, soak his feet in a pan of warm dish soap, then wipe off. This will wash off any grass residue or other allergic products your pet might have picked up while outside.
7) We have had huge success with a prescription called: "Atopica". Ask your vet if the above remedies are not working. "Atopica" is not a steroid and seems to work on even the worst cases of allergies we have seen - those where dogs have literally chewed themselves so badly they are self-mutilating.
Q: What is Giardia, and how does it affect my puppy or adult dog?
A: Giardia is a microscopic one-celled organism. It cannot be seen by the naked eye. Virtually all mammals including dogs, cats and humans can have Giardia. Many animals infected with Giardia may never show symptoms. These animals serve as carriers of Giardia, and most often will be infected with low numbers of Giardia in their systems. Periods of stress may cause these organisms to multiply resulting in symptoms. Heavily infected animals will pass multiple stools daily and the stools may have a particularly fetid odor. Infected puppies may show poor weight gains and retarded growth rates as well as extremely fluid diarrhea. Some animals may also have poor appetites and vomiting. Death can result in heavily infected young animals, often from dehydration.
Giardia is easily diagnosed with a microscopic analysis of a fresh stool sample. Therefore, when you take your puppy in for his initial vet exam, take his most recent fecal with you for them to analyze. Active symptoms are easily treated with an in-expensive medication, usually Metronidozole (Flagyl).
Q: My puppy/adult dog has had loose or runny stools off and on, but it is NOT Giardia. What can I do?
A: Diet is the number 1 reason for loose stools. A quality dog food diet high in fiber helps with this problem. We suggest the following to get the stools on track and keep them there.
1) Take puppy/dog off all dog food. Put puppy/dog on a hamburger/rice* diet for the next 3 days. *Boil lean hamburger (or ground turkey) in water. Separately, or together with the hamburger, make rice (white or brown) following package instructions. We usually just put equal parts hamburger & "Minute Rice" and 1.5 times more water in a microwave safe bowl and nuke it all until the hamburger is cooked. i.e.: 1/4 pound hamburger, 1/4 cup "Minute Rice" and 1/2 cup water.
To this hamburger/rice mixture add 1 tsp - 1 Tablespoon of dry fiber substitute: i.e.: Metamucil, and 1 tsp - 1 Tablespoon of canned pumpkin. This should get stools back on track.
We recommend Eagle Pack Premium small bites for dry kibble. (1-800-255-5959 for a distributor near you). This is a chicken based product high in protein and what our dogs are raised on. After the 3rd. day on the above hamburger/ rice diet, start adding in the Eagle pack dry kibble a small bit at a time. i.e.: first meal, add a few kibbles, next meal a few more, etc. until you work up to your normal kibble amount, while at the same time cutting back on the hamburger/rice. If puppy/dog's stools look to be going loose - discontinue kibble and go back to the hamburger/rice mixture. Once stools are normal, continue to add the Metamucil and canned pumpkin to his kibble. This is a good source of fiber and should help keep stools solid for the rest of his life.
Keep in mind, just like humans, dogs can eat something that might upset their tummy, or get in a stressful situation that will cause their tummies to react. The above is a means of treating those occasional situations, but is not intended to replace a needed vet visit if loose stools turn into diarrhea