When
searching for a breeder:
Never answer to
any advertisments in local newspapers, or shop windows etc: as all responsible caring breeders of the Bernese Mountain dog
would never need to advertise their litters in this way.
Be
causious of people that breed more then 3 breeds of dogs, or who claim they are reputable breeders but have a litter of cross
bred dogs for sale.
Have they really got the time
and love to give to all those dogs and litters? And are they really breeding for the interests of the breed standards and
the welfare of the dogs themselves?
Go to Dog shows
and meet breeders of your chosen breed, it is always nice to meet potential puppy owners face to face.
Get in contact with breed clubs they normally have lists of registered
breeders.
Personal websites such as kenziebern.com
is another good source of information about the breeder and their dogs, a very personal touch.
WHEN VIEWING A PUPPY;
Never accept purchase of a puppy if you have not seen the dam (mother) or the living conditions of
the litter, and never allow the puppy to be delivered to you at a meeting place as there is a HIGH RISK that the puppy is
from a puppy farm and has been poorly bred without any offical KC Registration or proper Health checks.
Take a pad with questions to ask the breeder, all good breeders are
happy to answer any questions you may have about the breed and or health issues.
Never meet a person selling puppies anywhere other than where the puppies have been born or weaned,
as you will not know where the puppies have actually come from.
Look
at the surroundings of where the puppy has been living, are the puppies clean, pleased to meet you, look healthy and are they
in a warm clean environment? Have the puppies been brought up in Kennels or in a loving caring home?
Always ask to see the Dam (mother) is she looking healthy, clean? Her temperament
is important, if she has a bad temperament this will be passed onto her
Dam (mother) when viewing the pups.If she is not present, then be very wary as the litter may have been bought
in from a 'puppy farm'.
It is also nice to
meet the Sire (father) but sometimes this is not possible as most breeders use other peoples stud dogs and travel long distances
to do so, so ask if they have any photos and copies of the Hip and Elbow scorings etc:
Also check to make sure the Dam (mother) is no younger then 2 years old and no older then 7 years of age,
and that she has not had any other litters in the last 12 months. If she has been bred from within the last 12 months of having
this litter then the breeder is not a responsible caring person and does not have the dogs health and interests in mind. All
female dogs should have at least 12 months grace before having another litter. And with this large breed, breeding under the
age of 2 years is unhealthy for the dam as well as the puppies.
HIP
AND ELBOW
All responsible breeders will have the Dam (mother)
and Sires (father) hip and elbow scoring certificates from the British Vetinary Association, the lower the total score the
better.Ask to see these certifcates as proof. If you are not sure then contact the breed club they will be able to advise
you.
KENNEL
CLUB REGISTERED
All responsible breeders also use parents
that are Kennel club registered and will have a certificate proving this too. Check to make sure the address on the KC registeration
is the same as the address you are viewing the pups at. And if you buy a puppy make sure you have the puppy's KC registeration
form from the breeder on the day you collect your puppy and that the breeder has signed the KC registration certificate for
transfer of ownership to you.
PUPPY FARMS;
Unfortunatly there are 'puppy farms' out there so be very careful, puppy
farms are not always farms where puppies are bred they are:
Places
where dogs are bred from constantly and no care is given to what happens to the puppies and how many times the Dam (mother)
has a litter.
Puppy farms also normally breed several breeds
of dogs, not having a particular breed they are interested in.
if
you are not sure then contact me or the breed clubs and we will try to help.
Buying a puppy from somewhere like a puppy farm will just encourage these people to carry on breeding, it
is difficult to walk away from a poor little puppy that is being sold at a puppy farm but the best thing to do, instead of
buying the pup is to save all the litter and the adult dogs and report the breeder to the Local RSPCA Breed Club or Police
station as soon as possible.
I know this information is a
lot to take in, but there are responsible caring breeders out there! So please do some research and ask questions!
