what questions should i ask the breeder

hi there everyone
this is going to sound a bit strange, i have had many dogs over the years but they have all been rescue dogs, i have decided what breed my next dog will most likely be. i have been doing a lot of research on the internet. this is a non kennel club breed so no info from kc. this weekend i am going to a show to meet some owners and breeders. what questions should i ask, i have read a lot about the dogs about temperament, excercise, diet etc.but what should i be asking

thankyou for any advice

Hi I have just joined here and was looking for somewhere to ask similar questions.

I have a GSD that my mum bred but am looking for a companion for her - either another GSD or a husky or that type (I have always lived with GSDs and fancy something different).

I know that some breeders are doing health tests now and have been advised by friends to not take a breeders word that tests that have been done, but to ask to see the certificates re hip scores etc.

What other health tests do they do?

I contacted a breeder and she didn't tell me anything about the breed but just said she was the best breeder and her stud dog was the best in the country and has a bitch puppy that someone changed their mind about - didn't ask me any questions nor did she answer when I asked her what health tests she did on the parents. Thats not what I would expect from a good breeder so think I will avoid that one.

Do breeders vet check their pups, vaccinate and microchip or is that down to the buyer? Its a lot of money to spend on something without some sort of reassurance.

Should I ask to see both parents, if the breeder has both, or will I only get to see the pup that is available?

ask if they have the sire and dam and if you can see them, ask about health probs for that breed, dont know what breed you are looking for but avoid designer dog rip offs that are just puppy farmed crosses with no health checks. if they say the dogs are health checked ask for proof of this, there are some very dodgy people about they can easy pass off a pedigree or hip score that is for a different dog. ask for them to email you copies of the pedigree and health certs, dont just take there word for it . if they dont have the stud dog there ask for proof of the stud dog, they could have used any old mutt for all you know, ask if the pups will be vet checked, wormed, jabs, insured etc if anything doesnt seem right, or they avoid sending you copys of documents, steer well clear and find another breeder. if they dont ask questions about you avoid totally as they are only in it to sell pups for profit and dont care where they sell to

Hi Jenny you may find this article by Shadowboxer helpful

http://www.dogsey.com/dog-articles.php?t=8975

Its unlikely you'd get to see both parents as in ,ost cases people go out to use the stud dog.
Its hard to ask what health checks to ask for as each breed tends to have there own problems as well. All I can sugguest is talk to as many breeders as possible, I'm always prepared to chat on the phone even if I dont have a litter due as I like to see people doing there homework, mind you I'm an old gas bag

i saw all my dogs parentts.mum.dad and nic n sams /grandma.grandad

it is possible, someone i know who was selling pups let people see the stud dog by taking them to the owners house

tbh i owuldnt buy a pup without seeing the folks

Minihaha - that article was very well written and covers everything.

Donkey - with so many scams going on its putting me right off - I suppose being referred to a breeder by someone who has had a pup from them would be a good idea (if you can find someone). I must admit that I contacted a breeder last night who had a pup available and said the parents were health tested, but when I asked to be sent a pic of the parents and copy of the health certificates she said the pup was sold and sent me to someone else, who very quickly forwarded a copy of the dam's certificate but not the sire's, and she said that I was right to ask to see them and that the breed was only checked for hip scores and anyone saying that their stock was health tested most likely means that they went to the vet recently!!!!!

I think all your advice is good and you do need to see both parents if possible.

Thank you all for your help.

As well as asking all the relevant questions, I would pick someone you can have a good relationship with and can trust. I think it is important to be able to keep in contact them throughout your dogs life.

the dogs I've used at stud lives 60 miles away and next time I'm hoping to use a dog in South Wales, so its not always possible to see both. I have photo's of the babies dad and he's on the club web site as he's a champion.

thanks for the link,that is very helpfull

is there anyway i can check if the stud dog is the one that is actually used, would it be ok if the stud dog is at a different breeders to contact that breeder to ask?