How to Choose a Breeder
So you think you want a Portuguese Water Dog... If you have never owned a PWD before, then the first thing you should do is read up on the breed. While they can be fabulous family dogs, they require a great deal of training and a lifetime of mental and physical stimulation -- otherwise, they become quite destructive and mouthy to the point of biting. You must also understanding that the PWD is a working breed -- that is, it was bred specifically to do work for humans. It was not bred to happily hang out and do nothing most of the day. They require both mental and physical activity, with an emphasis on the "mental" part. Thus, you must be willing to commit to training your dog right after you bring him or her home and must be willing to keep some form of training up throughout most of the life of the dog. You should sit down and thoroughly read this free issue of The Courier, the official magazine of the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America. It is chock full of information about these dogs, what to look for in a breeder, and how to train your pup.
Now you must find a breeder. Be aware that anyone can put a male and a female dog together and produce puppies. What you should be looking for is a reputable breeder who will not only produce quality puppies, but one who will also act as a mentor and resource for you as the puppy owner. Such breeders do not breed puppies for a profit, but instead are interested in the betterment of the breed, often trying hard to breed a line that is free of, or as close to free of, most of the diseases that are present while still maintaining the basic characteristics as specified in the breed standard. As a result, reputable breeders spend money on a variety of available genetic tests not only on their breeding animals but also on some or all of their produced puppies. They also will test for hip and elbow dysplasia, may test for heart and thyroid health, and actively participate in a variety of breed related investigations by university labs. Reputable breeders also typically train their dogs and/or show them in conformation trials. They do not have "Buy it Now" puppies and do not have puppies available the moment you decide you want one. Expect a 6-12 month wait for a puppy if you go to a reputable breeder.
Be aware that because of high demand for puppies, there are many scammers out there who will advertise having puppies when, in fact, they have none and simply want to receive free money from you. If you are seeking a puppy and the breeder will NOT allow you to visit their home or see the puppy in person, you should expect that you are dealing with a scammer and should not proceed any further with this person. Backyard Breeders (BYB) may have a puppy available for you immediately or in just a few weeks, but will not provide any help to you once you pay for your pup, nor will they take the pup back if you can't keep it.
Some features of a reputable breeder include:
A reputable breeder will be nosy and probing -- this should not put you, the potential buyer, off, but instead should provide you with reassurance that the breeder cares more about his or her puppies and their lives than how their questions may inconvenience or offend you.
The diseases that the PWD breeding stock can and should be tested for are listed here by the OFA and are based on those highly recommended by the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America. Please note that while responsible breeders test for these diseases and don't breed carriers to carriers, they cannot guarantee that your puppy will be "free" of all genetic diseases as some diseases do not have testing available and some diseases have very strong environmental components that activate gene expression (or deactivate it).
AS A POTENTIAL OWNER, YOU SHOULD DO DUE DILIGENCE BY LOOKING UP THE BREEDING STOCK (DAM & SIRE) ON THE OFA.ORG WEBSITE TO VERIFY TESTING FOR GENETIC DISEASES AS ADVOCATED BY THE AKC PARENT BREED ORGANIZATION (dog will be issued a CHIC number if it has been tested as required by the parent organization). YOU CAN ALSO REGISTER FOR THE HEALTH & LITTER LOG OF THE PWDCA BY SIGNING UP HERE AND CAN LOOK UP INFORMATION ON THE PARENTS OF ADVERTISED PUPPIES. If parents are NOT listed on either the OFA or PWDCA H&LL, you should think carefully about the puppies being advertised and should question the breeder as to why the information is missing. Make sure that you are a well-informed buyer before committing to a puppy from any breeder.
Good places to look for breeders: PWDCA Breeder Referral List (not all good breeders are listed here), Good Dog (this organization checks breeder claims about health testing and will tell you on the breeder's page if the sires and dams have good or excellent health testing or if the breeder has made a claim of such but provided no evidence; it also offers education programs for new puppy owners and breeders), AKC Marketplace (anyone can list a litter and there is no health checking; see above caveats for what to look for in a breeder particularly with regard to what activities the breeder engages in and whether they are members of breed clubs). Some breeders have websites (be wary of those offering "Buy It Now" and not offering health testing information), some have Facebook sites, some are found by word of mouth.
Now you must find a breeder. Be aware that anyone can put a male and a female dog together and produce puppies. What you should be looking for is a reputable breeder who will not only produce quality puppies, but one who will also act as a mentor and resource for you as the puppy owner. Such breeders do not breed puppies for a profit, but instead are interested in the betterment of the breed, often trying hard to breed a line that is free of, or as close to free of, most of the diseases that are present while still maintaining the basic characteristics as specified in the breed standard. As a result, reputable breeders spend money on a variety of available genetic tests not only on their breeding animals but also on some or all of their produced puppies. They also will test for hip and elbow dysplasia, may test for heart and thyroid health, and actively participate in a variety of breed related investigations by university labs. Reputable breeders also typically train their dogs and/or show them in conformation trials. They do not have "Buy it Now" puppies and do not have puppies available the moment you decide you want one. Expect a 6-12 month wait for a puppy if you go to a reputable breeder.
Be aware that because of high demand for puppies, there are many scammers out there who will advertise having puppies when, in fact, they have none and simply want to receive free money from you. If you are seeking a puppy and the breeder will NOT allow you to visit their home or see the puppy in person, you should expect that you are dealing with a scammer and should not proceed any further with this person. Backyard Breeders (BYB) may have a puppy available for you immediately or in just a few weeks, but will not provide any help to you once you pay for your pup, nor will they take the pup back if you can't keep it.
Some features of a reputable breeder include:
- Takes responsible care of all of his or her dogs (retired dogs, actively competing dogs, breeding stock, and puppies), and provides:
- Sufficient companionship, affection, interaction, & attention
- Nutritious quality dog food & fresh clean water
- Adequate shelter
- Immunization and parasite prevention/treatment
- Proper vet care
- Grooming
- Exercise
- Socialization
- Belongs to a national (and/or local) breed club
- Abides by their breed club's Code of Ethics
- Screens their breeding stock for genetic diseases that are testable. While some backyard breeders state that they’ve had the parents checked by a vet, this is no guarantee that the dog is healthy. There is an obvious difference between having a veterinarian “look over” a dog and actually doing the proper genetic testing that ensures a healthy animal.
- Breeds dogs with excellent temperaments. Be aware here that an "excellent temperament" in a PWD is a temperament that wants to work and to train. Thus, a PWD might be "more dog" than many people can handle.
- Has strict criteria for potential buyers and screens them thoroughly. This means asking potential buyers about their work/life schedules, their homes and yards, their previous experience with dogs, and their expectations of the puppy. If the breeder is unable to match a puppy with an acceptable buyer, they will not sell it.
- Educates potential owners, and discloses any pertinent information about the breed
- Has some sort of reasonable health guarantee. If the puppy does develop a disorder that is covered in the guarantee, a responsible breeder will take steps to make things right, by providing a refund, a new puppy, or by helping the owner with the problem.
- Encourages the neutering of all "pet quality" dogs at an appropriate age according to the best scientific information available at the time and discourages extremely early spay/neuter protocols as advocated by some veterinarians. Issues the spay/neuter contract with the sale of all pet quality dogs. (NOTE: there are very valid health reasons for keeping pets intact and, if the owner is willing to take responsibility for keeping their dogs out of breeding situations, they should discuss neutering options with the breeder.)
- Registers puppies within a litter with the AKC on limited registration instead of a regular registration to prevent backyard breeders from using breeding stock and to maintain the integrity of the breed. This means that although the puppy is registered with the AKC, no litters produced by that dog are eligible for registration.
- Sells all puppies with show potential on a contract that does not allow breeding unless certain criteria are met, namely that the dog must live up to the breed standard, both in physique and character, and must pass all required health checks and certifications for the breed.
- Offers new puppy owners guidance and support for the puppy's entire lifetime.
- Shows, trials, and titles their dogs and encourages the same for potential owners.
- Will take back a puppy or dog that doesn't work out at any age; will also take back a dog that the owner is no longer able to care for. This is because no responsible breeder wants to see any of their puppies end up in a pound or shelter or be shuffled from one home to another, or be behaviorally euthanized without adequate reason.
A reputable breeder will be nosy and probing -- this should not put you, the potential buyer, off, but instead should provide you with reassurance that the breeder cares more about his or her puppies and their lives than how their questions may inconvenience or offend you.
The diseases that the PWD breeding stock can and should be tested for are listed here by the OFA and are based on those highly recommended by the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America. Please note that while responsible breeders test for these diseases and don't breed carriers to carriers, they cannot guarantee that your puppy will be "free" of all genetic diseases as some diseases do not have testing available and some diseases have very strong environmental components that activate gene expression (or deactivate it).
AS A POTENTIAL OWNER, YOU SHOULD DO DUE DILIGENCE BY LOOKING UP THE BREEDING STOCK (DAM & SIRE) ON THE OFA.ORG WEBSITE TO VERIFY TESTING FOR GENETIC DISEASES AS ADVOCATED BY THE AKC PARENT BREED ORGANIZATION (dog will be issued a CHIC number if it has been tested as required by the parent organization). YOU CAN ALSO REGISTER FOR THE HEALTH & LITTER LOG OF THE PWDCA BY SIGNING UP HERE AND CAN LOOK UP INFORMATION ON THE PARENTS OF ADVERTISED PUPPIES. If parents are NOT listed on either the OFA or PWDCA H&LL, you should think carefully about the puppies being advertised and should question the breeder as to why the information is missing. Make sure that you are a well-informed buyer before committing to a puppy from any breeder.
Good places to look for breeders: PWDCA Breeder Referral List (not all good breeders are listed here), Good Dog (this organization checks breeder claims about health testing and will tell you on the breeder's page if the sires and dams have good or excellent health testing or if the breeder has made a claim of such but provided no evidence; it also offers education programs for new puppy owners and breeders), AKC Marketplace (anyone can list a litter and there is no health checking; see above caveats for what to look for in a breeder particularly with regard to what activities the breeder engages in and whether they are members of breed clubs). Some breeders have websites (be wary of those offering "Buy It Now" and not offering health testing information), some have Facebook sites, some are found by word of mouth.
|
|