Questions to Ask a Breeder

      from Briard-L

      Many of you have asked me how to tell if the person you are getting a puppy from is honest and not running a miniature puppy mill. It is a tough question but there are many ways that one can get the information.

      • Ask how many Briards they have.

      • Ask how long they have been in the breed

      • Are they a member of the Briard Club of America?

      • Are the parents Champions?

      • Have all the dogs been X rayed clear of HD, vWD, and CERF certified? Ask to see the copies of the OFA reports, the CERF report and the vWD report.

      • Will they give you the names of people within the club that they have sold puppies to?

      • VISIT them and see for yourself.

      • Ask your friends where they got their pup from and if they are happy with what the breeder has done for them.

      • Contact the rescue chair person for BCA--Merry Jeanne Millner--she can help you determine if the breeder has had Briards in the rescue system on a regular basis.

      • Contact Jack Wynne to see if that breeder has puppies or adults going thru his rescue system on a regular basis.

      • Does the breeder have several puppies for you to pick from?

      • Are these puppies different ages and colors?

      • Be very concerned if the breeder can offer you one of several Briard litters that they have on the ground or if they can offer you one of several older dogs they have.

      • Do not buy from a breeder that has several litters a year and is willing to sell to to anyone that has the money.

      • Ask to see a copy of the contract that the breeder uses. A good contract should protect both the breeder and the new owner.

      • Almost all responsible breeders will have a clause in their contract that requires you to return the pup or adult to them if you no longer can keep it. Buy from a breeder that insists that the puppy or adult must come back to them if you no longer can care for it.

      • Almost all responsible breeders will have a health guarantee for at least a year.

      • Almost all responsible breeders will will have a spay or neuter clause in their contract for pet Briards. Or the pup could be sold on a limited AKC registration which prohibits showing or breeding the dog which is the best way to go.

      • Visit! Visit! Visit! Your eyes can tell you a great deal about how the breeder is caring for their dogs.

      And while money should never be a great issue... the facts are that it costs about $2,000.00 a year to keep one Briard in food, vaccines, heartworm prevention, flea protection, grooming, training, vet bills, unexpected problems etc. So--someone, if they are doing a good job and are responsible breeders have a lot invested in their dogs. Someone that has 20 Briards would be spending about $40,000 a year on their dogs. And that is without dog shows.