HOW TO RECOGNIZE A REPUTABLE DOG BREEDER- So, you've decided the pet for you is a purebred dog...good for you! Maybe. The question is, how do you find a reputable breeder? There are so many ads in the newspaper and so much conflicting information, and most of the books you read only mention the positive characteristics of the various breeds. (Common sense tells you every breed can't be as perfect as it is described!) How do you find someone who will be honest with you about their breed so you can make a truly informed choice

Linda Lewin

Linda Lewin has bred and exhibited Dalmatians under the Charlin prefix since 1972, and Standard Manchester Terriers under that name since 1996. Her Dalmatians have won that breed's national specialty show, the AKC Centennial Show (Non-Sporting Group 3rd), and numerous regional specialty and all-breed shows in the USA, Canada and Japan. She also produced the Best in Sweepstakes winner at the American Manchester Terrier Club's national specialty show in 1998.

In 1990, Ms. Lewin acquired her judging license for Dalmatians and Junior Showmanship, and has judged extensively at specialty shows around the country. She has since acquired her license in Poodles as well. She is currently a member of the Dalmatian Club of America, the Greater Washington Dalmatian Club, the American Manchester Terrier Club, and the Columbia Terrier Association of Maryland. For DCA, she has served as the national specialty Show Chairman, Chairman of the Membership Education Committee, and, for five years, staff writer for the national magazine. She has served the GWDC as Show Secretary for the past ten years, ten years as the newsletter editor, and in all offices and as a member of the Board. ?

“I WANNA STUD MY DOG”

By Linda Hazen Lewin

“Hello, I got your name from (insert one: my vet, the Humane Society, a breeder referral service, the wall of the men’s room at Guido’s Bar-A-Go-Go) and (he, she, they, it) said you have Dalmatians.”

“Yes, how may I help you?”

“I have a Dalmatian and I want to stud him.”

(Heavy sigh).  “I get so many calls like this.  I must forewarn you that studding a dog is very bloody and painful.  Stud your jeans, if you must, or stud the dog’s collar but please don’t stud your dog.”

(Confused silence).  “No, I mean I want to mate him....with a female....for puppies.”  (Caller is now convinced he has somehow reached the state funny farm).

“O-h-h-h,” (as if in dawning realization), “you want to use your dog at stud.”

“Um, yeah.”

“Well, that’s a relief; I thought you were going to stud him!”

Semantics aside (and “studding” one’s dog is right up there with having one’s bitch “spaded”), most of us have received calls of this ilk from people who use the word “stud” as a verb and who have no more idea what is involved in the process than they do the proper usage of the word.  These same kinds of people are the ones with bitches which they want to breed because having puppies will be “fun”.  Calls from these people do not require anger or sarcasm but are cries in the wilderness for education.  I’ve never actually handled one as in the sample above, but here we go with how you really would approach this problem:

The first thing to do is ask from where the dog was purchased.  If from a recognized kennel, refer them to that breeder for help, or proceed to the next paragraph of this article if contact with that breeder is impossible.  If from a pet store or a breeder unknown to you (as in the “backyard” variety), ask the person if they have ever had a breeder who actively shows their dogs evaluate the male in question.  Also, has the caller ever been to a dog show or shown the dog?  Invariably, the answer to these two questions will be “no”.  From this point, the real education starts.

Most people with a male they want bred do not understand the protocol of breeding, i.e., that it is the bitch owner’s choice which male they wish to use on their bitch.  I explain that it is the bitch’s owner who pays a stud fee and who subsequently has the work and anxiety of whelping and raising the litter.  Therefore, people with nice bitches are going to carefully evaluate the available males and will only spend their money (and risk their bitch’s health in pregnancy) on the best male they can find.  Logically, the best males are those who have proven their merit in the show ring.  From this point, we get into the same kind of discussion as with people who want their bitch bred, i.e., what constitutes show/breeding quality and why a dog that is to reproduce should be of show quality.

After that, I get into the specific questions of mating dogs:

* Does this person realize that he or she is expected to house the bitch until she is bred, and that while she is in their house, their male will be a raving maniac?

* Do they understand that all males do not automatically “know” how to breed, and do they, under such circumstances, know how to assist?

* Do they even realize that they must be on hand, and not to just throw the two dogs out into the yard together and hope for the best?

* Do they understand that bitches do not necessarily stand quietly to be bred and that they may struggle, twist, bite their dog or bite them?

After they have answered “no” to all of the above (the usual situation), I put the fear of God into them by telling them my own personal horror story: A bitch came to me to be bred and permitted my male to penetrate and tie her.  She then tore herself suddenly out of my husband’s hands and nearly ripped the dog’s penis off in the process.  We had a midnight trip to the emergency clinic, pints of blood all over my house and my car, and a champion male who may well have never been usable again.  The vet bill well exceeded the stud fee, and we owed the bitch’s owner a second breeding to boot because the bitch didn’t take!  (We sent the check back instead).  The trauma and pain to the dog and the mental anguish and expense to us taught us a hard lesson about breeding difficult bitches.....and we are experienced breeders!

The above discussion usually has the person at the other end of the phone babbling incoherently and most will say “I had no idea”, and will forget the whole thing.  Those who are still not put off have the remaining problem of finding someone who wants to breed to their dog, which isn’t easy.  I usually go on to say that using their dog at stud can cause the dog to adopt obnoxious behaviors including leg-lifting in the house and aggression towards other male dogs.  Dogs don’t miss what they’ve never experienced; it can be much more trying on everyone to use a dog once than to just never use him at all.  I then go into the issue of overpopulation, and strongly recommend that the person have their dog neutered.

If they continue to insist on “studding” their dog, I recommend a Ronco Studder and a mop.

 

GROOMING THE SMOOTH-COATED DOG

by Linda Hazen Lewin

Many people choose a smooth-coated or short-haired breed of dog under misapprehensions like ‘I don’t want to have to groom’, or ‘short-haired dogs don’t shed’. While a smooth coat doesn’t required the amount of time or expertise to groom as does a long, curly or wire coat, there are some regular grooming efforts that must be made so that the coat will be clean and healthy, and the dog comfortable. And, yes, short-haired dogs DO shed, sometimes more profusely than long-haired breeds!

First, here is a "don’t": Do not bathe your smooth-coated dog more than once a year (yes, once a YEAR!) unless the dog has taken up extreme sports like rolling in manure or challenging skunks. Bathing dries the skin and coat as the shampoo strips the natural oils away. These natural oils are what gives a healthy coat that wonderful sheen, and they also cause dirt and dander to wick off your dog without having to get the dog wet. My Dalmatians can romp in the yard in the spring and come in with mud on them up to their ears. I put them in their crates to dry off, and when they come out, they are as white as when I first let them out the door. Why? Because I haven’t disturbed their natural skin chemistry by constant bathing. The dried mud just drops off and they are clean as can be. Further, dry skin is itchy for the dog and a dry coat will shed badly, so only bathe your smooth-coated dog when absolutely necessary. And when you do, always use a shampoo made for dogs. Human shampoo is the wrong pH for dog hair.

I recommend two tools for grooming your smooth-coated dog. For large, muscular smooth-coats such as Dalmatians, Dobermans and AmStaffs, I like a rubber curry, similar to those used on horses. The ones made for dog grooming are of a lighter, more flexible rubber than those made for horses, but the oval, palm-held configuration is the same. Use your rubber curry all over the dog’s neck and body, but not on the bonier parts of the dog like the legs and head. Work the curry with the hair growth as well as against it. Currying stimulates the skin like a good massage, and the rubber pulls gobs of dead hair out. If you give your dog a vigorous currying once a week, outside, it will greatly reduce the amount of shedding you encounter in the house.

For smooth-coated breeds with less padding and finer coats, such as Greyhounds, Whippets, Manchesters and Italian Greyhounds, I prefer a hound glove. This is a sort of rectangular mitt with a mat of horsehair on one side. The hound glove is a great grooming tool for the finer-skinned breeds, and is also an excellent finishing tool with which to polish your dog’s coat after currying, pull out the last of the loosened dead hair, and to use on the legs, head and tail. Put your hand inside the hound glove and run the horsehair side all over your dog, following the direction in which the hair grows. It will ‘slick him up’ and put a nice gleam on the coat.

As with any breed of dog, you want to keep the toenails short with at least bi-weekly use of clippers or a grinder, and also make regular checks of his ears and teeth. With your smooth-coated dog all shined up, you'll both be ready for anything from the dog park to the dog show!

HOW TO RECOGNIZE A REPUTABLE DOG BREEDER

by Linda Hazen Lewin

So, you've decided the pet for you is a purebred dog...good for you! Maybe. The question is, how do you find a reputable breeder? There are so many ads in the newspaper and so much conflicting information, and most of the books you read only mention the positive characteristics of the various breeds. (Common sense tells you every breed can't be as perfect as it is described!) How do you find someone who will be honest with you about their breed so you can make a truly informed choice?

The following are some of the typical characteristics of a reputable breeder:

1. Reputable breeders only produce a litter with the goal of improving their breed and with the full intent of keeping a puppy from the litter with which to continue their efforts. They do not breed to make money, to supply the pet market during a wave of breed popularity, to give the kids a sex education, or simply because they happen to have two dogs of the same breed on the premises. These last are all spurious reasons to add more dogs to the current population. If the breeder has produced a litter for a silly reason, beware!

2. Reputable breeders nearly always belong to a local or national breed club and they actively compete with their dogs. Competitions include licensed dog shows, field trials, obedience trials, herding trials, tracking events, earth dog trials and sled dog racing (among others). Reputable breeders know that AKC registration alone does not confer or imply quality or breeding value, any more than a DMV registration means you have a top quality car. Competition with other well-bred dogs helps to gauge whether a given dog is worthy of being bred; whether it offers its breed virtues that are worth reproducing. If the breeder does not belong to any dog organizations or compete with their dogs, beware!

3. Reputable breeders are willing and eager to spend time with you, explaining, teaching and advising you about their breed. They will make the disadvantages of owning their breed crystal clear, and it may be the first topic of conversation! No breed is perfect for everyone, and the responsible breeder wants to be absolutely sure that you really want, and are prepared to care for, this kind of dog for the life of the dog, not just during the "cute puppy stage". If the breeder does not go into breed peculiarities, beware!

4. Reputable breeders will screen you carefully, to assure your suitability for owning their breed. They will not sell a large, active dog to an apartment dweller or to someone without a fence, for example, nor a tiny toy dog to a home with small children. It is cruel to place a dog in an unsuitable home, and unethical to strap people with an unsuitable dog. A reputable breeder will refuse a sale, regardless of any personal financial strain or the amount of work involved, rather than place any dog in an unworkable situation. If the breeder does not question you closely about your home, your family, and your expectations of the dog, beware!

5. Reputable breeders sell only healthy stock, fully vetted, and guaranteed for some reasonable length of time after the sale. Their dogs are tested for any genetic deficiencies which can be detected by the age at which the dog is sold. Puppies should never be offered for sale any younger than 7 weeks of age, and preferably 8 weeks. If they are, you may be sure they have not had all their shots. Adult dogs offered for sale should be completely up to date on shots, recently wormed and heartworm-tested. Records of all veterinary treatments and testing should be offered to you in writing. If vaccinations are not complete and up to date, breed-appropriate testing for genetic defects hasn't been done (or the breeder says "Oh, that's not a problem in this breed" when you know it is), puppies are offered for sale at an extremely young age, or the breeder's dogs appear unwell, beware!

6. Reputable breeders offer, or even require, that any dog they sell be returned to them if your situation changes so that you cannot keep the dog. This applies whether the dog is 10 weeks old or 10 years old. No responsible breeder wants their dogs to end life in the pound, on the streets, or shuffled from one unsuitable home to another because the dog's family can't keep it any longer. Many breeders are also involved, on some level, in breed "rescue" work. When notified, they spend their own time and money to collect the abandoned dog, have it vetted, trained and socialized if necessary, and find it a loving home. While a breeder might not specifically mention involvement in rescue work, if he or she cranks out multiple litters a year, acts as a broker, or makes no mention of taking a dog back from you if your situation changes, chances are they are more concerned with taking your money than with taking responsibility for the puppies they have produced...beware!

7. Reputable breeders stay in touch with you on a regular basis to see how you're getting on with your new dog. They do not just sell you the dog and then disappear, leaving you to cope with problems on your own. This is probably the greatest advantage to buying your dog from an experienced breeder. You not only get a healthy, well-adjusted companion, you also get a lifetime of information, advice and assistance from an expert who cares deeply about your success with the animal he has sold to you. If the breeder takes the stance that "all sales are final", beware!

Remember, it is up to you, the purchaser, to make your choice wisely and to do your homework. Talk at length with as many breeders as possible, quiz each one on the above items and about their breed, and look at lots of dogs. A reputable breeder will be impressed and reassured that you are concerned about what you are doing, rather than impulse-buying. Find a breeder with whom you are comfortable, and whose dogs you like, and pick out your dream pet. Result: everybody wins!