The Protection of Our Canine Friends

Julia Baird (Co-Editor) Kay Tardif-Martin (Initiator-Co editor) Lisa Bell (Editor)   Sandra Nicholson (Editor)

NOTE!!!

 BEFORE reading ALL OF THIS, SEE IF THE DOGS BELONG TO THE PERSON YOU ARE PURCHASING FROM AND IF THE OWNER OF THE DOGS BELONGS TO THE CKC. - CHECK BY CALLING THE CKC -1-416 675 5511

SOME ARE BREEDING BUT NOT BELONGING TO THE CKC.

This page and all the contents are copyrighted 2005.  No part is to be changed without the express permission from the writers.  The following statements are the writers opinions only. The writers only want to make people aware of some of the dangers and bad situations that could happen and should be aware of when purchasing a puppy.  Please feel free to distribute this information and add to other web sites.

Things You Should Know Before You Purchase a Puppy from a Breeder.

"To want is not Enough"(Quote by Kay Tardif-Martin)

1.   Whelping is not always as natural a thing as some may believe.  There is a lot of knowledge and work involved.

Whelping inexperience can lead to serious injury or death of the female and/litter so only those who know how to look after a pregnant dog should breed.

( Spay or Neuter Please! )

2.   An unspayed female puts the dog and her future litter in serious jeopardy of being over-bred for profit.  This leads to the creation of small and often large Puppy Mills, also known as Back Yard Breeders.  These people do not have bad intentions to begin with but the results of Back Yard and Puppy Mills are devastating.  Many mixed breeds are coming from registered lines ( broken contracts ) and are sold locally in the newspapers.  In order to minimize their costs , operators may cut down on their expenses , including health care to  minimize costs.  The adults are there only to produce puppies.  Many Back Yard Breeders have no knowledge of how to properly raise a healthy litter or how to socialize them.  They also do not know how to help the new puppy owner if any problems arise.  It all comes down to money.  Death is common in these atmospheres.  There are no guarantees and this is your clue to be aware.

3.  Some Canadian Kennel Club (C.K.C.) registered dogs with non-breeding contracts are being bred and therefore these owners are breaking contracts with their breeders.  These contracts are legal and binding so if you purchase these pups and breed your dogs to other unregistered dogs you are contributing to Puppy Mills and Back Yard breeding.  It does not change the personality or benefit a dog to have one litter of pups as our ancestors believed.  Breeding opens the doors to many problems that rarely show up in spayed females or neutered males.

 Imagine a Retriever having eleven pups without any concern where they will live or the care they will be given!

4.  A dog without Canadian Kennel Club papers is classified as a mutt even if it's parents are Registered dogs. 

They should sell for small dollars not the price of a Pure Bred .  This amount should cover the vet inspection of the puppy, it's first shots and deworming.  This includes mixed breeds which are sold without papers. There is no such thing as a Registered Mixed breed.  The prices are surprisingly as much if not more than Canadian Kennel Club Registered dog prices . Once the mixed breed leaves it's breeder, your money is gone.  There are usually no guarantees or refunds for a medical problem with the puppy.  Puppies are cute at that age but when they get older they do not look  or act as expected.  Please do not encourage this type of irresponsible breeding by purchasing one of these pups.  Purebreds are tracked so saying a mixed breed is healthier is not true.  REMEMBER , a purebred Poodle is not a purebred Poodle unless it  is Canadian Kennel Club Registered, a purebred Pug is not a purebred Pug unless it is Canadian Kennel Club Registered, a purebred Golden Retriever is not a purebred Golden Retriever unless it is Canadian Kennel Club registered etc..  Please beware and do not pay the price of a registered dog. A Purebred dog is registered with the Canadian Kennel Club . Registration is paid for by it's Canadian Kennel Club registered Breeder, not the new owner.

-The PUPPIES MUST COME WITH  REGISTRATION PAPERS FROM THE Canadian Kennel Club WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF PURCHASE AND PAID FOR BY THE BREEDER.

5.  Beware of Brokers who have many puppies to sell then disappear . These brokers are often found in parking lots and/or say they will meet you at a particular store or street to make the deal.

6. A Reputable breeder makes very effort to achieve the breed standard set out by the Canadian Kennel Club and local breed clubs. The dogs that don't quite meet the exact standards are sold as pets. The dogs that do meet these standards are usually shown in Conformation Shows.  A dog who does not meet the high conformation standard may still enter Obedience, Agility  Therapy dogs or Tracking to get a Championship in one of these skills.

Facts On Establishing a New Breed

If a person decides that they would like to produce a new breed of dog, there are many guidelines that must be adhered to and many records that MUST be kept.  It takes a long time to establish a new breed and it must be approved in Canada by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Canadian Kennel Club.

The breeder must keep breeding records and stud records and must work to produce offspring that look exactly like their parents.  This takes years and even then the breed has to be recognized.

If a mixed breed puppy breeder says they are trying to produce a new breed,  ask them to show the records.  Until the breed is recognized  (This takes years and much voting by members of the C.K.C.  to make the breed approved by the members)  the puppies from the litters cannot be registered and are not considered purebred.  If they don't provide these records, they are breeding and selling dogs strickly for income, and have no interest in producing quality offspring. Some call these dogs Designer dogs.

How to Recognize a Reputable Breeder

1.  A reputable breeder gives guarantees.

2.  A reputable breeder is available to you without charge.

3.  A reputable breeder will invite you to their house to visit and

  show you the premises.

4.  A reputable breeder follows the CKC code of ethics.

5.  They do not breed their dogs every time they are in season.

6.  They do not charge for C.K.C. papers.

7.  They make efforts to their breed with care while only choosing special dogs to reproduce better offspring than the parents.

8.  They approve and certify dogs for breeding when selling to breeders.

9.  They provide first right to recall of their pups so they do not fall into stressful homes.

10.  They provide booklets to assist you with the care of your pups or dogs.

11.  They are available to give you information and to give you advice with problems/fears you may face with you pup.

12.  They replace puppies who have congenital problems or are not quality pets  according to their contract.

13.  Some provide a six (6) week free limited insurance.

14.  They are looking for the perfect dog to show in the C.K.C approved Shows (Conformation or Obedience) not just breeding for sales.

15.  They do not just sell a puppy for breeding  until it is four months old or more to observe it's qualities.

16.  They will only sell to those who are going to get a Conformation or Obedience title on the dog before allowing breeding.

Standards for Breeding Practices

The Ontario S.P.C.A. Act found on the net clearly outlines the acceptable standards of care for anyone breeding dogs or cats for the purpose of selling.  Anyone who breaks this law could receive  a penalty of $60,000,00 and up to two years in jail or both.  The best way to fight Puppy Mills or Back yard breeders is to NEVER support their business. Encourage everyone you know to do the same and if you have few dollars please send your donations to the Ontario S.P.C.A or your local Humane Society..

BROKERS -( A NEW FAD) Are people who call the breeders, and ask to sell the puppies for them for a percentage of the price.  No reputable breeder will risk their puppies going to an unknown environment and sold to someone they haven't interviewed personally.  Any breeder who works like this is still responsible for the health issues of these puppies but the owner will find this an expensive adventure.  BEWARE!!  You get what you pay for so find a reputable breeder with a guarantee who cares about the puppies produced in their kennel and you will never be sorry.

Problems Which Could Occur with Puppies Purchased from a Back yard Breeder.

hypoglycemia

dental problems

legg perthes

retinal dysplasia

luxating patela

collapased trachia

 liver shunt

pancreatis

Note 

Employees may tell you the puppy is registered but no reputable breeder will sell their pups to a Pet Store under any condition..  Many of these pups are registered with the Continental Kennel Club also with initials C.K.C.

A way to potentially deceive the public who do not know the differences between the two clubs..  If in doubt ask to see the papers.  The Canadian Kennel Club is the only recognized purebred registry in Canada. 

How to Locate A Reputable Breeder

(After researching the breed which is best for your family, including it's health issues )

1.  From your local Dog Club.

2.  Veterinarians.

 If you can't afford a purebred dog, save your money or adopt from the Humane Society or a Rescue Club.   ( see magazines and ads found at your vets office but remember not all of these dogs come from reputable breeders and some are not registered so ask questions. ( Anyone can advertise)

Note

Remember, a puppy is similar to a baby. It has needs other than food and water. Someone needs to be home during the day to train the puppy so that it becomes the best dog it could be.  If everyone works it would be a good idea to get a puppy sitter or take it to a Puppy Day Care..  A puppy needs consistency and especially routines and socialization.  If a prospective owner cannot give these to a new puppy, then maybe getting a new puppy should be re-considered. " To want is not enough! "

Please Obedience Train All Puppies

Obedience classes are available from your local Kennel Clubs and Private Trainers.  When your puppy  leaves it's breeder it should have age appropriate vaccinations. To participate in any puppy class, it's vaccinations must be up to date according to the rules of the Trainers.