What Should I Know Before I Buy a
Bull Terrier from a Breeder?
So you are thinking about buying a Bull Terrier? Here are some questions that you should be asking yourself to help find out if the breeder is truly dedicated and responsible:
1. Are the parents good representatives of the breed physically?
Do both parents closely conform to the Standard of the Bull Terrier?
Go to www.akc.org to learn what our Standard is if you are not sure.
2. Have the parents of the litter been tested for every one of the health
problems* that they can be tested for?
If you are not sure of the genetic diseases of the breed go to: www.thebullterrier.com/btgendis.shtml
*This doesn't mean that your dog will be free of all health issues, but
rather you have helped eliminate a certain percentage of possibility.
3. Is the breeder willing to take back the puppy NO matter how old and
NO matter what circumstances?
See answer to question 4#.
4. Is there a contract to sign when you purchase the puppy?
**Typically** only disreputable breeders do not use contracts. "So
what's wrong with that?" you may ask, you won't have anyone "checking
up" on you & your dog. Please remember that by not having a
contract you have no one to call if you have problems, and no one to
care if your dog does.
5. Is there some sort of guarantee on the health/temperament of your
Bull Terrier?
A reputable breeder will provide a reasonable guarantee of some form
on the health of your new puppy.
6. Is the breeder a member of some type of Bull Terrier Club either
local, nationally, or both?
Reputable breeders should be in communication with each other. This way
we can learn from each other and our experiences.
7. Does the pedigree of the potential puppy you are considering contain
many AKC Champions or (even better) also have earned other awards as
well?
Almost any dog (sometimes those who are not even purebred) can be registered
with the AKC as long as both parents were registered with the AKC; the
litter was registered, and is it purebred. So please don't be "wooed" by
folks who brag about their dogs having papers. My rescue Austin (puppymill
product) has "papers" and certainly doesn't mean he would be
doing the breed any good if he had been bred.
Don't be fooled by statements such as: my dogs come from champion lines, they have grand champion blood, mine are show dogs or mine could be Champions, but I just don't have time to show dogs. The majority of responsible breeders do show their dogs and will gladly furnish proof that they do. They can tell you all about Champion so and so and how many shows she finished in, which judges awarded points to her, and may even offer to e-mail you photos or direct you to their web site so they can show off their parade of CHAMPIONS. All AKC CHAMPIONS are issued a Championship Certificate once they have completed their championship requirements, and AKC can verify any dog's title (s) for you.
Also if a dog just has one or two champions in his 5 generation pedigree (and the CH dogs were 3 or 4 generations back), this isn't very impressive. While it isn't necessary for both immediate parents of the puppy to be a Champion to be considered quality, you should be able to see in the dog's family history a definite pattern to quality of family members. Hopefully the dogs that were not shown for what ever reason, COULD be put in the ring and do some decent winning.
Here are a few of the Prefixes and Suffixes you will see attached to an AKC registered name if the dog has earned such an award:
Ex. CH All I Want for Xmas R.O.M., C.S.H, C.G.C
CH= Champion (AKC preferred for this country)
ROM= Recognition of Merit (this is particularly important for Bull Terriers as it is the award given to dogs who the breeder judges feel are worthy of breeding)
CSH= Certificate of Sound Health
CGC= Canine Good Citizen
So from this we learn that All I Want from Xmas is an AKC conformation Champion, awarded the Recognition of Merit, has a current Certificate of Sound Health (go to www.healthydogs.com to learn more if you wish), and was good tempered and nicely trained to earn his Canine Good Citizen. I hope that makes some sense.
8. How many breeds of dogs do they have?
Don't be lulled into thinking that more breeds means more knowledge.
Raising dogs is a full time job and requires dedication and a true
love for your breed. A lot of time, effort, and devotion must go into
studying pedigrees, screening breeding stock for specific genetic problems,
planning optimum breedings, caring for new babies, weaning, training,
socialization, showing, etc. This means 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
365 days a year. Do you know many people that could hold down two or
three full-time jobs and really be efficient at any of them?
9. How many litters a year does this breeder have?
Don't be impatient! Breeders who ALWAYS have puppies for sale might be
more interested in their pocket book than the betterment of the breed.
Responsible breeders strive to produce the best that they can and hope
to improve their dogs with each generation. They will generally produce
just a few litters each year. They will rarely sell every pup in the
litter; they will usually keep the best for them to show and continue
with in their breeding program. They will normally have waiting lists
for their pups, and most pups have new owners waiting for their arrival
long before they are born.
10. Will the breeder provide registration papers, pedigree, health records,
and microchip?
Don't forget to ask about these things; this information is important
to you and should be furnished by the breeder. Make sure you clearly
understand the registration status of the dog you are inquiring about:
limited registration or full registration? Know what those terms mean.
Be sure you will get a pedigree on your puppy. The breeder should have
an up-to-date health record for each dog they sell with details about
vaccinations, wormings, etc. Many breeders will have micro-chipped the
puppy, but be sure to ask if the dog has a microchip, what type and the
number. If the breeder has not already done so, you might want to have
your vet do this for you.
11. Will this breeder give you references?
Don't be embarrassed to ask the breeder for references; a list of other
owners that have purchased dogs from them; their veterinarian; club
members. You can bet the responsible breeder is not going to hesitate
to ask you for references, and will not think twice about checking
you out with a fine toothcomb. A good breeder's best advertising is
their happy customers, and most will offer references before you've
had time to think about asking for them.
Hopefully by answering these questions you will have weeded out most of the undesirable breeders. Now realize there are EXCEPTIONS, but the entire purpose would be to TALK to your breeder about their program and judge for yourself. Anyone can breed dogs, you should be selective.
I wish you luck in your search.
Bullylove,
Amber
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Amber Lowe
The Bull Terrier.com
