Selecting a breeder

Status
Not open for further replies.
Thanks to everyone--I really appreciate all the input.

We have a couples in the area in mind, and plan on visiting them when the litters are born in October/November.

I'll have more questions about adding a second dog soon, I'm sure!

Thanks again--what a great community we have here!
 
We found our breeder through word of mouth. Our agility trainer highly recommended her. We visited the kennel and fell in love with the breeder and her dogs. They all had great personalities and the health checks were all wonderful. We also did lots of searches on the internet about the kennel and the breeder to see if there was something we needed to know.
 
I'm very glad that we have some excellent breeders on the forum to help educate us. I had no idea of the requirements to join ASSA. I so wanted to go to GA but had a work trip that couldn't be rescheduled. One of the sheltie people at the obedience/rally competition told me that it would be in Orlando in the near future- hopefully, I will be able to get the time off then. Callie might be in Advanced by then........:wink2:
 
I really think you can't go wrong with Local Show dog people. Often times, their puppies sell out very quick but they will always refer you to people who has puppies. and they will always refer you to the best breeders in the area cause their reputation is on the line.
 
I'd also like to throw something else out there for you to chew. :lol: Just because you "reserve" a puppy ahead of time doesn't make them a good breeder, either. I had Smudge reserved when he was about two weeks old.
 
I am not a breeder, and I'm far from being a breeding expert, but I want to second what Connie (missjennygirl) has said. As she noted, we attended the Tom Coen Sheltie seminar yesterday. It was attended by a number of knowledgable people who've been breeding for a long time. But it was also attended by performance and agility people, who wanted to learn more about how the proper structure of a dog makes it perform better. Tom began by showing photos of the very first Sheltie...a dog no one would recognize as today's specimen! As the program continued, we saw in photos the evolution of the breed, dog by dog.

The most amazing thing to me was that at the end of the day, Tom proved that we can trace our individual dogs to the early Shelties by knowing their breeding. That is what lineage is, and responsible breeding produces. I admit some of the material was way over my uneducated head, but I came away with a knowledge of the breed and its structure that I didn't have before, which illustrated how important it is not to breed dogs who do not conform to what Shelties should be.

So it is important to do your homework on a breeder before you buy. Know where your dog is coming from, and who its sire and dam are, and who their parents were. Read one of the many books about Shelties and their origin. It's fascinating and educational. We'll all be better dog owners for it, with healthier and stronger dogs.
 
We adopted Cleveland from a Sheltie Rescue. He was one of seven in a litter that was illegally bred. I didn't know what that meant then, but I know now.

What it has meant to me was that I only got to hold that dear sweet scrap of a furball for seven short years because something just wasn't quite right, whether in the lineage, DNA or whatever.

(I have since contacted my friend at the rescue and she said all of Cleve's siblings have died young, Cleveland being the last of the 7.)

I guess my point is:

It is a great responsibilty to breed animals and especially Shelties, because they are the best breed out of all breeds.:yes: I don't believe anyone here in this forum takes this responsiblity lightly, and I am thankful for the knowledge and diversity this group presents.
 
Last edited:
Wow..what a fun thread to read!
Thanx everyone for the input..I learned a few things!!

I got my two from shopping on line..going to few local dog shows and word of mouth. Clancys breeder matched us up...I wanted a big male that would enjoy doing doggy sports...and he is exactly that! and a whole bunch more. I didn't see him til I went to pick him up. Talk about a leap of faith!! LOL
Abby..I got from a different breeder because we had moved far from the first breeder...Her breeder is reputable and good also...but, I don't think I would go there again...just something in a gut feeling, I almost didn't take Abby because of it. There were times when I regretted it too!! but, with alot of patience, hard work and love...you couldn't tear her away from me now!!

I know there is alot of discussions about breeding for conformation and for function..and theres some that just do conformation and some that just do function and some that do for companion...in a perfect world..they'd all do the breeding for all of it....maybe some do??

Also in the Sheltie breed I see that it is very difficult..because they are still a "young" breed...lots of different sizes..even in the same litter..and prolly other things too....

Heres to everyone getting a healthy happy Sheltie to love for many, many years!!

woofs

Julie
Clancy & Abby
 
Before I bought Ariel, I researched breeders online and checked for the following:

1. Parental testing of genetic defects
2. How active the breeder was in showing
3. Membership in ASSA
4. Genetic guarantee
5. Breeder interest in me.
6. Willingness of breeder to spend time with me on the phone discussing puppies.
7. Puppies vet records, personality.

Ariel's breeder is very active and on the board of her local Sheltie organization. I felt very comfortable with her.

Flower, well I didn't follow my own rules because my husband fell in love with her. :rolleyes2: She is a runt and will be very tiny, but is really coming around with good food, more than I expected. Her breeder is also active in the show circuit.
 
Finding the perfect breeder ??

Is there a perfect breeder? probably not, but, check out how they raise the litter. Then that the Shelties are free from known diseases and try to find one as close as possible unless you have total faith in the breeder. I found Kia by doing a local search and found several breeders but most not breeding any longer. Referenced to where I got Kia was luck. Just happened to do a local search and found the rescue and got referenced to Fair Isle Shelties. Had to wait for the litter but was well worth the wait. Even with the great breeding and all the tests you are not guaranteed a healthy pup. Kia has great bloodlines, no known hereditary illnesses or disorders and It still cost me $1,000 to do various tests due to cronic UTI's So go with the gut feeling and do your homework and you should be fine.
How the breeder socialises their litters is a big deal !!!The more they are handled and subjected to various environments, noises and people the Better the pup. My Oppinion. Good Luck on your choice and purchase of a Gorgeous Sheltie Pup!!:cool:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top