BREEDER
If you choose to find a Weimaraner using a breeder we highly suggest contacting all of the Weimaraner Clubs so that you find a reputable breeder. Unfortunately there are some breeders that have fancy websites, have cage free breeding, and say them love the breed but are really puppy mills. These breeders could have several bitches, breed several litters a year and make thousands a year off their breedings. Some of these breeders could be AKC qualified, to be honest it is not hard to be.
Questions to Ask A Breeder:
- Please give me more information about your breeding program?
- Are both parent’s hips OFA certified?
- Do the parents originate from reputable breeders? (Kennel names)?
- Do the parents meet the breed standard?
- Do you show your dogs, or do obedience, agility, or other training with them?
- Do they have hunting titles?
- Do at least three or four dogs in the last three or four generations have titles?
- Do you offer a written health guarantee of at least two to five years?
- Do you limit your breeding of each female to a maximum of once a year? (Has the female reached maturity, and again, OFA hip certified?)
- Are your puppies raised in the house and socialized with adults and children, and has their housebreaking and crate training begun?
- Do you belong to your National breed club?
- If the dog doesn’t work out, do you require that it comes back to you?
If the answer to any of these questions is no, reply with ‘thank you for your time’.
Please also consider using a Weimaraner Rescue. Weim Rescue groups do get litters of puppies into their organizations. This usually happens when a breeder is not able to afford the care of the animals.
How To Choose A Weimaraner BreederHow do you, as a prospective Weimaraner owner, go about finding a Responsible Breeder? The best answer is, ask a lot of questions, do your homework and take your time! Don’t buy on impulse. Becoming an informed shopper increases the likelihood of a successful dog/owner relationship. Responsible Breeders want what is best for the Weimaraner breed and they associate themselves with organizations that seek to promote, protect and improve the Weimaraner, such as the Weimaraner Club of America and other local Weimaraner Clubs. Many reputable breeders are also associated with All-Breed Kennel Clubs in their area. When you decide the time is right for a puppy, spend at least as much time looking for one as you would when shopping for a new car. A puppy is a long-term commitment; hopefully he’ll be with you for ten or twelve years or more. The effort you put into finding a quality breeder will reward you many times over. You will have continued access to a knowledgeable resource – your breeder. You will not get this type of support from a pet store or from a casual breeder. You will need to decide for yourself whether or not a particular breeder is right for you. Finding a breeder you can trust is very important. When you buy a puppy, you are making a commitment for the life of the dog. While no breeder can guarantee that you will be getting the “perfect” puppy, you should feel that the puppy you have chosen was bred to be what you are looking for in a Weimaraner. You may have to wait. Responsible breeders do not always have puppies available. A couple of litters per year is typical, and many good breeders only have a litter every few years. Responsible breeders answer buyers’ questions, keep puppies they cannot place, allow bitches to recover sufficiently from one breeding before doing another, and take back any puppy that does not work out. They breed dogs because they admire their breed and want to contribute to its betterment. They guarantee their pups free of genetic diseases common in their breed and in a written contract of sale will guarantee they will assist the new owner in the future should something unexpected occur. They consider the puppies they produce to be their responsibility for the life of that puppy, so they follow-up frequently to see what’s going on. The Responsible breeder will require a signed contract. This contract is for the benefit of the buyer, the seller and the puppy! Contracts are encouraged by the WCA Code of Ethics, because they define the terms of the sale. It should clearly state the expectations of each party so that there are no undisclosed assumptions by either the buyer or the seller. Responsible breeders evaluate their puppies as show and breeding quality or pet quality and sell pet puppies with an AKC Limited Registration and/or spay-neuter clause. Expect caring breeders to be nosy! They will ask many questions about your lifestyle, your other pets and your intentions with the new pup. They personally screen and select homes, will mentor and advise new owners, will sell only to approved homes especially when they guarantee to take the dog back if it does not work out. Questions To Ask As You Look For A Breeder: 1. Ask what clubs and or organizations they belong to? Are they members of the Weimaraner Club of America? Do they abide by the Code of Ethics? Are they members of a local Weimaraner Club? An All-Breed Club? A responsible breeder will be involved in show and performance events to help ensure that their dogs display the desired physical and behavioral traits desired for the breed. 2. Ask to see Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) Health Certifications or Penn Hip evaluations. The WCA recommends OFA certification for hips, thyroid and eyes to be CHIC (Canine Health Information Center) certified. 3. Do both the sire and dam have the recommended health clearances of the WCA? The more relatives in the pedigree that have the recommended clearances the better. A responsible breeder will keep track of these statistics and honestly discuss any problems that have occurred and what steps they are doing to prevent them from occurring. 4. What guarantees do you give on hips or other health problems that may arise? What is your policy on money refunded or help with medical bills? Will you take the dog back at any time for any reason? This is the hallmark of responsible breeding! 5. What kind of congenital defects are present in the breed? Avoid anyone who says “none” – there are genetic problems that are present in all breeds. 6. Ask if the puppies have been checked by a veterinarian? Had their first shots? (Please see the WCA recommendation on vaccinations). Are the tails docked and dewclaws removed? Important records should be in writing. 7. Check pedigrees. How many champions and/or titled dogs are represented? Are there a majority of titled dogs in the first two generations? The term “champion lines” means nothing if those titles are back more than three generations or if there are only a few in the whole pedigree. 8. Ask how long they have been in the breed? Are they involved in other breeds as well? How many litters have you had? You probably want to avoid anyone who has switched breeds every couple of years – look for someone that has experience with the breed and only breeds one or two different breeds. If they are new in the breed, do they have a mentor? The more experience the better. 9. Ask to see the Dam. It is important to at least see the mother dog. It would be ideal to see both parents but many times the sire doesn’t live nearby. Check out the general health and temperament of the female dog. 10. What are your overall feelings about the environment where the pups are raised? The puppies should be well cared for. They should have a clean and comfortable area. They should be properly socialized with people. Look at the condition of the other dogs on the premises. Trust your instincts! 11. Is the breeder knowledgeable about raising puppies, critical neonatal periods, proper socialization techniques? Puppies that are raised without high exposure to gentle handling, human contact and a wide variety of noises and experiences or are removed from their dam or littermates before seven weeks of age may exhibit a wide variety of behavioral problems. Temperament, a genetic trait carried over from the parents still needs development from the early beginnings of a puppy’s life. The breeder should provide extensive socialization and human interaction to the puppies in the litter. 12. Have the puppies’ temperaments been evaluated and can the breeder guide you to the puppy that will best suit your lifestyle? A caring breeder will know the puppies and be able to show you how to test them so that good matches can be made. 13. Ask for a copy of the contract before you see the puppy so you can thoroughly review it. Do you understand the terms of the contract? Can you comply with all the terms? Does the breeder require a co-ownership? If so, then thoroughly review all that is expected of both the buyer and the seller. What environmental requirements are placed on you, such as mandating a fenced yard? Take the time to read everything you can find about Weimaraners. Speak with other Weimaraner owners and learn as much as you can about the breed. Visit the Weimaraner Club of America website http://www.weimclubamerica.org Consumer education is the most important tool available. A Word on Blue and Long Hair Weimaraners – Although the Long Hair Weimaraner is accepted in every country besides the USA, the long hair variety of coat will be disqualified from the show ring. It may, however, compete in all other American Kennel Club and WCA activities with a DQ (spay/neuter) Certificate from the WCA National Office. Since a DNA test is available to determine if your dog is a Long Hair carrier, breeders can choose to test prior to breeding. There are no countries that recognize the Blue Weimaraner variety. Blue Weimaraners are not rare. They are deliberately produced. The purebred heritage of the Blue is a matter of dispute. They will be disqualified from the show ring. Like the Long Hair they can be registered with the American Kennel Club and can compete in WCA activities with a DQ (spay/neuter) Certificate from the WCA National Office. Weimaraner Club of America Breeder Referral, Billie Thompson, wcareferral@fuse.net Written by the Weimaraner Club of America Breeders’ Education Committee – 8/2010 Weimaraner Club of America Approved September 8, 2010 http://weimaranerclubofamerica.org/main/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=11&id=125&lang=en |
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How to Kill a Shelter Dog
It’s really simple: Buy from an IRRESPONSIBLE BREEDER.
I need you to hear this:
If you buy from an irresponsible breeder,
you are killing shelter dogs. YOU.
What’s an irresponsible breeder? Any breeder that does not breed as a caretaker and devotee of her particular breed, as shown by showing, health testing, and being involved in a community of her peers.
Where do you find irresponsible breeders? Flea markets; swap meets; newspaper ads; generic sites on the Web that list a bunch of breeders on the same page. They’re the guy at your office that let his girl dog get pregnant. They’re the friend of a friend who bred her miniature Australian Shepherd “just once.” They’re your cousin who thinks she can make some money by breeding her Chesapeake Bay Retriever to another registered Chessie. They’re the people with the plastic sign at the end of their driveway: “Yellow Labs: $250.” Some of them even have gorgeous websites and professionally produced graphics; many of them are wonderful people, members of churches, clean housekeepers. They don’t look like puppy mills or evil people. But hear this: I don’t care if the breeder is your best friend and you think her dog is just awesome and your kids love the puppies and there was a rainbow in her driveway when you came over to see the litter. If she is not a responsible breeder, go to any vet’s office and ask to see the big bottle of Euthanol and take a good hard look at it, then go to your shelter and pick out the six dogs that are going to get that needle because your friend bred her dog.
Learn to recognize the birdcall of the irresponsible breeder: “We focus on breeding happy, healthy pets.” “You don’t need a show breeder; you just want a pet.” “We don’t want our dogs ruined by the stresses of the show ring.” “I am going to breed her once and only once, just so I can keep a puppy.” “This mix offers the best of both worlds–the nonshedding poodle and the easy-going Lab” (or insert the two or three breeds of your choice). “Our pets are our babies-we breed only for temperament. ” “Mom and dad vet-checked. ” “Champion lines.””Family- raised adorable pets.”
Learn to recognize the website of the irresponsible breeder: Dogs pictured lying down or playing. Males and females are called “mommies” and “daddies.” Puppies are often shown with props, or with hats on, or on a satin background. A special place in hell is waiting for those websites that show all the breeding females obviously pregnant or lactating (because, presumably, they are never NOT pregnant or lactating). There are no show pictures (where the dogs are “stacked” foursquare) or groomed pictures. The dogs have no achievements aside from looking cute. There’s usually a focus on external qualities: the biggest puppy, the smallest puppy, particular (often “rare”) colors, desirable hair textures or lengths.
So how does your purchase kill a shelter dog? Buying from an irresponsible breeder does several things: one, you’re buying a dog that you could have adopted instead. Irresponsible breeders don’t offer you anything that you can’t find at a shelter; they do not breed only the best to the best; they don’t warranty health or temperament; they don’t test and prove their dogs to demonstrate that their breeding stock looks, acts, or performs the way that breed should. So they are competing directly with the shelters in terms of putting dogs into people’s arms, and when people can buy a puppy instead of adopting an older dog, they virtually always do so.
Second, irresponsible breeders don’t just produce the puppy you brought home. That was one of a litter of perhaps six or eight. You gave them a pretty big check for almost no work on their part, so they’ll do it again. Maybe they’ll get a couple more bitches and make it a part-time job. So yeah, you may take this dog home and love it and never give it up, but your purchase encouraged the breeder to make thirty or forty or fifty more dogs. Can you guarantee that they all ended up in good homes? Can you be sure that they didn’t end up in shelters? The purebred dogs in shelters are the result of irresponsible breeders–yup, the same one you just handed a check to. It’s as simple as that.
Irresponsible breeders are going to keep on breeding until they cannot sell puppies. The market must end. That’s why it’s YOUR responsibility, not just theirs. The first time they have a litter of seven Labs who are all still chewing on kitchen cabinets at age one, having consumed several thousand dollars worth of food; the first time they have to raise an entire litter of Maltese until the patellas start to fail on all the dogs; the first time they get some of the pain and none of the dollars, they’ll reconsider doing this again. Until then, they will keep making puppies.
So what now?
There are exactly two ways to obtain a puppy or dog: adopt from a rescue, shelter, or pound; and buy from a responsible breeder who SHOWS (or trials) her dogs, who HEALTH TESTS (not “vet checks”), who INTERVIEWS YOU and who has standards for where she places her puppies–which means she may tell you no–who REQUIRES A WRITTEN CONTRACT including a puppy-back clause so your dog never ends up in a shelter or rescue, and who is open to PEER REVIEW and a member in good standing in her community (as shown by participation in a club or recommendations from other good breeders in the area). These are the qualities that set her apart as a responsible breeder, and they’re what keep your purchased puppy from adding to the statistics of homeless dogs.
Content Credit to – Joanna Kimball, Blacksheep Cardigan Corgis
PS: (REHOMING DOGS THAT YOU BRED IS NOT RESCUE)
Weimaraner 