WANT A GERMAN PINSCHER?
If you are searching for a German Pinscher, do you know what to ask a
breeder to determine if they are ethical and reputable?
Here are a few questions
to ask when you are looking for a breeder. This is only a guideline to
help in your search for that perfect companion for you and your family.
Ø Are the dogs registered
with the Canadian or American Kennel Club? If they are not,
why?
It is common for some breeders to
promote their dogs as purebred “without papers”
By Canadian law, a purebred dog or any dog that is presented as purebred
must come with registration papers. The only recognized registry in Canada is
the Canadian Kennel Club. The CKC as it
is known, accepts only one registry for purebred dogs from each country around
the world. For the USA, it is the American Kennel Club. Any other registry is not considered
acceptable, nor are the dogs registered within it, considered purebred in the
eyes of the law in Canada. (Based on the Animal Pedigree Act which covers all
purely bred animals including cats, cattle, swine etc)
Ø Can I enquire on the
breeders status with the above clubs as a form of reference?
Almost every country that offers dog
shows and promotes purebred dogs, has a club specifically for each breed. The
clubs offer support and education as well as set guidelines for breeders. Most clubs keep records of breeders that,
member or not, have not adhered to the most basic of ethical rules regarding
breeding, showing and sportsmanship behaviour for their breed. Although breed clubs should NOT favour one
breeder over another, they can inform someone about breeders that have not met
the criteria for membership or have been subject to disciplinary matters either
within the club or from the appropriate national registry.
Ø How long will it take
to get registration papers on my puppy?
The Canadian Kennel Club requires
that any puppy or dog sold, given or otherwise disposed of, must also have the
registration document for that dog within six months of the date of sale. At time, the CKC offices are more active than
others and paperwork can be delayed slightly. With the online registration
system currently in place, dogs newly registered can be done in as little as
three weeks. Transfers can take as little as a week (expedited service) to four
weeks for regular services. Often a new
puppy may take a bit longer if the sire of the litter is a foreign dog or
multiple breeders signatures are required to complete the first stage of
registration which is the registration of the litter. There are seldom if any reasons why a dog
that COULD be eligible to be registered with the CKC is not within the time
period outlined by the CKC.
Ø Do you do health testing
on your breeding stock? (for example-hips/eyes/vWD/thyroid/heart)
Eye testing must be done annually on
any German Pinschers being used for breeding to ensure that they do not have a
hereditary eye condition that could be passed along to their offspring. Only testing done by a certified veterinarian
ophthalmologist is an accepted test, and breeders are encouraged to submit
their tests to the eye database (CERF) for certification, however it is not a
requirement. If this is not done, the
breeder should be able to offer a copy of the eye exam and explain the
notifications on that exam.
Hip exrays can be done as early as
18 months to be certified with the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) General practitioner vets are not qualified
to assess hip condition and all submissions to OVC are graded either
“normal-showing no sign of hip dysplasia” or if there is a problem, the
certificate will outline the problem and the degree of the problem. Breeders should be able to show a certified
report on the hip health of any breeding dogs they have. PennHip is also an acceptable means of
certifying hip health and can be done as early as 4 months of age. Documentation of this test should be offered
to the buyer should this be the breeders method of choice.
vWD (Von Willebrands Disease) is a
blood clotting issue common in many breeds and screened by a DNA cheek
swab. The German Pinscher strain of vWD
is not considered fatal if affected. Carriers
of vWD should not be bred together as this could result in 25% chance of
producing an affected dog. (currently there are no affected animals in this
breed as per testing statistics) Clear dogs will never produce an affected, and
if both parents are DNA clear, their offspring are always ‘clear by parentage’. The breeder should be able to produce
documents ensuring the vWD status of the parents should there be claims of
‘clear by parentage’ puppies. Carriers are not compromised in regards to
health, they merely ‘carry’ one of the two genes that creates the disease. They
themselves will never ‘turn into’ an affected.
Heart issues are apparent in this
breed with valve issues being the prime concern. Only a certified cardiologist is qualified to
clear a dog for any heart problems. ARCH
database offers the resources to ensure that dogs are ‘heart healthy’.
Thyroid testing is often done as a
random test to ensure that the breeding dogs are healthy overall. Thyroid problems can often show up as dull
and thin coats, patchy coats, lethargy or lack of condition. Good breeders will spot any changes in their
dogs and a thyroid test, which is a simple blood test, is easily done.
Ø Can I see documentation
of the results of these health tests?
All breeders selling puppies or
dogs, should gladly produce any health documentation for you to see, or include
as part of your records for you new puppy if the tests are on the parents of
your puppy.
Ø How young do you breed
your dogs and how often?
Because hips can not be certified
until the dog reaches 18 months, most breeders will not breed a female before
that time. Regardless, all testing must
be done before breeding whether it is a male or female. Any dog bred before the age of one, is
considered too young and immature and should be questioned as to why this
animal was used for breeding at that age.
Although many theories abound about how often females can be bred, most
breeders will have only two or three litters out of one female over her
breeding life. This may be spread out
over a number of years, or done relatively quickly while she is still
young.
Ø How many litters do you
generally have in one year? In two years?
Everyone has a different situation
in their home to handle litters. Some
breeders are more than capable of having four litters in a calendar year if they
are spaced apart to allow for the work that happens when a litter arrives. Other breeders would never consider more than
one litter per year and many more have even less. It is quite common to find a breeder that
has not had a litter in two or three years and then suddenly has three litters
in one year. Most breeders are happy to
explain their breeding schedule and their choices for or against having a
litter. Be wary of the breeders however,
that always have puppies available, or coming up shortly. Often this can mean high volume breeders, and
in those cases, it is uncertain if the pups and mothers get the care and
attention they require during the early development stages. The majority of breeders also allocate a
bedroom or dining room for a litter.
Question breeders that use a ‘barn’ or ‘outbuilding’ for newborns.
Ø Will I have to wait on
a list for a puppy?
There are not many breeders of
German Pinschers and because the majority of breeders have either jobs or other
commitments, they often do not always have a litter. Getting on a waiting list is common and often
the list is long if you want a specific colour or gender. Be wary of the breeder that always has a
litter handy and ready to go to new homes. This could indicate high volume
breeders (as mentioned above) Remember that most breeders know each other, and
while it is good to contact many breeders and even get on a few lists, it is
courtesy to firstly let the breeders know that you are on multiple waiting
lists (after all, sometimes a litter just doesn’t happen!) and if you are told
that there is a puppy for you, contact the other breeders and inform them so
that they can remove your name from their waiting list and allow another person
to take your place.
Ø Do you keep from each
litter?
Most breeders are doing this to
produce their next show dog. This means that in many cases with small litters,
there will not be a puppy available for you, or there may only be a male when
you wanted a female. You should be willing to consider taking a different
gender or colour.
Sometimes however a breeder has a
litter and there simply isn’t the improvement that they had hoped for, and as a
result they opt to not keep from that litter.
Be wary of the breeders that never keep and always have all the pups in every
litter available.
Ø Why are you breeding?
High volume breeders won’t tell you
that they are breeding to make money, but it’s not hard to figure something
like that out. (see above) If you talk
to a breeder that shows their dogs or trials them in performance events, they
usually have a set of goals lined out for their breeding future.
Ø How early do you let
your puppies go to their new homes?
Responsible breeders won’t let their
pups go to new homes before 8 weeks of age.
This allows the pups to be properly weaned from their mother and mature
enough to be able to handle a new family.
Usually at this point, the pups have been given at least one if not two
inoculations and have been wormed twice.
Ø Do I need to have my
puppy cropped? If so, why?
Some breeders will not sell any
puppies that are not cropped. Some
breeders will not crop ears and other breeders will not permit ears to be
cropped even after the pup goes to their new home. These items are usually outlined in a
purchase contract. There is really no
wrong answer, however most reputable and experienced breeders will discuss with
the potential owner all sides to the ‘cropped ear’ debate. There is no reason to not crop, nor is there
a reason to crop. It becomes a personal choice.
Be wary of those that insist that uncropped dogs will always have ear
problems, as this is not true. There are
thousands of GP’s worldwide with natural ears that have no issues whatsoever.
Ø Do I need to provide
references for you?
Ethical breeders want to get to know
you. They want to know that you are making the right decision bringing this
breed into your home. Are you prepared for the activity level of this breed?
Are you ready to commit to a pet for perhaps 15 years? Do you have a home that
would allow for a pet at all, never mind a GP? What is your family status and
work status? Good breeders want to ensure that their pups have the best
possible future and are not simply interested if your check will clear. A good breeder also won’t make you feel like
you have to sell your first born for the ‘right’ to own one of their pups. As a buyer, you must build a relationship
with a breeder that you feel will listen to your situation and treat you with
respect. Of course that respect is a two way street.
Ø Can you provide
references of your breeding program and buyers?
Breeders want to and insist on
getting references from buyers, but buyers have the same rights to know about
the breeder they are going to buy a dog from.
Ask your future breeder if they can give you names of anyone that has
purchased a dog from them and allow you to contact these people and find out
their experiences with the breeder. Many
breeders are members of a national parent club (mentioned above) and are in
good standing with their national registry.
Be sure to contact both these sources for information on a potential
breeder.
Ø Do you show your dogs
in Conformation shows? If not….why?
Not all breeders like to show their
dogs. Some prefer agility or obedience or have other people show their dogs at
dog shows. Showing dogs and attaining
championships often shows the commitment to the breed to continue to breed the
dogs to the written standard laid out by the kennel clubs. It shows the involvement in aspects of dog
sports. Often when a breeder does not
show their dogs, it can mean that they are not interested in continuing to
preserve the breed as outlined in a breed standard, do not want to spend the
money needed to obtain a championship title, or unable to participate in shows
or trials due to disciplinary actions enforced by the registry where the shows
and trials are held. As well, for those
breeders that do not show, be wary of the statement “from champion lines”. One champion parent in a pedigree that covers
four generations is nothing to brag about, but often it can sell a puppy to an
unsuspecting buyer who can proudly state his new dog has a champion great great
grandfather! Most good breeders have
entire pedigrees full of champions and performance titled dogs. They take pride in the titles that they have
attained showing their commitment to the breed overall.
Ø Do you have a written
guarantee and if so, may I read it before I must purchase or put a deposit on
the puppy?
All dogs sold should have some sort of
guarantee issued with them. These vary depending on the breeder and in fact,
are only as good as the breeder is honest.
In most cases contracts are not legally binding and are hard to
challenge should something go wrong.
Building a good relationship with your future breeder will let you know
if the paper that they send for your signature will actually be upheld and
support given should something happen to the puppy. Good breeders will provide a fair contract
outlining what is expected of the new owners, and what the owners should expect
from their breeder. Many contracts are
written up to suite the individual needs of the buyer, but most breeders can
and should offer a contract outlining the basics if asked prior to the final
sale of the puppy.
Most breeders do require a holding
deposit on a puppy and some will take deposits prior to litters being born.
Others will not accept deposits at any time.
Be sure that if you put any money down as a deposit, you are given a
clear written document stating what is expected to come along with that deposit
and any stipulations that could happen with it.
Ø Do you refund if for
some reason placement does not work out?
All refund or replacement options
should be completely laid out in your written contract. Be sure to read your
contract carefully and ask questions if you are not sure about a portion of the
contract.
Ø May I visit your home
to see your facilities and visit the puppies and parents?
Many breeders have full time jobs,
busy lives or families and although they welcome visitors, it’s always best to
call and book an appointment to visit as they may want to be sure that the
vacuum got warmed up, and the dishes are out of the sink! Remember you are a guest in their home and
should behave as such. Don’t be terribly
concerned if the breeder has a litter and the house smells like a puppy, unless
it is overpowering and clearly not being taken care of. Puppies are messy and
hard to keep clean! Sometimes a breeder
may have a male dog that marks (lifts his leg) so the odd spot here and there
isn’t unheard of either, and again, only when you are overwhelmed with urine
smell or stains should you give a bit of concern to the environment that the
dogs are living in. As well, if the breeders
home shows photos of their dogs, breed items specific to the breed or a basket
of dog toys, you can be more assured that the dogs are a welcome part of the
home. Be wary of the breeder that has
dogs that only live in a barn or shed. This is not a breed that does well
isolated from humans.
Don’t be upset if you can’t see the
father of your new puppy. Often the
males are not around, or a breeding was done artificially as the male may live
across the country, or in the case of frozen semen, be long deceased. As well, the breeder will often not want to
upset the mother if the litter is very young and as such, not allow
visitors. Other breeders won’t permit
anyone from outside to visit a litter until the litter has their first shots,
due to possible risk of disease being brought into the home. There are many reasons why a breeder could
turn down a request for a visit, only some of them would be unrealistic, as
many breeder simply want to ensure that their pups stay healthy and limiting
possible outside problems is one way of doing that.
It is up to you as the
buyer to determine which answers make you feel most comfortable.
Is the German Pinscher right for
you and your lifestyle and family?
ü This is an active breed
with a strong will. It needs a firm but guiding hand and obedience
training is a must. First time dog owners should be discouraged from purchasing
a German Pinscher as in many cases, it would not be advisable to start out as a
dog owner with this breed.
ü Do you have small
infants or toddlers? Although this is not a large breed, it is strong and
sometimes does not mix well with small children.
ü Do you have the ability
to exercise this breed properly? A fenced yard is ideal, but if not
available, you must be willing to walk this dog frequently. This is not a
breed meant to sit on the couch and watch the world go by!
ü Do you have other
animals in your home? Often as in many breeds, dogs do not co habitat
well. It’s recommended that if there are other dogs, that an opposite sex
GP be brought into the home as that tends to be the most compliant.
Although this breed can be trained to live with smaller dogs, they do have a
high prey drive and so caution must be maintained to ensure safety of all pets
in the home.
THERE
ARE BREEDERS THAT CAN NOT OR WILL NOT ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS! DO
YOUR HOMEWORK AND RESEARCH BEFORE BUYING! DON’T TAKE THE BREEDERS
WORD FOR IT. THERE ARE MANY SIMPLY OUT TO MAKE A PROFIT.
MANY
BREEDERS ARE WILLING TO SHIP ACROSS NORTH AMERICA AND IT IS NOT HARD ON THE
PUPPIES. DO NOT BUY FROM YOUR BACKYARD BECAUSE IT’S CONVENIENT! OFTEN
THAT CHEAPER PUPPY COSTS MORE IN THE LONG RUN IN BOTH VET BILLS AND
HEARTACHE.
IF A
BREEDER DOES NOT ASK YOU ANY QUESTIONS AS TO YOUR LIFESTYLE OR FAMILY
SITUATION, BE AWARE THEY MAY BE ONLY INTERESTED IN THE SALE OF A PUPPY AND NOT
THE BEST INTERESTS OF THAT PUPPY.
REMEMBER
THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE BREEDING GERMAN PINSCHERS PROCLAIMING THEM TO BE RARE AND
CLOSE TO EXTINCTION. THIS BREED IS NOT ENDANGERED NOR IS IT CONSIDERED TO BE
RARE. THERE ARE ETHICAL BREEDERS LOCATED ALL ACROSS NORTH AMERICA.
THERE
ARE PEOPLE BREEDING DILUTES AND BREEDING FOR PROFIT ONLY. DO NOT BE
FOOLED BY THE PERSON THAT WANTS A HIGHER PRICE FOR A DILUTE PUPPY SIMPLY BASED
ON A COLOUR THAT IS NOT DESIRED.
THERE
ARE PEOPLE THAT WILL NOT DO EVEN THE MOST BASIC OF HEALTH TESTING TO ENSURE THE
LONGEVITY OF YOUR FAMILY COMPANION. ASK TO SEE THE HIP CERTIFICATE FROM
EITHER OFA OR OVC AS WELL AS CERF(EYE) AND VWD STATUS OF BOTH PARENTS. ETHICAL
BREEDERS WILL GLADLY PRODUCE ALL THESE AND MANY MORE, SHOWING THEIR DEDICATION
TO THE BREED.
CHECK WITH THE CANADIAN KENNEL CLUB OR THE
AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB TO ENSURE THAT THE PERSON SELLING YOU A PUPPY IS ABLE TO
REGISTER THAT PUPPY AS PUREBRED. A COMPUTER GENERATED PEDIGREE OR
CERTIFICATE IS NOT PROOF OF A PUREBRED.
CHECK OUT THE CANADIAN KENNEL CLUB
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS BREED. (416)675-5511
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