Responsibilities of our Breeders by Vicki Spencer, DCA Breeder Referral
o help guide the public to reputable breeders, DCA offers a breeder referral contact person. I am honored to be able to help in this capacity. I take my role seriously, and love hearing back from people who are thrilled with their new family member bought from one of our members. It is upsetting when I receive a call telling me of a member who was rude, or worse, unscrupulous in their dealings. Fortunately, this rarely happens. As DCA members we should hold ourselves at a high level of accountability. People look to us to sell them a dog that is not only looks and acts like a dachshund but is healthy and genetically sound. Finally, as a breeder, we need to be ready to mentor and be totally supportive for as long as is needed. If we can’t fulfill all those expectations, we should not have litters. Many, many years ago I showed golden retrievers and dealt with five breeders – all different. Were they “good” breeders? You be the judge. I found my first golden through an ad in our local paper. I drove to a farm where I encountered 11 children and 11 puppies. The bitch was a “show” dog with a very nice pedigree. The original owner went through a divorce and sold this bitch to Breeder #1. This breeder was selling puppies to put food on her table. Once a year she would call me and ask how Ginny was doing and whenever Gin did something wonderful in obedience, I would call her. She was always interested and thrilled for us. My Ginny turned out to be the sweetest dog I have ever known. She was kind, gentle and trusting. She proved to be a good obedience dog and an excellent therapy dog. Genetically, she was sound and passed heart, eye and hip clearances. Even though she was a pretty dog, she would never have made it in conformation. Ginny came to me with nothing but her AKC papers. Would you consider this lady a “good” breeder? Our second encounter with a golden breeder came about during a trip to Canadian dog shows. I fell in love with a bitch being shown who was to be bred to my dream golden. We made arrangements to get pick bitch and six months later my husband and I traveled the 14 hours to pick up our girl. Both parents were exceptional representatives of the breed. The kennel was clean and the puppies were socialized and healthy. Gayla came with an impressive pedigree, copies of her parents’ health clearances and a verbal agreement. Gayla turned into a lovely bitch - sound and intelligent with a great personality. She passed
T
her eye, heart and hip clearances, but what if she hadn’t? Would the breeder have stood by her verbal agreement to replace her? Fortunately, I didn’t have to find out. Was Breeder #2 a “good” breeder? Our next golden came from a breeder on the East Coast, who I had heard nothing but good things about. With this breeder, everything was done over the phone. A puppy packet was sent to us with all the necessary information on the parents and the litter along with a contract stating the puppy would be replaced if there were any genetic problems or disqualifying features. Our puppy boy was flown in healthy, friendly and breath-takingly beautiful. A couple of weeks later I could only find one testicle. The next few weeks consisted of many tearful conversations with Breeder #3. At 6 months we neutered Chase and the breeder returned the full cost of the puppy, even though the contract called for a replacement puppy.
Breeder #3 explained that she wasn’t planning on breeding again for awhile and she didn’t want me to have to wait a year or more for a puppy to show. Through the whole ordeal, I couldn’t have asked for a more concerned thoughtful person. She not only honored her agreement, she went above and beyond what was expected. Is this what makes a good breeder? Breeder #4’s public relation skills were amazing. Knowing I would show the puppy in both obedience and conformation, she approached me about her upcoming litter. I loved both parents and told her we would be interested. An impressive puppy packet as thick as a book arrived in the mail with all the necessary information and numerous informative “golden” articles along with a detailed contract. Her contract was similar to the one we had received from Breeder #3. When we arrived to pick out our boy, the Dachshund Club of America
95
AUTUMN, 2011
breeder couldn’t have been nicer. After 5 grueling hours evaluating 11 puppies, I picked out our boy, Flash. A few months later I sent her a letter with pictures. There was no response. There was no response when I wrote her about the puppy’s missing molars (disqualifying), when I wrote her about him going oversize (disqualifying), nor did she respond when I mailed her a copy of his OFA prelims stating he was severely dysplastic. When I finally got her on the phone she said she needed time to “think about the situation” and would get back to me. A few months later I approached her at a dog show where she told me she was sorry, but there was nothing she could do. When I asked her about the contract she said (and I’m not making this up) “A lot of breeders break contracts”, and that they don’t really mean anything. Is this true? Is this a good breeder? Our fifth breeder sent out a beautifully done puppy packet with a contract. This breeding had been painstakingly thought out and the breeders went into great detail as to why this bitch was bred to that dog. We were called the night the babies were born and they kept in close contact with us as the litter grew explaining what they were seeing in each phase. Through the years Breeders #5 became dear friends. They critiqued my handling and honed my grooming skills. They were there through the years watching our puppy grow into a beautiful, sound well-adjusted adult. Is this how a good breeder acts? So, what makes a good breeder? The good ones pour over pedigrees by the hours, observe hundreds of dachshunds to learn structure, movement and soundness. They talk to other breeders with an open mind and a desire to learn continuously. They put up with all the questions and many phone calls from prospective puppy buyers and they share their knowledge with newcomers. They do everything possible to make sure their bitch is worthy of being bred physically, temperamentally and genetically. They pour over pedigrees and critique dozens of potential males looking for the perfect match for their girl. They see that the puppies are given the best care so that they might develop into health, happy, social pets. In other words they have the wisdom of Solomon, the patience of Mother Theresa and the perseverance of Wile E. Coyote. It is easy to be a breeder. It’s being a good one that’s so hard. !