Mirribandi Belgians
Ch Domeir Twilight Whisper with Mirribandi
"F" Litter
Let the buyer beware…..
So, you
want to buy a Belgian????
Congratulations!!!!!
As they say that dogs look their owners, you
must obviously be good looking, astute, intelligent, and with a sense of
humour!!!!
Seriously though, living with a Belgian
Shepherd can be very challenging. Gone are the days of privacy - your Belgian
will follow you everywhere. Gone are days of an immaculate garden - your
Belgian will help you dig up the garden too! Gone are the days when you can
just lock up the house and go away for the weekend - you now have to consider
your new Belgian friend. Gone are the days of a spotlessly clean house, as your
Belgian will want to live IN the house with you, and not locked in the back
yard. Your Belgian will also you cost money throughout it's life, feeding,
vaccinations, worming, pampering, as well as the occasional veterinary
contingency.
So, if have come this far, and still think
that you are keen to have a Belgian Shepherd as a lifetime companion, then you
must set about doing your homework on the breeders.
Questions
to ask the prospective breeder of your puppy:-
How long have you had Belgians? - A good indication if this breeder is an amateur or
has had lots of experience in breeding.
How many litters have you
had? - Good to gauge the amount of
exposure the breeder has had in raising litters, - but keep in mind, quality is
more important than quantity.
What strengths and
weaknesses did you encounter in these litters? Responses to this question will indicate if the
breeder is honest about the successes and failures within his kennel.
Is there any epilepsy in
these bloodlines? Again, another question to test the honesty of the
breeder. Epilepsy is documented to be in ALL Belgian bloodlines. This is not to
frighten you off the breed, but merely to acknowledge that the disease does
exist, and is known in all Belgian family lines. If your prospective breeder
says his lines are free of the disease - would you trust purchasing a puppy
from him??? Studies are currently being done to determine the genetic DNA
markers for carrier dogs and affected dogs, and we are praying that the
researchers will be able to develop a testing method to take the guess work out
of this aspect of choosing healthy breeding dogs.
Are the parents of this
litter hip scored? Responsible breeders will hip score all of their
breeding stock, PRIOR to breeding from them. The majority of their progeny, and
are quite happy to have these results published - whether the results are good,
bad or ugly. Hip dysplasia is not a bad problem in Belgians, but it can occur,
and ethically all stock should be hip scored prior to breeding from it. Ensure
you see the original hip score certificate too. Ask for a photocopy of the
score sheets, and take them to your local Belgian Breed Club or local vet for
advice if you are unsure of how to interpret the results. Healthy hips are just
as important for a show dog, a breeding dog and even more so - a pet dog. Your
pet has to be able to walk without pain for a good 14 years plus, so it is
recommended that you NEVER compromise on purchasing from untested breeding
stock. Because of the multi gene facet of the hip dysplasia disease, poor hips
may still occur in litters from hip scored dogs, but at least you will know
that the breeder has done everything possible to breed healthy dogs.
Are the parents of this
litter elbow scored? Responsible breeders will elbow score their breeding
dogs at the same time as they are hip scored, PRIOR to breeding from them.
Again, hip problems are not rife in Belgians, but it's your best indication of
healthy parents fit to be bred from.
Are the parents of this
litter eye certified? The more
responsible breeders will eye test their dogs yearly, and/or before breeding
them, to ensure that their breeding stock is not displaying hereditary cases of
cataracts and other nasties. Eye problems are not epidemic in our Australian
Belgians, but to keep it that way, the more responsible breeders are testing
for problems. Eye certificates are only
valid for 12 months – so ensure that the testing date of the parents of the
litter are stated.
Results of Health Testing - there are some conditions shown on health
certificates that are not considered detrimental to the dog's well being, do
not affect the quality of life, are non-degenerative, and should not eliminate
the dog from the breeding program. Conditions, such as PPM's in the eyes, are
shown on eye certificates to help the breeder make educated decisions, and if
they so choose, they can breed an affected dog to a clear dog. Wise breeders
will not double up on these problems. Other conditions, such as hip scores
worse than the breed average, are considered detrimental to the health and
happiness of affected dogs, and as such, these conditions should be eliminated
from the breeding program.
Are the parents of this
litter shown in the show ring? There
are breeders with exceptional quality dogs that are never shown, but they may
have circumstantial reasons for choosing not to show their dogs. More often
that not, we see unreputable breeders breeding with stock that CAN'T be shown,
due to poor movement (construction problems), poor temperament, or the dogs
just are not of high enough quality. If you are only after a family pet to
share your life with, don't be discouraged away from buying from a breeder who
shows the dogs they are breeding from!!!! Show dogs are still real dogs!!!!
Time after time, these show dogs are proving to be producing sounder puppies
than their not-able-to-be-shown counterparts. Construction, temperament and
quality HAVE to be high on your list of priorities when selecting a puppy to
spend the next 14 or so years with you - even if you only want a pet puppy. You
want to have a fit, happy, healthy dog, that you can take anywhere, with very minimal
visits to the vet.
Does the puppy come with papers? The
response to this question tests the ethics of the prospective breeder. In
Queensland, registered breeders MUST supply the papers with each puppy or adult
dog that is sold, given or re-housed, and these papers MUST be transferred into
the new owners name within 14 days of the dog changing residences. This is a
requirement of the Canine Control Council. Regulations state that papers MUST
NOT be offered for sale as an additional charge on top of the purchase price of
the puppies. Breeders can choose to place Non-Breeding agreements on puppies
sold, if the quality of the puppy is not of high enough standard to warrant
breeding with. Breeder's agreements can also be entered into, but the papers
must still be transferred into the new owner's name, or into the joint names of
the new owner and the breeder. It is your right to legally own any dog in your
care. Don't be fooled!!!!
Are the puppies health
guaranteed? Nobody can guarantee the future health of a puppy,
but an agreement about appropriate courses of action should there be a problem
in the future can be made. Verbal agreements are very hard to enforce, so seek
a written agreement from a responsible breeder. Of course the breeder will
expect that you play your part as well.
You must observe for
yourself - the conditions that the dogs are kept in at the breeder's establishment. Belgians in kennels
are not living up to their fullest potential, and puppies raised in this
environment are getting an unfairly disadvantaged start to life, compared with
puppies that are raised in a family household environment. To be well adjusted
adults, puppies require exposure to sights and sounds that just aren't present
in a kennel situation. If you want to purchase a puppy which is more likely to
grow into a well adjusted adult, choose a breeder who welcomes puppies into the
house!!!
You must observe for
yourself - the temperament of the parents of the litter.
Temperament is highly documented to be largely hereditary, but is also greatly
influenced by the environment in which the dogs are raised. Are the parents
sound in temperament? Are they outgoing? Are they willing to play
"fetch" with you? Are they happy to jump onto your lap after they
have met your acquaintance? Shy and aloof parents tend to throw shy and aloof
puppies. Aggressive parents will more than likely throw aggressive puppies.
Unless you are a very experienced trainer, puppies from less that well adjusted
parents are going to be a handful to train to be normal, socially acceptable
adults. It is also an advantage if you can see the mother well before the
mating, as a dam with a litter of puppies will not be looking at her best, and
may also be extra protective of her babies.
Are you willing to take a chance on purchasing
from unethical, non-responsible, or unknowledgeable breeders?
Good News!!! You don't have to!!!
There ARE honest, ethical, responsible and
knowledgeable breeders around, just do your homework, study up on the breed, as
well as the breeder, and don't forget to watch out for the superior Sales
Person type breeder, the Politician type breeder, or the Mr Ignorant
breeder!!!!
Visit many of the kennels in your vicinity
to have a good look at the facilities, the dogs at the establishments, and to
talk at length with the breeder. Try to visit the puppies produced from the
breeder's previous litters to evaluate the general quality from this kennel
The wellbeing and happiness of the dogs at
each establishment is a prime indication on the amount of love that they
receive, how well they are fed and maintained, and how much socialization is
customary at this kennel.
Don't fall into the trap of buying the first
cute little puppy you see - ALWAYS do your homework first. Never purchase a
puppy because you feel sorry for it if it is shy, or mistreated - you will be
just asking for trouble. You've got to live happily with this puppy for
hopefully the next 14 years plus, so your decisions must be well researched and
thought over. Don't be conned into purchasing a puppy that you aren’t 100%
certain that it fits all of your criteria of "that perfect dog".
It is not politically correct to ask for a
recommendation from one breeder about another breeder. Politics is rife in the
dog world….. Recommendations from Breed Clubs are quite often offered because
the breeder has paid a fee, and is not always a true reflection of a recommendation
of ethics, honesty and quality puppies. However, it is certainly a good place
to start your investigation of prospective breeders.
Lastly, once you have found a breeder that
you like, with dogs that you like, please place an order for a puppy, and sit
back and wait for your little bundle of joy to arrive!!!!. Don't be tempted to
compromise and purchase a pup from the first advertised litter from a different
kennel if not of the quality of your chosen breeder!!!
Good luck!!! And let the buyer beware!!!!
Ó Kathryn Winton.