What to look for in a Breeder

Looking for a good breeder can be overwhelming when trying to navigate through the numerous back yard breeders and scammers out there. Hopefully this page will help you determine if the breeder you are looking at is reputable, just ok, or a backyard breeder. 

Let's start with the RED flags! If you hear or see any of these signs, avoid this breeder. 

* Uses the phrase "Champion lines" - not all puppies in a litter are show or working quality. Each dog who is being bred should be proven to be quality through show or working titles. If only their parents are, this means that the breeder is simply riding off of the coat tails of others and did not do anything to prove the dogs they are breeding are of the same champion quality. Again, just because their are champions in their pedigree, does not mean the parents are champion quality. 

*Brags about "DCM Clear" or "genetically tested" - While genetic tests are important, it is not even the bare minimum for health testing that should be done on breeding dogs. We will talk more about what health tests to look for in the "Green Flag" section below. 

*Breeder sells pups before 8 weeks old - Not only is this illegal in most states, but it doesn't allow the puppies to learn important communication skills when kept with their mother and littermates. 

*Breeder does not interview potential homes - A breeder should want to put their puppies in the best homes possible. Not everyone is a good fit for a Doberman. If a breeder sells to anyone who has a dollar without asking any questions, this is a huge red flag. 

*Gives Breeding rights (Full Registration) to everyone- this goes along with the first point, not all puppies in a litter should be bred. Breeding rights should be reserved for the best puppies going into competitive show or working homes. 

*No pictures of parents but always has puppies - This is often a sign of a scammer. Good breeders like to brag about their parent dogs, if there are no signs of the parents then they probably don't own them or even have any puppies. Typically, these pages are made up of stolen photos from other breeders in attempt to collect deposits for puppies that don't exist. Other signs that it might be a scammer: all posts are from the same date, all the posts are of puppies of different ages, the posting methods used on ears are different (breeders will use the same posting methods for all of their puppies because that is what works for them!). 

* Breeds dogs under age 2- These dogs are not fully mature and cannot even have some of the bare minimum health tests done on them at this age. 

Next we will talk about Yellow Flags - maybe not a BYB or scammer, but you can do better. 

*Does some health testing (such as genetic tests, hips, elbows,) but not ALL of them - Does more than a BYB but does not complete all health tests. 

*Does some titles, but nothing competitive or impressive - Examples would be CGC, trick dog, fastcat, etc. While these are fun titles it isn't anything that would prove breeding quality. We will talk more about titles in the Green Flag section below. 

*Does not handle ear cropping - It is very hard to find good cropping vets and often they book out very far in advance. Breeders typically have to schedule cropping appointments before the pups are even born. This leaves owners with subpar cropping vets to handle the crop and the new owner to deal with the aftercare.  

*Only breeds to their own dogs - Good breeders want to pair their female with the best male possible. While their male may be the best fit for their female occasionally, they should not be using their males for every litter produced. This just shows they are using what is convenient vs what is best. 

Now onto the Green flags! These are signs you want to look for in a breeder. 

*Completes all necessary health tests (and possibly more!) - For Dobermans there are bare minimum one-time tests and yearly tests that should be done before breeding. The bare minimum one-time tests are: Hips, genetic tests (VWD, DCM 1 & 2, DM). The bare minimum annual tests are: Thyroid, Echocardiogram, and Holter.  Bonus points for the following tests: elbows, proBnP tests, if the dog has their OFA CHIC number, eyes, etc.  

*Breeder proves both breeding dogs through competitive titles: These may include but are not limited to - conformation (AKC CH), bitesports (IGP, PSA, MR, FR, AS), actual working dogs (police work, SAR, Human remains, drug detection dogs, etc), Obedience, Agility, Nosework,  etc. Breeders will often do temperament tests as well if their sport doesn't include them (the BH in IGP is considered a temperament test). 

*Breeder handles ear cropping with experienced and skilled cropping vet: Breeders want their puppies to have the best crops possible as this reflects their kennel name. Good breeders will have a skilled cropping vet lined up well in advance and will send puppies home after the pups are completely healed. The should also show the new owner how to post the ears so they are successful with getting the ears to stand as intended. 

*Thoroughly interviews each home - good breeders understand that not everyone will be a good fit for their puppies. They want the best homes possible so carefully interviews each home.  

*Puppies are sold on Limited Registration - good breeders do not want their puppies ending up in puppy mills or BYB homes. A good breeder will sell all puppies with Limited registration (no breeding rights) except for competitive show/ working homes. 

*Puppies are sold on a contract and breeder will take back puppy at any time - Contracts protect both the breeder and the buyer but most importantly the puppy. Should anything happen and the new owner is no longer able to care for the puppy, good breeders will take back their dog at any time, for any reason so their puppies will never end up in a shelter. 

*Does not always have puppies available - Good breeders put alot of planning into each litter they produce with a goal to producing the best examples of their breed. This means they only have litters every once in awhile and often have a fairly long wait list. 

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