How to find the right breeder?

How to find the right breeder?

Your desire to own a dog is clear, that is you have asked yourself the following questions:

Male or bitch
Puppy, young or older dog
Pedigree or half-breed
Security- or working dog, lap- or companion dog, luxury- or family dog

The spatial needs of family and dog are clarified and the corresponding costs (acquisition, maintenance, veterinarian, control, insurance) are clear. In cases of vacation, illness or other unforeseeable events, solutions are handy and will not only be in accordance with your personal existence, but will be agreeable with the people around you.

You are sure and know you want:

A pedigree from a breeder or you have already decided on a Basenji.

First point of contact can be:

The respective national holding organisation

In Germany the VDH in Dortmund,
In Austria the Austrian Kynologenverband in Vienna,
In Switzerland the Societè Cynologique Suisse in Bern

One can as a rule obtain the addresses of the respective dog clubs there.

The corresponding pure breed dog association

There are there as a rule lists with addresses of breeders.

Professional journals

You can find advertisements from breeders in almost all animal or dog magazines.

The pure-bred dog club

Most organisations will send to those interested not only lists of breeders but also information or leaflets on specific breeds. With these documents you can check for yourself, whether chosen breed corresponds to your expectations or better: whether you can also fulfil the needs of the dog. Also please remember that the members of these pure-breed dog clubs appreciate and love “their” breed and therefore the club publish documents of a mainly positive description. Therefore you are advised to interpret these documents carefully.

What do you have to observe in the list of breeders from the dog clubs to avoid an unpleasant surprise?

Ask first if breeder list is up to date. Obsolete lists waste time and cause unnecessary (telephone) costs.

Enquire of the person in charge of the club - in general the agency for puppies or the office -whether they breed themselves. If so, it could happen that you do not get an objective answer insofar that the respective person might also plan or have a litter and wants to gain you as a buyer. You should take great care to obtain neutral information.

Enquire whether the mentioned breeders are actual “breeders”. Sometimes it happens that persons are listed who have registered a kennel, but have never produced any puppies. Every breeder starts at a certain time. New breeders often compensate for the routine of the established kennels with special care and caution. They might also have more current knowledge concerning breeding matters. Ask how long the kennel has existed.

Attention:
If a kennel has existed for some time and hasn't produced any puppies, you should ask for the reasons. If a kennel has existed for a short time only and has already had many litters ask for the number of the breeding bitches.

Absolute neutrality of the informants can be a sign of reliability.

The breeder

The acquisition of a dog means a change of your personal life for many years to come. Therefore you have to be very careful with the selection of your "breeder".

Who can call himself a breeder and how to become a breeder?

If we now talk about a breeder this should be a person who breeds in accordance with the regulations of the F.C.I. or affiliated national association. He does not necessarily have to be a member of such a club. Breeders in this sense are therefore not such people buying or dealing with puppies from abroad especially from Eastern Europe. Also breeders should be excluded who are producing dogs and raising them without the supervision of a main breeding warden and who eventually sell the dogs without pedigree.

A breeder is anyone who has a registered dog compound. Against payment of a charge one purchases the right for the allowance to breed dogs of every race under a name of your own choice. This name will be protected world-wide in all of the FCI membership countries if applied for at the FCI.

The possession of dogs is not required.

A breeder has the right to buy a muted bitch, which then in the name and at the place of residence of the breeder brings her puppies and pulls them up (usually). Surely not as a rule, but also in smaller pedigree dog associations you find breeders, who presently do not have a dog or never have had one. In such a case ask the reasons for their behaviour.

Which kinds of breeders are there?

There are professional breeders (mostly they don't admit it and work also in another profession) and those who do it for a hobby.

The professional breeder

Usually he keeps dogs of several breeds or many dogs of one breed. It is important that the the breeder belongs to an association acknowledged by the FCI (kynological World organisation) to which all national organisations must belong). Only this can ascertain a minimal requirement. No breeder can deal with a variety of dogs or several breeds intensively without loss of quality. There are also “black sheep” amongst the breeders in recognised associations, however they are in the minority.

The hobby breeder

He also must belong to a FCI affiliated national association to obtain recognised documents. In general, hobby breeders are as equally competent as professional breeders, however they usually find substantially more time and love for the animals. However, on account of their other professional activities they are not in a position to have many dogs and many litters.

This applies to both groups of breeders:

Always look at the breeding close before making a decision to buy (cages or flat/house).

Examine before, without pressure of time, the animals (bitch, puppies, other dogs).

Caution is necessary, if the puppies are shy of people instead of curious and trusting. This may indicate insufficient character moulding and can lead to error within the new family if, for example, there are children.
Some bitches will not accept strangers around their pups. This cannot necessarily be judged as negative. However, under no circumstances should the bitch appear anxious or cool towards the breeder.

Ask about illnesses, physical and/or emotional defects or weaknesses not only of the parent dogs, but particularly also of the grandparents. Unlike many other races, the Basenji must have a complete denture. If a breeder answers evasively, doesn't think this is important or is not interested in the grandparents, caution is advisable. One can often recognise whether one is encountering with a "real" engaged breeder or a “dog multiplier”.

Ask whether the breeder makes a written sales contract with you and hands it over to you beforehand. Serious breeders do not only oblige the buyer, but also themselves in the sales contract that dogs are e.g. multiple wormed and vaccinated and that all details (parents etc) are contained in the sales contract. Furthermore he will request you or even oblige you in the contract that the dog cannot be handed over to anyone else without his permission.

In conclusion:

1. Ask the breeder for references from people who have bought their puppies in the past. Contact these owners.

2. Ask the breeder if he will provide you afterwards with any support and advice that you might require. Conscientious breeders will assist you during the lifetime of the dog

3. Ask the breeder what would happen with the dog in case of unforeseeable circumstances (divorce, illness, accident, death). Responsible breeders will either take the dog back or find another suitable home.

4. Do not accept pressure by telephone to make your decision, a usual remark is: I have only one bitch left. If you do not approve within 24 hours, then ....

5. Never buy out of sympathy. Sympathy is emotionally understandable, however the worst adviser.

6. When you have found a breeder in which you have confidence inform him in due time and extensively about your requirements on temperament, character, quality and anything that is important. The breeder lives together with the puppy during the first few weeks and he will observe them as often as possible. If he knows your wishes he can choose a suitable dog for you. This will be often be a compromise because he has to co-ordinate different puppies and puppy buyers, but it will always be his wish that the puppies will integrate with the new owners as well as possible.

You should trust only your common sense and not let yourself be persuaded if you have the slightest doubt. No living creature deserves to be put into the corner in the case that you don’t like it any longer. It might be possible that you fall in love with a puppy immediately. This can be the beginning of a long friendship. However, if the breeder has doubts because he is of the opinion that you and the puppy do not match please do not be offended but listen to his arguments and try and realise what this could mean for you.


Your desire to own a dog is clear, that is you have asked yourself the following questions:
	Male or bitch Puppy, young or older dog Pedigree or half-breed Security- or working dog, lap- or companion dog, luxury- or family dog
The spatial needs of family and dog are clarified and the corresponding costs (acquisition, maintenance, veterinarian, control, insurance) are clear. In cases of vacation, illness or other unforeseeable events, solutions are handy and will not only be in accordance with your personal existence, but will be agreeable with the people around you.
You are sure and know you want:
	A pedigree from a breeder or you have already decided on a Basenji.
First point of contact can be:
The respective national holding organisation
	In Germany the VDH in Dortmund, In Austria the Austrian Kynologenverband in Vienna, In Switzerland the Societè Cynologique Suisse in Bern
One can as a rule obtain the addresses of the respective dog clubs there.
The corresponding pure breed dog association
	There are there as a rule lists with addresses of breeders.
Professional journals
	You can find advertisements from breeders in almost all animal or dog magazines.
The pure-bred dog club Most organisations will send to those interested not only lists of breeders but also information or leaflets on specific breeds. With these documents you can check for yourself, whether chosen breed corresponds to your expectations or better: whether you can also fulfil the needs of the dog. Also please remember that the members of these pure-breed dog clubs appreciate and love “their” breed and therefore the club publish documents of a mainly positive description. Therefore you are advised to interpret these documents carefully. What do you have to observe in the list of breeders from the dog clubs to avoid an unpleasant surprise? Ask first if breeder list is up to date. Obsolete lists waste time and cause unnecessary (telephone) costs. Enquire of the person in charge of the club - in general the agency for puppies or the office -whether they breed themselves. If so, it could happen that you do not get an objective answer insofar that the respective person might also plan or have a litter and wants to gain you as a buyer. You should take great care to obtain neutral information. Enquire whether the mentioned breeders are actual “breeders”. Sometimes it happens that persons are listed who have registered a kennel, but have never produced any puppies. Every breeder starts at a certain time. New breeders often compensate for the routine of the established kennels with special care and caution. They might also have more current knowledge concerning breeding matters. Ask how long the kennel has existed. Attention: If a kennel has existed for some time and hasn't produced any puppies, you should ask for the reasons. If a kennel has existed for a short time only and has already had many litters ask for the number of the breeding bitches. Absolute neutrality of the informants can be a sign of reliability. The breeder The acquisition of a dog means a change of your personal life for many years to come. Therefore you have to be very careful with the selection of your "breeder". Who can call himself a breeder and how to become a breeder? If we now talk about a breeder this should be a person who breeds in accordance with the regulations of the F.C.I. or affiliated national association. He does not necessarily have to be a member of such a club. Breeders in this sense are therefore not such people buying or dealing with puppies from abroad especially from Eastern Europe. Also breeders should be excluded who are producing dogs and raising them without the supervision of a main breeding warden and who eventually sell the dogs without pedigree. A breeder is anyone who has a registered dog compound. Against payment of a charge one purchases the right for the allowance to breed dogs of every race under a name of your own choice. This name will be protected world-wide in all of the FCI membership countries if applied for at the FCI. The possession of dogs is not required. A breeder has the right to buy a muted bitch, which then in the name and at the place of residence of the breeder brings her puppies and pulls them up (usually). Surely not as a rule, but also in smaller pedigree dog associations you find breeders, who presently do not have a dog or never have had one. In such a case ask the reasons for their behaviour. Which kinds of breeders are there? There are professional breeders (mostly they don't admit it and work also in another profession) and those who do it for a hobby. The professional breeder Usually he keeps dogs of several breeds or many dogs of one breed. It is important that the the breeder belongs to an association acknowledged by the FCI (kynological World organisation) to which all national organisations must belong). Only this can ascertain a minimal requirement. No breeder can deal with a variety of dogs or several breeds intensively without loss of quality. There are also “black sheep” amongst the breeders in recognised associations, however they are in the minority. The hobby breeder He also must belong to a FCI affiliated national association to obtain recognised documents. In general, hobby breeders are as equally competent as professional breeders, however they usually find substantially more time and love for the animals. However, on account of their other professional activities they are not in a position to have many dogs and many litters.
This applies to both groups of breeders:
	Always look at the breeding close before making a decision to buy (cages or flat/house). Examine before, without pressure of time, the animals (bitch, puppies, other dogs). Caution is necessary, if the puppies are shy of people instead of curious and trusting. This may indicate insufficient character moulding and can lead to error within the new family if, for example, there are children. Some bitches will not accept strangers around their pups. This cannot necessarily be judged as negative. However, under no circumstances should the bitch appear anxious or cool towards the breeder. Ask about illnesses, physical and/or emotional defects or weaknesses not only of the parent dogs, but particularly also of the grandparents. Unlike many other races, the Basenji must have a complete denture. If a breeder answers evasively, doesn't think this is important or is not interested in the grandparents, caution is advisable. One can often recognise whether one is encountering with a "real" engaged breeder or a “dog multiplier”. Ask whether the breeder makes a written sales contract with you and hands it over to you beforehand. Serious breeders do not only oblige the buyer, but also themselves in the sales contract that dogs are e.g. multiple wormed and vaccinated and that all details (parents etc) are contained in the sales contract. Furthermore he will request you or even oblige you in the contract that the dog cannot be handed over to anyone else without his permission.
In conclusion:
	1. Ask the breeder for references from people who have bought their puppies in the past. Contact these owners.
	2. Ask the breeder if he will provide you afterwards with any support and advice that you might require. Conscientious breeders will assist you during the lifetime of the dog
	3. Ask the breeder what would happen with the dog in case of unforeseeable circumstances (divorce, illness, accident, death). Responsible breeders will either take the dog back or find another suitable home.
	4. Do not accept pressure by telephone to make your decision, a usual remark is: I have only one bitch left. If you do not approve within 24 hours, then ....
	5. Never buy out of sympathy. Sympathy is emotionally understandable, however the worst adviser.
	6. When you have found a breeder in which you have confidence inform him in due time and extensively about your requirements on temperament, character, quality and anything that is important. The breeder lives together with the puppy during the first few weeks and he will observe them as often as possible. If he knows your wishes he can choose a suitable dog for you. This will be often be a compromise because he has to co-ordinate different puppies and puppy buyers, but it will always be his wish that the puppies will integrate with the new owners as well as possible.
You should trust only your common sense and not let yourself be persuaded if you have the slightest doubt. No living creature deserves to be put into the corner in the case that you don’t like it any longer. It might be possible that you fall in love with a puppy immediately. This can be the beginning of a long friendship. However, if the breeder has doubts because he is of the opinion that you and the puppy do not match please do not be offended but listen to his arguments and try and realise what this could mean for you.